Diogenes of Babylon (also known asDiogenes of Seleucia;Ancient Greek:Διογένης Βαβυλώνιος;Latin:Diogenes Babylonius; c. 230 – c. 150/140 BC[1]) was aStoic philosopher. He was thehead of the Stoic school inAthens, and he was one of three philosophers sent toRome in 155 BC. He wrote many works, butnone of his writings survived, except as quotations by later writers.
Born inSeleucia on the Tigris inBabylonia, Diogenes was educated atAthens under the auspices ofChrysippus and succeededZeno of Tarsus as head (scholarch) of the Stoic school there in the 2nd century BC. Among his pupils werePanaetius andAntipater of Tarsus who succeeded him as scholarch. He seems to have closely followed the views of Chrysippus, especially ondialectic, in which he is said to have instructedCarneades.[2]
Together with Carneades andCritolaus, he was sent toRome to appeal a fine of five hundredtalents imposed on Athens in 155 BC for the sack ofOropus. They delivered theirepideictic speeches first in numerous private assemblies, then in theSenate. Diogenes pleased his audience chiefly by his sober and temperate mode of speaking.[3]
Cicero speaks of him as deceased by 150 BC,[4] and sinceLucian claims that he died at the age of 80,[5] he must have been born around 230 BC. There is some evidence, however, that he may have lived to around 140 BC.[6]
Cicero calls Diogenes "a great and important Stoic".[7] In the works of theEpicurean philosopherPhilodemus found in carbonizedpapyrus rolls recovered from the ruins of theVilla of the Papyri atHerculaneum, Diogenes is discussed more frequently than any philosopher besidesEpicurus himself.[8]
He was the author of several works, of which, however, little more than the titles is known:
In addition, it appears from Philodemus that he wrote extensive worksOn Music andOn Rhetoric.[16] Some aspects of his views on these two subjects are recoverable from the critical remarks to be found in Philodemus' works on these two subjects.[16] There are several passages in Cicero from which we may infer that Diogenes wrote on other subjects also, such as duty, the highest good, and the like.[17]
The opinions of Diogenes on music are known through the fragmentary treatise by Philodemus,On Music, which discusses the views of Diogenes.[18] According to Philodemus, Diogenes held that music not only can calm the emotions, but that listening to music can produceharmony and proportion inthe soul.[18] Diogenes believed that just as diet and exercise can produce a healthy body, so that music can bring health to the mind and can treatpsychological illnesses.[18] Music naturally pushes one to action.[19] Diogenes uses the example of the trumpet, or similar military instrument, which can stir the soldier to bravery.[19] Music is thus an art which leads to virtue.[19]
Laërtius, Diogenes."The Stoics: Zeno" .Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. Vol. 2:7. Translated byHicks, Robert Drew (Two volume ed.). Loeb Classical Library. Laërtius, Diogenes."The Stoics: Zeno" .Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. Vol. 2:7. Translated byHicks, Robert Drew (Two volume ed.). Loeb Classical Library.Attribution:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Schmitz, Leonhard (1870)."Diogenes (3. Surnamed the Babylonian)". InSmith, William (ed.).Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. p. 1020.| Preceded by | Leader of the Stoic school ? – 145 BC | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
