Alcaeus and Philiscus (or Alcius and Philiscus; fl. 2nd century BC) were two

Epicurean Epicureanism is a system of philosophy founded around 307 BC based upon the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus. Epicureanism was originally a challenge to Platonism. Later its main opponent became Stoicism. Few writings by Ep ...

philosophers who were expelled from

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in either 173 BC or 154 BC.

Athenaeus Athenaeus of Naucratis (; grc, Ἀθήναιος ὁ Nαυκρατίτης or Nαυκράτιος, ''Athēnaios Naukratitēs'' or ''Naukratios''; la, Athenaeus Naucratita) was a Greek rhetorician and grammarian, flourishing about the end of th ...

states that the expulsion occurred during the

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

ship of Lucius Postumius. This can either refer to the Lucius Postumius who was consul in 173 BC or the Lucius Postumius who was consul in 154 BC.Erich S. Gruen, (1996), ''Studies in Greek culture and Roman policy'', page 177. BRILL Aelian states that they were expelled "because they had introduced the younger generation to many unnatural pleasures."Aelian, ''Varia Historia'', ix. 12 This may just be a hostile remark which originated from an anti-Epicurean source, but it is also possible that this was the charge laid against them.

Roman law Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (c. 449 BC), to the '' Corpus Juris Civilis'' (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor Ju ...

in this period permitted the expulsion (''

relegatio ''Relegatio'' (or ''relegatio in insulam'') under Roman law was the mildest form of exile, involving banishment from Rome, but not loss of citizenship, or confiscation of property. It was a sentence used for adulterers, those that committed sexual ...

'') of any undesired person from Rome by magisterial decree, and it was often used to remove undesirable foreigners from the city.Gordon P. Kelly, (2006), ''A history of exile in the Roman republic'', page 65. Cambridge University Press. In 161 BC some teachers of rhetoric and philosophy had been expelled from the city.

Michael von Albrecht Michael von Albrecht (born 22 August 1933 in Stuttgart) is a German classical scholar and translator, as well as a poet writing in Latin. Life The son of the composer Georg Albrecht first attended the Music Academy in Stuttgart, where he graduate ...

, Gareth L. Schmeling, (1997), ''A history of Roman literature: from Livius Andronicus to Boethius'', page 499. BRILL In 155 BC, a celebrated embassy of philosophers, consisting of

Carneades Carneades (; el, Καρνεάδης, ''Karneadēs'', "of Carnea"; 214/3–129/8 BC) was a Greek philosopher and perhaps the most prominent head of the Skeptical Academy in ancient Greece. He was born in Cyrene. By the year 159 BC, he had beg ...

(

Academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

Diogenes Diogenes ( ; grc, Διογένης, Diogénēs ), also known as Diogenes the Cynic (, ) or Diogenes of Sinope, was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynicism (philosophy). He was born in Sinope, an Ionian colony on the Black Sea ...

(

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 * ...

) and Critolaus ( Peripatetic), had been sent from

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

to Rome where their teachings caused a sensation, and they were forced to leave. If Alcaeus and Philiscus were expelled from the city in 154 BC, then it would have been just one year after this event.

Notes

{{Epicureanism 2nd-century BC Greek people Epicurean philosophers 2nd-century BC philosophers Roman-era philosophers in Rome