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Read the following words of Numenius the Pythagorean, which he has set down in the first book of his work entitled On the Disagreement of the Academics with Plato:

14.5.1 5. ON THE FIRST SUCCESSION AFTER PLATO "In the time, then, of Speusippus, Plato's nephew, and of Xenocrates, the successor of Speusippus, and of Polemo, who received the school from Xenocrates, the character of the doctrines always continued to be almost the same, on account of the as yet unestablished 'suspension of judgement,' that much talked of doctrine, and if indeed there were any other such things. Since in other matters, in many ways weakening and distorting them, they did not abide by the first succession; but beginning from that time, both sooner and later, they stood apart by choice or by ignorance, and indeed for some other reason, perhaps not an unambitious 14.5.2 one. And I do not wish to say anything bad on account of Xenocrates, but rather I am willing to speak on behalf of Plato. For it vexes me that they did not suffer and do everything to preserve for Plato in all ways and in all things a complete agreement of doctrine. And yet Plato was worthy to them—not better indeed than the great Pythagoras, but certainly perhaps not at all inferior to that man, by following and revering whom his 14.5.3 disciples were most responsible for Pythagoras being so highly honored. This the Epicureans were not obliged to do, but having learned their lesson, at any rate, they were in no way seen to have set forth anything contrary to Epicurus, but having confessed that he was wise they were themselves in agreement and for this reason rightly enjoyed that title; and for the most part it was the case for the later Epicureans that they themselves never said anything contrary either to each other or to Epicurus in any matter worth mentioning; but for them it is a transgression, or rather an impiety, and innovation is condemned. For this reason no one even dares it, but in great peace their doctrines rest undisturbed because of their constant agreement with one another. And the school of Epicurus resembles a certain true state, most free from sedition, having one common mind, one opinion; from which they were and are and, as it seems, will be consistent followers. 14.5.4 But the doctrines of the Stoics have been full of dissension, beginning from their founders and not yet having ceased even now. They are content to be refuted by a hostile refutation, some of them still persevering, but others having already changed their minds. The first, then, yielded to more oligarchic men, who having dissented were the cause for those who came after of much censure of their predecessors, and of much censure of each other, and some are more Stoic than others; and especially those who were seen to be more hair-splitting about technical matters; for these themselves, surpassing the others in both their meddlesomeness and their 14.5.5 quibbles, were quicker to censure. Much, however, before these, those who drew their different doctrines from Socrates suffered the same things, Aristippus on his own, and Antisthenes on his own, and elsewhere on their own the Megarians and the 14.5.6 Eretrians, or if there were any others with these. And the reason is that while Socrates posited three gods and philosophized about them in the rhythms appropriate to each, his hearers were ignorant of this, and thought that he said everything at random and from whatever fortune chanced to prevail at the time, whichever way the wind blew. 14.5.7 But Plato, being a Pythagorean, knew that Socrates said these same things from nowhere else than from that source, and that he had said them with knowledge; so he himself also bound the matters together in this way, neither in the customary manner nor openly; but having arranged each point as he thought best, concealing it in a state between being clear and not clear, he wrote safely, but he himself provided the cause for the dissension after him and for the pulling apart of the doctrines, not from envy or ill will; but I do not 14.5.8 wish to speak unseemly words against older men. But having learned this, we must rather refer the

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ἀνάγνωθι τὰς ὧδε ἐχούσας Νουμηνίου τοῦ Πυθαγορείου φωνάς, ἃς τέθειται ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ ὧν ἐπέγραψε Περὶ τῆς τῶν Ἀκαδημαϊκῶν πρὸς Πλάτωνα διαστάσεως·

14.5.1 εʹ. ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΠΡΩΤΗΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΠΛΑΤΩΝΑ ∆ΙΑ∆ΟΧΗΣ «Ἐπὶ μὲν τοίνυν Σπεύσιππον τὸν Πλάτωνος μὲν ἀδελφιδοῦν, Ξενοκράτη δὲ τὸν διάδοχον τὸν Σπευσίππου, Πολέμωνα δὲ τὸν ἐκδεξάμενον τὴν σχολὴν παρὰ Ξενοκράτους ἀεὶ τὸ ἦθος διετείνετο τῶν δογμάτων σχεδὸν δὴ ταὐτόν, ἕνεκά γε τῆς μήπω ἐποχῆς ταυτησὶ τῆς πολυθρυλήτου τε καὶ εἰ δή τινων τοιούτων ἄλλων. ἐπεὶ εἴς γε τὰ ἄλλα πολλαχῆ παραλύοντες, τὰ δὲ στρεβλοῦντες, οὐκ ἐνέμειναν τῇ πρώτῃ διαδοχῇ· ἀρξάμενοι δὲ ἀπ' ἐκείνου καὶ θᾶττον καὶ βράδιον διίσταντο προαιρέσει ἢ ἀγνοίᾳ, τὰ δὲ δή τινι αἰτίᾳ ἄλλῃ οὐκ ἀφι14.5.2 λοτίμῳ ἴσως. καὶ οὐ μὲν βούλομαί τι φλαῦρον εἰπεῖν διὰ Ξενοκράτη, μᾶλλον μὴν ὑπὲρ Πλάτωνος ἐθέλω. καὶ γάρ με δάκνει ὅτι μὴ πᾶν ἔπαθόν τε καὶ ἔδρων σῴζοντες τῷ Πλάτωνι κατὰ πάντα πάντη πᾶσαν ὁμοδοξίαν. καίτοι ἄξιος ἦν αὐτοῖς ὁ Πλάτων, οὐκ ἀμείνων μὲν Πυθαγόρου τοῦ μεγάλου, οὐ μέντοι ἴσως οὐδὲ φλαυρότερος ἐκείνου, ᾧ συνακολουθοῦντες σεφθέντες τε οἱ γνώρι14.5.3 μοι ἐγένοντο πολυτιμητίζεσθαι αἰτιώτατοι τὸν Πυθαγόραν. τοῦτο δὲ οἱ Ἐπικούρειοι οὐκ ὤφελον μέν, μαθόντες δ' οὖν ἐν οὐδενὶ ὤφθησαν Ἐπικούρῳ ἐναντία θέμενοι οὐδαμῶς, ὁμολογήσαντες δὲ εἶναι σοφῷ συνδεδογμένοι καὶ αὐτοὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀπέλαυσαν τῆς προσρήσεως εἰκότως· ὑπῆρξέ τε ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τοῖς μετέπειτα Ἐπικουρείοις μηδ' αὐτοῖς εἰπεῖν πω ἐναντίον οὔτε ἀλλήλοις οὔτε Ἐπικούρῳ μηδὲν εἰς μηδέν, ὅτου καὶ μνησθῆναι ἄξιον· ἀλλ' ἔστιν αὐτοῖς παρανόμημα, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀσέβημα, καὶ κατέγνωσται τὸ καινοτομηθέν. διὸ τοῦτο οὐδεὶς οὐδὲ τολμᾷ, κατὰ πολλὴν δὲ εἰρήνην αὐτοῖς ἠρεμεῖ τὰ δόγματα ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν ἀλλήλοις αἰεί ποτε συμφωνίας. ἔοικέ τε ἡ Ἐπικούρου διατριβὴ πολιτείᾳ τινὶ ἀληθεῖ, ἀστασιαστοτάτῃ, κοινὸν ἕνα νοῦν, μίαν γνώμην ἐχούσῃ· ἀφ' ἧς ἦσαν καὶ εἰσὶ καί, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἔσονται φιλακόλουθοι. 14.5.4 τὰ δὲ τῶν Στωϊκῶν ἐστασίασται, ἀρξάμενα ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ μηδέπω τελευτῶντα καὶ νῦν. ἐλέγχουσι δὲ ἀγαπώντως ὑπὸ δυσμενοῦς ἐλέγχου, οἱ μέν τινες αὐτῶν ἐμμεμενηκότες ἔτι, οἱ δ' ἤδη μεταθέμενοι. εἴξασιν οὖν οἱ πρῶτοι ὀλιγαρχικωτέροις, οἳ δὴ διαστάντες ὑπῆρξαν εἰς τοὺς μετέπειτα πολλῆς μὲν τοῖς προτέροις, πολλῆς δὲ τῆς ἀλλήλοις ἐπιτιμήσεως αἴτιοι, εἰσί τε ἑτέρων ἕτεροι Στωϊκώτεροι· καὶ μᾶλλον ὅσοι πλεῖον περὶ τὸ τεχνικὸν ὤφθησαν μικρολόγοι· αὐτοὶ γὰρ οὗτοι τοὺς ἑτέρους ὑπερβαλλόμενοι τῇ τε πολυπραγμοσύνῃ τοῖς 14.5.5 τε σκαριφηθμοῖς ἐπετίμων θᾶττον. πολὺ μέντοι τούτων πρότερον ταὐτὰ ἔπαθον οἱ ἀπὸ Σωκράτους ἀφελκύσαντες διαφόρους τοὺς λόγους, ἰδίᾳ μὲν Ἀρίστιππος, ἰδίᾳ δὲ Ἀντισθένης καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ ἰδίᾳ οἱ Μεγαρικοί τε καὶ 14.5.6 Ἐρετρικοὶ ἢ εἴ τινες ἄλλοι μετὰ τούτων. αἴτιον δέ, ὅτι τρεῖς θεοὺς τιθεμένου Σωκράτους καὶ φιλοσοφοῦντος αὐτοῖς ἐν τοῖς προσήκουσιν ἑκάστῳ ῥυθμοῖς οἱ διακούοντες τοῦτο μὲν ἠγνόουν, ᾤοντο δὲ λέγειν πάντα αὐτὸν εἰκῆ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς νικώσης αἰεὶ προστυχῶς ἄλλοτε ἄλλης τύχης, ὅπως πνέοι. 14.5.7 ὁ δὲ Πλάτων πυθαγορίσας ᾔδει δὲ τὸν Σωκράτην μηδαμόθεν ἢ ἐκεῖθεν δὴ τὰ αὐτὰ ταῦτα εἰπεῖν καὶ γνόντα εἰρηκέναι ὧδε οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς συνεδήσατο τὰ πράγματα, οὔτε εἰωθότως οὔτε δὴ εἰς τὸ φανερόν· διαγαγὼν δὲ ἕκαστα ὅπῃ ἐνόμιζεν, ἐπικρυψάμενος ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ δῆλα εἶναι καὶ μὴ δῆλα, ἀσφαλῶς μὲν ἐγράψατο, αὐτὸς δὲ αἰτίαν παρέσχε τῆς μετ' αὐτὸν στάσεώς τε ἅμα καὶ διολκῆς τῆς τῶν δογμάτων, οὐ φθόνῳ μὲν οὐδέ γε δυσνοίᾳ· ἀλλ' οὐ 14.5.8 βούλομαι ἐπὶ ἀνδράσι πρεσβυτέροις εἰπεῖν ῥήματα οὐκ ἐναίσιμα. τοῦτο δὲ δεῖ μαθόντας ἡμᾶς ἐπανενεγκεῖν ἐκεῖσε μᾶλλον τὴν