Menippus
- A Cynic philosopher famous for his bitter sarcasms, whence Varro gave to his satires the name of Menippeae, Cic. Ac. 1, 2, 8; Gell. 2, 18, 7; Macr. S. 1, 11, 42; 1, 7, 12; Arn. 6, 207. —
- II A great Asiatic orator in the time of Cicero, from Stratonice, Cic. Brut. 91, 315.
- 1. filosoof v.d. cynische school (3e eeuw v. Chr.), beroemd om zijn ironie en spot, schrijver van satiren in een mengvorm van proza en verzen (Menippeïsche satire);
- 2. redenaar ttv. Cicero.
(*Me/nippos), a son of Megareus, who was believed to be buried in the prytaneum at Megara. (Paus. 1.43.2.) [L.S]
(Μένιππος), historical.
1. One of those who, with Philistides, succeeded, against the opposition of Euphraeus, and by the aid of Philip of Macedon, in making themselves tyrants of Oreus in Euboea. They were driven out by the Athenians under Phocion, in B. C. 341. (Dem. Phil. iii. p. 126, De Cor. pp. 248, 252, &c.; comp. Acsch. c. Ctes. p. 68; Plnt. Demosth. 17; Diod. 16.74.) [Callias, Vol. I. p. 568a; Cleitarchus.]
2. An officer of Philip V. of Macedon. In B. C. 208, when Philip was recalled from the war in the South against the Romans and Aetolians by tidings of disturbance and revolt in Macedonia, he left Menippus and Polyphantas in command of 2500 men for the protection of the Achaeans. In the following year Menippus was sent by Philip to aid in the defence of Chalcis in Euboea against Attalus I. of Pergamus and the Romans, by whom an unsuccessful attempt was made upon the town. (Liv. 27.32, 28.5, 6; Plb. 10.42.)
3. One of the envoys of Antiochus the Great to Rome in B. C. 193, on which occasion, however, the negotiation failed in consequence of the demands of the Romans. (Liv. 34.57_59; App. Syr. 6.) [Hegesianax.] In B. C. 192, Menippus was sent by Antiochus as ambassador to the Aetolians, whom he stimulated to war with Rome by magnifying the power and resources of his master. In the same year Antiochus placed him in command of 3000 men to aid in intercepting all succours sent to Chalcis in Euboea by Eumenes II. of Pergamus and the Achaeans, who contrived, however, to throw aid into the town before the passage thither by sea and land had been barred by the Syrian forces. But, after Menippus had occupied the road to Antis, 500 Roman soldiers, also destined for the relief of Chalcis, arrived, and found themselves obliged to turn aside to Delium. Here, in spite of the sanctity of the place, they were suddenly attacked by Menippus, and were all slain except about fifty, whom he captured. (Liv. 35.32, 33, 50, 51; comp. Diod. Exc. de Virt. et Vit. p. 574; App. Syr. 15.) [E.E]
(Μένιππος), literary.
1. A comic poet, according to Suidas; but Meineke suspects, on very good grounds, that the name is only a corruption of Hermippus. (Hist. Crit. Com. Graec. p. 494.)
2. A cynic philosopher, and originally a slave, was a native of Gadara in Coele-Syria (Steph. Byz. s. v. Γάδαρα; Strab. xvi. p.759). Diogenes calls him a Phoenician: Coele-Syria was sometimes reckoned as a part of Phoenicia, sometimes not. He seems to have been a hearer of Diogenes. He amassed great wealth as a usurer (ἡμεροσανειστής), but was cheated out of it all, and committed suicide. Work Satirical Philosophy
Diogenes, who has given us a short life of him, with an epigram of his own upon him (2.99-100), informs us that he wrote nothing serious, but that his books were full of jests, like those of his contemporary Meleager; and Strabo and Stephanus call him σπουδόγελοος; that is, he was one of those cynic philosophers who threw all their teaching into a satirical form. In this character he is several times introduced by Lucian, who in one place speaks of him as τῶν παλαιῶν κυνῶν μάλα ὑλακτικὸν κάρχαρον (Bis Accus. 33).
Even in the time of Diogenes, his works were somewhat uncertain; and they are now entirely lost: but we have considerable fragments of Varro's Saturae Menippeae, which were written in imitation of Menippus. (Cic. Ac. 1.2, 8; Gel. 2.18; Macr. 1.11.) The recent edition of the fragments of Varro by Oehler contains a short but excellent dissertation on the date of Menippus, whom he places at B. C. 60.
The works of Menippus were, according to Diogenes (6.101), thirteen in number, namely,-- Νεκυία Διαθῆκαι Ἐπιστολα κεκομψευμέναι ἀπὸ τοῦ τῶν θεῶν προσώπου πρὸς τοὺς φυσικοὺς καὶ μαθηματικοὺς καὶ γραμματικοὺς καὶ γονὰς ʼεπικούρου καὶ τὰς θρησκρυομένας ὑπʼ αὺτῶν εἰκάδας and others. Further Information
Comp. Menag. Obserrv. in loc.
3. Of Stratonice, a Carian by birth, was the most accomplished orator of his time in all Asia. (About B. C. 79.) Cicero, who heard him, puts him almost on a level with the Attic orators (Brut. 91; Plut. Cic. 4; D. L. 6.101; Strab. xiv. p.660).
4. Of Pergamus, a geographer, lived in the time of Augustus, and wrote a Περίπλους τῆς ἐντὸς θαλάττης, of which an abridgement was ma)de by Marcianus, and of which some fragments are preserved. He is also quoted several times by Stephanus Byzantinus. (See Hoffmann, Menippos der Geograph. Leipz. 1841.) [P.S]
(Μένιππος). (1) A Greek philosopher of Gadara in Syria, who flourished about B.C. 250. He was originally a slave, and afterwards an adherent of the Cynic School of philosophy. His writings (now completely lost) treated of the follies of mankind, especially of philosophers, in a sarcastic tone. They were a medley of prose and verse, and became models for the satirical works of Varro (hence called Saturae Menippeae), and afterwards for those of Lucian. (See satira.)
(2) A Carian orator of Cicero's time, and regarded by many as almost equal to the great Attic orators.
(3) A geographer of Pergamus, who, in the Augustan Age, wrote a Periplus, of which an abridgment was made by Marcianus (q.v.).