DIOGENES LAERTIUS

LIVES AND OPINIONS OF EMINENT PHILOSOPHERS, BOOK VI

Chapter 1. ANTISTHENES

1 Antisthenes, son of Antisthenes, was an Athenian. It was said, however, that he was not of pure Attic birth. To one who taunted him with this, he replied, “The mother of the gods too is Phrygian.” Original: "καὶ ἡ μήτηρ τῶν θεῶν Φρυγία ἐστίν." For it was believed his mother was a Thracian. Because of this, when he distinguished himself at the battle of Tanagra Likely the battle in 426 BC mentioned by Thucydides., he gave Socrates the occasion to remark that, had he been born of two Athenian parents, he would not have turned out so brave. Antisthenes himself, scorning the Athenians for priding themselves on being “earth-born,” would say they were no more noble than snails or locusts.

At first, he was a pupil of Gorgias the rhetorician; hence the rhetorical style he employs in his dialogues, especially in his Truth and his Exhortations. 2 Hermippus says that he intended to speak at the public gathering of the Isthmian Games to praise and criticize the Athenians, Thebans, and Lacedaemonians; but he...