A beggar mocks Alexander the Great

 

A beggar mocks Alexander the Great

 Diogenes of Sinope (c. 404—323 B.C.E.) was a beggar who lived on a riverbank in Greece. He had a beautiful begging bowl, and he wore only a loincloth. He begged at the temple gates and ate whatever food he got. One day, having finished his food he was walking towards the river. From somewhere a dog came running and tried to attack him. The beggar ran into the river for safety. He swam a bit and came onto the bank. The beggar in a mood of ecstasy rolled around joyfully. He just looked at this and thought “Oh my god, my life is worse than that of a dog.” He was already ecstatic, but he was saying his life was worse than that of a dog, because many times, he had felt like just jumping into the river, but was worried about getting his loincloth wet and about what could happen if he left the beautiful begging bowl there. On that day, he threw away his begging bowl and loincloth and lived totally naked.

Diogenes was captured by pirates and sold into slavery, eventually settling in Corinth.

Diogenes is reported to have “lit a lamp in broad daylight and said, as he went about, ‘I am searching for a human being’.

When Plato is asked what sort of man Diogenes is, he responds, “A Socrates gone mad”

He had a reputation for sleeping and eating wherever he chose in a highly non-traditional fashion and took to toughening himself against nature. He declared himself a cosmopolitan and a citizen of the world rather than claiming allegiance to just one place. There are many tales about his dogging Antisthenes' footsteps and becoming his "faithful hound".

Diogenes made a good point of poverty. He begged for a living and often slept in a large ceramic jar in the marketplace.

Once in Athens, Diogenes famously took a tub, for a home. In Lives of Eminent Philosophers, it is reported that Diogenes “had written to someone to try and procure a cottage for him. When this man was a long time about it, he took for his residence the tub in the Metroön, as he himself explains in his letters”. Apparently, Diogenes discovered that he had no need for conventional shelter or any other “delicacies” from having watched a mouse. The lesson the mouse teaches is that he can adapt himself to any circumstance. This adaptability is the origin of Diogenes’ legendary training.

Diogenes became notorious for his philosophical acts, such as carrying a lamp during the day, claiming to be looking for a man (often rendered in English as "looking for an honest man"). He criticized Plato, disputed his interpretation of Socrates, and sabotaged his lectures, sometimes distracting listeners by bringing food and eating during the discussions.

Another important episode in Diogenes’ life centers around his enslavement in Corinth after having been captured by pirates. When asked what he could do, he replied “Govern men,” which is precisely what he did once bought by Xeniades. The Xeniades’ learned to follow his ascetic example. One story tells of Diogenes’ release after having become a cherished member of the household, another claims Xeniades freed him immediately, and yet another maintains that he grew old and died at Xeniades’ house in Corinth. Whichever version may be true, the purpose is the same: Diogenes the slave is freer than his master.

Diogenes was also noted for having mocked Alexander the Great, both in public and to his face when he visited Corinth in 336 BC.

Now, one day Diogenes the beggar was lying down on the riverbank in an overjoyed state. It so happened that Alexander the Great passed that way.

Alexander who was riding his big horse, in his emperor’s clothes looked down at the beggar Diogenes who had his eyes closed and was rolling in the sand in great ecstasy. Alexander raised his voice and almost screamed at him, “You wretched animal. You do not have a piece of cloth on your body. You are like an animal. What is it that you are so ecstatic about?”

Diogenes looked up at him and asked him a question that nobody would have ever dared to ask an emperor. He asked, “Would you like to be like me?”

This struck Alexander so deeply and he said, “Yes, what should I do?”

Diogenes said, “Get off that ridiculous horse, take off those emperor’s clothes and throw them into the river. This riverbank is big enough for both of us. I am not conquering the whole thing. You can also lie down and be ecstatic. Who is stopping you?”

Alexander said, “Yes, I would love to be like you, but I do not have the courage to do what you are doing.”

Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) a historical, glamorous famous Macedonian ruler and conqueror has always been shown great by the history books for his courage. Yet Alexander admitted that he did not have the courage to do what Diogenes was doing. So, Alexander replied, “I will join you in the next life.” He postponed it to his next life and in his next life. Who knows about the next time?

Because of this incident, a certain dispassion and coolness dawned on him. He lost the passion for battle towards the end of his life, but he still fought out of habit. Once he lost the passion, he lost his energy and he died. Just before his death, he gave a very strange instruction to his people. Alexander said, “When they make a coffin for me, there must be two holes on either side so that my two arms are outside the coffin, just to show all of you that even Alexander the Great goes empty handed.” Alexander died at the age of 32 years.

References

1.      Diogenes Laertius. Lives of Eminent Philosophers Vol. I-II. Trans. R.D. Hicks. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1979.

2.     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes

3.     Sadhguru: