The philosopher Bias, who was born in Priene in the 6th century BC, was often consulted by his fellow citizens in matters of litigation, and for this he became famous, even outside his immediate locality. The city of Priene was besieged by Cyrus the Great of Persia and all the inhabitants fled. Bias was indifferent to the disaster and made the famous statement that he was only taking his wisdom with him rather than material things. He was regarded as one of the Seven Sages of Ancient Greece, ‘everything I have I carry with me’. The known account of Bias’ life is derived from Plato’s Protagoras. The picture belongs to Ribera’s early maturity in Naples, after his arrival from Rome, where he had already developed an intense tenebrism, much of it derived from the followers of Caravaggio such as Manfredi. Far too little is known about the original patrons of the numerous philosophers painted by Ribera, and the less numerous ones by Luca Giordano and Salvator Rosa. The intellectual background which inspired these works is also unknown although Ribera could have acquired his own taste for such subject matter during his early years in Rome.

‍