Teles of Megara Quotes
Teles of Megara was a third-century-BC Greek Cynic philosopher, the earliest representative of the Cynic diatribe to survive in any substantial form. The Cynic Letters and the fragments of his diatribes, preserved largely in Stobaeus, give the philosophical voice of the popular Cynic of the early Hellenistic age, who, drawing on the example of Diogenes of Sinope, Crates of Thebes, and Bion of Borysthenes, addressed himself to the everyday challenges of fortune, exile, poverty, and old age. The quotes below are attributed to Teles of Megara, organized by topic.
Teles of Megara on Freedom
-
Attributed to Teles of Megara:
“Fortune is not a tyrant unless we make ourselves her slaves.”
-
Attributed to Teles of Megara:
“Exile is no evil to him who carries his philosophy in his cloak.”
-
Attributed to Teles of Megara:
“He who needs little is at home in any city.”
Teles of Megara on Life
-
Attributed to Teles of Megara:
“Old age cheats no one who has been alive while he was young.”
Teles of Megara on Virtue
-
Attributed to Teles of Megara:
“Poverty is the inheritance the wise refuse to disclaim.”