Kerkidas

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Kerkidas of Megalopolis ( ancient Greek Κερκιδᾶς ὁ Μεγαλοπολίτης Kerkidás ho Megalopolítēs ) was a Greek writer, legislator, politician and general. He came from Megalopolis and was after 240 BC. Active.

Meliamben is partially preserved from the writings of Kerkidas . In addition, some ancient accounts provide information about his life and work. Occasionally he is assigned to the philosophical tradition of cynicism .

Life

Kerkidas came from a wealthy family who shared hospitality with Kleinias of Sicyon . He himself served his son, the statesman of the Achaean League Aratos of Sicyon in 226 BC. As ambassador in a delicate diplomatic mission at the court of the king of Macedonia . Kerkidas was also active as a politician and officer and commanded in 222 BC. The infantry of his city in the battle of Sellasia . Probably in the year 217 BC. He reformed the constitution of Megalopolis together with Aratos, placing particular emphasis on adequate education and requiring the study of Homer's Iliad .

Kerkidas is considered to be a moderate representative of Cynical ideas. His praise for the Cynic Diogenes of Sinope and his unpretentiousness as well as his critical attitude towards traditional religion are cited as evidence of this .

identity

In 1998 Klaus Döring advocated adopting two different people named Kerkidas from Megalopolis, one of whom was a writer in the tradition of Cynical thought, the other a legislator, politician and general. His thesis is based on the assumption that cynicism is incompatible with the activities of a legislator, politician and general. However, this thesis has found little support, and most scholars today assume that the scattered news about Kerkidas all refer to the same person, with the exception of one mention in Demosthenes , who may have an ancestor from the 4th century. v. Chr. Had in view.

plant

Larger parts of the Meliamben script have been preserved on a papyrus from the 2nd century. The inscription of a papyrus scroll reads "Meliamben des Cynic Kerkidas" (Κερκίδα Κυνὸς Μελίαμβοι). In this writing, Kerkidas turns against luxury in a typically Cynical way. He asks why God does not give the uselessly oozing money of the "money bag xenon" to those who need it most and share it with another. He complains that people want to make daring profits out of every stone and that everyone is hunting for a territory that they can plunder. He advocated a simple lifestyle based on reverence, justice, and moderation.

Text editions and translations

  • Georg Luck (ed.): The wisdom of dogs. Texts of the ancient Cynics in German translation with explanations (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 484). Kröner, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-520-48401-3 , pp. 250-255.
  • Liana Lomiento: Cercidas. Testimonia et fragmenta. Rome 1993 (with Italian translation, commentary and bibliography)

literature

  • Marie-Odile Goulet-Cazé, Juan Luis López Cruces: Cercidas de Mégalopolis. In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques. Volume 2, CNRS Éditions, Paris 1994, ISBN 2-271-05195-9 , pp. 269-281
  • Klaus Döring: Kerkidas from Megalopolis . In: Hellmut Flashar (ed.): Outline of the history of philosophy . The philosophy of antiquity , Volume 2/1, Schwabe, Basel 1998, ISBN 3-7965-1036-1 , pp. 313-314.
  • Doris Meyer: Kerkidas . In: Bernhard Zimmermann , Antonios Rengakos (Hrsg.): Handbook of the Greek literature of antiquity. Volume 2: The Literature of the Classical and Hellenistic Period. CH Beck, Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-406-61818-5 , pp. 201–204 (and on philosophy Michael Erler p. 309 f.)
  • Frederick Williams: Cercidas. The man and the poet. In: M. Annette Harder, Remco F. Regtuit, Gerry C. Wakker (Eds.): Beyond the Canon. Peeters, Leuven 2006, pp. 45-56.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Polybios II 48 u. 50.
  2. ↑ Polybios II 65.
  3. ^ A b Frederick Williams, Two Notes on Cercidas of Megalopolis , Southampton, (pdf) .
  4. ↑ Diogenes Laertios , Lives and Teachings of Famous Philosophers 6: 76-77.
  5. ↑ a b Klaus Döring: Kerkidas from Megalopolis . In: Hellmut Flashar (ed.): Outline of the history of philosophy. The philosophy of antiquity , Volume 2/1, Schwabe, Basel 1998, pp. 313-314.
  6. ^ POxy 1082.
personal data
SURNAME Kerkidas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION ancient Cynic philosopher
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 3rd century BC Chr.