The Greek Praise of Poverty: Origins of Ancient Cynicism

by William Desmond and William D Desmond

Book Overview

William Desmond, taking issue with typical assessments of the ancient Cynics, contends that figures such as Antisthenes and Diogenes were not cultural outcasts or marginal voices in the classical culture of the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. Rather, the Cynic movement had deep and significant roots in what Desmond calls the Greek praise of poverty. Desmond demonstrates that classical attitudes toward wealth were complex and ambivalent, and allowed...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0268025827
• ISBN13: 9780268025823
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.3" x 9.0"