The Scipionic Circle

 

The Scipionic Circle was a group of Roman intellectuals and politicians who gathered around Scipio Africanus, the renowned military commander of the Roman Republic in the second century BC. The members of the Circle included prominent figures such as the historian Polybius, the poet Ennius, the philosopher Panaetius, and the statesman Gaius Laelius.

The circle was known for its focus on Greek culture and philosophy, which it sought to integrate into Roman society and politics. This interest in Greek learning was inspired in part by Scipio’s conquest of Greece during the Third Macedonian War, which exposed him and other Romans to the intellectual and cultural richness of Greek civilization.

The Scipionic Circle had a lasting impact on Roman culture and thought. Its members played a key role in the development of Roman literature and philosophy, as well as in shaping the Republic’s political institutions.

Their legacy was felt well into the Roman Empire, as the works of Polybius, Ennius, and Panaetius continued to be studied and debated by scholars for centuries to come.