Publication Details

Abstract

In the fragment SSR V B 353, some ancient testimonies are collected concerning a syllogism attributed to Diogenes the Cynic: „Everything belongs to the gods. The wise are friends of the gods. Friends have things in common. Therefore, everything belongs to the wise.“ The present article deals with the background of this argument. It focuses on the main characteristics of Diogenian rhetoric and analyzes the content of the syllogism in the context of the Cynic’s religious and political views. When other testimonies about Diogenes are taken into account, it is clear that both of these topics converge in the figure of the sage, who with his self-sufficiency aspires to similarity with god and, at the same time, considers himself a part of community of those who think likewise.