Texte grec :
| [10,16] οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὰ θηρία ταῦτα καὶ τὰ ὄρνεα, ὅσῳ ζῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀλυπότερον,
πρὸς δὲ καὶ ἥδιον, καὶ μᾶλλον ὑγιαίνει καὶ πλέον ἰσχύει καὶ ζῇ χρόνον ἕκαστον
αὐτῶν ὅσον πλεῖστον δύναται, καίτοι οὔτε χεῖρας ἔχοντα οὔτε ἀνθρώπου
διάνοιαν; ἀλλ´ ὅμως ἀντὶ πάντων αὐτοῖς τῶν ἄλλων {κακῶν}
ὑπάρχει μέγιστον ἀγαθόν, ὅτι ἀκτήμονά ἐστιν.
Ἀλλὰ δοκῶ μοι ἐάσειν, ὦ Διόγενες, τὸν οἰκέτην, ἐάνπερ μὴ
ἀπὸ τύχης ἐμπέσῃ μοι. Ναὶ μὰ Δία, εἶπεν ὁ Διογένης, ὥσπερ
εἰ λέγοις ὅτι δάκνοντα ἢ λακτίζοντα ἵππον οὐκ ἂν ζητήσαιμι· ἐὰν
μέντοι περιτύχω, προσέλθοιμ´ ἄν, ὥστε δηχθῆναι ἢ λακτισθῆναι.
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Traduction française :
| [10,16] Consider the beasts yonder and the birds, how
much freer from trouble they live than men, and
how much more happily also, how much healthier
and stronger they are, and how each of them lives
the longest life possible, although they have neither
hands nor human intelligence. And yet, to counter-balance
these and their other limitations, they have
one very great blessing—they own no property."
" Well, Diogenes, I believe I shall let my servant
go, that is, unless he happens to come my way."
"Well, I declare," exclaimed Diogenes, " that would
be like your saying that you would not look for a
horse that bites or kicks, but that if you came
across him, you would go up to him for the fun
of being bitten or kicked ! "
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