Heraclitus was called ‘the Obscure’ by contemporaries and taught specifically for elite thinkers, not the masses. Philosophy as a mystery cult?

I also found a reference that, led me back to the book about Aristotle as a Platonist…

…but in its main ideas Aristotle’s philosophy is Plato’s philosophy. The one clothed in poetry; the other in formulae; the one had the more entrancing vision, the other a clearer and more exact apprehension; but there is no essential divergence.

What else? It’s an excellent primer, but, to be frank, I’m not sure I needed one. He does a nice, short survey, starting with the Milesians and going through to Epicurians, Stoics, and Academics/Skeptics. Those last three are better known for their popularity in Latin philosophy and Marshall is oddly disdainful of them. It’ almost like he felt compelled to wrest them from the Romans, but still felt things should have ended with Aristotle.