# ancient grekks who lived in barrels!!!!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-grekks-who-lived-in-barrels/257320>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 28, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-grekks-who-lived-in-barrels/257320 "2004-07-28T20:34:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hooper34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@hooper34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hooper34)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-grekks-who-lived-in-barrels/257320/1 "2004-07-28T20:34:54Z")

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who was the ancient greek who lived in a barrel???

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**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-grekks-who-lived-in-barrels/257320/2 "2004-07-28T20:38:10Z")

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Diogenes the Cynic. (Not to be confused with the doper of the same name, who I belive lives in a split-level ranch house.)

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-grekks-who-lived-in-barrels/257320/3 "2004-07-28T22:29:02Z")

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Diogenes also used to wander around Athens during the day carrying a lighted lamp, looking for an honest man.

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**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-grekks-who-lived-in-barrels/257320/4 "2004-07-28T22:45:43Z")

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> [@Cunctator](#):
>
> Diogenes also used to wander around Athens during the day carrying a lighted lamp, looking for an honest man.

**Cunctator** , you left out the punchline!

**Some Greek Guy:** “Diogenes, what in the name of Zeus are you doing?”  
**Diogenes:** “I’m looking for an honest man.”  
**SGG:**"Well…_I’m_ honest.  
\*\*Diogenes: \*\* “_ **LIAR!** _”

(rim shot)

I vaguely remember a story about a bunch of teenagers getting drunk one night and smashing Diogenes’ barrel for fun. When the townspeople find out, they punished the offenders and provided the old grouch with a brand new barrel.

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**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-grekks-who-lived-in-barrels/257320/5 "2004-07-28T23:44:44Z")

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It wasn’t a wooden barrel. It was a huge pot made of clay (I don’t know how they call those). And not all ancient Greeks had a habit of sleeping in huge pots. Diogenis was kinda weird! 😉