![]() He spent his days sitting in the sun and teaching his theories to the many people who wanted to be introduced to Cynicism.ĭiogenes living in his barrel. He believed that no man needed much, and so he did not own any property nor live in a house, but instead slept in a barrel, which he rolled about from place to place. So when Alexander arrived in Corinth, the first thing he requested was a meeting with Diogenes.ĭiogenes, however, was not easy to find. ![]() Alexander had a trainer named Leonidas, who was privy to the philosophy of Cynicism, and so Alexander was already aware and a fan of Cynicism and of Diogenes’s teachings and spirit. This way he ended up in Corinth, where Xeniadis, a local wealthy aristocrat charmed by Diogenes’s spirit and intellectuality, bought him so that he could educate his sons.ĭuring the same period, Alexander the Great had already launched his campaign to unite all of Greece under one kingdom and expand Hellenism all over the world. In one of his various adventures and trips he got captured by pirates and sold into slavery. ![]() He got arrested and exiled a couple of times from a few Greek city-states. So the question is, how could two such different types of men as Alexander and Diogenes ever have competed with each other and on what basis?ĭiogenes used to get in trouble pretty often because of his rebellious teachings and lifestyle. He literally lacked respect for any form of political or military power. He believed that the true happiness of men lies in the natural life and that only self-sufficiency, frugality, self-awareness, and exercise can secure it. Diogenes deeply believed that a better world was possible only if people returned to Mother Nature and accepted it (nature) as the only absolute authority and ruler. He openly doubted and questioned the local authorities and used philosophical arguments to change the corrupt society he lived in. His teaching was essentially revolutionary and subversive to the political regimes that then prevailed. He mainly focused on and almost exclusively raised awareness of social and moral problems. On the other hand, Diogenes the Cynic-who, according to Plutarch, was born on the same day Socrates died-was one of the founders of the philosophy of Cynicism, and arguably the greatest ever from the specific movement of philosophy. The harmonic coexistence between different and distant peoples became Alexander’s main focus, while he pursued the “marriage” of opposing cultures and civilizations, which he achieved to a certain degree through the spread of Greek culture, language, art, and science, a fact that signaled the beginning of a new era in which Hellenism and Western civilization became the center of a global civilization, which would later be continued by the Roman Empire. This was the main factor as to why later Alexander’s accomplishments didn’t revolve strictly around the battlefield and warfare, but had a deep cultural, political, economic, and social perspective.Īristotle teaching Alexander the Great ( public domain ) ![]() The great philosopher was the one who inspired Alexander to show so much interest in philosophy, even though as every young Greek male who was destined to be a warrior king-whether he was Athenian, Spartan, Corinthian, or Macedonian like Alexander-his first priority was to receive a military education and discipline. Alexander was also the man who expanded Greek culture and Western civilization around the then-known world.Īs a boy growing up, Alexander was blessed to have as his teacher, Aristotle, one of the greatest philosophers who ever lived. Alexander the Great is widely known as one of the greatest military generals and conquerors of all time, and his name became synonymous with greatness and invincibility throughout the ages.
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