Menippus

, a Cynic, and a disciple of the second Menedemus before mentioned, was a native of Gadara in Palestine. His writings were chiefly of a ridiculous kind, and very satirical; so much so, that Lucian, himself no very lenient satirist, calls him in one passage “the most barking and snarling of all the Cynic dogs.” For this reason |

he is introduced into two or three of Lucian’s dialogues, as a vehicle for the sarcasms of that author. It appears, that the satires of Menippus were written in prose, with verses occasionally intermixed; for which reason the satires of Varro, who wrote in the same style, were called Menippean; and the same title, that of “Satyre Menippe'e,” was given, for the same reason, to a famous collection, written in France against the faction of the league; in which compositions Pierre le Roy, Nicolas Rapin, and Florent Chretien, bore a principal share. Varro himself lias been therefore called Mtnippeus, and sometimes Cynicus Romanus. Menippus was imitated also by his countryman Meleager, of whom an account has been given before. It is said by Laertius, that Menippus, having been robbed of a large sum of money, which he had'amassed by usury, hanged himself in despair. The same author mentions some of his works, of which, however, no part is now extant. He had been originally a slave, but purchased his freedom, and procured himself to be made a citizen of Thebes. ¹