Hecato of Rhodes

Hecato or Hecaton of Rhodes (; fl. c. 100 BC) was a Stoic philosopher.

He was a native of Rhodes, and a disciple of Panaetius,Cicero, De Officiis, 3.15. but nothing else is known of his life. It is clear that he was eminent amongst the Stoics of the period. He was a voluminous writer, but nothing remains. Diogenes Laërtius mentions six treatises written by Hecato:

• Περὶ ἀγαθῶν - On Goods, in at least nineteen books.
• Περὶ ἀρετῶν - On Virtues.
• Περὶ παθῶν - On Passions.
• Περὶ τελῶν - On Ends.
• Περὶ παραδόξων - On Paradoxes, in at least thirteen books.
• Χρεῖαι - Maxims.

In addition Cicero writes that Hecato wrote a work on On Duties, () dedicated to Quintus Tubero.Hecato is also frequently mentioned by Seneca in his treatise De Beneficiis. Seneca also quotes Hecato in his Epistle IX, 6 "If you want to be loved, love."

According to Diogenes, Hecato divided the virtues into two kinds, those founded on scientific intellectual principles (i.e. wisdom and justice), and those with no such basis (e.g., temperance and the resultant health and vigour). Like the earlier Stoics, Cleanthes and Chrysippus, Hecato also held that virtue may be taught.

Cicero shows that he was much interested in casuistical......
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