The evidence on Cyrenaic epistemology comes from secondary sources and consists entirely of testimonies, not of fragments. None of the titles mentioned in the lists of the doxographers seems to be of an epistemological treatise. But the lists refer only to the works of Aristippus of Cyrene, Theodorus and Hegesias, and none of them is known to have had detailed epistemological views. The epistemology of the school may have been developed in treatises of Aristippus the Younger and Anniceris, probably under the heading of ethics.

Although the testimonies are second-hand and occur principally in polemical contexts, they are often based on good sources and constitute reliable evidence about the Cyrenaic positions. Also, the polemical arguments brought against these positions by ancient authors are frequently enlightening. In my selection of texts, I have included the epistemological testimonies, and also materials on psychology and ethics that have a bearing on the topics that I discuss.

COLOTES AND PLUTARCH

Our earliest source on the Cyrenaic theory of knowledge is Colotes, a young contemporary of Epicurus. After Epicurus' death (271 bc) and Arcesilaus' ascent to the leadership of the Academy (some time in the 260s bc), Colotes wrote a book entitled On the Fact that it is not Possible even to Live according to the Doctrines of the Other Philosophers, in which he criticised the doctrines of Parmenides, Empedocles, Socrates, Melissus, Plato, Stilpo, and two schools which he does not name but which are easily identified as the Cyrenaics and the followers of Arcesilaus.