Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

​Clitomachus of Carthage. He was originally called Hasdrubal and pursued philosophy in his native city in his mother tongue. But having come to Athens when he was already forty years of age, he became a hearer of Carneades; and the latter, welcoming his industry, had him learn Greek letters and trained the man. Clitomachus advanced to such a degree of diligence that he composed more than four hundred books. He also succeeded Carneades and particularly illuminated his doctrines through his writings. He was a man who distinguished himself in three philosophical schools: the Academic, the Peripatetic, and the Stoic. In general, Timon ridicules the Academics in this manner: “Nor yet without the inexhaustible verbosity of the Academics.” Having now gone through the Academics who trace their descent from Plato, let us proceed to the Peripatetics who also derive from Plato, whom Aristotle began.