After Stoicism spread to Rome, it took off in popularity because it was introduced to a well-known and respected individual: the famous general Scipio Africanus the Younger. Scipio was a general famous for his victories in the Third Punic War and for conquering cities in Spain. He was born into a large patrician family and was adopted by another, while remaining tied to his family of origin. He descended from blood or legal ties to consuls and several famous generals. The philosopher who introduced Scipio to Stoicism was a man named Panaetius. Panaetius came to Rome and lived there for many years before returning to Athens to become the head of the local Stoic school. When he first came to Rome he met Scipio who was very interested in the Stoic ideas of Panaetius. Scipio introduced him to the Scipio circle, of which he became part. It was the first literary circle in Rome composed of illustrious people, including Lucilius, a famous satirist, and members of Scipio's family. Panaetius taught his Stoic ideas to this esteemed group who essentially introduced Stoicism to Rome's intellectual elite. The friendship between Scipio Africanus the Younger and Panaetius also made Stoicism very popular. The acceptance and admiration of Scipio and the circle for this philosophy helped its diffusion in Roman society. Stoicism went from an intriguing foreign philosophy to a popular practice because it was taken up by several high-profile figures. Stoicism was first adopted by Marcus Tullius Cicero. He had received a very high education in both Greece and Rome. The fact that he had studied in Greece and spoke Greek would have helped him greatly in understanding Stoicism. He was also a great intellectual and orator of his time who would... half of the article... is the influence on Roman life and thought." The Classical Journal 29 (1934) 645-657 Russell, Bertand A History of Western Philosophy USA: Simon and Schuster Press, 1945. Solomon, Robert A Short History of Philosophy USA: Oxford University Press, 1996. “Stoicism,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (1996), accessed April 10, 2014. http://. plato.stanford.edu/entries/stoicism/Strange, Steven Zupko, Jack Stoicism: Traditions and Transformations New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, sv “Marcus Tullius Cicero,” accessed April 14, 2014, http: //www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/117565/Marcus-Tullius-Cicero/299678/Oratory Merriam Webster Online, sv “stoic,” accessed April 20, 2014. http:// /www.merriam-webster. com/dictionary/stoicRome in the Late Republic by M Beard and M Crawford, (2nd ed, Duckworth, 1999)