Menippus in Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898)

A Greek philosopher of Gadara in Syria, who flourished about B.C. 250. He was originally a slave, and afterwards an adherent of the Cynic School of philosophy. His writings (now completely lost) treated of the follies of mankind, especially of philosophers, in a sarcastic tone. They were a medley of prose and verse, and became models for the satirical works of Varro (hence called Saturae Menippeae), and afterwards for those of Lucian.