Ἀντισθένης
Antisthenes
Translated by Jennifer Benedict1 Jun 2001Vetting: high12 revisions
Translation
An Athenian, a Socratic philosopher from [among] the orators, who was first called a Peripatetic, then became a Cynic; he was the son of a father who had the same name, but a mother who was Thracian by race. This man wrote ten volumes altogether: the first [was] on magic;1 it told the story of a certain mage Zoroaster, who discovered wisdom; but some have attributed this to Aristotle, others to Rhodon.2 So this man also began the philosophy of Cynicism,3 which was so called because he taught in the Cynosarges gymnasium. And he became the mentor of Diogenes the Cynic and the rest.
When Antisthenes was suffering from a long and intractable illness Diogenes gave him a dagger, saying, "If you should require a friend's services." Thus that man thought of death as nothing painful, such that illness became altogether a luxury.4
[Altogether] meaning totally.5
When Antisthenes was suffering from a long and intractable illness Diogenes gave him a dagger, saying, "If you should require a friend's services." Thus that man thought of death as nothing painful, such that illness became altogether a luxury.4
[Altogether] meaning totally.5
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἀντισθένης, Ἀθηναῖος, ἀπὸ ῥητόρων φιλόσοφος Σωκρατικός, ὅστις Περιπατητικὸς ἐκλήθη πρῶτον, εἶτα ἐκύνισεν· υἱὸς δὲ ὢν ὁμωνύμου πατρὸς, μητρὸς δὲ τὸ γένος Θρᾴσσης. οὗτος συνέγραψε τόμους δέκα· πρῶτον μαγικόν· ἀφηγεῖται δὲ περὶ Ζωροάστρου τινὸς μάγου, εὑρόντος τὴν σοφίαν· τοῦτο δέ τινες Ἀριστοτέλει, οἱ δὲ Ῥόδωνι ἀνατιθέασιν. οὗτος οὖν καὶ τῆς Κυνικῆς κατήρξατο φιλοσοφίας, ἥτις οὕτως ἐκλήθη διὰ τὸ ἐν Κυνοσάργει τῷ γυμνασίῳ διδάξαι αὐτόν. καὶ Διογένους δὲ καθηγητὴς γέγονε τοῦ Κυνὸς καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν. ὅτι ἀρρωστοῦντι Ἀντισθένει μακρὰν καὶ δυσανάκλητον ἀρρωστίαν ὁ Διογένης ξιφίδιον ἐπιδέδωκεν εἰπών· εἰ φίλου χρῄζεις ὑπουργίας. οὕτως ᾤετο ἐκεῖνος οὐδὲν ἀλγεινὸν τὸν θάνατον, ὥστε γίνεσθαι τὴν ἀρρωστίαν τρυφὴν αὐτόχρημα. ἀντὶ τοῦ παντελῶς ὅμοιον.
Betacode
*)antisqe/nhs, *)aqhnai=os, a)po\ r(hto/rwn filo/sofos *swkratiko/s, o(/stis *peripathtiko\s e)klh/qh prw=ton, ei)=ta e)ku/nisen: ui(o\s de\ w)\n o(mwnu/mou patro\s, mhtro\s de\ to\ ge/nos *qra/|sshs. ou(=tos sune/graye to/mous de/ka: prw=ton magiko/n: a)fhgei=tai de\ peri\ *zwroa/strou tino\s ma/gou, eu(ro/ntos th\n sofi/an: tou=to de/ tines *)aristote/lei, oi( de\ *(ro/dwni a)natiqe/asin. ou(=tos ou)=n kai\ th=s *kunikh=s kath/rcato filosofi/as, h(/tis ou(/tws e)klh/qh dia\ to\ e)n *kunosa/rgei tw=| gumnasi/w| dida/cai au)to/n. kai\ *dioge/nous de\ kaqhghth\s ge/gone tou= *kuno\s kai\ tw=n loipw=n. o(/ti a)rrwstou=nti *)antisqe/nei makra\n kai\ dusana/klhton a)rrwsti/an o( *dioge/nhs cifi/dion e)pide/dwken ei)pw/n: ei) fi/lou xrh/|zeis u(pourgi/as. ou(/tws w)/|eto e)kei=nos ou)de\n a)lgeino\n to\n qa/naton, w(/ste gi/nesqai th\n a)rrwsti/an trufh\n au)to/xrhma. a)nti\ tou= pantelw=s o(/moion.
Notes (5)
- Some of this information is taken from the biography of A. in Diogenes Laertius (6.1, 13, 15), with an additional paragraph -- see n.2 below -- from Julian, Oration 6 (181b Hertlein.↩
On Antisthenes (mid C5 to mid C4 BCE) see generally OCD(4) p.109, s.v. 'Antisthenes(1)'.- 1Or "Magian lore." ↩
- 2Or perhaps (despite rho 209), "to [Antisthenes the] Rhodian" (mentioned in Diog.Laert. 6.19); so Bernhardy. For Zoroaster, see alpha 4257, zeta 159, zeta 160, zeta 161, mu 28. ↩
- 3Cross-referenced at kappa 2709. ↩
- 4Julian (see above); cf. epsiloniota 340. ↩
- 5cf. alpha 4537.
Linked from5 entries
- α4257Ἀστρονομίαastronomy, astrology[Meaning] the arrangement of the stars. Babylonians were the first to discover this through Zoroaster; and with them Ostanes. They established that [events] happen by a heavenly motion around those who are being born.…
- α4537Αὐτόχρημα ὅμοιονexactly the same, straight away[Meaning] altogether similar. Aelian [writes]: "leaping straight away over the trenches, one named Clatius threw his hands on Hasdrubal's ship as it was hastening to flee and vigorously kept hold of the stern." And…
- δ1143ΔιογένηςDiogenesSon of a banker [named] Hikesios, from Sinope. Diogenes, after running away from his homeland on account of having counterfeited some coinage, arrived in Athens. After meeting Antisthenes the Cynic, he fell in love with…
- δ1144ΔιογένηςDiogenesA pupil of Antisthenes; [the man] first named (?)Kleon. He lived in a wine-jar. When he asked how he might be outstanding, the god replied that he was acting as a [sc. good] citizen if he were to re-stamp. He re-stamped…
- δ1161ΔιόμειαDiomeiaA deme of the [sc. Athenian] tribe Aegeis; [named] from Diomos the [sc. lover?] of Herakles. Aristophanes [writes]: "it just came across my mind, when the festival of Herakles at Diomea is due to take place". The…
Neighbouring entries
Revision history12 revisions · last 30 Sep 2015
- added a note — Catharine Roth
- minor tweak — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- updated a ref — David Whitehead
- more keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- modified translation at one point — David Whitehead
- added x-ref and keyword; restorative cosmetics — David Whitehead
- added another cross-reference — Catharine Roth
- added cross-references — Catharine Roth
- cosmetics — David Whitehead
- cosmetics — Catharine Roth
- augmented notes; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Jennifer Benedict