Editing Antisthenes (section)

==Antisthenes and the Cynics==
In later times Antisthenes came to be seen as the founder of the [[Cynicism (philosophy)|Cynics]], but it is by no means certain that he would have recognized the term. [[Aristotle]], writing a generation later refers several times to Antisthenes<ref>Aristotle, ''Metaphysics'', 1024b26; ''Rhetoric'', 1407a9; ''Topics'', 104b21; ''Politics'', 1284a15</ref> and his followers "the Antistheneans",<ref name="aristot1"/> but makes no reference to Cynicism.<ref name="long32">Long 1996, page 32</ref> There are many later tales about the infamous Cynic [[Diogenes of Sinope]] dogging Antisthenes' footsteps and becoming his faithful hound,<ref>{{harvnb|Laërtius|1925|loc=§ 6, 18, 21}}; Dio Chrysostom, ''Orations'', viii. 1–4; Aelian, x. 16; Stobaeus, ''Florilegium'', 13.19</ref> but it is similarly uncertain that the two men ever met. Some scholars, drawing on the discovery of defaced coins from [[Sinop, Turkey|Sinope]] dating from the period 350–340 BCE, believe that Diogenes only moved to Athens after the death of Antisthenes,<ref name="long45">Long 1996, page 45</ref> and it has been argued that the stories linking Antisthenes to Diogenes were invented by the [[Stoics]] in a later period in order to provide a succession linking Socrates to [[Zeno of Citium|Zeno]] via Antisthenes, Diogenes, and [[Crates of Thebes|Crates]].<ref>Dudley 1937, pages 2-4</ref> These tales were important to the Stoics for establishing a chain of teaching that ran from Socrates to Zeno.<ref>Navia, ''Diogenes the Cynic'', page 100</ref> Others argue that the evidence from the coins is weak, and thus Diogenes could have moved to Athens well before 340 BCE.<ref>Navia, ''Diogenes the Cynic'', pages 34, 112-3</ref> It is also possible that Diogenes visited Athens and Antisthenes before his exile, and returned to Sinope.<ref name="long45"/>

Antisthenes certainly adopted a rigorous [[ascetic]] lifestyle,<ref>Xenophon, ''Symposium'', iv. 34–44.</ref> and he developed many of the principles of Cynic philosophy which became an inspiration for Diogenes and later Cynics. It was said that he had laid the foundations of the city which they afterwards built.{{sfn|Laërtius|1925|loc=§  15}}