Tag Archives: Diogenes

CERP: Day 22 – Diogenes Ep.19-22

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XIX. To Anaxilaus the wise, greetings (p. 113)
Ah, Ps-Diogenes clothes himself, as it were, in the Kingly majesty of the Cynic uniform!  Interesting parallels, here.

XX. To Melesippus, greetings (p. 113)
It’s no shame, then, to be beaten by many.  The shame is in being one who would do such a beating.  Not only is this shameful for the individuals involved, it seems to reflect poorly on the whole city-state.

XXI. To Amynander, greetings (p. 115)
This is surely a defacing of the nomos, then.  The relationship of family is ubiquitous.  Musonius, for the Stoics, lays a large amount at the feet of filial duty.  Ps-Diogenes casts even this aside.  This, then, might be one of the stronger positions I’ve seen taken.

XXII. To Agesilaus, greetings (p. 115)
Hmm.  An interesting piece.  A bit of a Stoic memento mori, yet also an appreciation for it despite the uncertainty.  It seems to me that ever letter that reference the gods has a more Stoic tinge than Cynic.

 

This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.

CERP: Day 21 – Diogenes Ep. 13-18

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XIII. To Apolexis, greetings (p. 107)
A reminder that there is always still more to learn, and the great mounds of things we once knew for true but now know to be false is no shame, as long as we’re moving towards truth.

XIV. To Antipater, greetings (p. 109)
Paraphrase:  Antipater, you’ve missed the point.  Duh.  Hugs and kisses, Ps-Diogenes.

XV. To Antipater, greetings (p. 109)
“[One] should demonstrate that the spoken claims conform to the way of life.”  Practice what you preach!

XVI. To Apolexis, greetings (p. 109)
I think this is the first reference to Diogenes jug/jar/barrel we’ve come across.  Inspired by even the snails.

XVII. To Antalcides, greetings (p. 111)
“For while I was present you exhibited nothing worthy of
esteem…”  Ouch.  Basically, “put up or shut up.”

XVIII. To Apolexis, greetings (p. 111)
“The Megarian youths appealed to me to introduce Menodorus
the philosopher to you, a very ridiculous introduction, for you will know that he is a man from his portraits, and from his life and words whether he is also a philosopher. For, in my opinion, the sage provides his own introduction.”

Interesting.  Apparently Menodorus is also called Menas, and might have once been a pirate.

 

This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.

CERP: Day 20 – To Crates, To Metrocles, do well, To Crates, do well, To the same, do well

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IX. To Crates (p. 103)

Ps-Diogenes relates to us the “initiation” of Crate into the Cynic life.  The thing that sticks out at me, is that he is bidden to come back, as it’s “not safe to linger where there is no one like you.”

This brings to mind Gadara, which is reported to have been a Cynic hub of sorts.  I usually picture Diogenes living alone, taking students irregularly.  But maybe that’s inaccurate.

X. To Metrocles, do well (p. 103)
Ps_Diogenes clearly here is making an argument for begging.  This tells us that like today, the idea of begging was distasteful to Diogenes’ audience.

Ps-Diogenes makes a couple arguments by analogy, showing how kings beg from their subjects; the sick beg from their doctors; and people from the objects of their desire.  Even Heracles begged, he says, as he received strength.

The issue is whether we request something fitting, or not fitting.  Then, if we give back something of greater value.  A Cynic’s begging, then, is a pedagogical tool as well as a necessity of life.  That we would go against the popular conception itself is a worthwhile thing in teaching the meaning of our respective philosophies.

XI. To Crates, do well (p. 105)
This letter contains an outlier.  Of course, Epictetus criticizes Diogenes’ statue-endeavors, even though he holds him generally in very high regard.  If the Cynic is only to be begging from the wise, would he ever meet with the frustrations that this letter suggests he inoculate himself against?

In the previous letter, it says even Heracles begged from these without sense, but we’ve been told up until now that such a thing is inappropriate.
XII. To the same, do well (p. 107)
Ps-Diogenes makes a good point, that philosophers and the untrained alike are moving towards what they believe to be good.  However, we’re focused on vastly differently things.  The fact that we discuss “apparent goods” and “actual goods” show that we recognize just how easy it is to make this mistake.  We ourselves made (still make?) it.

Indeed, then, as Ps-Diogenes notes, when the untrained person is nudged towards the actual good, and see show difficult the road, they’re turned aside.  Because they still see the “apparent good” a the place to end up.

I see lots of this in online Stoic communities.  Epictetus, Marcus, Seneca, and Musonius (so much of Musonius) state unequivocally that philosophers must engage in askesis, and folks trip over themselves to claim that it has no place in modern practice.

 

This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.

CERP: Day 19 – To Hicetas and to Eugnesius

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VII. To Hicetas (p. 99)
We read a praising of the title ‘dog’, and of the cloak, small bag, and staff.  Ps-Diogenes write to his father, asking him to note that he is happy with little.  The argument to the Gods seems more of a Stoic sort than a Cynic one… this seems to be a trend in these Epistles.  Or maybe it’s just a Roman flavor?

VIII. To Eugnesius (p. 101)
I’m pretty sure Ps-Diogenes just dropped the mic, to the tune of NWA’s most famous song.

diogenes_fuck-the-polis

This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.

CERP: Day 18 – To Hipparchia, Antipater, Pediccas, and Crates.

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III. To Hipparchia (p. 95)
Interesting here that Hipparchia is shown as the student of Diogenes, and it even suggests that letters were a common and prized method of instruction.  Seneca argues the opposite in some of his Epistles, that while they are better than nothing, a face to face discussion is best for philosophical instruction.

IV. To Antipater (p. 95)
I can’t imagine Diogenes begging the pardon of any King, except he be a philosopher.

V. To Pediccas (p. 97)
The parallel between worldy enemies, and enemies of the self is an interesting one.  Yet, the Ps-Diogenes also presents a binary.  One is either concerned in the world of appearances, or one is concerned with the world of appearances (more formidable).  The world, or philosophy.  Pick one, and then do the thing.

VI. To Crates (p. 97)
Ah, the cup lesson.  This is one of my favorite stories of Diogenes.  That he sees someone (field hand, boy, etc) drinking with his hands and tosses away his cup.

I like the closing moral, that wisdom might be garnered in any place, and from any teacher:  even if the person is unaware that they are teaching.  We’re constant students, nonetheless.

 

This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.

CERP: Day 17 – Introduction: The Epistles of Diogenes Part 2 (p. 17-18)

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Introduction: The Epistles of Diogenes Part 2 (p. 17-18)
The main thrust of this second part to the introduction sums up what we read yesterday, that the letters span a time period and were composed by three or four authors.  That the letters may have been a tool during a sort of proselytizing for the mode of life of the Cynic philosopher.

Looking forward to the coming letters.

I. To the Sinopians (p. 93)
Diogenes’ barb at the Sinopians is that while they sent him away, they are stuck with each other.  There does seem to be a hint of some sour grapes.  Diogenes should rather thank the Sinopians, as without his exile, would he have ever found philosophy?  Certainly not Antisthenes.

II. To Antisthenes (p. 93)
It’s a funny thing that calling someone a beet (τεῦτλον) might convert them to philosophy.  I am surprised to see that they might draw “their capes around themselves decently.”  That hardly smacks of the Diogenes who would do “manual labor,” as it were, in the agora.  More Roman revisionism, a more Stoic moral.

This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.

CERP: Day 14 – XXXIV. To Metrocles (p. 85)

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XXXIV. To Metrocles (p. 85)
This is one of the first true chreia of Diogenes in the letters.  I’ve read other versions of his being captured by pirates.  In the other, some wealthy man bought Diogenes to be a tutor for his children when Diogenes announced he could rule men.

The parable-like nature of the chreia are interesting, they’re well designed and the lessons they teach are couched in an artful way.

The question Diogenes asks about freedom is one worth pondering, if despite the liberties of bodies, are our minds/souls enslaved by pleasures and vice?

This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.