Happiness in the Academy: Speusippus, Xenocrates and the life of the σπουδαῖος

This paper examines the Academic background of Polemo’s famous maxim ‘living according to nature’ in the backdrop of its context of origin, the Academy. The aim is to show that, starting with Speusippus, doctrinal continuity can be shown in the ethical views developed in the Academy. More specifically, I will advance that Speusippus’ definition of happiness can be read as already preserving in a germinal form the positions that are later refined and developed by Xenocrates and Polemo under at least the following respects: (i) nature is seen as the primary do-main for the realisation of the human being; (ii) virtue is necessary for happiness but other goods are also beneficial; (iii) the happy person, the σπουδαῖος, is a virtuous agent, capable to discrimi-nate between good and bad things, administer, select and employ external and physical goods.