ABSTRACT
Over the long history of its interpretation, ancient Cynicism has often been understood as an expression of social criticism in sympathy with the plight of the poor masses. The evidence indeed contains much in support of such a reading: themselves invariably and demonstratively without means, the ancient Cynics launched scathing attacks on society at large and particularly on twisted values of the rich and powerful. The early Cynic founders operated mainly in fourth-century bc Athens, the political dynamics of which Josiah Ober has urged to view in terms of the tensions between the elite and the masses within the city. The latter comprised the majority of voting citizens who were the poorest and the least educated section of the citizenry. No consideration of early Cynicism can circumvent its modern history of interpretation, as the movement's reception fundamentally determines current understandings. A brief survey of the 'socialist' interpretation of ancient Cynicism should thus set an appropriate hermeneutical backdrop to this study.
