Diogenes, the Dog Philosopher

     Born sometime around 410 BC, in Sinope (modern day Turkey) lived the man called Diogenes. He was a famous philosopher, but he was perhaps better known for his eccentric nature. He was the father of the philosophers we call the "Cynics" and is well noted for opposing the views of Plato, who was one of his contemporaries. What is it about Diogenes that makes him interesting to us today though? I offer up a few examples below.

     The writers Plutarch and another man named Diogenes (Diogenes Laertus) are the primary sources for his life.  They tell the story of a man who willing lived homeless sleeping inside of a large ceramic jar.  He lived his life much like that of a dog. He begged, ate scraps, rarely bathed,  made no fuss of where to sleep and even relieved himself in public. According to the story, one time someone referred to him as a dog and so he played "a dog's trick" and urinated on his assaulter. As you can see the name dog in his title was aptly given. Diogenes however, instead of taking this as an insult made it part of his persona and began building up the virtues of the dog.  The writer Donald Dudley says it this way:

"There are four reasons why the Cynics are so named. First because of the indifference of their way of life, for they make a cult of indifference and, like dogs, eat, go barefoot, and sleep in tubs and at crossroads. The second reason is that the dog is a shameless animal, and they make a cult of shamelessness, not as being beneath modesty, but as superior to it. The third reason is that the dog is a good guard, and they guard the tenets of their philosophy. The fourth reason is that the dog is a discriminating animal which can distinguish between its friends and enemies. So do they recognize as friends those who are suited to philosophy, and receive them kindly, while those unfitted they drive away, like dogs, by barking at them"

Yes, you read that right, if they deemed you unfit to be there the Cynics would BARK at you! Is it really surprising however, that a school founded by a wildly eccentric character would found an eccentric school? Probably the most famous story of Diogenes is that while he lived in the city of Corinth he would walk the streets...during the daytime.....and when asked why, he would say he was looking for an honest man. Ouch! Well, maybe Corinth wasn't known for being the most well-reputed city in Greece, but still. Come on Diogenes! Don't kick a city full of men when they are down!

Diogenes was well known throughout Greece for his mad German Spotlight skills as seen above!

Finally for the witty moment of the day. Next time someone accuses you of being a cynic, tell them if you were a true cynic you would be peeing on their shoes!

-Jason

Anna Komnena: The Matriarch of Story

     Born in 1083 A.D. in Constantinople's famous Purple Room, Anna Komnena was the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Komnena. Anna is the writer of a book called The Alexiad, the tale of her father's life as the emperor. Alexius is most well known as the emperor who asked Pope Urban to send mercenaries to help fight the Turks. However, Urban decided this was a great opportunity to preach the spread of Christianity by the sword and single-handedly put the wheels of the first crusade into motion. The story of Alexius however was more than just the Crusade. He was an able general who kept his kingdom from falling to its many enemies and set up the empire to last over 300 more years.

A little known fact about Anna Komnena is that she was awesome! Here she is reading a passage from the Book of Armaments. See that cross in the bottom left corner...have you looked at the top of the Holy Hand Grenade lately?

     Anna is one of the first female writers we know about. While her gender is why she gets the title Matriarch of History for this blog entry, the quality of her work is what earns her mention. She was trained in a good literary and historical background knowing the writers the Byzantines considered prominent. She was also very devoted to both of her parents and wanted to make sure their story was preserved for all time.

Anna gives an explanation for why she wrote this book saying:

" The tale of history forms a very strong bulwark against the stream of time, and to some extent checks its irresistible flow, and, of all things done in it, as many as history has taken over, it secures and binds together, and does not allow them to slip away into the abyss of oblivion".

     Anna says that the stream of time wipes away the accounts of men both great and average. That time is unstoppable and the deeds of the past all end up forgotten. However, history is the dam that protects knowledge. When we engage in history we honor those of the past who helped change their world. We honor the achievements of our ancestors and show that history does not have to repeat itself.  Even more importantly in my opinion is understanding. Not only can we prevent bad things from happening again and again, but at a deeper level we can learn who we are. Only through the lenses of how other people think and the stories that they tell can we learn to craft our own stories. What makes us different? What do we have to contribute to the world?

    There is a reason that many writers say that people who are avid readers make the best writers. This is because when we understand what makes us different, we can understand what we have to offer.

-Jason