Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

[Menedemus] He belonged to the school of Phaedo, being the son of Cleisthenes, of the family of the so-called Theopropidae, a man of noble birth, but a builder and poor; though some say that he was also a scene-painter and that Menedemus learned both crafts. Hence, when he drafted a decree, one of the followers of Alexinus attacked him, saying that it was fitting for a wise man neither to paint a stage nor to draft a decree. Being sent by the Eretrians as a garrison soldier to Megara, Menedemus visited the Academy to hear Plato, and being captivated he abandoned military service.

​Asclepiades of Phlius having drawn him away, he came to live in Megara with Stilpo, whose pupils both became; and sailing thence to Elis, they joined Anchipylus and Moschus, the disciples of Phaedo. Up to their time, as was stated before in the chapter on Phaedo, they were called the Elians; but they were named Eretrians after the homeland of the man who is the subject of our discourse. Menedemus seems to have been quite imposing and dignified; whence Crates parodying him says: "And Asclepiades of Phlius, and the Eretrian bull." And Timon thus: "Rearing a haughty brow, a puffed-up babbler of absurdities."

​He was so dignified that Eurylochus of Cassandrea, when invited by Antigonus along with Cleippides, a youth of Cyzicus, declined, for he was afraid lest Menedemus should find out; for he was both caustic in reprimand and outspoken in speech. At any rate, when a youth grew insolent, he said nothing, but taking a twig began drawing on the ground the posture of one submitting to passive sodomy, until the youth, perceiving the insult while all were watching, slunk away. And when Hierocles, the commander at the Piraeus, was strolling back and forth with him in the sanctuary of Amphiaraus and talking at length about the capture of Eretria, he said nothing else, but asked for what purpose Antigonus used him.

​To an insolent adulterer he said, "Do you not know that not only cabbage has a good broth, but also radish?" And to a youth who was screaming loudly, he said, "See whether you have something lodged behind you without realizing it." When Antigonus consulted him as to whether he should go to a revel, he said nothing on the rest, but merely bade him report to him that he was the son of a king. To a foolish person who brought him an idle piece of news, he asked if he owned a farm; and when the man said he had very extensive estates, "Go then," he said, "and look after them, lest it happen that you ruin them and lose your status as a refined private citizen." To someone who asked whether the virtuous man should marry, he said, "Do I seem to you to be a virtuous man, or not?" And when the man said he was, "Well then," he said, "I am married."

​To someone who said that the goods of life are many, he asked how many in number, and whether he thought they were more than a hundred. Being unable to curb the extravagance of one of those who invited him to dinner, on one occasion when invited he said nothing, but admonished him in silence by eating only olives. Because of this outspokenness he even ran a close risk of his life in Cyprus at the court of Nicocreon, together with his friend Asclepiades. For when the king was celebrating a monthly festival and had invited them as well as the other philosophers, Menedemus said that if the gathering of such men was a good thing, the festival ought to take place every day; but if not, it was superfluous even now.