Antisthenes

A disciple of Socrates, and contemporary with Plata and the other disciples of Socrates.

1HB disciples of Socrates divided, after the death of their master, into three distinct sects: the Cynic, the Academic, and the Cyrenaic. Antifithenes was the leader of the Cynics. Different reasons have been assigned for these philosophers being distinguished by this appellation. Some say it was because they lived like dogs; and others, that it was on account of the place where Antisthenes taught, being near one of the harbours of Athens, which was called Cynosarges. Antisthenes was ithe son of an Athenian of the same name. His mother was a slave: he was one day reproached with the circumstance of her being a Phrygian; ** Of what consequence is it?" said he; ' did not the same country give birth to Cybele, the mother of all the gods?" He was at first a disciple of the orator Oeorgius. He afterwards formed a school of his own, and taught for some time; his powerful eloquence attracting a crowd of hearers from all parts. Being induced, however, by the great reputation of Socrates, to go and hear him, he was so charmed with that philosopher, that he took all his own disciples likewise to.hear him, and, resolving no longer to assume the of&ce of a teacher himself, he entreated them all to join him in attending the instmctions of Socrates. For this purpose he took up his residence at the Pinpus, and walked forty stadia every day, to see and hear the philosopher to whom he had so warmly attached himself.

Antisthenes was a man of austere manners and of the simplest habits. He prayed the gods to visit him with madness, rather than with fondness for sensual pleasures. He treated his scholars with severity; and being asked the reason of his doing 80, " Do not physicians," he replied, '* treat their patients in the same manner?" He was the first among his sect who made use of a large cloak, a staff, and bag, which were afterwards adopted by the Cynics, as their sole moveables, and the only wealth which they desired, in order to dispute felicity with Jupiter himself. He suffered his beard to grow, without ever trimming it, and was altogether negligent of his appearance. He applied himself exclusively to morality, saying, that all other sciences were utterly useless: indeed he placed ihe sovereign good in following virtue, and contemning luxury.

The Cynics were very austere in theu* general modes of life. Their ordinary diet consisted of fruits and vegetables; they drank nothing but water^ and threw themselves, without ceremony, on the earth for a bed. " It is the privilege of the gods," they used to say, '* to be without wants; and he who has the fewest, approaches the nearest to them in their divine nature/' They boasted of their contempt of riches, nobility^ and all other advantages of nature or fortune. They moreover were possessed of so great a degree of effrontery, that they were ashamed of nothing, however infamous it might be: they disclaimed politeness, and respected no one. Notwithstanding all this, the yivacity of Antisthenes' understanding, and the agi-eeableuess of his manners, enabled him, whenever he went into company, to gtdn every one over, to his opinions. He evinced his courage at the battle of Tanagra, where he greatly signalized himself. Socrates was much rejoiced at this, and when some one afterwards, by way of depreciating Antisthenes, remarked that his mother was a Phrygian, " What!" SMd he, " did you expect so brave a man could have had Athenians on both sides for his parents?" Nevertheless, he himself could not refrain one day from upbnuding Antis-thenes with his pride. He saw him tummg his cloak, so as to make an ostentatious display of a rent in it. '^ O Antisthenes!" exckumed be, ** I can see your vanity thi'ough the hole in your doak." Antisthenes, finding that the Athenians piqued themselves upon bemg the original inhabitants, of the country in which they then lived, laughingly told them that in that respect they resembled tortoises and periwinkles, which always ended their lives in the spot where they commenced them. He used to say, that the most essential scienoe to leam, was to unlearn evil.

One day, a man came to him with his son, wishing to introduce him to be one of the difldples of Antisthenes. '' What does my son Btatid in most immediate need of?" he asked. " A new book, a new pen, and new tablets," answered AntisUienes; thus giving him to understand that the mind of his son ought to be as virgin wax, on which no mark had yet been impressed. Being asked what was the most desirable thmg m life, he replied, ' A happy death.' He was angry at those envious people who seem to be devoured by their own spleen, as iron is eaten by the rust which it produces. He said, that were the choice forced upon him, he would prefer being a raven to being of an envious disposition; for that ravens only mangled the dead, but the envious preyed upon the living. Some one remarking that war carried off many unhappy wretches, ** That may be," he replied; *' but it makes many more than It carries off." Being urged to give some idea of the Divmity, he replied, <' that as there was no being that any way resembled him, it would be folly to attempt to make him known by any description addressed to the senses."

He maintained that enemies ought to be respected, because^ as they are the first to discover faults, so they are the first to publish them; in which case they are of more re^ value to us than even our friends can be. On the same principle he held, that a judicious friend ought to be estimated more highly than a relation, the ties of virtue being stronger than those of blood; and that it was more desirable to form one of a few wise men against a multitude of fools, than one of a multitude of fools against a few wise men. Hearing himself praised one day by some men of bad character, ** Good^ods!" he exclaimed, " what have I done amiss?"

He deemed it incumbent on a wise man to regulate his conduct by the laws of virtue rather than by those of a government, and to be astonished at nothmg, and find nothing disagreeable to him; because he ought to foresee every event long before it happens, and to be prepared for it accordingly. Nobility and wisdom, he said, were the same things; and consequently he allowed none to be truly noble, but the wise. Prudence he compared to a fortress, which can neither be surprised nor stormed. ' A pious life he held to be the best foundation for immortality; and that resources such as Socrates possessed, were sufficient in themselves to ensure contentment. A man once thought fit to ask him what sort of a wife he ought to take; '* If you choose an ugly woman," said he, *' you will not like her yourself; if you choose a handsome one, others will like her, as well as you do." He saw one day an adulterer flying from pursuit; " Unhappy wretch!" he exclaimed, " how many dangers you might have escaped for a shilling!" He advised his disciples to store themselves with such goods as no storm of fortune should be able to wreck. If he found he had an enemy, he would wish hi'm all sorts of possessions, except wisdom. If any one spoke to him of a life of pleasure, ' Grant, ye gods," he would exclaim,/ such pleasure to none but the children of our enemies l"

Whenever he saw a female elegantly attired, he always went immediately to her house, and requested her husband to let him see his horse and his arms; if he found them in proper condition, he allowed the lady to do as she pleased, knowing that her husband was able to protect her; but if he found them, on the contrary, not according with her appearance, he used to counsel her to lay aside all her ornaments, lest she should fall a victim to the first man who might offer violence to her. He advised the Athenians, one day, to yoke horses and asses indiscriminately to the plough. He was answered, that it would not be proper to do so; for that asses were unfit for the labours of husbandry. " What of that?•* returned Antisthenes; ** when you elect magistrates, do you consider whether they are fit to govern or not? No; it is enough for you and for them that they are chosen." Being told diat Plato had spoken ill of him, he replied, ^* It happens to me as to princes, that I receive injuries in return for benefits."

'Mt is ridiculous," ssdd he, ** to take so much pains to separate tares from wheat, and to rid the army of soldiers that are only burthensome to it; whilst we take no care to purge the State of the envious and malignant." He was reproached once with visiting persons of immoral conduct: '' Why not?" said he; " do not physicians every day visit the sick, without catching their disorders?"

Antisthenes was extremely patient, and always advised his disciples to bear, without resentment, whatever injuries might be offered them. He blamed Plato greatly for his love of pomp and grandeur^ and never failed to rally him respecting it. Being asked what advantage had accrued to himself from his philosophy, ''The advantage," he replied, '' of being able to converse with myself; and of doing from inclination what others do by compulsion."

Towards Socrates, his master, Antisthenes always felt the liveliest gratitude; and it should even seem that it was he who avenged the death of that philosopher: for several persons having come from the most distant borders of the Pontus Euzinus to hear him, Antisthenes conducted them to Anytes, — " There!" said he to them, " behold a man wiser than Socrates himself; for this is his accuser." So powerful was the recollection of So-crates, at that moment, in the minds of all present, that they immediately drove Anytes out of the city, and seizing Melitus, the other accuser of Socrates, put him to death.

Antisthenes fell ill of a pulmonary complsunt *. but it should seem that he preferred a lingering disease to a speedy death; for his disciple Diogenes came into his room one day with a poniard under his cloak, and on his master's exchuming, '' What can T do to cure the anguish I suflFer?" ** ITse this!" said Diogenes, offering him the poniard. '' T want to get rid of my disorder, and not of my life," replied Antisthenes. It appears that this philosopher boasted of Hercules being the founder of the sect of Cynics; for the poet Ausonius, in his epigrams, makes him Kpeak thus: —

Lwentur primta Cvrdu»,ego ftor roHo itthtee

AScidest muUo dtcttur esse prior, Aiddt quondam fuercm^ doctore secundum;

Nunc ego sum Cynices primus, et HU Deut*

Thfi Cynic doctrines were in ancient day* fi/great Alcides taught— bat now a god.

He leaves to ne the wreath of Cynic bays. Ko longer second in the path he trod.

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