Diogenes

Dĭŏgĕnes, is, m., = Διογένης.

• Apolloniates, a celebrated Ionian philosopher, pupil of Anaximenes, Cic. N. D. 1, 12, 29.—
• II The well-known Cynic philosopher of Sinope, Cic. Tusc. 1, 43, 104; id. N. D. 3, 34; id. Mur. 36 et saep.—
• III A Stoic, teacher of Carneades and Laelius, Cic. Div. 1, 3, 6; id. Fin. 2, 8; id. Tusc. 4, 3; id. de Sen. 7, 23 et saep.—
• IV A friend of M. Caelius Rufus, Cic. Fam. 2, 12, 2; id. Cael. ib. 8, 8, 10.

Diogenēs, is, Akk. em u. ēn, m. (Διογένης), I) D. Apolloniates, ein berühmter ionischer Philosoph, Cic. de nat. deor. 1, 29. – II) der bekannte zynische Philosoph aus Sinope, Cic. Tusc. 1, 104 u. 5, 92. Val. Max. 4, 3. ext. 4 (wo Akk. -ēn). – III) ein Stoiker, Lehrer des Karneades u. Lälius, Cic. de div. 1, 6 u.a. – IV) ein Freund des M. Cälius Rufus, Cic. ep. 2, 12, 2. Cael. in Cic. ep. 8, 8, 10 (wo Akk. -em).

Dĭŏgĕnēs, (11) is, acc. em et en, m. (Διογένης), ¶ 1 Diogenes Apolloniates Cic. Nat. 1, 29, Diogène [philosophe ionien, disciple dʼAnaximène] ¶ 2 philosophe cynique : Cic. Tusc. 1, 104 ¶ 3 surnommé le Babylonien, philosophe stoïcien : Cic. Div. 1, 6 ¶ 4 peintre célèbre : Plin. 35, 40 ¶ 5 ami de Cælius Rufus : Cic. Fam. 2, 12, 2.

diogenes, is. m.
古賢人名。

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Diogĕnes

(Διογένης). (1) A celebrated Cynic philosopher of Sinopé. His father, Icesias, a banker, was convicted of debasing the public coin, and was obliged to leave the country; or, according to another account, his father and himself were charged with this offence, and the former was thrown into prison, while the son escaped and went to Athens. Here he attached himself, as a disciple, to Antisthenes, who was at the head of the Cynics. Antisthenes at first refused to admit him into his house and even struck him with a stick. Diogenes calmly bore the rebuke and said, “Strike me, Antisthenes, but you will never find a stick sufficiently hard to remove me from your presence, while you speak anything worth hearing.” The philosopher was so much pleased with this reply that he at once admitted him among his scholars. Diogenes fully adopted the principles and character of his master. Renouncing every other object of ambition, he determined to distinguish himself by his contempt of riches and honours and by his invectives against luxury. He wore a coarse cloak, carried a wallet and a staff, made the porticoes and other public places his habitation, and depended upon casual contributions for his daily bread. A friend whom he had desired to procure him a cell not executing his order so soon as was expected, he took up his abode in a πίθος, or large vessel, in the Metroum. It is probable, however, that this was only a temporary expression of indignation and contempt, and that he did not make it the settled place of his residence. This famous “tub” is indeed celebrated by Juvenal; it is also ridiculed by Lucian and mentioned by Seneca. But no notice is taken of so singular a circumstance by other ancient writers who have mentioned this philosopher. It cannot be doubted, however, that Diogenes practised the most hardy self-control and the most rigid abstinence—exposing himself to the utmost extremes of heat and cold and living upon the simplest diet, casually supplied by the hand of charity. In his old age, sailing to Aegina, he was taken by pirates and carried to Crete, where he was exposed to sale in the public market. When the auctioneer asked him what he could do, he said, “I can govern men; therefore sell me to one who wants a master.” Xeniades, a wealthy Corinthian, happening at that instant to pass by, was struck with the singularity of his reply and purchased him. On their arrival at Corinth, Xeniades gave him his freedom and committed to him the education of his children and the direction of his domestic concerns. Diogenes executed this trust with so much judgment and fidelity that Xeniades used to say that the gods had sent a good genius to his house. During his residence at Corinth, the interview between him and Alexander is said to have taken place. Plutarch relates that Alexander, when at Corinth, receiving the congratulations of all ranks on being appointed to command the army of the Greeks against the Persians, missed Diogenes among the number, with whose character he was not unacquainted. Curious to see one who had given so signal an instance of his haughty independence of spirit, Alexander went in search of him and found him sitting in his tub in the sun. “I am Alexander the Great,” said the monarch. “And I am Diogenes the Cynic,” replied the philosopher. Alexander then requested that he would inform him what service he could render him. “Stand from between me and the sun,” said the Cynic. Alexander, struck with the reply, said to his friends, who were ridiculing the whimsical singularity of the philosopher, “If I were not Alexander, I should wish to be Diogenes.” This story is too good to be omitted, but there are several circumstances which in some degree diminish its credibility. It supposes Diogenes to have lived in his tub at Corinth, whereas it is certain that he lived there in the house of Xeniades, and that, if he had ever dwelt in a tub, he left it behind him at Athens. Alexander, moreover, was at this time scarcely twenty years old, and could not call himself Alexander the Great, for he did not receive this title till his Persian and Indian expedition, after which he never returned to Greece; yet the whole transaction represents him as elated with the pride of conquest. Diogenes probably was visited by Alexander, when the latter held the general assembly of the Greeks at Corinth, and was received by him with rudeness and incivility, which may have given rise to the whole story. The philosopher at this time would have been about seventy years of age.

Various accounts are given concerning the manner and time of his death. It seems most probable that he died at Corinth, of mere decay, in the ninetieth year of his age and in the 114th Olympiad. A column of Parian marble, terminating in the figure of a dog, was raised over his tomb. His fellow-townsmen of Sinopé also erected brazen statues in memory of the philosopher. Diogenes left behind him no system of philosophy. After the example of his school, he was more attentive to practical than to theoretical wisdom. See Hermann, Zur Geschichte und Kritik des Diogenes (Heilbronn, 1860), and the article Cynici.

(2) A native of Apollonia in Crete, who was a pupil of Anaximenes and contemporary with Anaxagoras. Schleiermacher, however, affirms, from the internal evidence of the fragments of the two philosophers, that Diogenes preceded Anaxagoras. But Diogenes might have written before Anaxagoras and yet have been his junior, as we know was the case with Empedocles. Diogenes followed Anaximenes in making air the primal element of all things; but he carried his views further, and regarded the universe as issuing from an intelligent principle, by which it was at once vivified and ordered, a rational as well as sensitive soul, but still without recognizing any distinction between matter and mind. Diogenes wrote several books on Cosmology (Περὶ Φύσεως).

(3) Laertius, so called from his native city, Laerté in Cilicia. He wrote the lives of the philosophers (Φιλόσοφοι Βίοι), in ten books, which are still extant. The period when he lived is not exactly known, but it is supposed to have been during the reigns of Septimius Severus and Caracalla. Diogenes is thought to have belonged to the Epicurean School. He divides all the Greek philosophers into two classes: those of the Ionic and those of the Italic school. He derives the first from Anaximander, the second from Pythagoras. After Socrates, he divides the Ionian philosophers into three branches: (a) Plato and the Academics, down to Clitomachus; (b) the Cynics, down to Chrysippus; (c) Aristotle and Theophrastus. The series of Italic philosophers consists, after Pythagoras, of the following: Telanges, Xenophanes, Parmenides, Zeno of Elea, Leucippus, Democritus, and others down to Epicurus. The first seven books are devoted to the Ionic philosophers; the last three treat of the Italic school.

The work of Diogenes is a crude contribution towards the history of philosophy. It contains a brief account of the lives, doctrines, and sayings of most persons who have been called philosophers; and though the author is evidently a most unfit person for the task which he imposed upon himself, and has shown very little judgment and discrimination in the execution of it, yet the book is extremely useful as a collection of facts, which we could not have learned from any other quarter, and is entertaining as a sort of pot-pourri on the subject. The article on Epicurus is valuable, as containing some original letters of that philosopher, which comprise a fairly satisfactory epitome of the Epicurean doctrines and are very useful to the readers of Lucretius. The best editions of Diogenes are those of Hübner (Leipzig, 1828-31) and Cobet (Paris, 1850).

Diogenes Diogenes, of Sinope

• his tomb: Paus. 2.2.4

Diogenes(2), a Boeotarch

• Paus. 10.20.3

Diogenes(3), commander of Macedonian garrisons in Attica

• bribed by Aratus: Paus. 2.8.6