9781945186240

EMPEDOCLES: Fifth-century B.C. Greek philosopher and poet who regarded the natural
world as the result of constant mingling and separating of four basic elements. (quoted 8.41, 12.3)
EPICTETUS: Stoic philosopher (c. 55–c. 135), a former slave from Phrygia who was among
the most influential figures in later Stoicism. A record of his lectures and discussions (the
Discourses) was published by his student Arrian, along with an abridged version (the
Encheiridion, or “Handbook”). See also Introduction. (1.7, 7.19; quoted or paraphrased 4.41,
5.29, 7.63, 11.33–34, 11.36–38; cf. 4.49a and note)
EPICURUS: Greek philosopher (341–270 B.C.) and founder of one of the two great
Hellenistic philosophical systems. Epicureans identified pleasure as the supreme good in life and
viewed the world as a random conglomeration of atoms, not ruled by any larger providence.
(quoted 7.64, 9.41; compare 11.26)
EPITYNCHANUS: Perhaps a slave or freedman of HADRIAN (2). (8.25)
EUDAEMON: Perhaps to be identified with a literary official prominent under Hadrian (2).
(8.25)
EUDOXUS: Greek mathematician and astronomer active in the fourth century B.C. (6.47)
EUPHRATES: Perhaps the philosopher mentioned by Pliny the Younger (Letters 1.10) and
evidently close to HADRIAN (2), but he might be a later imperial official mentioned by Galen.
(10.31)
EURIPIDES: Athenian playwright (480s–407/6 B.C.); some twenty of his tragedies are still
extant. His plays were controversial in his lifetime, but in subsequent centuries he was among the
most popular of Greek authors, thanks in large part to his quotability and accessible style. (quoted
7.38, 7.40–42, 7.50–51, 11.6)
EUTYCHES: Unknown; the comparison with SATYRON does not help us identify him.
(10.31)
EUTYCHION: Not certainly identified, unless the name is a slip for the grammarian
Eutychius Proculus. (10.31)
FABIUS: Unidentified, perhaps identical with FABIUS CATULLINUS. (4.50)
FABIUS CATULLINUS: Unknown. Perhaps to be identified with the FABIUS of 4.50.
(12.27)
FAUSTINA: Wife of ANTONINUS Pius (8.25). Marcus married their daughter, also
Faustina (1.17).
FRONTO: Marcus Cornelius Fronto (c. 95–c. 166), rhetorician from Cirta in North Africa,
and a key figure in Marcus’s education. Portions of his letters to Marcus survive in two palimpsest
manuscripts discovered in the early nineteenth century. (1.11)
HADRIAN (1): Prominent rhetorician; no relation to the emperor. (8.25)
HADRIAN (2): Roman emperor (117–138), best known for his travels and cultural interests;
adopted ANTONINUS as his heir on the condition that the latter adopt Marcus and Lucius
VERUS. (4.33, 8.5, 8.37, 10.27)
HELVIDIUS: Helvidius Priscus (died c. 75), son-in-law of THRASEA Paetus, exiled and
later executed for his opposition to the emperor VESPASIAN. (1.14)
HERACLITUS: Pre-Socratic philosopher (active c. 500 B.C.) from the city of Ephesus,
famous for his cryptic and paradoxical utterances. His exaltation of the logos as a cosmic power
and his identification of fire as the primal substance were important influences on the Stoics (see
also Introduction). According to the third-century A.D. biographer Diogenes Laertius, he died of
dropsy, which he tried to cure by immersing himself in manure; this account is almost certainly a
later fiction. (3.3, 6.47, 8.3; quoted or paraphrased 4.46, 6.42)
HIPPARCHUS: Second-century B.C. Greek astronomer. (6.47)