Favorinus of Arles

Favorinus or Fanus , (born v. 80 - 90 with Arelate (Arles) - died v. 150) was a philosopher skeptic or pertaining to the Nouvelle Academy.

Biography

Favorinus had as a Master Dion Chrysostome and perhaps also Épictète. It remained with Athens where he became the friend of Hérode Atticus. With Rome, he was the Aulu-Cold Master of and became the friend of Plutarque which dedicated a book to him.

He taught rhetoric with Athens and Rome under Adrien, and enjoys some time the favor of this prince, but he ends up alienating it by his sarcastic remarks, and was driven out of Rome with the other philosophers. He died towards 150. In philosophy, it leant towards the skepticism: it had composed a Traité of Tropes pyrrhoniens , whose Diogène Laërce and some other writers preserved fragments. It had also gathered materials of a universal Histoire , which one regrets the loss.

We do not know if he were a partisan of the pyrrhonism or Nouvelle Academy. Nevertheless, we know that he admired Pyrrhon and taught the tropes Ænésidème. But it used the methods of the New Academy. The two currents being very close, it can be regarded as their pertaining to both.

Random links: