I know some of the intellectual life in ancient Greece, but I am curious about its present state, since I hope that there will be a resurgence -- a needed resurgence. How is it in Rhodes? Meanwhile I'll mention one ancient Rhodian for the general reader: Panaitios (often referred to as Panaetius of Rhodes) was born in Rhodes, lived 185-110 B.C. He was a Stoic philosopher who travelled to and spent time in Rome and in Athens. In Rome he was a teacher of Cicero, who followed him and developed themes from his work, "Peri ton kathEkontos" . Cicero's work, which is translated and available online is titled "De Officiis" [= On Duties] . Panaitios maintained that virtue alone is not sufficient to attain a happy life; health and some resources are also needed. Along with the older Stoics, he maintained that humans ought to act according to nature, and that nature, by means of impulses, steers us to act properly/morally. So, Cicero dwells upon the "instinctive" love that parents have for children, for their spouses, and --to some extent -- for humans in general (on account of their being human). This love-based ethics was widely accepted during the Middle Ages theologians....
