Erastotelis

Erastotelis was a Hellenistic Stoic philosopher born in ancient Athens around 250 BCE. Little is known about his life beyond his philosophical contributions, which were significantly influential in the development of Stoicism.

Erastotelis is noted for his rigorous application of the Stoic principles of logic and reasoning to the interpretation of Plato's works. His most famous contribution is perhaps his book "On Plato" or "On the Platonic Dogmas", in which he critically analyzed the philosophical ideas of Plato and demonstrated the inconsistencies within his account.

In terms of his views on Stoicism, Erastotle is seen as a moderate influence, bridging the gap between the older, more skeptical style of Carneades and the idealism of the Younger Stoics. His philosophical trajectory emphasizes the faculty of reason as the principal instrument in the pursuit of knowledge.

Despite his significant contributions to Stoicism, Erastotelis' works and ideas have not survived in full, and much of what we know of him comes from the writings of his contemporaries and subsequent commentators. A notable exception is the compendium of philosopher Meletius' summary of Erastotelis' treatise on Epicurus' Letter to Menoeceus in Palladius' Synopsis Philosophorum.

Erastotelis' work in Stoic logic had a lasting impact on the philosophical thought of the ancient world, as his criticisms of Platonic metaphysics laid the groundwork for subsequent rationalist philosophers, particularly the skeptical arguments of Carneades.