PODCAST RECOMMENDATION: History on Fire Ep 53 "Diogenes: The Punk Rocker of Ancient Greece"

When we go over ancient Greece, we talk a lot about the Socrates/Plato/Aristotle trifecta (for good reason), but this lesser-known philosopher scores points for attitude. Diogenes was a contemporary of Aristotle, but as Aristotle was hobnobbing with powerful elites, Diogenes chose to live in a barrel on the street, preaching self-sufficiency.

The highlight of this episode is an awesome story: Supposedly, Alexander the Great heard about Diogenes and sent his men to summon him. Diogenes declined. No one declined Alexander, the most powerful man in the world. So Alexander paid Diogenes a visit. He found Diogenes sunbathing nude in a public square.

Alexander looked down at Diogenes and, to show off his own power, offered to grant the philosopher any request. The sunbathing Diogenes simply asked Alexander "can you move out of my light?" Alexander could have had Diogenes killed or tortured for his cheekiness, but he was impressed and amused.

"If I was not Alexander," he laughed, "I think I would like to be Diogenes."

"If I was not Diogenes," the nude, sun-bathing philosopher replied, "I think I would also want to be Diogenes".

What. A. Punk.

http://historyonfirepodcast.com/episodes/2019/8/31/episode-53-diogenes-the-punk-rocker-of-ancient-greece