When I teach Greeks in schools I love to talk about the Greek philosophers and their antics. It seems to me that philosophy was a lot more fun back then. Indeed according to St Paul it is all the Athenians ever did.
Diogenes the Cynic was a fascinating character who was not intimidated by wealth power or status. When he was interrupted sunbathing by Alexander the Great he told the conqueror to get out of his sun. He irritated the Athenians by carrying a lit lantern by day looking for an honest man and not finding one and when he was sold into slavery told the auctioneer that the only work he was good for was being a master.
Pythagorous was a great mathematical genius and boxer. He even competed in the Olympic Games where he won which could have made his fortune. He maintained a school on Sicily where his students regarded his teaching as that of the gods themselves. This teaching extended to how his students should dress, act and even go to the toilet. He seems to have venerated beans and died when he was pursued by an angry mob into a bean field which he refused to cross preferring to be beaten to death than squash a bean.
Socrates is regarded as the founder of philosophy. Before his innovation in thinking philosophers were concerned with the nature of reality. Socrates opened up thinking about living and the good life. Like Diogenes he irritated the people of Athens by showing that many people did not have good reasons for their ideas. He himself was irritated by the prophetess at Delphi who proclaimed him to be the wisest man in Greece. He sought for someone wiser than himself and was horrified to find nobody. This and his criticism of wealth and power as goods in themselves made him enemies and in 399BC he was tried for atheism and corrupting youth, found guilty and condemned to death by poisonous drink. Despite having amply opportunity to escape into exile he accepted the courts judgment and died.
Historytalker 