Apollonides (fl. 46 BC) was a

Stoic Stoic may refer to: * An adherent of Stoicism; one whose moral quality is associated with that school of philosophy *STOIC, a programming language * ''Stoic'' (film), a 2009 film by Uwe Boll * ''Stoic'' (mixtape), a 2012 mixtape by rapper T-Pain *' ...

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

. He was a friend and companion of

Cato the Younger Marcus Porcius Cato "Uticensis" ("of Utica"; ; 95 BC – April 46 BC), also known as Cato the Younger ( la, Cato Minor), was an influential conservative Roman senator during the late Republic. His conservative principles were focused on the pr ...

. The sole record of Apollonides is within

Plutarch's Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ...

account of Cato the Younger in ''

Parallel Lives Plutarch's ''Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans'', commonly called ''Parallel Lives'' or ''Plutarch's Lives'', is a series of 48 biographies of famous men, arranged in pairs to illuminate their common moral virtues or failings, probably writt ...

''. From this account, there is evidence that after the

Battle of Thapsus A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...

, Apollonides was present with Cato at Utica. During this time, Cato ordered a young man named Statyllius to leave Utica. When Statyllius refused, Cato appointed Apollonides and Demetrius the

Peripatetic Peripatetic may refer to: *Peripatetic school, a school of philosophy in Ancient Greece *Peripatetic axiom * Peripatetic minority, a mobile population moving among settled populations offering a craft or trade. *Peripatetic Jats There are several ...

to "reduce this man's swollen pride and restore him to conformity with his best interests." When Cato later inquired if Statyllius was sent off, Apollonides responded: In preparation for his

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

, Cato had everyone present leave his side, with the exception of Apollonides and Demetrius. Cato's character is emphasized in this choice as "it says a great deal about Cato that he saved his last real conversation for his philosophers, not his son."Goodman & Soni. ''Rome's Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato, Mortal Enemy of Caesar,'' p. 268

References

Stoic philosophers {{AncientGreece-philosopher-stub