Also known as Diogenes of Sinope (his birthplace, which he left under somewhat of a shadow), he was the ancient Greek philosopher who founded Cynicism. (413-321 BCE)
Known for his ascetic lifestyle and radical criticism and rejection of social conventions, he advocated a return to nature, the renunciation of wealth, and proclaimed himself a 'kosmopolites', a 'citizen of the world'!
Dividing his time between Athens and Corinth, he embraced a life of poverty and self-sufficiency, famous for his unconventional, shameless behaviours that openly challenged the norms of society.
Diogenes made a distinction between actual poverty (being economically poor) and the feeling of poverty (suffering from chronic dissatisfaction due to unmet social expectations).
He lived in a large pithos (a ceramic jar usually meant for storing foodstuffs), and wandered about barefoot, dishevelled, and scantily clad with a lit lantern in broad daylight, claiming to be 'looking for a (wise) man - sophos'. In vain!
Emulating Socrates, Diogenes publicly questioned those who claimed to possess wisdom (sophia), and he preferred to engage people in their everyday lives rather than teaching in formal educational settings, as other philosophers did.
This quotation is attributed to him:
'Let the whole world be large enough for me, let me call the universe my home.'
bronze statue of Diogenes the Cynic
dimensions
Height: 26cm Width at widest point: 10cm
about the bronze collection
The bronze pieces are cast in Greece using the traditional lost wax method. As nothing is mass-produced, there will inevitably be slight variations in texture, patina, and colour. No two pieces are ever the same. If mounted on a marble base, it will be a black or very dark grey base. There may be a variation of some millimetres in the dimensions of the base from time to time.
It's All Greek is proud to have been working with the Semitekolo family foundry since 1999. It has been a privilege to handle these gorgeous pieces and to sell them to customers all over the world.