The Cynic Conception of Aytapkeia

Abstract

AusapxLap is a term with associations that are fundamentally Cynic. To Diogenes the arch-Cynic it meant, broadly speaking, two things; on the physical plane, contentment with the bare necessities of life 1); and on the spiritual level, complete detachment from the world and worldly values. The Musa'pxr was the man who had dispensed with the superfluous in every department of life and reduced his needs to a minimum. All that he required for his material well-being was food, shelter and clothing of the meanest sort 2); his spiritual needs could be satisfied by Virtue alone, the possession of which was sufficient to ensure happiness 3). The Cynic then, had no desire for wealth, knowledge, pleasure or friendship. In his mind all these would be classed together as unnecessary luxuries. Nothing, in fact, that was to be derived from any source external to himself had any value for him or could affect him in any way. This, of course, is xusapzvxc in its most uncompromising form, the form in which it was advocated by Diogenes and the Cynic of the Lucianic dialogue. In some of the later adherents of Cynicism the concept is less harsh. In Bion 4), for instance, atuocapxma. becomes not so much a stern renunciation of the world as an attempt to adapt oneself to the world and changing circumstances just as an actor adapts himself to, the varied roles he has to play. But this is clearly not the orthodox Cynic view though it does not verge so far towards heresy as that of Peregrinus who is said to have denied the possibility of complete Self-Suf-

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