Stoicism - College of Stoic Philosophers

noSTOICISM.^ braved death to hear Socrates, his friend and guide,when it was penal for one of Megara to enter Athens ;whereas now-a-days, he said, philosophers must oftenwait till their pupils have recovered from the winepartyof the night before.We may gather from the same old writer that theprofessors sometimes presumed a little on the privilegesof their office, and pushed their rights of interferencesomewhat far, even with scholars of matureryears.^ Favorinus once was discoursing to his classwhen the message came that the wife of one of hisold pupils— a man of noble birth— had been just deliveredof a son." Let us go," he said," to congratulatethe father." And off he started with his train.They were ushered in together, and gave their complimentsand made inquiries for the mother's health.That done the professor said, "Of course the ladywill suckle her own child." Her mother answeredthat she was not strong enough, but must have a wetnursefor the purpose ;but Favorinus was not satisfiedwith the excuse, and then and there delivered a longlecture on the subject, insisting on the natural duty,and on the danger of such artificial habits. His remarksare sensible enough, as they appear in thenotes which Aulus Gellius wrote out from memory,and they may serve at least to illustrate the wide rangewhich the moralist of those days gave to his rights orduties of personal supervision.Often they had no need to obtrude their counsels,^Aul. Gell., xii. I.