Life — April 14, 1921 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Unfamiliar Anniversaries—No. 3: Diogenes Meets Alexander the Great" by Tengren This satirical cartoon depicts the famous historical encounter between the Cynic philosopher Diogenes and Alexander the Great. According to the text, Alexander sought to grant Diogenes any wish, but the philosopher famously requested only that Alexander stop blocking his sunlight. The cartoon shows a richly dressed, imperious Alexander (left, in ornate military dress) confronting a ragged, impoverished Diogenes (right, seated near a tub). The satire highlights the contrast between worldly power and philosophical indifference to material wealth. The accompanying text elaborates that Alexander found Diogenes's bluntness refreshing, and notes that Diogenes's austere lifestyle (living in a tub) made him notably difficult to maintain as a subject, even for a great conqueror.