Abstract:

One particularly debated passage from Diogenes Laertius’ Lives and Doctrines of the Most Illustrious Philosophers is in the life of Xenophanes. There it is claimed that the philosopher was sold —seemingly as a slave— by two Pythagoreans, Parmeniscus and Orestadas (D.L. 9.20). The story has been amended in various ways by modern editors of the Laertian text due to the perplexity and scandal aroused by the fact that a philosopher could have been sold as a slave by two colleagues. I believe, however, that we should stop thinking about the historicity of an anecdote of this sort, doubtful as it is from all points of view, and think as much as possible in the logic of ancient biographers, so as to try and make sense of the textus receptus or to amend it with good arguments.