The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers · Character
Pittacus of Mytilene
The Mytilenean sage who answered a young man's marriage question by pointing at boys whipping tops, and who said even the gods cannot fight necessity.
supporting
Also known as wise Pittacus, old Pittacus
First appearance: Pittacus
As a supporting figure in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Pittacus of Mytilene is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
The central figure of the chapter; a wise lawgiver, general, and former tyrant of Mitylene, known for his aphorisms and just rule.
Pittacus of Mytilene, one of the Seven Sages, ruled his city and then gave it up, and his sayings survive as a kind of practical ethics: power shows the man, watch your opportunity, do not reproach a man with his misfortunes lest Nemesis overtake you. Asked which of two marriages to choose, he refused a straight answer and instead gestured to children whipping tops, who chanted 'mind your own' — a lesson the suitor took to heart. He is the sage of measured ambition, and his presence in the Lives gives the collection its counterweight of sober, civic wisdom against the more flamboyant philosophers.
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Character Web
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Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- The Seven Sages and Wise Men
- Major Philosophers and Biographers
- Socratic Circle and Historian
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Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Monimus’s feigned madness and destruction of the money is the emotional and psychological peak because it dram…
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Pittacus of Mytilene appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
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See Pittacus of Mytilene in Pittacus