Laertes DIOGEN

Hab likely in 3 to. BC. 'Laertes' did not mention either the origin of Diogenes, nor to his hometown, apparently, is a nickname or epithet. Diogenes - by the history of Greek philosophy in ten books, the only product of its kind, which have reached us in full and is a source of unique information. As I kn. by insisting on a purely Greek origin of philosophy, talks about the first semi-legendary Greek poet, briefly surveys the further development of philosophy, after which the story of Thales and the Seven Sages. In the II-VII kn. refers to the 'Ionian' philosophers such as Anaximander, Anaximenes, Anaxagoras, and finally Socrates, which adjoin the other philosophers of this group. Here we find, . example, . Xenophon, . founder of hedonism Aristippus, . creator of the dialectical school of Megara Euclid, . of the Academy of Plato (Diogenes which devotes an entire book, . probably because, . the lady, . for which Diogenes wrote a treatise, . fascinated by Plato), . Aristotle and the school peripatetics, . Antisthenes and his followers, the Cynics, . Zeno and his school of Stoics,
. VIII kn. devoted to 'Italic' philosophers, especially Pythagoras, Empedocles, astronomer Evdoksu etc.. In book IX. describes philosophers, standing alone (Heraclitus, Xenophanes), and then told of Parmenides, Zeno of Elea, Democritus, Protagoras, Pirrone, and other skeptics until Saturninus (2. BC). X kn. entirely devoted to Epicurus and his school. There is an impression that his scheme of philosophy Diogenes built around two key figures - Socrates and Pythagoras.
In the constructions of Diogenes many obscure, they are often artificial or questionable, although the history of Greek philosophy is still based largely on them. The book as a whole is a compilation available at that moment in history, philosophy, biographies, bibliographies, etc., based on the often poorly linked to form extracts, incoherent and sometimes contradictory. Diogenes refers to hundreds of sources, but most of them he was known only from the second and even third-hand. Nevertheless, modern scholars have not been able to identify its own sources. On the content of the book is very diverse, sometimes it does not have any value speculation, and sometimes - very competent summary. The book also contains invaluable evidence (in particular, three letters of Epicurus).