Introduction to The Epistles of Crates (p. 10)

We’re jumping backwards in the book today, to read the part of the introduction for Pseudo-Crates letters.  The introduction provides a useful context and information for the following Epistles.

Firstly, that anywhere between two and six authors may have contributed, and similar to the actual chronology of the men’s lives, the Crates letters were written after Diogenes’.  Indeed, the introduction suggests that the authors of the Crates letters was familiar with, and even used the Diogenes letters.

This is a neat bit of historical analysis, and I’m looking forward to the letters.  The introduction does carry a caveat, that at least one of the letters has the stamp of the Stoa on it rather than that of Pera.

This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.