Why Cynics Thought Being Poor Was Ironically Better

December 11, 2021 00:08:14
Why Cynics Thought Being Poor Was Ironically Better
Ehrman Blog Daily Post Podcasts
Why Cynics Thought Being Poor Was Ironically Better

Dec 11 2021 | 00:08:14

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Show Notes

Isn’t it better to have no possessions at all than to have millions of them and then lose them? According to ancient Cynic philosophy: Absolutely Yes! I’ve been discussing how this view comes to be embodied in Lucian’ of Samosata’s humorous dialogue Downward Journey, about a rich tyrant who abused his power and wealth and then ended up completely miserable in the afterlife. I begin here with the paragraph that ended the last post, to provide a bit of context for the humorous passage that follows. (All this is taken from my book Journeys to Heaven and Hell, with Yale University Press, due out in April) Read by Petra Ortiz

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