▁S ocr ates , ▁of ▁Pl ato ' s ▁Ap ology , ▁held ▁up ▁as ▁the ▁only ▁example ▁of ▁genu ine ▁knowledge . ▁ ▁Simon ' s ▁writ ings ▁attract ed ▁the ▁notice ▁of ▁Per icles , ▁who ▁offered ▁to ▁provide ▁for ▁him ▁if ▁Simon ▁would ▁come ▁and ▁res ide ▁with ▁him . ▁The ▁c obb ler ▁refused ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁wish ▁to ▁surrender ▁his ▁independence . ▁ ▁Post mort em ▁ ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁later ▁philosoph ers ▁associated ▁Simon ▁with ▁a ▁certain ▁philosoph ical ▁way ▁of ▁life . ▁ ▁The ▁C yn ics ▁seem ▁to ▁have ▁ideal ized ▁Simon . ▁Among ▁the ▁surv iving ▁C yn ic ▁ep ist les , ▁there ▁are ▁some ▁sp ur ious ▁S ocr atic ▁letters , ▁written ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁or ▁ 3 rd ▁century , ▁in ▁which ▁various ▁pup ils ▁of ▁S ocr ates , ▁including ▁Ant is then es , ▁Arist ipp us , ▁and ▁X en oph on , ▁debate ▁philosophy ▁from ▁a ▁C yn ic ▁point ▁of ▁view . ▁Simon ▁is ▁described ▁in ▁these ▁letters ▁as ▁an ▁ideal ▁C yn ic - type ▁figure . ▁One ▁of ▁these ▁letters ▁pur ports ▁to ▁come ▁from ▁Simon ▁himself , ▁and ▁is ▁addressed ▁to ▁Arist ipp us : ▁ ▁I ▁hear ▁that ▁you ▁rid ic ule ▁our ▁wisdom ▁in ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁D ion ys ius . ▁I ▁admit ▁that ▁I ▁am ▁a ▁sho em aker ▁and ▁that ▁I ▁do ▁work ▁of ▁that ▁nature , ▁and ▁in ▁like ▁manner