# Crantor — The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers character guide

> Crantor in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laërtius.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** O Crantor

**First appearance:** 0040-crantor

## Snapshot

A poet-philosopher from Soli who came to Athens, fell under Xenocrates' spell, and was admired for never hearing his teacher speak too high or too low.

## Who they are

Crantor arrives from Soli, becomes a devoted pupil of Xenocrates alongside Polemo, and earns a reputation for exquisite taste — he loved Homer and Euripides, coined vivid phrases like a tragedian's voice 'all over bark,' and wrote 30,000 lines of his own. When ill, he withdrew to the temple of Aesculapius and drew crowds who thought he was founding a school rather than dying; he left his fortune to Arcesilaus and asked to be buried in a well-loved land. He matters as the Academy's most literary soul, the man who showed that philosophy could be written with a poet's ear.

## In the story

### [Book IV: The Successors of Plato](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/book-iv)

Noted as being charmed by Polemo's consistent character.

### [Polemo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/polemo)

Charmed by Polemo's consistent and rigorous character.

### [Crates](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/crates)

Messmate of Crates and Polemo, and host to Arcesilaus.

### [Crantor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/crantor)

Native of Soli, pupil of Xenocrates and later Polemo, admired for his writings and wit.

### [Arcesilaus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/arcesilaus)

Arcesilaus' teacher and close friend in the Academy.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/characters/crantor
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/characters