Menippus

Menippus, an adherent of the Cynic School of philosophy, was a Greek
philosopher of Gadara in Syria, who flourished about 250 BCE. He was
born at Sinope in Asia Minor, but his family was originally from
Gadara, in Palestine. According to Diogenes Laertius, he was at first
a slave, but afterward obtained his freedom by purchase, and
eventually succeeded, by dint of money, in obtaining citizenship at
Thebes. Here he pursued the employment of a money lender, and obtained
from this the title "one who lends money at daily interest". Having
been defrauded, and having lost, in consequence, all his property, he
hung himself in despair. Menippus was the author of several works, now
completely lost; they satirized the follies of human kind, especially
of philosophers, in a sarcastic tone Among other productions, he wrote
a piece entitled "The Sale of Diogenes," and another called
"Necromancy." They were a medley of prose and verse, and became models
for the satirical works of Varro (hence called Saturae Menippeae. It
is suggested that the Necromancy inspired an imitator of Lucian to
compose the "Menippus, or Oracle of the Dead," which is found among
the works of the native of Samosata.