Greek Myths XS: Plato vs Diogenes

In ancient Greece, philosophers were the influencers of their day and their success was measured by the amount of followers. There were orations to be held, pamflets to be written, statements to dispute and insults to trade. Till this day, we only know the brilliant philosopher Aristokles by his rather bullish nickname: Plato (meaning “broad-faced”). Plato himself called his contemporary Diogenes a dog (“kyon” in Greek) and his followers are known as “cynics” ever since. Diogenes didn’t care, because he had trained himself to be indifferent (“a-pathos”, hence apathy). With his name (meaning “son of God”), his disruption of the status quo on instruction of a higher power, his ascetic (from “asketis”, training) lifestyle and his “turning the other cheek”, he must have been the inspiration for another influencer some centuries later. And he could count Alexander the Great among of his fans. When he visited Diogenes in his giant jar and asked how he could be of service, the answer was short. “Just step aside, you’re blocking the sun.”

Alexander and Diogenes, Louis De Silvestre, Hood Museum, Dartmouth, UK

Diogenes, marble statue, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA