FRANK SPEECH, FLAITERY, AND FRIENDSHIP IN PHILODEMUS

CLARENCE E. GLAD

Philodemus: life and Works

By the middle of the first century BCE a flourishing Epicurean com­ munity existed at Naples under the leadership of the Greek teacher Siro. At nearby Herculaneum the Syrian Epicurean, Philodemus of Gadara, the house-philosopher of the influential patron Calpurnius Piso, father-in-law of Julius Caesar, was attracting a wide circle of students. Epicureanism also had its contemporary exponents in Latin-Catius Insuber, Rabirius, C. Amafinius, whose prose tracts enjoyed popularity in Rome and in various Italian towns, and the poet Lucretius. The relationship among the Epicurean groups in Italy is not clear but apparently Siro's group in Naples and that of Philodemus at Herculaneum had an open exchange of views. I Both Philodemus and Siro were former pupils of Zeno of Sidon, the scholarch of the Epicurean school in Athens, and one would expect a certain co-ordination in their efforts in promoting Epicurean views in southern Italy. Both groups cultivated interest in literary and philosophical study, thus escaping the charge traditionally levelled at Epicureans that they maintained a deliberate disregard for ge~eral learning; Cicero, for example, refers to both Siro and Philodemus as the "excellent and learned friends" of Torquatus.2 Philodemus' scholarly interest is evident from the number of pa­ pyrus rolls recovered from Piso's suburban villa at Herculaneum.

I We know that the poets of Siro's group, L. Varius Rufus and Quintilius Varus, and possibly Virgil and Plotius Tucca, associated with Philodemus as well, and that the discussion between Philodemus and his fellow Epicureans at Naples extended also to philosophical matters (pHerc. 312). See A. Korte, "Augusteer bei Philodem.," RJzM 45 (1890) 172-77, H. M. Howe, "Amafinius, Lucretius, and Cicero," AJP 77 (1951) 57--62; D. P. Fowler, "Lucretius and Politics," Philosophia Togata: Essqys on Philosopl!J and Roman Socie9' (ed. M. Griffin and J. Barnes; Oxford: Clarendon, 1989) 120-50; and H. Jones, The Epicurean Tradition (London and New York: Routledge, 1989) 65--69. Cf. Cic. Fam. 15.16.1; 19.2; Acad. 1.5; Tusc. 4.7. 2 Torquatus is the Epicurean spokesman in Cicero's On Ends (De finibus). See Fin. 2.119. 22 CLARENCE E. GLAD

These include both Philodemus' transcripts of the lecture notes he took at Zeno's classes in Athens-for example, his book On Frank Criticism, which I shall discuss below-and Philodemus' own compo­ sitions, which include his writings on historical matters, on scientific method, on rhetoric, music, and poetry, on theology, including On Piery and On the Gods, and, finally, on ethics.3 The ethical writings include an introduction to ethics, a work in several books On Death, and a work in ten books On Vues and the Opposing Virtues, which in­ cludes one book On Household Management, one book On Arrogance, and probably three books On Flattery.4 Finally, Philodemus Wrote an Epitome on Conduct and Character, from the Lectures ifZeno, which includes a work On Anger and the above mentioned On Frank Criticism. 5 In his fragmentary works on flattery we can gain insight into Philodemus' views on flattery, particularly as it relates to frank speech, friendship and patronage. Philodemus contrasts flattery with friend­ ship as he defensively justifies his relationship with his patron Piso. Interestingly, not only do traditional characteristics of flattery appear in these works but also a dispute over the use of obsequiousness in friendship. This problem of obsequiousness as well as that of harsh­ ness in the frank correction of faults can also be seen in Philodemus' On Frank Criticism, which reveals a dispute among Epicureans over methods of correcting disciples within the Epicurean school.6

3 See E. Asmis, "Philodemus' Epicureanism," ANRW 2.36.4 (1990) 2369-2406. Historical works: PHerc. 1018, Index Stnicorum; PHerc. 164 and 1021, Index Academicorum; PHerc. 155 and 339, On the Stoics; PHerc. 1232 and 1289, On Epicurus; PHerc. 1418 and 310, WorM on the &cords of Epicurus and Some OtherS; PHerc. 1005, To Friends of the School. On scientific method: PHerc. 1065, On Phenomena and Iriferences; see P. H. De Lacy and E. A. De Lacy, Philod£mus: On Methods of Iriference (2d ed.; Naples: Bibliopolis, 1978). Works on rhetoric, music, and poetry: On Rhetoric and On Poems are preserved in numerous papyri; PHerc. 1497, On Music; PHerc. 1507, On the Good King according to Homer. Theological writings: PHerc. 1428, On fury; PHerc. 26, On the Gods; PHerc. 152 and 157, On the WI!)' of lift of the Gods. 4 The untided introduction to ethics (pHerc. 1251) is known as the Comparetti Ethics in honor of its first editor; PHerc. 1050, On Death; PHerc. 1424, On Household Management; PHerc. 1008, On Arrogance; PHerc. 222, 223, 1082, 1089, 1457, and 1675, On Flattery. See also PHerc. 346, edited by M. Capasso, Trattato etico epicureo (Naples: Universita degli Studi di Napoli/Giannini, 1982). 5 PHerc. 182, On Anger; PHerc. 1471, On Frank Criticism. Philodemus' work On Anger was edited by C. Wilke, Philod£mi de ira tiber (Leipzig: Teubner, 1914) and has been re-edited, with a translation and commentary, by G. Indelli, Filodemo, L'ira (La Scuola di Epicuro 5; Naples: Bibliopolis, 1988). 6 For a more detailed discussion of some of the issues raised in this article, see chapters three and four of my Paul and Philodemus: Adaptabiliry in Epicurean and EarlY Christian Psychogogy (NovTSup 81; Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1995).