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120 DIODON ism. At 21 years he became, on the nomina- tion of Beza, a professor of Hebrew. In 1608 he was made parish minister in the Reformed church, and in 1609 became professor of the- ology. In 1618-'19 Diodati, already noted as a preacher both in France and Switzerland, atu-ndrd the synod of Dort, where with Theo- dore Tronchin he represented the church of Geneva, arid was one of the six ministers ap- pointed to draw up the articles of faith. In this synod he showed himself a zealous Cal- vinist, and oifended many by his bitterness against the Remonstrant party. lie relin- quished his office as professor in 1645, and passed the remaining years of his life in re- tirement. He built the villa Diodati, near Geneva, where he was visited by Milton, and in which Byron resided in 1816. He was con- sidered by many to be the most learned Bibli- cal scholar of his day. Among his works are an Italian version of the Bible (1603 ; new eds., with notes, 1607 and 1641) ; a free Italian translation of the New Testament (1608); Mortis Meditatio Theologica (1619) ; De Fic- titio Pontificiorum Purgatorio (1619) ; French translations of Job, Ecclesiastes, and Canticles (1638), of the Psalms (1640), and of the whole Hebrew Bible (1644) ; also of Fra Paolo's " His- tory of the Council of Trent " (1621) ; and a great number of other theological and con- troversial writings. DIODON. See SEA POBCUPINE. DIODORUS, commonly called, from the island of his birth, DIODORUS SICULUS, a historian of the time of Caesar and Augustus, born at Agyrium in Sicily; the precise dates of his birth and death are unknown. He spent 30 years in composing a universal history, and in the preparation of this work he traversed a large portion of Europe and Asia. The first 6 books treated of the times anterior to the Trojan war ; the 11 following extended to the death of Alexander the Great ; while in the remaining 23 the history was brought down to the time of Julius Crosar. Of this extensive work, which was styled Bi/3/lw^/c^, or Bf/3Aio- ftfjKTi laToptKJj (library, or historical library), we have now only 15 books entire, and a few fragments of the rest. The first 5 books, con- taining the ancient history of the eastern na- tions, the Ethiopians, Egyptians, and Greeks, and the 10 from the llth to the 20th inclu- sive, comprising events from the second Per- sian war, 480 B. C., down to 302, remain entire. Many fragments of the other books are preserved in the works of Photius, and in the Eclogce, or selections, made by order of. the emperor Constantino Porphyrogenitus. Tli- BibBotheca is the only authentic work of Diodorus of which we have any knowledge. It i> ritu-n in the style of annals, in a con- t'u-rd and discordant manner; but the work is vahiul.lt! as giving us, if not always informa- tion of facts, at least of the opinions of men at a |.rriod concerning which our knowledge is so exceedingly meagre that the slightest addi- DIOGENES tion is of great value. The first 5 books are especially prized on this account. Most of the events treated in the other 10 are better told by Thucydides and Xenophon, who are silent, however, upon the Carthaginian wars in Sicily related by Diodorus. The best modern edi- tions of his works are those of Dindorf (6 vols., Leipsic, 1828; 5 vols., 1867-'8), Muller (Paris, 1842-'4), and Bekker (4 vols., Leipsic, 1853-'4). That portion which relates to the successors of Alexander was translated into English by Thomas Stocker (4to, London, 1569). The whole work was translated by Thomas Cogan (fol., London, 1653), and by G. Booth (fol., London, 1700 or 1721; republished, 2 vols. royal 8vo, London, 1814). DIOGENES, a Cynic philosopher, born at Si- nope, in Paphlagonia, Asia Minor, about 412 B. 0., died near Corinth in 323. His father was a banker, and was condemned for having adulterated the coinage ; and whether his son was involved in the same condemnation or not, it is certain that he left his native country and took refuge in Athens. Here he became a dis- ciple of Antisthenes, the founder of the Cynic school of philosophy. The latter was at first unwilling to receive him, driving him rudely from his door, and threatening him with his staff. "Strike," said Diogenes; "you cannot find a stick so hard as to compel me to go away while you speak that which I wish to hear." Diogenes soon gained a reputation superior to that of his master for rough and caustic wit. It is said that one day at Athens the citizens saw him with a lantern in his hand, although it was broad day, apparently search- ing for something. On being asked what he was seeking, he replied, "A man." He had found children, he said, in Sparta, and women in Athens, but men he had never seen. He used to carry a small cup, but broke it on seeing a boy drink from the hollow of his hand. He slept either under the portico of some building, or in a tub, which, according to some authors, was his ordinary dwelling, and which he car- ried about with him. The truth of this, how- ever, has been much disputed by both ancient and modern critics. He taught in the streets and public places, speaking with the utmost plainness, often with rudeness, and was alto- gether insensible to reproaches and insults. His wit was ready and severe. Plato defined man as a two-legged animal without feathers ; whereupon Diogenes, having stripped a fowl of its plumage, threw it among the pupils of the great academician, bidding them behold one of Plato's men. Being asked which is the most dangerous animal, he answered : " Of wild animals, the slanderer ; of tame, the flat- terer." On a voyage to the island of ^Egina he was captured by pirates, and afterward sold as a slave. While in the market place, waiting for a purchaser, being asked what he could do, he answered that he knew how to govern men, and bade the crier ask, " Who wants to buy a master?" He was purchased by Xeniades, a