Aristippus

Contemporary with Plato; and lived in the 69th

Olympiad.

Aristippus was originally from Cyren^ in Lybia. He was induced to leave his native country and settle at Athens, in order to ei^oy the pleasure of listening to Socrates, of whose great reputation he was continually hearing. He became one of the principal disciples of that philosopher, though his.conduct was very opposite to the precepts impaited to him in this excellent school. From him the sect which he formed was called Cyrenaic, from Cyrene, his native city. Aristippus hsid a brilliant imagination and a lively wit. His conversation was agreeable, and abounded with well-timed pleasantries, even on the most trifling topics. His chief aim was to flatter kings and persons of rank. He was always ready to lend himself to their wishes; he made them laugh, and, under the semblance of a jest, drew from them whatever he wished. If they insulted or reproached him, he turned it into a matter of r^llery; so that they found it impossible to quarrel with him even if they wished it. He was so clever and insinuating^ that he always succeeded, with the utmost ease to himself, in every thing he undertook: and so happy was his temper, that he retained without effort the utmost equality of mind, in whatever circumstances he might be placed. Plato sometimes said to him,. ' lliere is not a man in the world, Aristippus, except yourself, who can wear old rags with as good a grace as if they were robes of the most magnificent purple." Horace says of this philosopher, that he could assume any cha* racter he pleased; and.was always contented with the little he possessed, even at the moment that he was seeking to make it more. These qualities recommended him greatly to Dionynius the tyrant, who set more store by him^ than by all the rest of his courtiers. Aristippus often went tp Syracuse, to enjoy himself at the table of Dionysius; and when he gre^ weary of the sameness of it^ he varied the scene hy going to the houses of othei^ great perf sonages: thus passing his life between one court and another, for which he was never spoken of by Diogenes the Cynic, under any. other appellation than that of the Royal Dog« One day Dionysius spit in his. face, by which some of the company were considerably disconcerted; but Aiistjipptts laughed at their uneaisiness, saying, '* I should indeed want something to complain of; fishermen suffer themselves to be wet to the skin, in the hope of catching a small fish;, and if I want to eatch a whale I need only suffer a little* saliva to.be thrown in my fiace." Dionysius being' displeased with him op another occasion, pointed out the lowest place to him, when they were ^bQUt to, sit do^vn to tablie. ^* Yott intend, theo^ to make this the place of

184 AMittppvn, honour/' sidd Aiistippiis, no way put out bf couil' tenance at the affront.

Aristippus was the first of Socrates's disciples who exacted any reward for the instroctions he might communicate; and, in order to gain a precedent for his conduct, he sent twenty mine, or ahont sixty pounds sterling, to Socrates himself: Socrates, however, not only refused the money, but resented the offer of it ever afterwards, — a circumstance which did not aprpear to grre Aristippus the smallest regret. When any one reproached him with his behaviour in this respect, and contrasted it with the disinterestedness of his master, who never required reward from any perTjon, " That is quite another matter," he would reply; '^ all the great men of Athens rejoice in an opportunity of ministering to the wants of Socrates, Insomuch that he is often obliged to send back a good part of what is actually forced upon him; whilst as to myself I have scarcely a rascally slave to care a farthing about me.'^

A man brought his son to him one day to be instructed by him, and begged that he would talce particular care of him. For this care, Aristippus demanded fifty drachmas. '* How!" replied the father, ** fifty drachmas! why with that I could buy a slave." — ** Do, then," retorted ' Aristippus; ** in that case you will have a pair." We are not, however, to infer from this that Aristippus was a miser: on the contrary, he wished for money only that he might spend It, and show others the use that ought to be made of it.

Being at sea once, he was told that the vessel on

4iiUriPPU«. i85 board which he was belonged to pirates t o^ hear^ lag this he pulled all his money out of his pocket, and whilAt apparently engaged m couAting it, he let it.purposely fall into the sea. He heaved a deep.isigh, as if the bag had accidentally dropped out of his hands; but at tixe same time he said in a low voice, *' Better for Aristippus.to lose his money, than for his money to lose Aristippus!"

Another time, seeing that his slave, who was following him, could not keep up with him, on account of a load of money which be was carrying, *' Throw some of it away," said he, ** if it be too heavy, and only keep what you can carry with ease." Horace, speaking of persons who place tbeii' sole consequence in their wealth, advises them occasionally to imitate the conduct of Aristippus in this instance.

Aristippus was fond of good living, and spared no expense to procure a delicacy. One day he paid fiifty drachmas for a partridge.. One of his friends could not refrain from censuring him for what appeared to him an act of shameful extravagance. ''lf it had cost only an obolus, you would have bought it yourself, I suppose," said Aristippus. • Very likely so," replied the other. ** Well, then," returned Aristippus, ** I value fifty drachmas still less than you value a single obolus." Another time he bought some rarities at a high price, and a person who was present took upon himself to reprimand him accordingly. ** Would not you give three oboli for them?" asked Aristippus. •*Certamly," replied the other. **Then," returned Aristippus, *M am not so much of an r3 epieure as you are of a miser." Being reproached with his luxurious way of living, he replied, 'That if there were auy harm in good cheer, there would not be such magnificent entertainments at the festivals of the gods." Even Plato, whose own modes of life were sufficiently splendid, could not help warning him against falling into habits Of too much indulgence. ' Do you think Dionysius a virtuous man?" asked Aristippus. ' I do," replied Plato. "Well!" said 'Aristippus, "he lives far more luxuriously than I do. It shows, therefore, that habits of indulgence are no way inimical to yirtuuus principles." Diogenes was one day washing herbs, according to his usual custom: at that moment Aristippus happened to pass by. 'Mf you knew how to content yourself with herbs as 1 do," said Diogenes, " you would trouble yourself very little about paying court to princes."—" And if you had the art of paying court to princes," replied Aris tippas, " you would soon find your herbs not quite 80 savoury."

Dionysius one day presented three ladies to Aristippus, telling him he might take his choice of them. Aristippus took them all three, saying, " Choice may err. Vou well know the ills that Paris drew upon himself by his choice; the two that I should leave may work me more mischief than the one that I might take could ever do me good." Accordingly he led the ladie» as for as the vestibule, and then immediately sent them back to their own houses. At another time Dionysius-asked him how it came to pass that philosophers are always to be found in the abode of princes, but

ARlS111>PC!t. ihf that princes are uiver to be found in the abode of philosophers. "It is because philosophers know what they are in want of, and princes do not," replied Aristippus. Being asked the same question by another person, he answered by remarking that we see physicians with the sick^ and we find no one who would not rather prescribe for a sick person, than be sick himself. " It is good," he would say, " to prune the passions, but not to tear them up by the roots. There is no crime in gratifying the senses, provided we do not suffer ourselves to be enslaved by them." And it was according to this view of his subject, that when rallied on his acquaintance with the courtesan Lais, he said, " It is true that I possess Lais, but Lais does not possess me." He was one day in the act of entering the residence of this celebrated female, when one of his disciples^ happening to go past at that moment, saw him, and blushed. Aristippus perceived it, and sidd to him, ** There is no reason to be ashamed, my friend, of going into a house of this kind; it is the not being able to leave it again, that we ought to be ashamed of." The philosopher Polyxenus came to see him; and the first thing he perceived on entering the room was a magnificent entertainment, and a gi'eat number of ladies splendidly dressed. He immediately fell into a transport of indigna^ tion, and began to exclaim against such abominable luxury. Aristippus asked him, very good-humouredly, if he would not sit down at table with them? ** With all my heart," replied the philo« sopher. " Why, then," said Aristippus, "have you wasted so much breath on the matter? It

•iSd ARISTIPPMS.

seems that it is neither the cpmpaiiy nor the good cheer that you object to; it therefore can only be to the expense.**

Aristippus had had a dispute with iEschines, which had left such a coldness between them that they did not see each other for a considerable length of time: at last Aiistippus went to the house of ^schines. " Well!" s£ud he to him, ' arc we never to make up our quarrels, or are we to wait till any body laughs at us, and parasites make their entertainers merry at our expense?' — " It gives me the greatest pleasure to see you again,'* replied i£schines, <* and I am most willing to be recondled to you.'* — ** Well, then," said Aristippus, ** bear it in mind, that I have paid you the first visit, although I am your senior."

DioDysius one day gave a splendid entertainment, at the close of which he desired each of the guests to clothe himself in a loose purple robe, and take his part in a dance in the middle of the hall. Plato refused to do either; saying, that he was a man, and that therefore so effeminate a dress was unworthy of him. Aristippus, however, raused no difficulties; he put on his robe, and began to dance about, saying gaily, ** We do worse things than these at the festivals of Bacchus; yet no one is corrupted there, if he have not been corrupted before." Having once to intercede with Oiouysius for one of his best friends, the tyrant, not being in the humour to comply with his request, repulsed him with severity. Aristippus instantly threw himself at his feet. To some the act appeared to savour of sycophancy. *' It is not my fault,"

said Aristippus, ** Imt Dionysias's^ for carrying his ears in his sandals."

Whilst Aristippus was at Syracuse, Simus, a Phrygian, and treasurer to Dionysius, showed him his superb palace, and particularly directed his attention to the magnificence of the floors. Aristippus immediately fell a-coughing, and then spit in the face of Simus, who very naturally felt extremely angry with him. " My good friend," said Aristippus, " I saw no other place dirty enough for me to venture to spit upon it." By some this adventure, or one very like it, is attributed to Diogenes. They were either of them capable of it.

A man one day began to abuse Aristippus violently. The philosopher took to his heels; his enemy pursued him, crying out to him " What, you run away, you cowardly miscreant, do you?" " I do," replied Aristippus; ** because you have the faculty of pouring out abuse, and I have not the faculty of listening to it."

Aristippus was once on his passage to Corinth, when a furious tempest suddenly arose and put him into a terrible fright. Some of the passengers on board could not help laughing at his alarm. •* We ignoramuses," said they, ** are afraid of nothing, and you philosophers are all on a tremble." '* We are not all concenied alike," said Aristippus; ** there is a great deal of difference between the wise and the ignorant in what they have to lose." Being asked what the difference really was between a wise man and an ignorant one, he answered, *' Strip them both naked, and turn them adrift among strangers, and you will soon discover the difference." He thought it fax more desirable to be poor than ignorant; ^because the poor man might be deficient only in money, the other in ^very thing that ga^e yaJue to a human being; insomuch that one was like a horse that had never been broken, the other like one accustomed to the manege. Being reproached with neglecting his son, and casting him off as if he had not been of his own generating, ** We all know that we generate vermin and phlegm," said he, " but I do not find that we are less anxious to get rid of them on that account.

One day Dionysius made a present of money to Arlstippus^ and of books to Plato. Some of the bystanders wished, from this distinction, to draw an inference to the disadvantage of Aristippus. He replied, ** I stand in need of money, and Plato stands in need of books." Another time Aristippus requested Dionysius to give him a talent. * ' How b this?" asked Dionysius, ** you once told me that wise men never wanted money." — ' First give me the talent," replied Aristippus, ' and then we will discuss the matter." Dionysius accordingly gave him one, and he then continued, '* Weill it is as I said. You see 1 am not in want of money." As Aristippus went very often to Syracuse, Dionysius took it into his^ head one day to ask him what he came for. '* I come," sidd Aristippus, ** to impart to yott what I possess, and to receive from you what you possess." Being reproached with leaving Socrates, in order to pay his court to Dionysius, " When I required wisdom," said he, '< I went to Socrates: now that 1 re<tttire money, I go to Dto*

nysiu8.** — " Are you not ashamed^" said he to a young man who was proud of his swimming, ** to value yourself on such a trifle? every dolphin can swim much better than you can."

Being asked what benefit he derived from his philosophy, ' That of being able to speak freely to men in all conditions," replied he. Upon another occasion, being pressed to state the advantage which philosophers possessed over other persons, he re- plied, ** that with laws or without, they would live exactly in the same manner."

llie Cyrenaics attached themselves almost ex* clusively to morality, and very little to logic. To physics they paid no attention, because they did not believe it possible to att^n any positive knowledge of them. They held the end of human actions to be pleasure — ^not merely exemption from pain, but a positive pleasure consisting in motion. They admitted two diflerent kmds of movement in the soul: one cahn, which constituted pleasure; the other violent, which constituted pain. As all mankind have an instinctive love of pleasure and aversion from pain, they drew the inference that pleasure is the end and aim of all human existence..A state of inaction they considered as synonimous with one of sleep, which could be classed under the head neither of pleasure nor of pain. Virtue they regarded as a mere physical good, insomuch as the exercise of it is connected with pleasure; thus considering it only as a medicme, which is valued so far as it contributes to health, and no more. Happiness, they said, differed from pleasure in this respect,— that pleasure, as resultingfrom any human action, was only in consequence of some particular view of the action to which it was confined; whereas happiness was an assemblage of all the pleasures combined. They considered the pleasures of the body as much more certain than those of the mind; and hence they paid much more attention to one than the other. Even with respect to friendship, they held that it was only desirable to cultivate it, because we might occasionally require the assistance of friends; and that they ought, like the members of the I)ody, to be valued only in proportion as they were usefiil to us. They msdnt^ned, likewise, that there was not any action that could be deemed just or unjust, -nrtuous or vicious, in Itself; but that it appeared either one or the other, accordingly as it might have relations to the laws and customs of a country. That a wise man ought not to commit a wrong action, because he ought to consider the consequences that might result from it; and that on the same principle he ought always to conform himself to the laws of the country which he might inhabit, and to avoid every thing that might tend to cast a shade upon bis reputation.

This sect likewise held that there was not any thing either agreeable or disagreeable in itself; and that things appear so only with relation to their no« yelty, frequency, or, in short, any other circumstance that makes them seem so to us: that it is impossible to be perfectly happy in this world, because the thousand passions and infirmities to which we are subjected, either rob us entirely of pleasure, or at least disturb us in the enjoyment of it t that neither liberty uor slavery, riches nor porerty^ rank nor humble birth, have any influence on hap« piness; and that it is possible to be equally happy in any condition: that a wise man ought to endeavour to instruct any one, and to hate no one; but that he ought, in every thing he does, to pay due attention to himself — ^no one being more worthy of every good; his wisdom, in fiact, rendering him of &r more vdue than any thing else that the world had to offer. Such were the sentiments of Aristlppus, and the Cyrenidcs in general.

Aristippus had one daughter, named Areta. He educated her with great care in his own principles; and she became so well informed in them, that she instructed her own son Aristippus, who was on that account sumamed Metrodidactus, (or Taught by his Mother). He became the master of Theodorus, the impious. This detestable man, in addition to the general principles of the Cynics, taught publicly that there was no God; and that friendship was a mere chimera, as it could not exist among fools, and the wise did not require its aid, being in all things sufficient to themselves. That a wise man was not called upon to risk his personal safety for his native country, as the world at large was the only country he acknowledged; and that in point of justice it was not right to hazard the life of a man of that description in defence of a number of fools, lliat a philosopher might commit theft, sacrilege, or adultery, whenever a favourable opportunity of doing so presented itself, and that such acts were crimes only in the opinion of the vulgar and unenlightened]; there not being in fact any such thing as evil: and, in short, that he might do those things publicly which were accounted most infamous by the people in general.

Theodorus expected on one occasion to be taken before the Areopagus, but he was sared by Demetrius Phalereus. He remained some time at Cyren^, where he was treated with great consideration by Marius; but he was at last banished by the Cyreneans. When he was tailing his departure, he said to them, '* You Isnow not what you do, in sending me from Lybia an exile into Greece." He took refuge in the court of Plotemy Lagus, who once sent him in the capacity of ambassador to Lysimachus. In this character, he expressed himself with such undaunted effrontery, that the minister of Lysimachus said to him, <' I suppose, Theodorus, you imagine there are no kings, as well as no gods."

This philosopher was, according to Amphicratas, at last condemned to death, and forced to drink poison.

Of the death of Aristippus, the original promulgator of principles so fraught with evil in their consequences, no -particulars are known.