Theodo'rus CYRENAICUS
32. CYRENAICUS, a philosopher of the Cyrenaic school [ARISTIPPUS], to one branch of which he gave the name of " Theodorians,"
Θεοδωρεῖοι.
He is usually designated by ancient writers ATHEUS (
ὁ ἄθεος), the Atheist, a name for which that of THEUS (
Θέος) was afterwards substituted.
He was apparently a native of Cyrene (comp.
D. L. 2.103), and was a disciple of the younger Aristippus (ib. 2.86), who was grandson of the elder (Suidas,
s. v. Ἀρίστιππος and more celebrated Aristippus, by his daughter Arete [ARISTIPPUS; ARETE]. Theodore belonged to the age of
Alexander and his successors, a circumstance which, as Well as the opposite character of his opinions, distinguishes him from the subject of the preceding notice.
He heard the lectures of a number of philosophers beside Aristippus; as Anniceris [ANNICERIS], and Dionysius the dialectician (Laert. 2.98), Zeno of Citium, Bryson, and Pyrrhon (Suidas,
s. v. Θεόδωρος); but not Crates, as Fabricius (
Bibl. Graec. vol. iii. p. 189) has from a hasty and inaccurate interpretation of a passage in Diogenes Laertius (4.23) erroneously stated. Nor could he have been, as Suidas states (
s. v. Σωκράτης), a hearer of Socrates.
He was banished from Cyrene, but on what occasion is not stated (Laert. 2.103); and it is from the saying recorded of him on this occasion, " Ye men of Cyrene, ye do ill in banishing me from Cyrene to Greece " (ib.), as well as from his being a disciple of Aristippus, that we infer that he was a native of Cyrene. Of his subsequent history we have no connected account; but unconnected anecdotes of him show that he was at Athens, where he narrowly escaped being cited before the court of Areiopagus.
The influence, however, of Demetrius Phalereus shielded him (ib. 2.101); and this incident may therefore probably be placed during Demetrius' ten years' administration at Athens, B. C. 317-307 [DEMETRIUS, literary, No. 28]. As Theodore was banished from Athens, and was afterwards in the service of Ptolemy son of Lagus, first king of the Macedonian dynasty in Egypt, it is not unlikely that he shared the overthrow and exile of Demetrius.
The account of Amphicrates cited by Laertius (2.101), that he was condemned to drink hemlock and so died, is doubtless an error. While in the service of Ptolemy, Theodore was sent on an embassy to Lysimachus, whom he offended by the freedom of his remarks. One answer which he made to a threat of crucifixion which Lysimachus had used, has been celebrated by many ancient writers (Cic.
Quaest. Tusc. 1.13 ; Senec.
de Tranq. An. 100.14;
V. Max. 6.2, extern. 3) : --" Employ such threats to those courtiers of yours; for it matters not to Theodore whether he rots on the ground or in the air." From the court or camp of Lysimachus he returned apparently to that of Ptolemy (
D. L. 2.102). We read also of his going to Corinth with a number of his disciples (ibid.) : but this was perhaps only a transient visit during his residence at Athens.
He returned at length to Cyrene, and lived there, says Diogenes Laertius (2.103), with Marius. This Roman name is very questionable ; and Grantmesnil (apud Menag.
Obs. in Diog. Laert. l.c.) not improbably conjectures that we should read Magas, who was stepson of Ptolemy the son of Lagus, and ruled over Cyrene for fifty years (from B. C. 308 to B. C. 258), either as viceroy or king.
The account of Laertius leads to the inference that Theodore ended his days at Cyrene. Athenaeus (xiii. p. 611a) states that he died a violent death, but this is probably only a repetition of the erroneous statement of Amphicrates already noticed. Various characteristic anecdotes of Theodore are preserved by the ancients (especially by Laertius, 2.97-103, 116; Plutarch,
De Animi Tranguill. Opp. vol. vii. p. 829,
De Exsilio, Opp. vol. viii. p. 391, ed. Reiske; Val. Max.
l.c. ; Philo Jud.
Quod omnis probus liber, 100.18, vol. ii. p. 465, ed. Mangey, p. 884, ed. Pfeiffer. s. Paris, vol. v. p. 295, ed. Richter, Leipsic, 1828; Suidas,
s. v. Ἥρα), from which he appears to have been a man of keen and ready wit, unrestrained either by fear or a sense of decency.
It has been already noticed that Theodore was the founder of that branch of the Cyrenaic sect which was called after him " Theodorei " (
Θεοδώρειοι), " Theodoreans."
The general characteristics of the Cyrenaic philosophy are described elsewhere [ARISTIPPUS].
The opinions of Theodore, as we gather them from the perplexed statement of Diogenes Laertius (2.98, foll.) partook of the lax character of the Cyrenaic school.
He taught that the great end of human life is to obtain joy and avoid grief, the one the fruit of prudence, the other of folly; that prudence and justice are good, their opposites evil; that pleasure and pain are indifferent.
He made light of friendship and patriotism, and affirmed that the world was his country.
He taught that there was nothing really disgraceful in theft, adultery, or sacrilege; but that they were branded only by public opinion, which had been formed in order to restrain fools.
But the great charge against him was atheism. " He did away with all opinions respecting the Gods," says Laertius (ib.), but some critics doubt whether he was absolutely an atheist, or simply denied the existence of the deities of popular belief.
The charge of atheism is sustained by the popular designation of Theodorus " Atheus," by the authority of Cicero (
de Nat. Deor. 1.1), Laertius (
l.c.), Plutarch (
De Placit. Philos. 1.7), Sextus Empiricus (
Pyrrhon. Hypotyp. lib. iii. p. 182, ed. Fabric. 1718, p. 172, ed. Bekker, 1842), and some of the Christian Fathers; while some other authorities (e. g. Clem. Alex.
Protrept. ad Gentes, p. 7, ed. Sylburg. pp. 20, 21, ed. Pott. vol. i, p. 20, ed. Klotz. Leipsic, 1831) speak of him as only rejecting the popular theology.
The question is discussed and the authorities cited by Reimmann (
Hist. Atheismi, sect. ii. c. 24.3), and Brucker (
Hist. Crit. Philos. pars ii. lib. ii. c. 3.11) Theodore wrote a book
Περὶ Θεῶν,
De Diis, which Laertius who had seen it, says (2.97) was not to be contemned; and he adds that it was said to have been the source of many of the statements or arguments of Epicurus.
According to Suidas (
s. v. Θεόδωρος) he wrote many works both on the doctrines of his sect and on other subjects. (Fabric.
Bibl. Graec. vol. iii. pp. 189, 615, vol. x. pp. 373, 385.)
