DiogenesLaertiusplainlygivesthepreferencetothestoryofApollonius。LucianandLactantiusappearbothtohavegivencredittothatofthegreatageandoftheviolentdeath。
ThisfashionofvoluntarydeathappearstohavebeenmuchmoreprevalentamongtheproudRomans，thaniteverwasamongthelively，ingenious，andaccommodatingGreeks。EvenamongtheRomans，thefashionseemsnottohavebeenestablishedintheearlyand，whatarecalled，thevirtuousagesoftherepublic。
ThecommonstoryofthedeathofRegulus，thoughprobablyafable，couldneverhavebeeninvented，haditbeensupposedthatanydishonourcouldfalluponthathero，frompatientlysubmittingtothetortureswhichtheCarthaginiansaresaidtohaveinflicteduponhim。InthelateragesoftherepublicsomedishonourIapprehend，wouldhaveattendedthissubmission。Inthedifferentcivilwarswhichprecededthefallofthecommonwealth，manyoftheeminentmenofallthecontendingpartieschoserathertoperishbytheirownhands，thantofallintothoseoftheirenemies。ThedeathofCato，celebratedbyCicero，andcensuredbyCaesar，andbecomethesubjectofaveryseriouscontroversybetween，perhaps，thetwomostillustriousadvocatesthattheworldhadeverbeheld，stampedacharacterofsplendouruponthismethodofdyingwhichitseemstohaveretainedforseveralagesafter。TheeloquenceofCicerowassuperiortothatofCaesar。Theadmiringprevailedgreatlyoverthecensuringparty，andtheloversofliberty，formanyagesafterwards，lookeduptoCatoastothemostvenerablemartyroftherepublicanparty。Theheadofaparty，theCardinaldeRetzobserves，maydowhathepleases；aslongasheretainstheconfidenceofhisownfriends，hecanneverdowrong；amaximofwhichhisEminencehadhimself，uponseveraloccasions，anopportunityofexperiencingthetruth。Cato，itseems，joinedtohisothervirtuesthatofanexcellentbottlecompanion。Hisenemiesaccusedhimofdrunkenness，but，saysSeneca，whoeverobjectedthisvicetoCato，willfinditmucheasiertoprovethatdrunkennessisavirtue，thanthatCatocouldbeaddictedtoanyvice。
UndertheEmperorsthismethodofdyingseemstohavebeen，foralongtime，perfectlyfashionable。IntheepistlesofPlinywefindanaccountofseveralpersonswhochosetodieinthismanner，ratherfromvanityandostentation，itwouldseem，thanfromwhatwouldappear，eventoasoberandjudiciousStoic，anyproperornecessaryreason。Eventheladies，whoareseldombehindinfollowingthefashion，seemfrequentlytohavechosen，mostunnecessarily，todieinthismanner；and，liketheladiesinBengal，toaccompany，uponsomeoccasions，theirhusbandstothetomb。Theprevalenceofthisfashioncertainlyoccasionedmanydeathswhichwouldnototherwisehavehappened。Allthehavock，however，whichthis，perhapsthehighestexertionofhumanvanityandimpertinence，couldoccasion，would，probably，atnotime，beverygreat。
Theprincipleofsuicide，theprinciplewhichwouldteachus，uponsomeoccasions，toconsiderthatviolentactionasanobjectofapplauseandapprobation，seemstobealtogetherarefinementofphilosophy。Nature，inhersoundandhealthfulstate，seemsnevertopromptustosuicide。Thereis，indeed，aspeciesofmelancholyadiseasetowhichhumannature，amongitsothercalamities，isunhappilysubjectwhichseemstobeaccompaniedwith，whatonemaycall，anirresistibleappetiteforself-destruction。Incircumstancesoftenofthehighestexternalprosperity，andsometimestoo，inspiteevenofthemostseriousanddeeplyimpressedsentimentsofreligion，thisdiseasehasfrequentlybeenknowntodriveitswretchedvictimstothisfatalextremity。Theunfortunatepersonswhoperishinthismiserablemanner，aretheproperobjects，notofcensure，butofcommiseration。Toattempttopunishthem，whentheyarebeyondthereachofallhumanpunishment，isnotmoreabsurdthanitisunjust。Thatpunishmentcanfallonlyontheirsurvivingfriendsandrelations，whoarealwaysperfectlyinnocent，andtowhomthelossoftheirfriend，inthisdisgracefulmanner，mustalwaysbealoneaveryheavycalamity。Nature，inhersoundandhealthfulstate，promptsustoavoiddistressuponalloccasions；uponmanyoccasionstodefendourselvesagainstit，thoughatthehazard，orevenwiththecertaintyofperishinginthatdefence。But，whenwehaveneitherbeenabletodefendourselvesfromit，norhaveperishedinthatdefence，nonaturalprinciple，noregardtotheapprobationofthesupposedimpartialspectator，tothejudgmentofthemanwithinthebreast，seemstocalluponustoescapefromitbydestroyingourselves。Itisonlytheconsciousnessofourownweakness，ofourownincapacitytosupportthecalamitywithpropermanhoodandfirmness，whichcandriveustothisresolution。IdonotremembertohaveeitherreadorheardofanyAmericansavage，who，uponbeingtakenprisonerbysomehostiletribe，puthimselftodeath，inordertoavoidbeingafterwardsputtodeathintorture，andamidsttheinsultsandmockeryofhisenemies。Heplaceshisgloryinsupportingthosetormentswithmanhood，andinretortingthoseinsultswithtenfoldcontemptandderision。