[26] Herillus’s native place was Carthage (Diog. vii. 37; 165). If
Χαλχηδόνιος is read by Cobet in the last passage, we have again the
same confusion between Καλχηδὼν and Καρχηδὼν, which made Xenocrates a
Καρχηδόνιος. He came as a boy under Zeno (Diog. 166; Cic. Acad. ii. 42,
129). Diog. l.c. enumerates the writings of Herillus, calling them,
however, ὀλιγόστιχα μὲν δυνάμεως δὲ μεστά. Cic. De Orat. iii. 17. 62,
speaks of a School bearing his name, but no pupil belonging to it is
known.
[27] Citium was his birthplace. His father’s name was Demetrius (Diog.
6; 36), and his own nickname Dorotheus (Suid. Περσ.). According to
Diog. 36; Sotion and Nicias in Athen. iv. 162, d; Gell. ii. 18, 8;
Orig. C. Cels. iii. 483, d; he was first a slave of Zeno’s, which
agrees with his being a pupil and inmate of his house (Diog. 36; 13;
Cic. N. D. i. 15, 38; Athen. xiii. 607, e; Pausan. ii. 8, 4). It is
less probable that he was presented by Antigonus to Zeno as a copyist
(Diog. 36). He subsequently lived at the court of Antigonus (Athen. vi.
251, c; xiii. 607, a; Themist. Or. xxxii., p. 358), whose son
Halcyoneus (Ælian, V. H. iii. 17, says falsely himself) he is said to
have instructed (Diog. 36), and with whom he stood in high favour
(Plut. Arat. 18; Athen. vi. 251, c). He, however, allowed the
Macedonian garrison in Corinth to be surprised by Aratus, in 243 B.C.,
and, according to Pausan. ii. 8, 4; vii. 8, 1, perished on that
occasion. The contrary is asserted by Plut. Arat. 23, and Athen. iv.
162, c. In his teaching and manner of life, he appears to have taken a
very easy view of the Stoic principles (Diog. 13; 36; Athen. iv. 162,
b; xiii. 607, a). It is therefore probable that he did not agree with
Aristo’s Cynicism (Diog. vii. 162), and his pupil Hermagoras wrote
against the Cynics (Suid. Ἑρμαγ.). Political reasons were at the bottom
of Menedemus’ hatred for him (Diog. ii. 143). Otherwise, he appears as
a genuine Stoic (Diog. vii. 120; Cic. N. D. i. 15, 38; Minuc. Felix
Octav. 21, 3; Philodem. De Mus., Vol. Herc. i. col. 14). Compare p. 39,
2. The treatises mentioned by Diog. 36 are chiefly ethical and
political. In addition to these, there was a treatise on Ethics (Diog.
28); the συμποτικὰ ὑπομνήματα, or συμποτικοὶ διάλογοι, from which
Athen. (iv. 162, b; xiii. 607, a) gives some extracts; and the Ἱστορία
(in Suid.). Whether Cicero’s statement is taken from a treatise omitted
by Diogenes, or from that περὶ ἀσεβείας, it is hard to say.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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