ARETOLOGI, in antiquity, a sort of philosophers, chiefly of the Cynic or Stoic tribe, who having no school or disciples of their own, haunted the tables of great men, and entertained them in their banquets with disputations on virtue, vice, and other popular topics. These are sometimes also denominated Circulatores Philosophi. In this sense, the word is derived from the Greek agile, virtue, and logos, discourse. Some authors choose to derive the word from agelos, gratus, "agreeable;" and define Aretolegi, by persons who strive to divert and entertain their audience with jokes and pleasant tales; which latter seems the more natural explanation.