Want to know what Romans think of philosophers? Listen to this story. Italicus was the most famous philosopher in Rome. I was there when he got angry with his friends. He acted like they were torturing him. He said, "I can't take this anymore. You're killing me. You're going to turn me into someone like him." And he pointed at me.
Hear how the Romans feel towards philosophers, if you would like to know. Italicus, who was the most in repute of the philosophers, once when I was present, being vexed with his own friends and as if he was suffering something intolerable, said: "I cannot bear it, you are killing me; you will make me such as that man is," pointing to me.