TriadCity Message of the Day
2024-05-19
Our favorite NPC character is online: Diogenes of Sinope, the founder of the ancient philosophical school of "Cynicism".
Diogenes was famous in antiquity for his satirical, often biting behavior. He was what we'd today call a "performance artist" — acting out in public, in the hope that someone might cotton-on.
Like the historical one, our Diogenes lives in a pithos — a large ceramic jar or amphora, typically used to transport wine or grain on ships. He wanders the TriadCity game world with his lantern, looking for an honest person. Like the historical one, our Diogenes can be snotty when he encounters human players — and we love him for that.
Diogenes is considered the founder of the ancient philosophical school called "Cynics", meaning "Dogs", so-called for their naturalistic, anti-conventional mode of living. Their title gave rise to the modern term "cynicism", but of course means pretty much exactly the opposite of the way that word is commonly used today. If anything they were the greatest moral idealists in history.
Our favorite story from antiquity: Alexander the Great sought him out, and, finding him one day seated in the Agora of Corinth, promised to grant any one wish Diogenes might make. Diogenes answered, "Thank you, stand out of my sunlight." Definitely a NorthWestern kind of rebel spirit.
Diogenes makes his home in his famous pithos in the Agora in NorthWest. But, he wanders the entire city, and you could encounter him anywhere.
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