Diogenes of Sinope – Greek Philosopher – Original Anarchist and Ultimate Activist
Diogenes by Jules Bastien-Lepage (1873)
Diogenes, the cynic philosopher, was born in 412 B.C, into the Ionian, Greek-speaking colony of Sinope, today named Sinop, situated on the northernmost edge of the Turkish side of the Black Sea coast.
Diogenes of Sinope spent his days searching Athens for an honest man – He never found one. Statue in Sinope – Turkey – Sculptor – Ferhan Balırak
Diogenes was no ordinary run of the mill wise old man of ancient Greece, he was a controversial figure who lived his wretched life in a ceramic wine jar.
Known for his wit, satire and his disregard for anyone and anything, he had many labels:
“A Socrates went mad”, declared Plato, “Diogenes the Dog”, exclaimed his fellow Athenians, others, less polite, called him a lunatic.
Diogenes – John William Waterhouse – 1882
Today’s labels for Diogenes would most likely include; fanatic, extremist, bigot, activist, anarchist and yes, lunatic!
Diogenes, born into an affluent family (his father, Tresius, a rich money-lender, owned the local mint), was exiled from Sinope for debasement of currency (Issuing coins of a certain face value but with less metal content than previous issues).
After being thrown out of Sinope, Diogenes made his way to Greece, with his man-servant, Manes, who, on arrival, promptly deserted him.
Diogenes, having no idea what to do with the rest of his life, decided to consult Pythia, the oracle at Delphi, to see if she could enlighten him.
Pythia, the Delphi Oracle – J. Augustus Knap
Pythia did not give Diogenes the answer he expected, she advised him to deface the currency!
“Well’, thought Diogenes, “I tried that and look where it got me, surely she means deface the political currency, I’ll head off to Athens and provoke the people there by challenging their values and way of life, I’ll stir them up big time!”
Once in Athens Diogenes was drawn to Antisthenes, a philosopher of ascetic teachings, a school of ancient Greek philosophy known today as cynicism.
In Raphael’s painting “The School of Athens” Diogenes takes pride of place – He is lying on the stairs in front of Plato and Aristotle – 1509 -1511
Origins of the Word Cynic
Today the word cynic conjures up images of grumpy old men or pessimists, however, back in the fifth century B.C, cynic meant something entirely different and was used as an insult against Diogenes and his followers.
The word “cynic” comes from the Greek word kynikos, (κυνικός) meaning “dog-like”, which derives from the word, kyôn (κύων or kynos), meaning dog and was used to describe the dog-like behavior of Diogenes who lived in the streets, ate raw meat and performed his natural bodily functions in public like a shameless animal.
Alexander and Diogenes –Sir Edwin Landseer 1848.
What is Cynicism?
No works of Diogenes exist today as he believed his teachings were better understood through actions and conversation rather than through the reading of books.
The philosophy of Diogenes, cynicism, was to live a life of virtue, avoid earthly pleasures, live in poverty as simply as possible and to achieve Eudaimonia (a state of well-being), through living life in accordance with nature.
This meant enjoying the simple things, being happy with the least; a sip of cool water on a hot day, the feel of the sun on your skin after winter, to live life in the now, for Diogenes, this was how to live the good life.
Jean-Leon Gerome – Diogenes
To bring about this state of simple happiness Diogenes insisted the masses, of which he had a low opinion, calling them ignorant, obedient sheep who were corrupted by socialization from conforming blindly to customs, laws and ideals, should break free from their chains of social norm, reject wealth, sex and power and get rid of their possessions.
Diogenes made a distinction between actual poverty and the feeling of poverty.
In his way of thinking even Greek tyrants could be considered “poor” if they continually felt unable to meet the financial obligations of their social class.
Diogenes practiced what he preached, he lived in a wine jar and owned nothing.
After seeing a young boy using his cupped hands to drink water from a river he even threw away his wooden bowl, exclaiming; “A child has beaten me in plainness of living”.
Diogenes in a Landscape, by Nicolas Poussin (17th century).
Diogenes – Citizen of the World
The First Cosmopolitan
Diogenes, the first to call himself a “cosmopolites”, a citizen of the world, is said to have stated:
“Let the whole world be bed large enough for me, let me call the universe my home“,
and when he was called a lunatic retorted:
“I am not mad, I’m just different from you”.
Diogenes spent his days generally getting up the noses of fellow Athenians by spouting off in the marketplace and pulling stunts such as carrying a lantern in broad daylight in order to find an honest man.
Jacob Jordaens – Diogenes seeks people at the market using his lamp
Diogenes ridiculed customs and traditions, stating that anyone who attended the famous Dionysia celebrations were fools and tried to force his ideas and way of living on whoever crossed his path.
He had total disrespect for the other philosophers of Athens, thinking them hypocrites, and loved nothing better than to criticize and embarrass his contemporaries.
He called Plato’s lectures a waste of time and after hearing Plato define Man as an animal, biped and featherless, Diogenes plucked a fowl and brought it into the lecture-room with the words;
“Behold, here is man”
‘Behold, here is man’ – Illustration by Eric Drass (Shardcore)
Famous Sayings and Anecdotes of Diogenes
Whilst watching a bungling bowman at an archery contest Diogenes went and sat next to the target explaining that it was the only place where he felt safe.
When Diogenes noticed a prostitute’s son throwing stones at a crowd and said to him:
“Be careful boy, you might hit your father” and after being reproached for masturbating in public, Diogenes answered:
‘If only it was as easy to banish hunger by rubbing the belly as it is to masturbate”.
When asked which wine he preferred, “That for which other people pay”, was his answer.
Diogenes requested that when he died he be buried face downwards because the Macedonians were rising in power so quickly that the World would soon be turned upside down and then he would be facing the right way up.
The sculptural work, entitled Dog is a contemporary rendition of the legendary philosopher Diogenes of Sinope. Andy Lendzion
Life and Death in Corinth
In Crete, Diogenes was sold as a slave to a Corinthian named Xeniades, who was so enamored of Diogenes, he employed him as tutor to his two sons.
Whist in Corinth Diogenes is said to have been visited by Alexander the Great, who had heard of his reputation.
Alexander offered Diogenes anything his heart desired, to which Diogenes answered:
“Move a little to the right, you are blocking my sun”
Gaetano Gandolfi, Alexander and Diogenes, 1792
Diogene’s death in Corinth 323 B.C, of course could be nothing normal, after all, nothing in his life was classed as normal.
There are various stories, one that he decided to die, so just held his breath and that was that, another story has him dying from eating raw octopus and yet another states he died from an infected dog bite.
Statue of Diogenes with Alexander the Great in Corinth by sculptor Achilles Vasileiou
Diogenes left instructions to be thrown outside the city wall on his death so wild animals could feast on his body.
Original Anarchist and Ultimate Activist
The wit of mad dog Diogenes the Cynic!
After reading the above thoughts, lifestyle and general goings on of Diogenes the Cynic, I’m sure you can understand why I named this post as I did:
Original Anarchist and Ultimate Activist
