Theagenes of Patras

Theagenes ( _el. Θεαγένης) of Patras, was a Cynic philosopher and close friend of Peregrinus Proteus, who lived c. 160 AD.

He is known principally as a character who appears in Lucian's "The Death of Peregrinus" ( _la. De Morte Peregrini), where he is introduced as praising Peregrinus' desire to kill himself by self-immolation:

"Proteus," he cried, "Proteus vain-glorious? Who dares name the word? Earth! Sun! Seas! Rivers! God of our fathers, Heracles! Was it for this that he suffered bondage in Syria? that he forgave his country a debt of a million odd? that he was cast out of Rome, - he whose brilliance exceeds the Sun, fit rival of the Lord of Olympus? 'Tis his good will to depart from life by fire, and they call it vain-glory! What other end had Heracles?" [Lucian, "De Morte Peregrini", 4.]

Theagenes aided Peregrinus' in setting fire to the funeral pyre, which Peregrinus threw himself upon. [Lucian, "De Morte Peregrini", 36.] Theagenes compared Peregrinus' suicide with the similar practices of the Gymnosophists in India. [Lucian, "De Morte Peregrini", 25.] Lucian - who was hostile to Theagenes and his brand of Cynicism - also states that Theagenes had a fortune of fifteen talents, which he obtained by money-lending. [Lucian, "De Morte Peregrini", 30.]

Theagenes is mentioned by Galen, who recalls how he lectured daily to large crowds in Trajan's Forum in Rome.Galen, "Methodus medendi", 13.15.] Galen describes how Theagenes died when he was given inappropriate treatment by Statilius Attalus (physician to Marcus Aurelius) for inflammation of the liver.

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