The Lives and Opinions of Eminent PhilosophersDiogenes Laertius
Philosophy
The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers
Diogenes Laertius
Philosophers, Ancient -- Biography; Philosophy, Ancient
XXIV. Both he and Euripides were pupils of Anaxagoras; and Euripides was
born in the first year of the seventy-fifth Olympiad, in the archonship
of Calliades. But Socrates appears to me to have also discussed
occasionally subjects of natural philosophy, since he very often disputes
about prudence and foresight, as Xenophon tells us; although he at the
same time asserts that all his conversations were about moral philosophy.
And Plato, in his Apology, mentions the principles of Anaxagoras and
other natural philosophers, which Socrates denies; and he is in reality
expressing his own sentiments about them, though he attributes them all
to Socrates. And Aristotle tells us that a certain one of the Magi came
from Syria to Athens, and blamed Socrates for many parts of his conduct,
and also foretold that he would come to a violent death. And we ourselves
have written this epigram on him—
Drink now, O Socrates, in the realms of Jove,
For truly did the God pronounce you wise,
And he who said so is himself all wisdom:
You drank the poison which your country gave,
But they drank wisdom from your godlike voice.
XXV. He had, as Aristotle tells us in the third book of his Poetics,
a contest with a man of the name of Antiolochus of Lemnos, and with
Antipho, an interpreter of prodigies, as Pythagoras had with Cylon
of Crotona; and Homer while alive with Sagaris, and after his death
with Xenophanes the Colophonian; and Hesiod, too, in his lifetime with
Cercops, and after his death with the same Xenophanes; and Pindar with
Amphimenes of Cos; and Thales with Pherecydes; and Bias with Salarus of
Priene; and Pittacus with Antimenides; and Alcæus and Anaxagoras with
Sosibius; and Simonides with Timocreon.
XXVI. Of those who succeeded him, and who are called the Socratic school,
the chiefs were Plato, Xenophon, and Antisthenes: and of the ten, as they
are often called, the four most eminent were Æschines, Phædo, Euclides,
and Aristippus. But we must first speak of Xenophon, and after him of
Antisthenes among the Cynics. Then of the Socratic school, and so about
Plato, since he is the chief of the ten sects, and the founder of the
first Academy. And the regular series of them shall proceed in this
manner.
XXVII. There was also another Socrates, a historian, who wrote a
description of Argos; and another, a peripatetic philosopher, a native of
Bithynia; and another a writer of epigrams; and another a native of Cos,
who wrote invocations to the Gods.
LIFE OF XENOPHON.
I. Xenophon, the son of Gryllus, a citizen of Athens, was of the borough
of Erchia; and he was a man of great modesty, and as handsome as can be
imagined.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account