Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

​Strato, the son of Arcesilaus, of Lampsacus, whom Theophrastus also mentioned in his will, succeeded to his school. He was a most distinguished man, and was surnamed the Physicist from the fact that he devoted himself to this branch of contemplation more diligently than anyone else. Moreover, he was also the tutor of Ptolemy Philadelphus and received, they say, eighty talents from him. As Apollodorus says in his Chronicles, he began to preside over the school in the hundred and twenty-third Olympiad, having led the school for eighteen years.

​The books attributed to him are as follows: On Kingship, three books. On Justice, three books. On the Good, three books. On the Gods, three books. On Principles, three books. On Lives. On Happiness. On the Philosopher King. On Courage. On the Void. On the Heaven. On Spirit. On Human Nature. On the Generation of Animals. On Mixture. On Sleep. On Dreams. On Vision. On Sensation. On Pleasure. On Colours. On Diseases. On Crises. On Faculties. On Mining Engines. On Famine and Dizziness. On the Light and the Heavy. On Enthusiasm. On Time. On Nourishment and Growth. On Animals of Uncertain Nature. On Mythological Animals. On Causes. Solutions of Doubts. Introductions to Topics. On the Accidental.

​On Definition. On the Greater and the Less. On Injustice. On Prior and Posterior. On the Prior Genus. On the Peculiar Property. On the Future. Examinations of Discoveries, two books. Notes, which are of disputed authenticity. Letters beginning: “Strato to Arsinoe, greeting.” They say that he became so emaciated that he passed away without feeling it. And there is an epigram of ours upon him running thus: “The man was emaciated in body, if you heed me, from unguents; this man I tell you is Strato, whom Lampsacus once brought forth; ever wrestling with diseases, he died unawares, nor did he perceive it.”

​There have been eight Stratos: the first, a hearer of Isocrates; the second, this man himself; the third, a physician, a disciple—or according to some, a foster-child—of Erasistratus; the fourth, a historian who wrote the deeds of Philip and Perseus in their wars against the Romans;... the sixth, a writer of epigrams; the seventh, an ancient physician, as Aristotle says; the eighth, a Peripatetic who lived in Alexandria. At any rate, the will of this Physicist is also preserved, running as follows: “These dispositions I make, in case anything happens to me. All my property at home I leave to Lampyrion and Arcesilaus. From the money belonging to me at Athens, first let the overseers take care of the funeral arrangements and of all the customary rites after the funeral, doing nothing either extravagant or illiberal.

​And let these be the overseers of the provisions of the will: Olympichus, Aristides, Mnesigenes, Hippocrates, Epicrates, Gorgylus, Diocles, Lyco, Athanes. And I leave the school to Lyco, since of the others some are older and some are occupied. And the rest would do well if they cooperated with him in setting things in order. I also leave him all the books, except those which we have written ourselves, and all the furnishings in the dining-hall, both the coverings and the drinking-cups. Let the overseers give to Epicrates five hundred drachmas and one of the slaves whom Arcesilaus approves.

​And first let Lampyrion and Arcesilaus annul the contracts which Daeippus made on behalf of Iraeus; and let him owe nothing either to Lampyrion or to the heirs of Lampyrion, but let him be released from the entire contract. Let the overseers also give him five hundred drachmas of silver and one of the slaves whom Arcesilaus approves, so that having toiled much with us and rendered services, he may have a sufficient and respectable livelihood. I also set free Diophantus, Diocles, and Abus; and Simias I deliver to Arcesilaus. I also set free Dromo. When Arcesilaus arrives, let Iraeus calculate with Olympichus, Epicrates, and the other overseers the expenditure incurred for the funeral and the other customary rites.

​And let Arcesilaus collect the surplus money from Olympichus, causing him no vexation regarding the dates and times. Let Arcesilaus also annul the contracts which Strato made with Olympichus and Ameinias, which are deposited with Philocrates the son of Tisamenus. And let them manage the matters concerning the monument as seems best to Arcesilaus, Olympichus, and Lyco.” And this is his will that is preserved, as Aristo of Ceos also somewhere collected it. Strato himself, as has been shown above, was a man worthy of great esteem, having distinguished himself in every branch of discourse, and especially in that called Physics, which branch is both older and more serious.