Theagenes of Patras
Encyclopedia
Theagenes of Patras
, was a Cynic philosopher and close friend of Peregrinus Proteus
.
He is known principally as a character who appears in Lucian
's The Death of Peregrinus , where he is introduced as praising Peregrinus' desire to kill himself by self-immolation
:
Theagenes aided Peregrinus' in setting fire to the funeral pyre
, which Peregrinus threw himself upon. Theagenes compared Peregrinus' suicide with the similar practices of the Gymnosophists
in India
. Lucian - who was hostile to Theagenes and his brand of Cynicism - also states that Theagenes had a fortune of fifteen talents, which he obtained by money-lending
.
Theagenes is mentioned by Galen
, who recalls how he lectured daily to large crowds in Trajan's Forum
in Rome
. Galen describes how Theagenes died when he was given inappropriate treatment by Statilius Attalus (physician to Marcus Aurelius) for inflammation of the liver
.
Patras
Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
, was a Cynic philosopher and close friend of Peregrinus Proteus
Peregrinus Proteus
Peregrinus Proteus was a Cynic philosopher, from Parium in Mysia. Leaving home at a young age, he first lived with the Christians in Palestine, before eventually being expelled from that community and adopting the life of a Cynic philosopher and eventually settling in Greece...
.
He is known principally as a character who appears in Lucian
Lucian
Lucian of Samosata was a rhetorician and satirist who wrote in the Greek language. He is noted for his witty and scoffing nature.His ethnicity is disputed and is attributed as Assyrian according to Frye and Parpola, and Syrian according to Joseph....
's The Death of Peregrinus , where he is introduced as praising Peregrinus' desire to kill himself by self-immolation
Self-immolation
Self-immolation refers to setting oneself on fire, often as a form of protest or for the purposes of martyrdom or suicide. It has centuries-long traditions in some cultures, while in modern times it has become a type of radical political protest...
:
"Proteus," he cried, "Proteus vain-glorious? Who dares name the word? Earth! Sun! Seas! Rivers! God of our fathers, HeraclesHeraclesHeracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
! Was it for this that he suffered bondage in SyriaSyria (Roman province)Syria was a Roman province, annexed in 64 BC by Pompey, as a consequence of his military presence after pursuing victory in the Third Mithridatic War. It remained under Roman, and subsequently Byzantine, rule for seven centuries, until 637 when it fell to the Islamic conquests.- Principate :The...
? that he forgave his country a debt of a million odd? that he was cast out of RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, - he whose brilliance exceeds the SunSunThe Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, fit rival of the Lord of OlympusZeusIn the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
? 'Tis his good will to depart from life by fire, and they call it vain-glory! What other end had Heracles?"
Theagenes aided Peregrinus' in setting fire to the funeral pyre
Funeral Pyre
"Funeral Pyre" is The Jam's thirteenth single released on 6 June 1981. Backed by the B-side "Disguises", a cover of a Who track, it reached #4 in the UK Singles chart....
, which Peregrinus threw himself upon. Theagenes compared Peregrinus' suicide with the similar practices of the Gymnosophists
Gymnosophists
Gymnosophists is the name given by the Greeks to certain ancient Indian philosophers who pursued asceticism to the point of regarding food and clothing as detrimental to purity of thought ....
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Lucian - who was hostile to Theagenes and his brand of Cynicism - also states that Theagenes had a fortune of fifteen talents, which he obtained by money-lending
Usury
Usury Originally, when the charging of interest was still banned by Christian churches, usury simply meant the charging of interest at any rate . In countries where the charging of interest became acceptable, the term came to be used for interest above the rate allowed by law...
.
Theagenes is mentioned by Galen
Galen
Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus , better known as Galen of Pergamon , was a prominent Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher...
, who recalls how he lectured daily to large crowds in Trajan's Forum
Trajan's Forum
Trajan's Forum is an ancient structure in Rome, Italy, chronologically the last of the Imperial fora. The forum was constructed by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus.-History:...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Galen describes how Theagenes died when he was given inappropriate treatment by Statilius Attalus (physician to Marcus Aurelius) for inflammation of the liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
.