INTERVIEWS

OF

GREAT

MEN.

A

DIOGENES AND ALEXANDER.

These

SLIGHT study of the events of history will furnish the student with many facts, important as they are interesting, resulting from the accidental or intended meetings of celebrated men. meetings, which generally furnish a truthful insight into the purposes, as they do of the characteristics of the individuals, also present the secret spring and action of many of the events which involve the destiny of nations, and the weal or woe of millions of human beings. Apart, however, from the political and social interest of such interviews, their relation is not surpassed by the most startling tale, or the most thrilling imaginative description: with this distinction-that the one is mere imagination, the other a tale 'all too true.' The interview between

B

Diogenes and Alexander, although unassociated with any political incident which left its impress upon future ages, is yet intensely interesting: furnishing, as it does, a view of the social state at an early period of the world's history, and of the estimation which was then entertained by a sect of philosophers of wealth and its concomitants-pomp and splendour.

It is probable, however, that the fame of Diogenes is more indebted to the incident, real or fictitious, of his interview with Alexander, than any interest which would otherwise have attached to his name. Certainly if that incident did take place, and, the characters of both the actors considered, it is not unlikely, no wonder that the circumstance, like a household word, should have been handed down from century to century.

The first knowledge that we have of Diogenes through the medium of history is, that he and his father, Icesias, who was a money-changer of Sinope in Pontus, were compelled to leave their native city, in consequence of being detected adulterating coin. Another historian, however, for the facts are somewhat obscure, states that Icesias died in prison, and that his son Diogenes made his escape to Athens with a single attendant. This attendant, if such was the case, he immediately dismissed with the remark : "If Manes could live without Diogenes, why not Diogenes without him ?"-a course to which no

sonable objection could be presented. But if the

example of Diogenes should be generally followed, much that is now considered essential to life would then be found to be mere ornament and ostentatious show. Diogenes, indeed, carried the rule to such an extent, that after dismissing his servant, he stripped himself of all superfluous dress, furniture, and, it is said, if he could do such a thing, even of his ideas; his object being to reduce life to the lowest level. He thought he had attained his object when he had reduced his moveables to a wooden bowl, a cloak and wallet; one day, however, observing a boy drinking water from the hollow of his hand, he at once discarded the bowl as a superfluous incumbrance.

Having heard of the fame of Antisthenes the Cynic, he proceeded to Cynosarges, with the intention of becoming his pupil. No amount of scoffs or contumely could cause him to swerve from his purpose; nay, indeed, he even volunteered to receive the blows of his master, so that he might still be permitted to remain his pupil. This resolution soon obtained him the favour of the school of Cynics. The result, which speedily followed, was that Diogenes outstripped his teacher in the eccentricities of his behaviour, and in the cutting sarcasms with which he was accustomed to interlard his conversation. He was certainly the first Cynic who reduced his philosophy to principles, which enabled him to reside in a tub or cask, which, we are informed, belonged to the temple of Cybele. And, in order to do so with impunity, he inured him