BOOK III. XXII. 23-27
partly as a messenger, in order to show them that in questions of good and evil they have gone astray, and are seeking the true nature of the good and the evil where it is not, but where it is they never think; and partly, in the words of Diogenes, when he was taken off to Philip, after the battle of Chaeroneia, as a scout.[1] For the Cynic is truly a scout, to find out what things are friendly to men and what hostile; 25and he must first do his scouting accurately, and on returning must tell the truth, not driven by fear to designate as enemies those who are not such, nor in any other fashion be distraught or confused by his external impressions.
He must, accordingly, be able, if it so chance, to lift up his voice, and, mounting the tragic stage, to speak like Socrates: "Alas! men, where are you rushing?[2] What are you doing, O wretched people? Like blind men you go tottering all around. You have left the true path and are going off upon another; you are looking for serenity and happiness in the wrong place, where it does not exist, and you do not believe when another points them out to you. Why do you look for it outside? It does not reside in the body. If you doubt that, look at Myron, or Ophellius.[3] It is not in possessions. If you doubt that, look at Croesus, look at the rich nowadays, the amount of lamentation with which their life is filled. It is not in office. Why, if it
- ↑ Compare I. 24, 3-10. The philosopher is a sort of spy sent on in advance into this world, to report to the rest of us what things are good and what evil.
- ↑ [Plato], Cleitophon, 407 A—B.
- ↑ Probably famous athletes or gladiators of the day; otherwise unknown.
