The so-called Athenian embassy of philosophers to Rome in 155 BCE

One of the most famous events in Critolaus’ life was his participation in the notorious Athenian legation of 155 BC, the so-called Embassy of the Philosophers. This chapter deals with the historical context of the legation resulting from the conflict between Athens and Oropus, which ended in a success for the Athenians, as well as the performances of the three philosophers in Rome before the negotiations in the Roman senate started, which are portrayed as a scandal in the later literary tradition. On the one hand, in this chapter, the events are analyzed from multiple perspectives, and on the other hand, often lesser-known evidence is also taken into account, in particular a fragmentary inscription from Olympia: this inscription was published a couple of years ago. The fragmentary inscription praises Critolaus and was part of a larger monument erected by the Athenians to honor the three successful philosophers, besides Critolaus, also Carneades and Diogenes.