Sec.Sec.129—­141.  Summary.  What contention is there among philosophers about the ethical standard!  I pass by many abandoned systems like that of Herillus but consider the discrepancies between Xenophanes, Parmenides, Zeno of Elea, Euclides, Menedemus, Aristo, Pyrrho, Aristippus, Epicurus, Callipho, Hieronymus, Diodorus, Polemo, Antiochus, Carneades (129-131).  If I desire to follow the Stoics, Antiochus will not allow me, while if I follow Polemo, the Stoics are irate (132).  I must be careful not to assent to the unknown, which is a dogma common to both you, Lucullus, and myself (133).  Zeno thinks virtue gives happiness.  “Yes,” says Antiochus, “but not the greatest possible.”  How am I to choose among such conflicting theories? (134) Nor can I accept those points in which Antiochus and Zeno agree.  For instance, they regard emotion as harmful, which the ancients thought natural and useful (135).  How absurd are the Stoic Paradoxes! (136) Albinus joking said to Carneades “You do not think me a praetor because I am not a sapiens.”  “That,” said Carneades, “is Diogenes’ view, not mine” (137).  Chrysippus thinks only three ethical systems can with plausibility be defended (138).  I gravitate then towards one of them, that of pleasure.  Virtue calls me back, nor will she even allow me to join pleasure to herself (139).  When I hear the several pleadings of pleasure and virtue, I cannot avoid being moved by both, and so I find it impossible to choose (141, 142).

Sec.129. Quod coeperam:  in 128 at veniamus nunc ad boni maique notionem. Constituendi:  n. on 114. Bonorum summa:  cf. D.F. V. 21 and Madv. Est igitur:  so in De Div. II. 8, igitur comes fourth word in the clause; this is not uncommon in Cic., as in Lucretius. Omitto:  MSS. et omitto, but cf.  Madv. Em. 201 certe contra Ciceronis usum est ‘et omitto’ pro simplici ‘omitto,’ in initio huius modi orationis ubi universae sententiae exempla subiciuntur per figuram omissionis. Relicta:  cf. 130 abiectos.  Cic. generally classes Herillus (or Erillus as Madv. on D.F. II. 35 spells the name), Pyrrho and Aristo together as authors of exploded systems, cf. D.F. II. 43, De Off. I. 6, T.D. V. 85. Ut Herillum.  MSS. have either Erillum or et illum, one would expect ut Herilli. Cognitione et scientia:  double translation of [Greek:  episteme].  For the finis of Herillus see Madv. on D.F. II. 43. Megaricorum:  Xenophanes.  Cic considers the Eleatic and Megarian schools to be so closely related as to have, like the schools of Democritus and Epicurus, a continuous history.  The Megarian system was indeed an ethical development of Eleatic doctrine.  Zeller, Socrates 211. Unum et simile:  for this see Zell. Socr. 222 sq, with footnotes, R. and P. 174 sq. Simile ought perhaps to be sui simile as in Tim. c. 7, already quoted on I. 30, see my note there and cf.  I. 35. Menedemo:  see Zeller Socr. 238, R. and P. 182.  The Erctrian school was closely connected with the Megarian. Fuit:  = natus est, as often. Herilli:  so Madv. for ulli of MSS.