---
title: "Dialogues of the Courtesans · Ἑταιρικοὶ διάλογοι"
author: "Lucian"
translator: "Matthew Donald Macleod"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
section: 13 of 15
url: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-courtesans/13/
cite: "Lucian, tr. Matthew Donald Macleod, Dialogues of the Courtesans · Ἑταιρικοὶ διάλογοι, section 13. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-courtesans/13/"
---

# Dialogues of the Courtesans · Ἑταιρικοὶ διάλογοι

*Lucian, tr. Matthew Donald Macleod*

Fifteen scenes of the lives and loves of Athenian courtesans.

> Greek: ed. Matthew Donald Macleod, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0062.tlg069, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Matthew Donald Macleod, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0062.tlg069.perseus-eng3). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the references the two texts share (books, chapters and sections), cut where both reach the end of a sentence.

## 13. Dialogue 13

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-courtesans/13/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-courtesans/13/#p-N

[¶0] 1. LEONTICHUS: And tell us, Chenidas, how in the battle with the Galatians I rode out ahead of all the other cavalrymen on my white horse, and how the Galatians for all their courage were stricken with fear the moment they saw me, and not one of them stood his ground. On that occasion I hurled my lance like a javelin and sent it through the leader of their cavalry and his horse as well, and then turning against those of them that still offered concerted resistance—for there were a few still remaining who, instead of the phalanx, had now adopted a rectangular formation—turning against these, I drew my blade, and, charging with all my fury, knocked over half a dozen or so of their front rank by the onset of my horse, and, bringing my sword down on the head of one of their captains, I split it in two, helmet and all. The rest of you came up, Chenidas, a little later, when the enemy were already in flight.

> Greek: 1. ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Ἐν δὲ τῇ πρὸς τοὺς Γαλάτας μάχῃ εἰπέ, ὦ Χηνίδα, ὅπως μὲν προεξήλασα τῶν ἄλλων ἱππέων ἐπὶ τοῦ ἵππου τοῦ λευκοῦ, ὅπως δὲ οἱ Γαλάται καίτοι ἄλκιμοι ὄντες ἔτρεσάν ⟨μ'⟩ εὐθὺς ὡς εἶδον καὶ οὐθεὶς ἔτι ὑπέστη. τότε τοίνυν ἐγὼ τὴν μὲν λόγχην ἀκοντίσας διέπειρα τὸν ἵππαρχον αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν ἵππον, ἐπὶ δὲ τὸ συνεστηκὸς ἔτι αὐτῶν—ἦσαν γάρ τινες οἳ ἔμενον διαλύσαντες μὲν τὴν φάλαγγα, ἐς πλαίσιον δὲ συναγαγόντες αὑτούς—ἐπὶ τούτους ἐγὼ σπασάμενος τὴν σπάθην ἅπαντι τῷ θυμῷ ἐπελάσας ἀνατρέπω μὲν ὅσον ἑπτὰ τοὺς προεστῶτας αὐτῶν τῇ ἐμβολῇ τοῦ ἵππου· τῷ ξίφει δὲ κατενεγκὼν διέτεμον τῶν λοχαγῶν ἑνὸς ἐς δύο τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῷ κράνει. ὑμεῖς δέ, ὦ Χηνίδα, μετ' ὀλίγον ἐπέστητε ἤδη φευγόντων.

[¶1] 2. CHENIDAS: Yes, Leontichus, and when you fought in single combat with the satrap in Paphlagonia, wasn’t that another great exhibition of your prowess? LEONTICHUS: Thank you for reminding me of another not ignoble exploit. The satrap, a gigantic man, and reputed to excel all other warriors in heavy armour, despising the Greek forces, leapt out between the two armies and challenged all comers to offer him single combat. All our other officers were terrified, and that included even our General himself, though he’s a man of spirit. At the time, you know, we were under the command of Aristaechmus, the Aetolian, whose skill with the javelin is unrivalled, and I was still a mere colonel. I, however, acted boldly and shaking off my comrades who were holding me back through fear for me when they saw the barbarian resplendent in his golden armour, a mighty figure with fearsome crest, brandishing his lance—— CHENIDAS: I was another who was afraid on that occasion, Leontichus, and you know how I clung to you, begging you not to court danger ahead of us, for my life would not have been worth living, if you had been killed.

> Greek: 2. ΧΗΝΙΔΑΣ: Ὅτε γάρ, ὦ Λεόντιχε, περὶ Παφλαγονίαν ἐμονομάχησας τῷ σατράπῃ, οὐ μεγάλα ἐπεδείξω καὶ τότε; ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Καλῶς ὑπέμνησας οὐκ ἀγεννοῦς οὐδ’ ἐκείνης τῆς πράξεως· ὁ γὰρ σατράπης μέγιστος ὤν, ὁπλομάχων ἄριστος δοκῶν εἶναι, καταφρονήσας τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ, προπηδήσας ἐς τὸ μέσον προὐκαλεῖτο εἴ τις ἐθέλοι αὐτῷ μονομαχῆσαι. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι κατεπεπλήγεσαν οἱ λοχαγοὶ καὶ οἱ ταξίαρχοι καὶ ὁ ἡγεμὼν αὐτὸς καίτοι οὐκ ἀγεννὴς ἄνθρωπος ὤν· Ἀρίσταιχμος γὰρ ἡμῶν ἡγεῖτο Αἰτωλὸς ἀκοντιστὴς ἄριστος, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐχιλιάρχουν ἔτι. τολμήσας δ’ ὅμως καὶ τοὺς ἑταίρους ἐπιλαμβανομένους ἀποσεισάμενος, ἐδεδοίκεσαν γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ ὁρῶντες ἀποστίλβοντα μὲν τὸν βάρβαρον ἐπιχρύσοις τοῖς ὅπλοις, μέγαν δὲ καὶ φοβερὸν ὄντα τὸν λόφον, κραδαίνοντα τὴν λόγχην— ΧΗΝΙΔΑΣ: Κἀγὼ ἔδεισα τότε, ὦ Λεόντιχε, καὶ οἶσθα ὡς εἰχόμην σου δεόμενος μὴ προκινδυνεύειν· ἀβίωτα γὰρ ἦν μοι σοῦ ἀποθανόντος.

[¶2] 3. LEONTICHUS: But I acted boldly and advanced out there, wearing just as fine armour as the Paphlagonian, and encased in gold from head to toe just like him, so that a shout arose immediately, both from our men and from the barbarians, for they too recognised me by my shield in particular and by my spangles and my crest. Tell us, Chenidas, whom did they all think I resembled then? CHENIDAS: Achilles, of course, son of Peleus and Thetis. So distinguished was your helmet, so bright your purple, so resplendent your shield.

> Greek: 3. ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ τολμήσας παρῆλθον ἐς τὸ μέσον οὐ χεῖρον τοῦ Παφλαγόνος ὡπλισμένος, ἀλλὰ πάγχρυσος καὶ αὐτός, ὥστε βοὴ εὐθὺς ἐγένετο καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν καὶ παρὰ τῶν βαρβάρων· ἐγνώρισαν γάρ με κἀκεῖνοι ἰδόντες ἀπὸ τῆς πέλτης μάλιστα καὶ τῶν φαλάρων καὶ τοῦ λόφου. εἰπέ, ὦ Χηνίδα, τίνι με τότε πάντες εἴκαζον; ΧΗΝΙΔΑΣ: Τίνι δὲ ἄλλῳ ἢ Ἀχιλλεῖ νὴ Δία τῷ Θέτιδος καὶ Πηλέως; οὕτως ἔπρεπέ μέν σοι ἡ κόρυς, ἡ φοινικὶς δὲ ἐπήνθει καὶ ἡ πέλτη ἐμάρμαιρεν.

[¶3] LEONTICHUS: When we met, the barbarian struck first, wounding me slightly by grazing me with his spear just above the knee, but I drove my lance through his shield, and penetrated right through to his chest. Then I rushed at him, lopped off his head with my blade without any difficulty, and returned, not only with his arms, but carrying his head fixed on my lance, and bathed in blood.

> Greek: ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Ἐπεὶ δὲ συνέστημεν, ὁ βάρβαρος πρότερος τιτρώσκει με ὀλίγον ὅσον ἐπιψαῦσαι τῷ δόρατι μικρὸν ὑπὲρ τὸ γόνυ, ἐγὼ δὲ διελάσας τὴν ἀσπίδα τῇ σαρίσῃ παίω διαμπὰξ ἐς τὸ στέρνον, εἶτ' ἐπιδραμὼν ἀπεδειροτόμησα τῇ σπάθῃ ῥᾳδίως καὶ τὰ ὅπλα ἔχων ἐπανῆλθον ἅμα καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπὶ τῆς σαρίσης πεπηγυῖαν κομίζων λελουμένος τῷ φόνῳ.

[¶4] 4. HYMNIS: Stop, Leontichus. Your stories about yourself are repulsive and gruesome, and no girl would ever look again at a fellow who takes such pleasure in bloodshed, far less drink with him, or spend the night with him. So I’ll be off.
LEONTICHUS: I offer you double the money. HYMNIS: I couldn’t bear to sleep with a murderer.

> Greek: 4. ΥΜΝΙΣ: Ἄπαγε, ὦ Λεόντιχε, μιαρὰ ταῦτα καὶ φοβερὰ περὶ σαυτοῦ διηγῇ, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἔτι σε οὐδὲ προσβλέψειέ τις οὕτω χαίροντα τῷ λύθρῳ, οὐχ ὅπως συμπίοι ἢ συγκοιμηθείη. ἔγωγ' οὖν ἄπειμι.
ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Διπλάσιον ἀπόλαβε τὸ μίσθωμα. ΥΜΝΙΣ: Οὐκ ἂν ὑπομείναιμι ἀνδροφόνῳ συγκαθεύδειν.

[¶5] LEONTICHUS: Don’t be afraid, Hymnis. These exploits are all over and happened in Paphlagonia; for the moment I’m at peace. HYMNIS: But you’re unclean, and the blood dripped over you from his head, when you carried it on your spear. And then you expect me to embrace and kiss a fellow like that? May the Graces save me from that! He’s no better than the public executioner.

> Greek: ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Μὴ δέδιθι, ὦ Ὑμνί· ἐν Παφλαγόσιν ἐκεῖνα πέπρακται, νῦν δὲ εἰρήνην ἄγω. ΥΜΝΙΣ: Ἀλλ' ἐναγὴς ἄνθρωπος εἶ, καὶ τὸ αἷμα κατέσταζέ σου ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς τοῦ βαρβάρου, ἣν ἔφερες ἐπὶ τῇ σαρίσῃ. εἶτ' ἐγὼ τοιοῦτον ἄνδρα περιβάλω καὶ φιλήσω; μή, ὦ Χάριτες, γένοιτο· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὗτος ἀμείνων τοῦ δημίου.

[¶6] LEONTICHUS: But, if you’d seen me in heavy armour, I’m sure you’d have fallen in love with me. HYMNIS: Merely to listen to you, Leontichus, makes me feel sick and shudder and imagine I see the ghosts and phantoms of those you butchered and particularly of that poor captain with his head split in two. What do you think would have happened if I’d seen the deed itself, and the blood, and the dead bodies lying there? I think I went faint as it was. I’ve never to this day even seen a cock being killed.

> Greek: ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Καὶ μὴν εἴ με εἶδες ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις, εὖ οἶδα, ἠράσθης ἄν. ΥΜΝΙΣ: Ἀκούουσα μόνον, ὦ Λεόντιχε, ναυτιῶ καὶ φρίττω καὶ τὰς σκιάς μοι δοκῶ ὁρᾶν καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα τῶν πεφονευμένων καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ ἀθλίου λοχαγοῦ ἐς δύο τὴν κεφαλὴν διῃρημένου. τί οἴει, τὸ ἔργον αὐτὸ καὶ τὸ αἷμα εἰ ἐθεασάμην καὶ κειμένους τοὺς νεκρούς; ἐκθανεῖν δή μοι δοκῶ· οὐδ’ ἀλεκτρυόνα πώποτε φονευόμενον εἶδον.

[¶7] LEONTICHUS: Are you really so cowardly and poor-spirited, Hymnis? I thought you’d be delighted to hear my tale. HYMNIS: Keep such tales for the delight of any women of Lemnos or daughters of Danaus you find; but I’m running away to mother, while it’s still daylight. And you’d better come with me, Grammis. Goodbye, bravest colonel, you murderer of as many as you choose.

> Greek: ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Οὕτως ἀγεννής, ὦ Ὑμνί, καὶ μικρόψυχος εἶ; ἐγὼ δὲ ᾤμην ἡσθήσεσθαί σε ἀκούουσαν. ΥΜΝΙΣ: Ἀλλὰ τέρπε τοῖς διηγήμασι τούτοις εἴ τινας Λημνιάδας ἢ Δαναΐδας εὕροις· ἐγὼ δ’ ἀποτρέχω παρὰ τὴν μητέρα, ἕως ἔτι ἡμέρα ἐστίν. ἕπου καὶ σύ, ὦ Γραμμί· σὺ δὲ ἔρρωσο, χιλιάρχων ἄριστε καὶ φονεῦ ὁπόσων ἂν ἐθέλῃς.

[¶8] 5. LEONTICHUS: Stay, Hymnis, stay.—She’s gone. CHENIDAS: Yes, Leontichus. You frightened the simple young girl by brandishing your plumes and recounting your incredible feats. I could see at once how pale she grew before you’d finished that story about the captain, and how she puckered her brow, and shivered when you said you’d split his head.

> Greek: 5. ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Μεῖνον, ὦ Ὑμνί, μεῖνον—ἀπελήλυθε. ΧΗΝΙΔΑΣ: Σὺ γάρ, ὦ Λεόντιχε, ἀφελῆ παιδίσκην κατεφόβησας ἐπισείων λόφους καὶ ἀπιθάνους ἀριστείας διεξιών· ἐγὼ δὲ ἑώρων εὐθὺς ὅπως χλωρὰ ἐγένετο ἔτι σου τὰ κατὰ τὸν λοχαγὸν ἐκεῖνα διηγουμένου καὶ συνέστειλε τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ ὑπέφριξεν, ἐπεὶ διακόψαι τὴν κεφαλὴν ἔφης.

[¶9] LEONTICHUS: I thought it would make me seem more attractive to her; but you helped to spoil things for me, Chenidas, by suggesting the single combat. CHENIDAS: Well, wasn’t I to help by adding my lies to yours, when I saw why you were boasting? But you made the story much too frightening. It was all very well for you to cut off the head of that poor Paphlagonian, but why did you go on to stick it on your spear, so that the blood poured over you?

> Greek: ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Ὤιμην ἐρασμιώτερος αὐτῇ φανεῖσθαι. ἀλλὰ καὶ σύ με προσαπολώλεκας, ὦ Χηνίδα, τὸ μονομάχιον ὑποβαλών. ΧΗΝΙΔΑΣ: Οὐκ ἔδει γὰρ συνεπιψεύδεσθαί σοι ὁρῶντα τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἀλαζονείας; σὺ δὲ πολὺ φοβερώτερον αὐτὸ ἐποίησας. ἔστω γάρ, ἀπέτεμες τοῦ κακοδαίμονος Παφλαγόνος τὴν κεφαλήν, τί καὶ κατέπηξας αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τῆς σαρίσης, ὥστε σου καταρρεῖν τὸ αἷμα;

[¶10] 6. LEONTICHUS: That was indeed repulsive, Chenidas; the tale we’d made up hadn’t been at all bad up till then! But be off with you and coax her into spending the night with me. CHENIDAS: Am I to say, then, that your whole story was a pack of lies, because you wished to appear a hero in her eyes?

> Greek: 6. ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Τοῦτο μιαρὸν ὡς ἀληθῶς, ὦ Χηνίδα, ἐπεὶ τά γε ἄλλα οὐ κακῶς συνεπέπλαστο. ἄπιθι δ’ οὖν καὶ πεῖσον αὐτὴν συγκαθευδήσουσαν. ΧΗΝΙΔΑΣ: Λέγω οὖν ὡς ἐψεύσω ἅπαντα γενναῖος αὐτῇ δόξαι βουλόμενος;

[¶11] LEONTICHUS: I’d be ashamed if you did. CHENIDAS: But that’s the only way she’ll come. You’ve only two choices; you can either be hated and retain your reputation for valour, or you can spend the night with Hymnis and admit you’ve been lying.

> Greek: ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Αἰσχρόν, ὦ Χηνίδα. ΧΗΝΙΔΑΣ: Καὶ μὴν οὐκ ἄλλως ἀφίκοιτο. ἑλοῦ τοίνυν θάτερον ἢ μισεῖσθαι ἀριστεὺς εἶναι δοκῶν ἢ καθεύδειν μετὰ Ὑμνίδος ἐψεῦσθαι ὁμολογῶν.

[¶12] LEONTICHUS: Either choice goes against the grain; but I choose Hymnis. So go, Chenidas, and tell her that I did He, but it wasn’t all lies.

> Greek: ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ: Χαλεπὰ μὲν ἄμφω· αἱροῦμαι δ’ ὅμως τὴν Ὑμνίδα. ἄπιθι οὖν καὶ λέγε, ὦ Χηνίδα, ἐψεῦσθαι μέν, μὴ πάντα δέ.