The philosophy of an age cannot perhaps be inferred from its political conditions with that certainty which some writers assume; still there are cases in which the connection is obvious. On a wide view of the matter we may say that the opening up of the East by the arms of Alexander was the cause of the shifting of the philosophic standpoint from Hellenism to cosmopolitanism. If we reflect that the Cynic and Stoic teachers were mostly foreigners in Greece we shall find a very tangible reason for the change of view. Greece had done her work in educating the world and the world was beginning to make payment in kind. Those who had been branded as natural slaves were now giving laws to philosophy. The kingdom of wisdom was suffering violence at the hands of barbarians. DATES AND AUTHORITIES BC Death of Socrates 399 Death of Plato 347 Zeno 347 275 Studied under Crates 325 Studied under Stilpo and Xenocrates 325 315 Began teaching 315 Epicurus 341 270 Death of Aristotle 322 Death of Xenocrates 315 Cleanthes succeeded Zeno 275 Chrysippus died 207 Zeno of Tarsus succeeded Chrysippus --- Decree of the Senate forbidding the teaching of philosophy at Rome 161 Diogenes of Babylon Embassy of the philosophers to Rome 155 Antipater of Tarsus Panaetius Accompanied Africanus on his mission to the East 143 His treatise on Propriety was the basis of Cicero's De Officiis. The Scipionic Circle at Rome The coterie was deeply tinctured with Stoicism. Its chief members were-- The younger Africanus the younger Laelius L. Furius Philus Manilius Spurius Mummius P. Rutillus Rufus Q. Aelius, Tubero Polybius and Panaetius Suicide of Blossius of Cumae, the adviser of Tiberius Gracchus and a disciple of Antipater of Tarsus 130 Mnesarchus, a disciple of Panaetius, was teaching at Athens when the orator Crassus visited that city 111 Hecaton of Rhodes A great Stoic writer, a disciple of Panaetius and a friend of Tubero Posidonius About 128-44 Born at Apameia in Syria Became a citizen of Rhodes Represented the Rhodians at Rome 86 Cicero studied under him at Rhodes 78 Came to Rome again at an advanced age 51 Cicero's philosophical works 54-44 These are a main authority for our knowledge of the Stoics. A.D. Philo of Alexandria came on an embassy to Rome 39 The works of Philo are saturated with Stoic