El artículo presenta un análisis del parágrafo 63 de la "Vida de Demonacte" de Luciano de Samosata. El pasaje ilustra de modo elocuente la contribución de factores religiosos al éxito de las fórmulas de subsistencia de los cínicos del siglo II. Pero ello no implica atribuir a cínicos como Demonacte una profunda religiosidad. En realidad, Luciano juega en el pasaje con una tradición literaria concebida dentro del programa cínico de crítica ilustrada de la religión tradicional. Tras el juego literario persiste, sin embargo, una base real. Con independencia de sus objetivos programáticos, un modelo de filósofo tan basado en las competencias carismáticas como el cínico había de contar en el siglo II con la percepción marcadamente religiosa que su público tenía del carisma.____________________________________This paper offers an analysis of paragraph 63 of the "Life of Demonax" by Lucian of
Samosata. The passage eloquently illustrates the contribution of religious factors to the
success of the Cynics' subsistence strategies in the 2nd century. But this does not imply
that we must attribute to Cynics such as Demonax a profound religiosity. In fact, in the
passage Lucian plays with a literary tradition conceived within the Cynic programme of
enlightened criticism of traditional religion. Behind Lucian's literary game, a real base
remains, however. Independently of his programmatical objectives, in the 2nd century a
philosopher whose model was so firmly based on charismatic competence as the Cynic
had to take account of the markedly religious perception that his public had of charisma.