Διογένης
Diogenes
Translated by Catharine Roth23 Dec 2004Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
A pupil of Antisthenes;1 [the man] first named (?)Kleon.2 He lived in a wine-jar. When he asked how he might be outstanding, the god3 replied that he was acting as a [sc. good] citizen if he were to re-stamp. He re-stamped the currency, and for this he was exiled4 and went to Athens.5 Happening upon Antisthenes who was conversing according to his reputation, he became a philosopher. On a sea voyage he was captured by pirates and sold.6 When he was being auctioned and was asked what he knew, he said, "How to rule men." And when he observed a rich Corinthian profligate, he said, "Sell me to this man, for he needs a master." The man bought him and took him to Corinth and appointed him tutor to his children. He said that a good spirit had come into his household.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Διογένης, Ἀντισθένους ὁμιλητής, ὃς πρῶτος Κλέων ἐπεκλήθη· ἐν πίθῳ δὲ διέτριβεν. ἐρομένῳ δὲ αὐτῷ, πῶς ἂν πρωτεύσειεν, ἐπολιτεύετο δέ, ὁ θεὸς ἀνεῖλεν, εἰ παραχαράξειεν. ὁ δὲ τὸ νόμισμα παρεχάραξεν· ἐφ' ᾧ φυγὼν ἦλθεν ἐς Ἀθήνας. ἐντυχὼν δὲ Ἀντισθένει κατὰ δόξης διαλεγομένῳ ἐφιλοσόφησε. πλέων δὲ ὑπὸ καταποντιστῶν ληφθεὶς ἐπράθη. κηρυττόμενος δὲ καὶ ἐρωτώμενος, τί εἰδείη, ἄρχειν ἀνθρώπων, ἔφη. καὶ θεασάμενος Κορίνθιον πλούσιον ἄσωτον, τούτῳ με, ἔφη, πώλησον· δεσπότου γὰρ δεῖται. ὁ δὲ ὠνεῖται καὶ εἰς Κόρινθον ἄγει καὶ τῶν παίδων ἀποδείκνυσι παιδαγωγόν. ἔλεγε δὲ δαίμονα ἀγαθὸν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἰσεληλυθέναι.
Betacode
*dioge/nhs, *)antisqe/nous o(milhth/s, o(\s prw=tos *kle/wn e)peklh/qh: e)n pi/qw| de\ die/triben. e)rome/nw| de\ au)tw=|, pw=s a)\n prwteu/seien, e)politeu/eto de/, o( qeo\s a)nei=len, ei) paraxara/ceien. o( de\ to\ no/misma parexa/racen: e)f' w(=| fugw\n h)=lqen e)s *)aqh/nas. e)ntuxw\n de\ *)antisqe/nei kata\ do/chs dialegome/nw| e)filoso/fhse. ple/wn de\ u(po\ katapontistw=n lhfqei\s e)pra/qh. khrutto/menos de\ kai\ e)rwtw/menos, ti/ ei)dei/h, a)/rxein a)nqrw/pwn, e)/fh. kai\ qeasa/menos *kori/nqion plou/sion a)/swton, tou/tw| me, e)/fh, pw/lhson: despo/tou ga\r dei=tai. o( de\ w)nei=tai kai\ ei)s *ko/rinqon a)/gei kai\ tw=n pai/dwn a)podei/knusi paidagwgo/n. e)/lege de\ dai/mona a)gaqo\n ei)s th\n oi)ki/an ei)selhluqe/nai.
Notes (6)
- Diogenes of Sinope, the Cynic: see already delta 1141 and delta 1143. For the present entry's material cf. generally Diogenes Laertius 6.20-21 & 74.↩
- 1Antisthenes: alpha 2723. ↩
- 2This claim is not made in Diog.Laert., or elsewhere. Adler reports no manuscript discrepancies; nevertheless, as has been suggested, the transmitted
*Kle/wn is surely an error for*Ku/wn "Dog" (cf. delta 1141). ↩- 3Apollo -- of Delos or Delphi, according to Diog.Laert. The latter is the more likely, and this consultation is Q201 in J. Fontenrose, The Delphic Oracle: its responses and operations with a catalogue of responses (Berkeley & Los Angeles 1978). ↩
- 4sc. from his native Sinope. ↩
- 5Diog.Laert. has several versions of this episode, some involving Diogenes' father the banker. Either way, the point is that Apollo's advice was taken too literally: at issue here was a 're-stamping' not of coinage but of civic behaviour. ↩
- 6cf. under delta 1143.
Linked from9 entries
- α3638Ἀποφθίμενονhaving perished[Meaning one who has] died. "Receive me who have perished, the dog Diogenes." Also [sc. attested is] a)pofqi/sein ["to destroy"], [meaning] to kill, to put to death. Teucer says to the corpse of Ajax: "do you see that…
- β114Βάρειςbarges[Meaning] boats, walls, stoas, courtyards, towers, balls. "He was in charge of barges [or: bastions]". That is, of walls. "Even if your horrible barge is heavily laden, accept me, the dog Diogenes deceased."
- δ1141ΔιογένηςDiogenesName of a philosopher, the one also [called] Dog. "Why should we speak of Diogenes' courage, of Xenocrates' gentleness, of Aristotle's artistic sense, of Theophrastos' gravity, of Zeno's austere and noble ways, of…
- δ1142ΔιογένηςDiogenes[Diogenes] or Oinomaos [Author, Myth], Athenian, tragedian. He flourished at the suppression of the 30. His plays [are]: Achilles, Helen, Herakles, Thyestes, Medea, Oedipus, Chrysippus, Semele.
- 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…
- δ1145ΔιογένηςDiogenesBecause Diogenes had a son in love and because he was a harsh father, he did not condone his son’s brashness, but shutting him up and hindering his desire, he sharpened the passion all the more. And the vehemence of the…
- δ1627Δυσείμωνill-clad[Meaning] tunic-less.
- ε2061Ἐπεπάμεθαwe had obtained[Meaning] we had acquired. "All that we had obtained among the living I take with me as I go to Hades; I leave nothing under the sun."
- ε2591Ἐπισκύνιονhighbrow; superciliousness[Meaning] the skin located above the eyebrows. "[...] laying bare the superciliousness of every life."
Neighbouring entries
Revision history5 revisions · last 10 Nov 2015
- another note; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- more keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- more keywords — David Whitehead
- another keyword — David Whitehead
- modified aspects of translation; augmented notes and keywords — David Whitehead
- Translated — Catharine Roth