, 1877-01-12
H.- n. A.sl.n. PAlle.spA.r. Lived.


ancient philosophers. The yoath Of
every are can study them with profit
Lntisthenes'Was . fair model Of that
self-denying class. and . short sketch Of
tbe leading events in his life will throw
great light upon how the ancient philos-
ophers in general lived.
After the death Of their master the
scbolars Of Socrates sep rated into three
different sects. distinguished by the
names Of Cynic, Academic and eyre
naie.
Antisthenes was the founder Of the
first Of these sects. Different reasons
have been assigned why these philOso-
pliers wero styled Cynic; some say it
was because they lived like dogs, and
others, because the place where Antis-
themes taught was near one Of the har-
bors Of Athens, called Cynosarges.
He was the son of an Athenian Of the
same name; his mother was q slave.
When he was reproached with being the
. son of o Phyrgian, "What Of that ?" said
he; "did not the same country give
birth to Cybele, the mother Of the
gods?" He was at first a scholar Of the
orator Gorgias, but he afterward formed
a school for himself, to which his dis
tinguished elOquence attracted pupils
from all quarters. The great reputation
of Socrates induced Antisthenes to go
and hear him. He was so charmed with
him that he brought all his scholars to
him, and, resolving to be no longer a
teacher himself, entreated them to be-
come his companions in the school of
Socrates. He lived at the Piraaus, and
every day walked forty stadid to see and
hear Socrates. In this manner of liv-
ing Antisthenes was rugged and aus
tere. He prayed the gods to Hend him
madness rather than propensity to
sensual indulgence. He was the first
who limited his wardrobe to q large
cloak, and his other necessities to bag
and staff. Such were the articles which
afterward constituted the movables of
the Cynics, and the only riches which
they thought necessary, in order to dis
pute happiness with Jupiter himself.
Antisthenes never shaved, and was al
ways very negligent in dress. Morality
was the study to which he exclusively
applied: all the other sciences, he said,
we're entirely useless. The supreme
good, according to him, consists in fol-
lowing virtue and in contemning pride.
His followers lived very abstemiously.
Their ordinary food consisted of fruits
and pulse. Water was their only drink.
The ground was their emily bed. It is
the peculiar property Of the gods, they
said, to be in need Of nothing, and
therefore those who have the fewest
wants approach nearest to the Divinity.
They boasted Of their contempt at no.
bility, Of riches, and Of all the other
advantages Of fortune. Antisthenes was
q man of quick parts, and 80 engaging
in company that he could turn every
one as he pleased.
His courage in the battle Of TAnagra
gained him great reputation ~ Q soldier.
This afforded Socrates no small satisfac-
ton; and when, some time after, he was
told by one, as q matter Of reproAch,
that the mother of Antisthenes was g
Phyrgian, he replied: Howl did you
suppose 30 great man could proceed
from q marriage in which both parties
were Athenians 2" Socrates, however,
could not refrain from reproaching him
aiterward for his pride. He one day
observed him turn his cloak that one
might see hole that was in it. "Oh,
Antisthenes" exclaimed Socrates, II
discover your vanity through the holes
Of your cloak" When Antisthenes
heard the Athenians boasting that they
originally sprang from the soil of the
country in which they lived, "This hap
piness," said he to them, in raillery,
you possess in common with tortoieses
and periwinkles, which always drag out
their lives where they began them.
He used to say that the most useful sci
ence was to unlearn evil. He was on
one occasion asked what was the most
desirable thing in the world. "a happy
death, he replied.
He was greatly displeased with the
enVious, who are perpetually preyed
upon by their i'll nature, as iron is cor
roded by the rust which itself produces.
Were one obliged to choose, it would
be more desirable, he thonght, TO be-
come raven than an envious person;
for ravens mangle the dead only, but
the envious the living.
War, it was once observed to him,
carries off many wretched persons.
True" he replied, "but it makes many
more than it carries of.
When requested TO give some idea OF
the Divinity, he said, There is no be-
ing that resembles God, and therefore
to attempt any sensible representation
OF him must be folly"
1t was q maxim with him that we
should respect our enemies, because
they 6rst perceive and publish our
faults; and, by thus furnishing us with
hint to correct them, are in reality
more serviceable to us than our friends.
A discreet friend, he said, should be
valued higher than q relation, since the
ties of virtue are stronger than those of
blood. He observed that it was