The Cynic Philosophers: from Diogenes to Julian
Language: English
Pages: 237
ISBN: B00NPMP2XK
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
The Greek Cynics owned no property and rejected fame and fortune, living almost entirely out of doors while surviving on wild plants and water from natural springs. They promoted ideals such as self-sufficiency, freedom, detachment, shamelessness, and toughness, and their philosophy penetrated not only Greek but also Roman civilization. This unique anthology draws together the writings on and by various Cynic philosophers, from founding figures Antisthenes and Diogenes of Sinope to Hipparchia, one of the few female philosophers in antiquity, and fourth-century Roman emperor Julian "the apostate."
When reproached on this account he said, ‘The very mother of the gods is Phrygian’;1 his own mother was supposedly from Thrace. When he distinguished himself at the battle of Tanagra, Socrates was moved to say that no child of two Athenian parents could have turned out braver. He himself would poke fun at the Athenians’ claim to be born of the earth by pointing out that this made them no better than locusts or snails. Antisthenes originally studied rhetoric under Gorgias. This accounts for the
some of you that it was all well done. But is a temple robber and a man without shame really deserving of Achilles’ armour? [7] You soi-disant judges and jurors, who know nothing – I urge you, don’t take eloquence into account in deciding who the better man is. Only give actions consideration. After all, in war it is actions not words that matter. Debating the enemy is never an option. In the heat of battle you either kill your opponent or take him captive. And look to this too: if you err in
making moral progress when they reacted to abuse no differently than if they had been addressed as follows: Stranger, you look not like a bad or foolish fellow;9 or Well met, sir, greetings, and may the gods grant you happiness.10 110 (Cic., TD 3. 62) It is to the notion that the deceased deserve an extravagant show of grief that we owe all these various, grotesque forms of lamentation: womanish tearing of the cheeks, beating ourselves about the head, thighs and chest, general neglect of our
tyrants of this world, even if they are corrupt, can reprimand and punish offenders by virtue of their arms and soldiers; instead of weapons and bodyguards, his conscience gives the Cynic the same authority. [95] For he works overtime on his fellow man’s behalf. What sleep he gets only leaves him purer than when he first lay down;22 his thoughts are never unworthy of a friend and minister of the gods, and he shares in Zeus’ administration. ‘Lead me, Zeus, lead me, Destiny’ is always on his lips,
make iron meet his requirements if he knew nothing about iron at all. This is enough, however, to show that philosophy is one and that practically all philosophers have a single aim, although they take different routes to reach it. It is time, now, to look into Cynicism. If the Cynics had written books with a serious rather than a playful purpose, my thoughts on the subject should be compared with theirs and if they agreed, I should not be accused of false witness. If they disagreed, they ought