ATHENODORUS, the name of two Stoic philosophers of the 1st century B.C., who have frequently been confounded.
(I) ATHENODORUS CANANITES (c. 74 B.C.—A.D. 7), SO called from his birthplace Canana, near Tarsus, was a friend of Strabo, from whom we derive our knowledge of his life. (See also Cic. Ep. ad. Att., xvi. ii. 4, 14, 4.) He taught the young Octavian (afterwards Augustus) at Apollonia, and was a pupil of Posei donius at Rhodes. Subsequently he appears to have lectured in the great cities of the Mediterranean. His influence over Augus tus was strong and lasting. He followed him to Rome in 44. In later years he was allowed by Augustus to return to Tarsus in order to remodel the constitution of the city. He succeeded (c. 15-10 B.c.) in setting up a timocracy in the imperial interest. Sir W. M. Ramsay is inclined to attribute to the influence of Athenodorus the striking resemblances which can be established between Seneca and Paul, the latter of whom must certainly have been acquainted with his teachings. According to Eusebius and Strabo he was a learned scientist for his day. He helped Cicero in the composition of the De Officiis. His works are not certainly known, and none are extant. (See Sir W. M. Ramsay in the Ex positor, Sept. p. 268 seq.) (2) ATHENODORUS CoRDYLION, also of Tarsus, was keeper of the library at Pergamum, and was an old man in 47 B.C. He set tled in Rome, where he died in the house of the younger Cato.
Among others of the name may be mentioned: (3) ATHENODORUS OF TEOS, who played the cithara at the wedding of Alexander the Great and Statira at Susa (324 B.c.) ; (4) a Greek physician of the 1st century A.D., who wrote on epi demic diseases; and two sculptors of whom (5) one executed the statues of Apollo and Zeus which the Spartans dedicated at Del phi after Aegospotami; and (6) the other was a son of Alexander of Rhodes, whom he helped in the Laocoon group.