You must not conceive, however, that he rushed
into these matters with unwashen feet, as the saying
goes: he was brought up on the poets and knew
most of them by heart, he was a practised speaker,
his acquaintance with the schools of philosophy was
not secured either in a short time or (to quote the
proverb) “with the tip of his finger,” he had trained
his body and hardened it for endurance and in
general he had made it his aim to require nothing
from anyone else. Consequently, when he found out
that he was no longer sufficient unto himself, he volun-
tarily took his departure from life, leaving behind
him a great reputation among Greeks of culture.

 
He did not mark out for himself a single form
of philosophy but combined many of them, and never


 

would quite reveal which one he favoured. Probably
he had most in common with Socrates, although he
seemed to follow the man of Sinope Diogenes. 
in dress and in
easy-going ways. He did not, however, alter the
details of his life in order to excite the wonder
and attract the gaze of men he met, but led the
same life as everyone else, was simple and not in the
least subject to pride, and played his part in society
and politics.