Content
The Cynic epistles deal with ethical matters rather than religious ones: their purpose is not to seek the divine, but rather to seek the ethically pure life by breaking away from social norms and conventions via ascetic practices. The content of the epistles are not especially original, but probably served as a means to propagate Cynic ideology. The letters discuss different aspects of the Cynic way of life, as part of a rigorous training (askesis). Thus instructions and explanations are given on whom (and whom not) to emulate and how different aspects of wisdom are acquired and demonstrated, mixed in with polemics directed against people who oppose these ideals. The moral anecdotes contained in the epistles are probably examples of those used by Cynic street preachers of the time. As with much Cynic thought in the time of the Roman empire, the content of the epistles show influences from Stoicism and other philosophies.
Read more about this topic: Cynic Epistles
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