Stoicism - College of Stoic Philosophers

THE RISE OF STOICISM. 29and old, who freely grouped themselves around arecognised leader, listening to his expositionof thetruth, and trying to reduce his lessons to the hard testof practice. Each was supposed to reproduce inauthorized form the tenets of the Plato, Aristotle, orAntisthenes, who had been the founders of the variousschools of thought. Once appointed to the post ofhonour, he filled itcommonlytill death closed hislabours ;but while he lived he chose another whomight step into his place when he was gone, or in hiswill put the ofifice in commission for a while,till thedisciples who were trusted most could make theirchoice. It was a purely voluntary system, for it waslong before the foremost men could be regarded asprofessors, appointed or salaried by the State. Rather,they lived upon the footing of the Free Churches ofour modern times, and the principal members actedsomewhat as the deacons, choosing at times, thoughit does not appear that they dismissed, their spiritualhead. To the credit of the philosophic sects, it shouldbe noticed that each enjoyed a rare degree of harmonywithin itself; even the most restless spiritsseldom ventured to dispute the master's claims totheir obedience, or to set up a rival oracle beside him.Many, even of the greatest name, appear to havewaited quietly for many years, till a vacancy was madeby death, or they were invited to assume the foremostplace.We hear only of one, Chrysippus, who set upfor himself while the head of his school was still alive ;'Cf. " University Life in Ancient Athens,"c. ii.