Ἀρίστιππος
Aristippus, Aristippos
Translated by Jennifer Benedict31 Jul 2001Vetting: high10 revisions
Translation
Son of Aritades, from Cyrene, a philosopher, a pupil of Socrates; by whom the sect called Cyrenaic began.1
He was the first of the Socratics to take wages. He was on bad terms with Xenophon,2 and he was able to adapt himself to both time and place. And he enjoyed what things were at hand and pursued pleasure, but he did not by toil chase after the enjoyment of things which he did not have. Hence Diogenes called him the "king's dog".3 His sayings [were] the best and greatest. His daughter Arete4 learned [from him], whose [student was] her son the young Aristippos, who was named Mother-taught, and his [student was] Theodoros, who was called "Godless", then "God"; and his [student was] Antipater,5 and his [student was] Epitimedes of Cyrene,6 his Paraibates, his Hegesias the Advocate of Death [by suicide],7 and his Annikeris, who ransomed Plato.8
He was the first of the Socratics to take wages. He was on bad terms with Xenophon,2 and he was able to adapt himself to both time and place. And he enjoyed what things were at hand and pursued pleasure, but he did not by toil chase after the enjoyment of things which he did not have. Hence Diogenes called him the "king's dog".3 His sayings [were] the best and greatest. His daughter Arete4 learned [from him], whose [student was] her son the young Aristippos, who was named Mother-taught, and his [student was] Theodoros, who was called "Godless", then "God"; and his [student was] Antipater,5 and his [student was] Epitimedes of Cyrene,6 his Paraibates, his Hegesias the Advocate of Death [by suicide],7 and his Annikeris, who ransomed Plato.8
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἀρίστιππος· Ἀριτάδου, ἀπὸ Κυρήνης, φιλόσοφος, Σωκράτους ἀκουστής· ἀφ' οὗπερ ἡ Κυρηναϊκὴ κληθεῖσα αἵρεσις ἤρξατο. πρῶτος δὲ τῶν Σωκρατικῶν μισθοὺς ἐπράξατο. Ξενοφῶντι δὲ εἶχε δυσμενῶς, καὶ ἦν ἱκανὸς ἁρμόσασθαι καὶ χρόνῳ καὶ τόπῳ. καὶ τῶν μὲν παρόντων ἀπέλαυε καὶ ἡδονὴν μετεδίωκε, πόνῳ δὲ ἀπόλαυσιν οὐδεμίαν ἐθήρα τῶν οὐ παρόντων. ὅθεν Διογένης βασιλικὸν κύνα αὐτὸν ἐκάλει. ἀποφθέγματα δὲ αὐτοῦ πλεῖστα καὶ ἄριστα. διήκουσε δὲ αὐτοῦ ἡ θυγάτηρ Ἀρήτη, ἀφ' ἧς ὁ παῖς αὐτῆς ὁ νέος Ἀρίστιππος, ὃς ἐκλήθη Μητροδίδακτος, οὗ Θεόδωρος, ὁ Ἄθεος ἐπικληθείς, εἶτα Θεός· τοῦ δὲ Ἀντίπατρος, τοῦ δὲ Ἐπιτιμήδης ὁ Κυρηναῖος, τοῦ δὲ Παραιβάτης, τοῦ δὲ Ἡγησίας ὁ Πεισιθάνατος, τοῦ δὲ Ἀννίκερις, ὁ Πλάτωνα λυτρωσάμενος.
Betacode
*)ari/stippos: *)arita/dou, a)po\ *kurh/nhs, filo/sofos, *swkra/tous a)kousth/s: a)f' ou(=per h( *kurhnai+kh\ klhqei=sa ai(/resis h)/rcato. prw=tos de\ tw=n *swkratikw=n misqou\s e)pra/cato. *cenofw=nti de\ ei)=xe dusmenw=s, kai\ h)=n i(kano\s a(rmo/sasqai kai\ xro/nw| kai\ to/pw|. kai\ tw=n me\n paro/ntwn a)pe/laue kai\ h(donh\n metedi/wke, po/nw| de\ a)po/lausin ou)demi/an e)qh/ra tw=n ou) paro/ntwn. o(/qen *dioge/nhs basiliko\n ku/na au)to\n e)ka/lei. a)pofqe/gmata de\ au)tou= plei=sta kai\ a)/rista. dih/kouse de\ au)tou= h( quga/thr *)arh/th, a)f' h(=s o( pai=s au)th=s o( ne/os *)ari/stippos, o(\s e)klh/qh *mhtrodi/daktos, ou(= *qeo/dwros, o( *)/aqeos e)piklhqei/s, ei)=ta *qeo/s: tou= de\ *)anti/patros, tou= de\ *)epitimh/dhs o( *kurhnai=os, tou= de\ *paraiba/ths, tou= de\ *(hghsi/as o( *peisiqa/natos, tou= de\ *)anni/keris, o( *pla/twna lutrwsa/menos.
Notes (8)
- C5/4 BCE. See generally OCD(4) p.155, s.v. 'Aristippus(1)'. The present entry derives, after the introductory sentence, from Diogenes Laertius 2.65-66 and 2.86. There is more under alpha 3909.↩
- 1Again at kappa 2758. ↩
- 2xi 47, xi 48. ↩
- 3Or "Royal Cynic". ↩
- 4alpha 3855. ↩
- 5Diog. Laert. 2.86 records Antipater of Cyrene as a student of Aristippus, not of Theodorus as the Suda here suggests. ↩
- 6epsilon 2694. ↩
- 7pi 1471. ↩
- 8For Annikeris see alpha 2466. (It is chronologically impossible for him to have 'ransomed Plato', even if -- as apparently in Diog.Laert. -- both he and Hegesias were pupils of Paraibates.)
Linked from5 entries
- α2466ἈννίκεριςAnniceris, AnnikerisA Cyrenean, a philosopher, who became an Epicurean despite being an acquaintance of Paraebatus, the student of Aristippus. Anniceris also had a brother by the name of Nicoteles, [sc. also] a philosopher, and his student…
- α3855ἈρήτηAreteA proper name.
- α3909ἈρίστιπποςAristippos, Aristippus[The name of an] associate of Socrates; charming and took pleasure in all things. It is said that when his child was carrying money and was burdened by the weight he said, "Then cast off what's weighing you down." When…
- αι286Αἵρεσιςschool, sect[A school] [is a system] that, in accordance with appearance, follows or seems to follow a certain type of account. Hippobotus says that there are 9 philosophical schools and ways of life: Megaric, Eretrian, Cyrenaic,…
- αι349ΑἰσχίνηςAeschines, Aischines, AiskhinesThe son of Lysanias. This man went to Dionysios in Sicily on account of money. And Plato is said to have compassed Charybdis three times on account of Sicilian lucre. Aristippos of Cyrene and Helikon from Cyzicus and…
Neighbouring entries
Revision history10 revisions · last 31 Aug 2015
- — David Whitehead
- updated a ref — David Whitehead
- more keywords; tweaking — David Whitehead
- typo — David Whitehead
- another keyword — David Whitehead
- another keyword — David Whitehead
- another x-ref — David Whitehead
- augmented notes; added keyword; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- —
- —
- Translated — Jennifer Benedict