Hipparchia, The Cynic Philosopher
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Name: Antipater of Sidon Date: 2nd – 1st century BCE Region: Sidon [modern Lebanon] Citation: Greek Anthology 7.413 |
Hipparchia was a famous Cynic philosopher who
lived during the late 4th or early 3rd century BCE. According to tradition,
Hipparchia rejected her role as an Athenian noblewoman to marry the famous
Cynic philosopher Crates, and spent the remainder of her life following the
ascetic lifestyle of a Cynic. Although she was a prolific author, only
fragments of her writing remain.
No longer dwelling in the lifestyle
of the wide-belted ladies,
I, Hipparchia, have chosen the manly life
of a Cynic.
Pretty robes and stylish shoes no
longer work for me;
Neither do pretty hair-nets.
A rugged staff is my companion, as
well as a double-layered cloak, and
The rough ground is my home.
To me, my life is better than
Atalanta’s,
Since wisdom is so much better than
jogging.
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οὐχὶ βαθυστόλμων Ἱππαρχία ἔργα γυναικῶν, τῶν δὲ Κυνῶν ἑλόμαν ῥωμαλέον βίοτον οὐδέ μοι ἀμπεχόναι περονήτιδες, οὐ βαθύπελμος εὔμαρὶς, οὐ λιπόων εὔαδε κεκρύφαλος: οὐλὰς δὲ σκίπωνι συνέμπορος, ἅ τε συνῳδὸς δίπλαξ, καὶ κοίτας βλῆμα χαμαιλεχέος. ἄμμι δὲ Μαιναλίας κάρ’ῥων μνάμα Ἀταλάντας τόσσον, ὅσον σοφία κρέσσον ὀριδρομίας. |
Non ego feminei mores Hipparchia sexus, sed mare sum forte corde secuta canes. Non placuit pallam substringens fibula,
non pes vinctus, et unguentis oblita vitta mihi: sed baculus nudique pedes, quaeque
artubus haeret Diplois, inque locum dura cubilis humus. Maenaliae tantum potior mea vita puellae, quanto venari quam sapuisse minus. Translated into Latin by Hugo
Grotius |
Antipater of Sidon [2nd – 1st century BCE, modern Lebanon] was a Greek poet who lived under Roman rule during the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. Dozens of his poems were preserved in the Greek Anthology.
