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Saturday, August 5, 2023

Wisdom from the Early Cynics, Diogenes 22


At Megara, Diogenes saw the sheep protected by leather jackets, while the children went bare. "It's better," said he, "to be a Megarian's ram than his son." 

To one who had brandished a beam at him and then cried, "Look out!" he replied, "What, are you intending to strike me again?" 

He used to call the demagogues the lackeys of the people and the crowns awarded to them the efflorescence of fame. 

He lit a lamp in broad daylight and said, as he went about, "I am looking for a man." 

One day he got a thorough drenching where he stood, and, when the bystanders pitied him, Plato said, if they really pitied him, they should move away, alluding to his vanity. 

When some one hit him a blow with his fist, "Heracles," said he, "how came I to forget to put on a helmet when I walked out?" 

Further, when Meidias assaulted him and went on to say, "There are 3000 drachmas to your credit," the next day he took a pair of boxing gloves, gave him a thrashing and said, "There are 3000 blows to your credit." 

—Diogenes Laërtius, 6.41-42 


 

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