Diogenes

Diogenes of Sinope
Ancient Roman mosaic depicting Diogenes (2nd or 3rd century AD)
Born	413/403 BC Sinope, Paphlagonia (modern-day Sinop, Turkey)
Died	324/321 BC (aged 81 or 90) Corinth, Macedonian Empire
Philosophical work
Era	Ancient Greek philosophy
Region	Western philosophy
School	Cynicism
Notable students	Crates of Thebes
Notable works	Politeia
Notable ideas	Cosmopolitanism

Diogenes the Cynic,^[a] also known as Diogenes of Sinope (c. 413/403–c. 324/321 BC), was an ancient Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynicism. Renowned for his ascetic lifestyle, biting wit, and radical critiques of social conventions, he became a legendary figure whose life and teachings have been recounted, often through anecdote, in both antiquity and later cultural traditions.

Born to a prosperous family in Sinope, his life took a dramatic turn following a scandal involving the defacement of coinage, an event that led to his exile and ultimately his radical rejection of conventional values. Embracing a life of poverty and self-sufficiency, he became famous for his unconventional behaviours that openly challenged societal norms, such as living in a jar or wandering public spaces with a lit lantern in daylight. Diogenes advocated for a return to nature, the renunciation of materialism, and introduced early ideas of cosmopolitanism by proclaiming himself a "citizen of the world". His memorable encounters, including a legendary exchange with Alexander the Great, along with various accounts of his death, have made him a lasting symbol of philosophical defiance to established authorities and artificial values.
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