(), of Lampsacus, a hearer of Epicurus, and one of
the most famous of his disciples.
It may be collected from Plutarch, that Colotes was clever, but vain, dogmatical, and
intolerant. He made violent attacks upon Socrates, and other great philosophers. He was a
great favourite with Epicurus, who used, by way of endearment, to call him Κολωτάρας and Κολωτάριος.
It is also related by Plutarch, that Colotes, after hearing Epicurus discourse on the nature
of things, fell on his knees before him, and besought him to give him instruction. He held,
that it is unworthy of the truthfulness of a philosopher to use fables in his
teaching, a notion which Cicero opposes. (De Repub. 6.7, ed. Orelli, ap.
Macrob. in Somn. Scip. 1.2.)
Works
That it was impossible even to live according to the doctrines of the other
philosophers
He wrote a work to prove,
That it was impossible even to live according to the
doctrines of the other philosophers (ὅτι κατὰ τὰ τῶν
ἄλλων φιλοσόφων δόγματα οὐδὲ ζῆν ἐστιν). It was dedicated to king
Ptolemy, probably Philopator. In refutation of it Plutarch wrote two works, a dialogue, to
prove, "That it is impossible even to live pleasantly according to Epicurus," and a work
entitled "Against Colotes." (Plut. Opera. pp. 1086-1127.) The two works
stand in the editions in this order, which should be reversed.
Against Plato's Lysis
Some fragments of another work of Colotes, against the
Lysis of Plato, have
been recently discovered at Herculaneum.