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THE CYNICS

I do not contribute : it is the business of the gods to support their mother.

Nothing seems more remote from Cynicism than romance. Yet a follower of this rather inhuman creed is the hero of one of few surviving romantic love-stories of antiquity.

THERE was a Theban of the name of Crates, a hunchback. After seeing a tragedy in which Telephus appeared with a beggar's wallet and in utter wretchedness, he became an ardent Cynic. He sold his property-he was an aristocrat-and distributed the proceeds to his fellow citizens, to the amount of 24,000. There was a girl Hipparchia, the sister of the Cynic Metrocles. She fell in love with the life and teaching of Crates, and would not look at any other suitors, however rich, well-born, or handsome. Crates was everything to her. She threatened to commit suicide, if her parents would not let her marry him. So the parents begged Crates to dissuade her. He did his best and failed : then rising and laying the Cynic attire on the ground before her, he said : You see the bridegroom and his property. Think it over. You cannot be my wife unless you will share my way of life. The girl at once made her choice, took the Cynic dress, and went through the world with him. Theodorus once quoted to her,
Who is this girl who leaves shuttle and loom ?
It is I, Theodorus, she replied. Do you think that I made , a bad resolution, in devoting to culture the time which I should have spent on weaving ? Her style is rather like Plato's. She also wrote some tragedies in the loftiest philosophic manner, of which I quote the following specimen :
I have no single country, no one home :
All earth's my city and my dwelling-place.
She died in old age and was buried in Boeotia.