Editing Metrocles (section)

==Writings==
Metrocles was a man of great ability,<ref name="diog94"/> and wrote several works, but little of his thought survives. He objected to [[wealth]] unless it was put to good use; and he divided things into those that can be bought with [[money]] (such as a [[house]]), and those that take time and care, like [[education]].<ref name="diog95"/> One of his works was called ''[[Chreia]]i'' ({{langx|el|Χρεῖαι}}), that is, ''Anecdotes'', or ''Maxims''. Thus he became one of the first to contribute to the most important literary art-form for the Cynics: thousands of anecdotes were accumulated (and invented) concerning [[Diogenes of Sinope|Diogenes]], [[Crates of Thebes|Crates]] and other Cynics, all of them providing moral messages through the actions of the Cynics. An anecdote written by Metrocles concerning Diogenes is preserved by Laërtius:
<blockquote>On one occasion Diogenes went with his head half-shaved into an entertainment of young men, as Metrocles tells us in his ''Chreiai'', and so was beaten by them. And afterwards he wrote the names of all those who had beaten him, on a white tablet, and went about with the tablet round his neck, so as to expose them to insult, as they were generally condemned and reproached for their conduct.<ref>Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 33</ref></blockquote>