The Death of Marcus Aurelius

The Death of Marcus Aurelius

Thursday, May 13, 2021

Wisdom from the Early Cynics, Antisthenes 8


He used to recommend the Athenians to vote that asses are horses. When they deemed this absurd, his reply was, "But yet generals are found among you who have had no training, but were merely elected."

"Many men praise you," said one. "Why, what wrong have I done?" was his rejoinder. 

When he turned the torn part of his cloak so that it came into view, Socrates no sooner saw this than he said, "I spy your love of fame peeping through your cloak."

Phanias, in his work on the Socratics, tells us how someone asked him what he must do to be good and noble, and he replied, "You must learn from those who know that the faults you have are to be avoided." 

When someone extolled luxury his reply was, "May the sons of your enemies live in luxury."

—Diogenes Laërtius, 6.8



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