Note 140 — Chapter III · * OTHER COMPANIONS OF SOKRATES. (continued 2)

Hipparchia was a native of Maroneia in Thrace; born in a considerable station, and belonging to an opulent family. She came to Athens with her brother Mêtroklês, and heard both Theophrastus and Kratês. Both she and her brother became impressed with the strongest admiration for Kratês: for his mode of life, as well as for his discourses and doctrine. Rejecting various wealthy suitors, she insisted upon becoming his wife, both against his will and against the will of her parents. Her resolute enthusiasm overcame the reluctance of both. She adopted fully his hard life, poor fare, and threadbare cloak. She passed her days in the same discourses and controversies, indifferent to the taunts which were addressed to her for having relinquished the feminine occupations of spinning and weaving. Diogenes Laertius found many striking dicta or replies ascribed to her (ἄλλα μυρία τῆς φιλοσόφου vi. 96-98). He gives an allusion made to her by the contemporary comic poet Menander, who (as I before observed) handled the Cynics of his time as Aristophanes, Eupolis, &c., had handled Sokrates —

Συμπεριπατήσεις γὰρ τρίβων’ ἔχους ἐμοὶ, ὥσπερ Κράτητι τῷ Κυνικῷ ποθ’ ἡ γυνὴ. Καὶ θυγατέρ’ ἐξέδωκ’ ἐκεῖνος, ὡς ἔφη αὐτὸς, ἐπὶ πειρᾷ δοὺς τριάκονθ’ ἡμέρας. (vi. 93.)