ABSTRACT
The The ophrastus , a dialog written by Aeneas of Gaza, begins with the chance meeting of two former schoolmates, Euxitheos and Aegyptus, at the port of Alexandria. l Both men studied philosophy together in Alexandria before Euxitheos decided to return to his native Syria. In spite of his connection to the city, Euxitheos' return to Alexandria had not been planned. He had only put in at the port because a storm had blown him off-course during a voyage from Syria to Athens. The purpose of his journey was to undertake high-level philosophical study. Though Euxitheos had received philosophical training before, he felt that his education was incomplete. In his mind, he could only be fully formed as a philosopher if he completed his training in Athens. To Euxitheos, and presumably a part of Aeneas' audience as well, Athens represented the foremost intellectual center in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was simply the best place to become thoroughly immersed in the ideas of both ancient and contemporary thinkers.2 For intellectuals like Euxitheos, a trip to the schools of Athens was an essential part of philosophical education.
