ngs, and not
to give credit to what was said by miracle-workers and jugglers about
incantations and the driving away of daemons and such things; and not to
breed quails [for fighting], nor to give myself up passionately to such
things; and to endure freedom of speech; and to have become intimate
with philosophy; and to have been a hearer, first of Bacchius, then of
Tandasis and Marcianus; and to have written dialogues in my youth; and
to have desired a plank bed and skin, and whatever else of the kind
belongs to the Grecian discipline.

[A] In the works of Justinus there is printed a letter to one
Diognetus, whom the writer names "most excellent." He was a
Gentile, but he wished very much to know what the religion of
the Christians was, what God they worshipped, and how this
worship made them despise the world and death, and neither
believe in the gods of the Greeks nor observe the superstition
of the Jews; and what was this love to one another which they
had, and why this new kind of religion was introduced now and
not before. My friend Mr. Jenkins, rector of Lyminge in Kent,
has suggested to me that this Diognetus may have been the tutor
of M. Antoninus.

7. From Rusticus[A] I received the impression that my character required
improvement and discipline; and from him I learned not to be led astray
to sophistic emulation, nor to writing on speculative matters, nor to
delivering little hortatory orations, nor to showing myself off as a man
who practises much discipline, or does benevolent acts in order to make
a display; and to abstain from rhetoric, and poetry, and fine writing;
and not to walk about in the house in my outdoor dress, nor to do other
things of the kind; and to write my letters with simplicity, like the
letter which Rusticus wrote from Sinuessa to my mother; and with respect
to those who have offended me by words, or done me wrong, to be easily
disposed to be pacified and reconciled, as soon as they have shown a
readiness to be reconciled; and to read carefully, and not to be
satisfied with a superficial understanding of a book; nor hastily to
give my assent to those who talk overmuch; and I am indebted to him for
being acquainted with the discourses of Epictetus, which he communicated
to me out of his own collection.

[A] Q. Junius Rusticus was a Stoic philosopher, whom Antoninus
valued highly, and often took his advice (Capitol. _M. Antonin_.