Did the cynics condone theft? Possession and dispossession in the diogenes tradition

Abstract

In this paper, I explore the evidence in the Diogenes tradition on the issue of theft. A line in Diogenes Laertius suggests that the Cynic approved of temple theft. However, before that can be taken as proof, various other factors need to be taken into account: Cynic philosophical principles, their view of the gods, and their adherence to begging and voluntary poverty. Finally, the Diogenic anecdotes dealing with theft should be considered. It appears that the Cynics could have constructed a case for legitimising theft, but that they probably neither drew the conclusion, nor put it into practice themselves. The claim that Diogenes condoned temple theft may have found its way into his Life from a hostile source, but it more probably goes back to Bion of Borysthenes.