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

# Dialogues of the Dead · Νεκρικοὶ διάλογοι

*Lucian, tr. Matthew Donald Macleod*

Diogenes, Menippus, Alexander, Achilles and the rest in Hades, where beauty, wealth and power count for nothing.

> Greek: ed. Matthew Donald Macleod, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0062.tlg066, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Matthew Donald Macleod, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0062.tlg066.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.

## Contents

1. [Dialogue 1](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/1.md)
2. [Dialogue 2](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/2.md)
3. [Dialogue 3](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/3.md)
4. [Dialogue 4](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/4.md)
5. [Dialogue 5](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/5.md)
6. [Dialogue 6](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/6.md)
7. [Dialogue 7](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/7.md)
8. [Dialogue 8](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/8.md)
9. [Dialogue 9](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/9.md)
10. [Dialogue 10](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/10.md)
11. [Dialogue 11](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/11.md)
12. [Dialogue 12](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/12.md)
13. [Dialogue 13](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/13.md)
14. [Dialogue 14](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/14.md)
15. [Dialogue 15](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/15.md)
16. [Dialogue 16](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/16.md)
17. [Dialogue 17](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/17.md)
18. [Dialogue 18](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/18.md)
19. [Dialogue 19](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/19.md)
20. [Dialogue 20](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/20.md)
21. [Dialogue 21](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/21.md)
22. [Dialogue 22](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/22.md)
23. [Dialogue 23](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/23.md)
24. [Dialogue 24](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/24.md)
25. [Dialogue 25](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/25.md)
26. [Dialogue 26](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/26.md)
27. [Dialogue 27](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/27.md)
28. [Dialogue 28](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/28.md)
29. [Dialogue 29](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/29.md)
30. [Dialogue 30](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/30.md)

## 1. Dialogue 1

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/1/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/1/#p-N

[¶0] 1. DIOGENES: My dear Pollux, I have some instructions for you as soon as you go up top. It’s your turn for resurrection to-morrow, I believe. If you see Menippus, the Dog, anywhere (you’ll find him in Corinth at the Craneum or in the Lyceum at Athens, laughing at the Philosophers wrangling with each other), tell him this from me. “Diogenes bids you, Menippus, if you’ve laughed enough at the things on the earth above, come down here, if you want much more to laugh at; for on earth your laughter was fraught with uncertainty, and people often wondered whether anyone at all was quite sure about what follows death, but here you’ll be able to laugh endlessly without any doubts, as I do now—and particularly when you see rich men, satraps and tyrants so humble and insignificant, with nothing to distinguish them but their groans, and see them to be weak and contemptible when they recall their life above.” That’s the message you’ve to give him and one further thing—that he’s to come here with his wallet filled with lots of lupines and any meals dedicated to Hecate he finds at cross-roads, or eggs from sacrifices of purification, or anything of the sort.

> Greek: 1. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ὦ Πολύδευκες, ἐντέλλομαί σοι, ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα ἀνέλθῃς,—σὸν γάρ ἐστιν, οἶμαι, ἀναβιῶναι αὔριον—ἤν που ἴδῃς Μένιππον τὸν κύνα,—εὕροις δ’ ἂν αὐτὸν ἐν Κορίνθῳ κατὰ τὸ Κράνειον ἢ ἐν Λυκείῳ τῶν ἐριζόντων πρὸς ἀλλήλους φιλοσόφων καταγελῶντα—εἰπεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν, ὅτι σοί, ὦ Μένιππε, κελεύει ὁ Διογένης, εἴ σοι ἱκανῶς τὰ ὑπὲρ γῆς καταγεγέλασται, ἥκειν ἐνθάδε πολλῷ πλείω ἐπιγελασόμενον· ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ἐν ἀμφιβόλῳ σοὶ ἔτι ὁ γέλως ἦν καὶ πολὺ τὸ “τίς γὰρ ὅλως οἶδε τὰ μετὰ τὸν βίον;”, ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐ παύσῃ βεβαίως γελῶν καθάπερ ἐγὼ νῦν, καὶ μάλιστα ἐπειδὰν ὁρᾷς τοὺς πλουσίους καὶ σατράπας καὶ τυράννους οὕτω ταπεινοὺς καὶ ἀσήμους, ἐκ μόνης οἰμωγῆς διαγινωσκομένους, καὶ ὅτι μαλθακοὶ καὶ ἀγεννεῖς εἰσι μεμνημένοι τῶν ἄνω. ταῦτα λέγε αὐτῷ, καὶ προσέτι ἐμπλησάμενον τὴν πήραν ἥκειν θέρμων τε πολλῶν καὶ εἴ που εὕροι ἐν τῇ τριόδῳ Ἑκάτης δεῖπνον κείμενον ἢ ᾠὸν ἐκ καθαρσίου ἤ τι τοιοῦτον.

[¶1] 2. POLLUX: I’ll deliver your message, Diogenes. But if I could have precise information about his appearance— DIOGENES: He’s old and bald, with a decrepit cloak full of windows and open to every wind, a motley of flapping rags; he’s always laughing and Generally mocking those hypocritical Philosophers. POLLUX: If we judge from these details at any rate, he should be easy to find.
DIOGENES: May I send a piece of advice to these Philosophers also? POLLUX: Yes; no difficulty with that either.

> Greek: 2. ΠΟΛΥΔΕΥΚΗΣ: Ἀλλ' ἀπαγγελῶ ταῦτα, ὦ Διόγενες. ὅπως δὲ εἰδῶ μάλιστα ὁποῖός τίς ἐστι τὴν ὄψιν— ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Γέρων, φαλακρός, τριβώνιον ἔχων πολύθυρον, ἅπαντι ἀνέμῳ ἀναπεπταμένον καὶ ταῖς ἐπιπτυχαῖς τῶν ῥακίων ποικίλον, γελᾷ δ’ ἀεὶ καὶ τὰ πολλὰ τοὺς ἀλαζόνας τούτους φιλοσόφους ἐπισκώπτει. ΠΟΛΥΔΕΥΚΗΣ: Ῥᾴδιον εὑρεῖν ἀπό γε τούτων.
ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Βούλει καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους ἐντείλωμαί τι τοὺς φιλοσόφους; ΠΟΛΥΔΕΥΚΗΣ: Λέγε· οὐ βαρὺ γὰρ οὐδὲ τοῦτο.

[¶2] DIOGENES: Pass on a brief message to them to stop their foolish talk and their bickering about the universe, and making each other grow horns, and composing puzzles about crocodiles, and teaching the human mind to ask such insoluble riddles. POLLUX: But they say I’m an uneducated ignoramus to cast aspersions on their wisdom.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Τὸ μὲν ὅλον παύσασθαι αὐτοῖς παρεγγύα ληροῦσι καὶ περὶ τῶν ὅλων ἐρίζουσιν καὶ κέρατα φύουσιν ἀλλήλοις καὶ κροκοδείλους ποιοῦσι καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἄπορα ἐρωτᾶν διδάσκουσι τὸν νοῦν. ΠΟΛΥΔΕΥΚΗΣ: Ἀλλὰ ἐμὲ ἀμαθῆ καὶ ἀπαίδευτον εἶναι φάσκουσι κατηγοροῦντα τῆς σοφίας αὐτῶν.

[¶3] DIOGENES: You tell them from me to go to the devil. POLLUX: I’ll give this message too, Diogenes.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Σὺ δὲ οἰμώζειν αὐτοὺς παρ' ἐμοῦ λέγε. ΠΟΛΥΔΕΥΚΗΣ: Καὶ ταῦτα, ὦ Διόγενες, ἀπαγγελῶ.

[¶4] 3. DIOGENES: And take this message to the rich men from us, my dearest Pollux. “Why do you guard your gold, you senseless fools? Why do you punish yourselves, counting interest, and piling talents on talents, when you must come here shortly with no more than a penny?” POLLUX: They shall have this message too.

> Greek: 3. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Τοῖς πλουσίοις δ’ ὦ φίλτατον Πολυδεύκιον, ἀπάγγελλε ταῦτα παρ' ἡμῶν· τί, ὦ μάταιοι, τὸν χρυσὸν φυλάττετε; τί δὲ τιμωρεῖσθε ἑαυτοὺς λογιζόμενοι τοὺς τόκους καὶ τάλαντα ἐπὶ ταλάντοις συντιθέντες, οὓς χρὴ ἕνα ὀβολὸν ἔχοντας ἥκειν μετ' ὀλίγον; ΠΟΛΥΔΕΥΚΗΣ: Εἰρήσεται καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς ἐκείνους.

[¶5] DIOGENES: Yes, and say to the men who are handsome and strong like Megillus of Corinth and Damoxenus the wrestler, “Here with us are no golden locks or blue eyes or dark eyes, or rosy cheek, no well-strung sinews or sturdy shoulders—all with us, to quote the proverb, is one and the same dust, skulls bereft of good looks.” POLLUX: Another easy message for me to give—to the handsome and strong.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς καλοῖς τε καὶ ἰσχυροῖς λέγε, Μεγίλλῳ τε τῷ Κορινθίῳ καὶ Δαμοξένῳ τῷ παλαιστῇ, ὅτι παρ' ἡμῖν οὔτε ἡ ξανθὴ κόμη οὔτε τὰ χαροπὰ ἢ μέλανα ὄμματα ἢ ἐρύθημα ἐπὶ τοῦ 334προσώπου ἔτι ἔστιν ἢ νεῦρα εὔτονα ἢ ὦμοι καρτεροί, ἀλλὰ πάντα μία ἡμῖν κόνις, φασί, κρανία γυμνὰ τοῦ κάλλους. ΠΟΛΥΔΕΥΚΗΣ: Οὐ χαλεπὸν οὐδὲ ταῦτα εἰπεῖν πρὸς τοὺς καλοὺς καὶ ἰσχυρούς.

[¶6] 4. DIOGENES: And tell the poor, my Spartan friend, who are many, displeased with life and pitying themselves for their poverty, not to cry and moan; describe to them our equality here, telling them how they’ll see the rich on earth no better here than they are themselves. And tell your own Spartans off from me, if you will, for having become so slack. POLLUX: Not a word to me about Spartans, Diogenes; I won’t tolerate that. But I’ll deliver your messages to all the others.

> Greek: 4. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Καὶ τοῖς πένησιν, ὦ Λάκων,—πολλοὶ δ’ εἰσὶ καὶ ἀχθόμενοι τῷ πράγματι καὶ οἰκτείροντες τὴν ἀπορίαν—λέγε μήτε δακρύειν μήτε οἰμώζειν διηγησάμενος τὴν ἐνταῦθα ἰσοτιμίαν, καὶ ὅτι ὄψονται τοὺς ἐκεῖ πλουσίους οὐδὲν ἀμείνους αὑτῶν· καὶ Λακεδαιμονίοις δὲ τοῖς σοῖς ταῦτα, εἰ δοκεῖ, παρ' ἐμοῦ ἐπιτίμησον λέγων ἐκλελύσθαι αὐτούς. ΠΟΛΥΔΕΥΚΗΣ: Μηδέν, ὦ Διόγενες, περὶ Λακεδαιμονίων λέγε· οὐ γὰρ ἀνέξομαί γε. ἃ δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους ἔφησθα, ἀπαγγελῶ.

[¶7] DIOGENES: Let’s forget about the Spartans, since that’s your wish, but be sure to give my messages to the people I mentioned earlier on.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ἐάσωμεν τούτους, ἐπεί σοι δοκεῖ· σὺ δὲ οἷς προεῖπον ἀπένεγκον παρ' ἐμοῦ τοὺς λόγους.

## 2. Dialogue 2

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/2/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/2/#p-N

[¶0] 1. CHARON: Pay the fare, curse you.

> Greek: 1. ΧΑΡΩΝ: Ἀπόδος, ὦ κατάρατε, τὰ πορθμεῖα.

[¶1] MENIPPUS: Shout away, Charon, if that’s what you prefer.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Βόα, εἰ τοῦτό σοι, ὦ Χάρων, ἥδιον.

[¶2] CHARON: Pay me, I say, for taking you across.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Ἀπόδος, φημί, ἀνθ' ὧν σε διεπορθμεύσαμεν.

[¶3] MENIPPUS: You can’t get blood out of a stone.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐκ ἂν λάβοις παρὰ τοῦ μὴ ἔχοντος.

[¶4] CHARON: Is there anyone who hasn’t a single penny?

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Ἔστι δέ τις ὀβολὸν μὴ ἔχων;

[¶5] MENIPPUS: I don’t know about anyone else, but I am without one.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Εἰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλος τις οὐκ οἶδα, ἐγὼ δ’ οὐκ ἔχω.

[¶6] CHARON: But by Pluto, I’ll throttle you, you blackguard, if you don’t pay.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Καὶ μὴν ἄγξω σε νὴ τὸν Πλούτωνα, ὦ μιαρέ, ἢν μὴ ἀποδῷς.

[¶7] MENIPPUS: And I’ll smash your head with a blow from my stick.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Κἀγὼ τῷ ξύλῳ σου πατάξας διαλύσω τὸ κρανίον.

[¶8] CHARON: Then you’ll have sailed all this long way for nothing.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Μάτην οὖν ἔσῃ πεπλευκὼς τοσοῦτον πλοῦν.

[¶9] MENIPPUS: Hermes delivered me to you; let him pay.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὁ Ἑρμῆς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ σοι ἀποδότω, ὅς με παρέδωκέ σοι.

[¶10] 2. HERMES: Heaven help me, if I’m going to pay for the dead too.

> Greek: 2. ΕΡΜΗΣ: Νὴ Δί' ὀναίμην γε, εἰ μέλλω καὶ ὑπερεκτίνειν τῶν νεκρῶν.

[¶11] CHARON: I won’t leave you alone.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Οὐκ ἀποστήσομαί σου.

[¶12] MENIPPUS: Then you’d better beach your ferry, and stay put; but how will you get what I don’t have?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Τούτου γε ἕνεκα νεωλκήσας τὸ πορθμεῖον παράμενε· πλὴν ἀλλ’ ὅ γε μὴ ἔχω, πῶς ἂν λάβοις;

[¶13] CHARON: Didn’t you know you had to bring it with you?

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Σὺ δ’ οὐκ ᾔδεις κομίζειν δέον;

[¶14] MENIPPUS: Yes, but I didn’t have it. What of it? Did that make it wrong for me to die?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἤιδειν μέν, οὐκ εἶχον δέ. τί οὖν; ἐχρῆν διὰ τοῦτο μὴ ἀποθανεῖν;

[¶15] CHARON: So you’ll be the only one to boast of a free passage?

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Μόνος οὖν αὐχήσεις προῖκα πεπλευκέναι;

[¶16] MENIPPUS: Not free, my good fellow; I baled, I helped at the oar, I was the only passenger who wasn’t weeping.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐ προῖκα, ὦ βέλτιστε· καὶ γὰρ ἤντλησα καὶ τῆς κώπης συνεπελαβόμην καὶ οὐκ ἔκλαον μόνος τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιβατῶν.

[¶17] CHARON: That’s nothing to do with a ferryman; your penny must be paid. No alternative’s allowed.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Οὐδὲν ταῦτα πρὸς πορθμέα· τὸν ὀβολὸν ἀποδοῦναί σε δεῖ· οὐ θέμις ἄλλως γενέσθαι.

[¶18] 3. MENIPPUS: Then take me back to life.

> Greek: 3. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐκοῦν ἄπαγέ με αὖθις ἐς τὸν βίον.

[¶19] CHARON: That’s a bright remark! Do you want me also to get a thrashing from Aeacus for my pains?

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Χάριεν λέγεις, ἵνα καὶ πληγὰς ἐπὶ τούτῳ παρὰ τοῦ Αἰακοῦ προσλάβω.

[¶20] MENIPPUS: Then don’t bother me.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Μὴ ἐνόχλει οὖν.

[¶21] CHARON: Show me what you have in your bag.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Δεῖξον τί ἐν τῇ πήρᾳ ἔχεις.

[¶22] MENIPPUS: Lupines, if you want some, and a meal meant for Hecate.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Θέρμους, εἰ θέλεις, καὶ τῆς Ἑκάτης τὸ δεῖπνον.

[¶23] CHARON: Where did you find us this Dog, Hermes? How he chattered on the crossing too, mocking and jeering at all the passengers and singing on his own while they were lamenting!

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Πόθεν τοῦτον ἡμῖν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, τὸν κύνα ἤγαγες; οἷα δὲ καὶ ἐλάλει παρὰ τὸν πλοῦν τῶν ἐπιβατῶν ἁπάντων καταγελῶν καὶ ἐπισκώπτων καὶ μόνος ᾄδων οἰμωζόντων ἐκείνων.

[¶24] HERMES: Don’t you know, my dear Charon, what sort of man you’ve taken across? He is absolutely independent and cares for nobody. This is Menippus.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ἀγνοεῖς, ὦ Χάρων, ὅντινα ἄνδρα διεπόρθμευσας; ἐλεύθερον ἀκριβῶς· οὐδένος αὐτῷ μέλει. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Μένιππος.

[¶25] CHARON: But if ever I get my hands on you— MENIPPUS: If you get your hands on me, my good fellow! But you won’t get them on me a second time.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Καὶ μὴν ἄν σε λάβω ποτέ— ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἄν λάβῃς, ὦ βέλτιστε· δὶς δὲ οὐκ ἂν λάβοις.

## 3. Dialogue 3

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/3/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/3/#p-N

[¶0] 1. CROESUS: Pluto, we can’t stand having this Dog, Menippus, for our neighbour. So put him somewhere else, or we’ll move ourselves.
PLUTO: What harm does he do you as a fellow-shade? CROESUS: Whenever we moan and groan at our memories of life above, Midas recalling his gold, Sardanapalus his great luxury, and I, Croesus, my treasures, he mocks and reviles us, calling us slaves and scum: sometimes he even disturbs our lamentations by singing. In short, he’s a pest.

> Greek: 1. ΚΡΟΙΣΟΣ: Οὐ φέρομεν, ὦ Πλούτων, Μένιππον τουτονὶ τὸν κύνα παροικοῦντα· ὥστε ἢ ἐκεῖνόν ποι κατάστησον ἢ ἡμεῖς μετοικήσομεν εἰς ἕτερον τόπον.
ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Τί δ’ ὑμᾶς δεινὸν ἐργάζεται ὁμόνεκρος ὤν; ΚΡΟΙΣΟΣ: Ἐπειδὰν ἡμεῖς οἰμώζωμεν καὶ στένωμεν ἐκείνων μεμνημένοι τῶν ἄνω, Μίδας μὲν οὑτοσὶ τοῦ χρυσίου, Σαρδανάπαλλος δὲ τῆς πολλῆς τρυφῆς, ἐγὼ δὲ Κροῖσος τῶν θησαυρῶν, ἐπιγελᾷ καὶ ἐξονειδίζει ἀνδράποδα καὶ καθάρματα ἡμᾶς ἀποκαλῶν, ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ ᾄδων ἐπιταράττει ἡμῶν τὰς οἰμωγάς, καὶ ὅλως λυπηρός ἐστιν.

[¶1] PLUTO: What’s this they tell me, Menippus?

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Τί ταῦτά φασιν, ὦ Μένιππε;

[¶2] MENIPPUS: True enough, Pluto; I hate them; they’re low scoundrels, not content with having led bad lives, but even in death they remember their past and cling to it. That’s why I enjoy tormenting them.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἀληθῆ, ὦ Πλούτων· μισῶ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἀγεννεῖς καὶ ὀλεθρίους ὄντας, οἷς οὐκ ἀπέχρησεν βιῶναι κακῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποθανόντες ἔτι μέμνηνται καὶ περιέχονται τῶν ἄνω· χαίρω τοιγαροῦν ἀνιῶν αὐτούς.

[¶3] PLUTO: You shouldn’t; they mourn great losses.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Ἀλλ' οὐ χρή· λυποῦνται γὰρ οὐ μικρῶν στερόμενοι.

[¶4] MENIPPUS: Are you a fool too, Pluto? Do you approve of their groanings?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Καὶ σὺ μωραίνεις, ὦ Πλούτων, ὁμόψηφος ὢν τοῖς τούτων στεναγμοῖς;

[¶5] PLUTO: Not at all, but I wouldn’t like you to be quarrelling.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἂν ἐθέλοιμι στασιάζειν ὑμᾶς.

[¶6] 2. MENIPPUS: Even so, you lowest of the low from Lydia, Phrygia and Assyria, I’d have you know that I’ll never stop. Wherever you go, I’ll follow, tormenting you with my songs and mockery. CROESUS: Isn’t this outrageous?

> Greek: 2. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Καὶ μήν, ὦ κάκιστοι Λυδῶν καὶ Φρυγῶν καὶ Ἀσσυρίων, οὕτω γινώσκετε ὡς οὐδὲ παυσομένου μου· ἔνθα γὰρ ἂν ἴητε, ἀκολουθήσω ἀνιῶν καὶ κατᾴδων καὶ καταγελῶν. ΚΡΟΙΣΟΣ: Ταῦτα οὐχ ὕβρις;

[¶7] MENIPPUS: No, the outrageous thing was your behaviour, when you expected people to worship you, treated free men with contempt, and forgot all about death. That’s why you’re going to lament the loss of all those things. CROESUS: Oh, ye gods, many and great possessions they were! MIDAS: All my gold! SARDANAPALUS: All my luxury!

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὔκ, ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖνα ὕβρις ἦν, ἃ ὑμεῖς ἐποιεῖτε, προσκυνεῖσθαι ἀξιοῦντες καὶ ἐλευθέροις ἀνδράσιν ἐντρυφῶντες καὶ τοῦ θανάτου παράπαν οὐ μνημονεύοντες· τοιγαροῦν οἰμώξεσθε πάντων ἐκείνων ἀφῃρημένοι. ΚΡΟΙΣΟΣ: Πολλῶν γε, ὦ θεοί, καὶ μεγάλων κτημάτων. ΜΙΔΑΣ: Ὅσου μὲν ἐγὼ χρυσοῦ. ΣΑΡΔΑΝΑΠΑΛΛΟΣ: Ὅσης δὲ ἐγὼ τρυφῆς.

[¶8] MENIPPUS: Bravo, go on. You keep up your whimperings, and I’ll accompany you with song, with a string of “Know-Thyself” s for my refrain. That’s the proper accompaniment for such lamentations.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Εὖ γε, οὕτω ποιεῖτε· ὀδύρεσθε μὲν ὑμεῖς, ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ γνῶθι σαυτὸν πολλάκις συνείρων ἐπᾴσομαι ὑμῖν· πρέποι γὰρ ἂν ταῖς τοιαύταις οἰμωγαῖς ἐπᾳδόμενον.

## 4. Dialogue 4

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/4/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/4/#p-N

[¶0] 1. MENIPPUS: My dear Cerberus—I’m a relation, being a Dog myself—I beg you, in the name of the Styx, to tell me what Socrates was like when he came down to you. Seeing that you’re a god, you can be expected not merely to bark, but also to talk like a human when you wish. CERBERUS: When he was at a distance, Menippus, his face seemed completely impassive as he approached, and he appeared to have not the slightest fear of death, and he wanted to impress this on those who stood outside the entrance, but when he had peeped into the chasm, and seen the darkness, and I had bitten him and dragged him by the foot, because he was still slowed down by the hemlock, he shrieked like an infant, and cried for his children and went frantic.

> Greek: 1. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὦ Κέρβερε—συγγενὴς γάρ εἰμί σοι κύων καὶ αὐτὸς ὤν—εἰπέ μοι πρὸς τῆς Στυγός, οἷος ἦν ὁ Σωκράτης, ὁπότε κατῄει παρ' ὑμᾶς· εἰκὸς δέ σε θεὸν ὄντα μὴ ὑλακτεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνθρωπίνως φθέγγεσθαι, ὁπότ' ἐθέλοις. ΚΕΡΒΕΡΟΣ: Πόρρωθεν μέν, ὦ Μένιππε, παντάπασιν ἐδόκει ἀτρέπτῳ τῷ προσώπῳ προσιέναι καὶ οὐ πάνυ δεδιέναι τὸν θάνατον δοκῶν καὶ τοῦτο ἐμφῆναι τοῖς ἔξω τοῦ στομίου ἑστῶσιν ἐθέλων, ἐπεὶ δὲ κατέκυψεν εἴσω τοῦ χάσματος καὶ εἶδε τὸν ζόφον, κἀγὼ ἔτι διαμέλλοντα αὐτὸν δακὼν τῷ κωνείῳ κατέσπασα τοῦ ποδός, ὥσπερ τὰ βρέφη ἐκώκυεν καὶ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ παιδία ὠδύρετο καὶ παντοῖος ἐγίνετο.

[¶1] 2. MENIPPUS: Then the fellow was just a sham, and didn’t really despise his plight? CERBERUS: No, but since he could see it was inescapable, he put on a bold front, pretending he would be glad to accept what was quite inevitable, all to win the admiration of the onlookers. I could Generalise about all such men: as far as the entrance, they are bold and brave, but what comes inside is the real test.

> Greek: 2. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐκοῦν σοφιστὴς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἦν καὶ οὐκ ἀληθῶς κατεφρόνει τοῦ πράγματος; ΚΕΡΒΕΡΟΣ: Οὔκ, ἀλλ’ ἐπείπερ ἀναγκαῖον αὐτὸ ἑώρα, κατεθρασύνετο ὡς δῆθεν οὐκ ἄκων πεισόμενος ὃ πάντως ἔδει παθεῖν, ὡς θαυμάσονται οἱ θεαταί. καὶ ὅλως περὶ πάντων γε τῶν τοιούτων εἰπεῖν ἂν ἔχοιμι, ἕως τοῦ στομίου τολμηροὶ καὶ ἀνδρεῖοι, τὰ δὲ ἔνδοθεν ἔλεγχος ἀκριβής.

[¶2] MENIPPUS: What did you think of me, when I came down? CERBERUS: You alone were a credit to your breed—you and Diogenes before you, because you came in without having to be forced or pushed, but of your own accord, laughing and cursing at everyone.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἐγὼ δὲ πῶς σοι κατεληλυθέναι ἔδοξα; ΚΕΡΒΕΡΟΣ: Μόνος, ὦ Μένιππε, ἀξίως τοῦ γένους, καὶ Διογένης πρὸ σοῦ, ὅτι μὴ ἀναγκαζόμενοι ἐσῄειτε μηδ’ ὠθούμενοι, ἀλλ’ ἐθελούσιοι, γελῶντες, οἰμώζειν παραγγείλαντες ἅπασιν.

## 5. Dialogue 5

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/5/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/5/#p-N

[¶0] 1. MENIPPUS: Tell me, Hermes, where are the beauties of both sexes? Show me round, as I’m a newcomer.

> Greek: 1. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ποῦ δαὶ οἱ καλοί εἰσιν ἢ αἱ καλαί, Ἑρμῆ; ξενάγησόν με νέηλυν ὄντα.

[¶1] HERMES: I have no time, Menippus. But just look over there to your right, where you’ll see Hyacinthus, Narcissus, NIreus, Achilles, Tyro, Helen, and Leda, and, in fact, all the beauties of old.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Οὐ σχολή μέν, ὦ Μένιππε· πλὴν κατ' ἐκεῖνο ἀπόβλεψον, ἐπὶ τὰ δεξιά, ἔνθα ὁ Ὑάκινθός τέ ἐστιν καὶ Νάρκισσος καὶ Νιρεὺς καὶ Ἀχιλλεὺς καὶ Τυρὼ καὶ Ἑλένη καὶ Λήδα καὶ ὅλως τὰ ἀρχαῖα πάντα κάλλη.

[¶2] MENIPPUS: I can only see bones and bare skulls, most of them looking the same.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὀστᾶ μόνα ὁρῶ καὶ κρανία τῶν σαρκῶν γυμνά, ὅμοια τὰ πολλά.

[¶3] HERMES: Yet those are what all the poets admire, those bones which you seem to despise.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Καὶ μὴν ἐκεῖνά ἐστιν ἃ πάντες οἱ ποιηταὶ θαυμάζουσι τὰ ὀστᾶ, ὧν σὺ ἔοικας καταφρονεῖν.

[¶4] MENIPPUS: But show me Helen. I can’t pick her out myself.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὅμως τὴν Ἑλένην μοι δεῖξον· οὐ γὰρ ἂν διαγνοίην ἔγωγε.

[¶5] HERMES: This skull is Helen.
MENIPPUS: Was it then for this that the thousand ships were manned from all Greece, for this that so many Greeks and barbarians fell, and so many cities were devastated?

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Τουτὶ τὸ κρανίον ἡ Ἑλένη ἐστίν.

[¶6] 2. HERMES: Ah, but you never saw the woman alive, Menippus, or you would have said yourself that it was forgivable that they “for such a lady long should suffer woe”. For if one sees flowers that are dried up and faded, they will, of course, appear ugly; but when they are in bloom and have their colour, they are very beautiful.

> Greek: 2. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Εἶτα διὰ τοῦτο αἱ χίλιαι νῆες ἐπληρώθησαν ἐξ ἁπάσης τῆς Ἑλλάδος καὶ τοσοῦτοι ἔπεσον Ἕλληνές τε καὶ βάρβαροι καὶ τοσαῦται πόλεις ἀνάστατοι γεγόνασιν;
ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶδες, ὦ Μένιππε, ζῶσαν τὴν γυναῖκα· ἔφης γὰρ ἂν καὶ σὺ ἀνεμέσητον εἶναι “τοιῇδ’ ἀμφὶ γυναικὶ πολὺν χρόνον ἄλγεα πάσχειν”· ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ ἄνθη ξηρὰ ὄντα εἴ τις βλέποι ἀποβεβληκότα τὴν βαφήν, ἄμορφα δῆλον ὅτι αὐτῷ δόξει, ὅτε μέντοι ἀνθεῖ καὶ ἔχει τὴν χρόαν, κάλλιστά ἐστιν.

[¶7] MENIPPUS: Well, Hermes, what does surprise me is this: that the Achaeans didn’t know how short-lived a thing they strove for, and how soon it loses its bloom.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐκοῦν τοῦτο, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, θαυμάζω, εἰ μὴ συνίεσαν οἱ Ἀχαιοὶ περὶ πράγματος οὕτως ὀλιγοχρονίου καὶ ῥᾳδίως ἀπανθοῦντος πονοῦντες.

[¶8] HERMES: I have no time to moralise with you, Menippus. Choose a place to lie down in, wherever you like, and I’ll be off now to fetch the other shades.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Οὐ σχολή μοι, ὦ Μένιππε, συμφιλοσοφεῖν σοι. ὥστε σὺ μὲν ἐπιλεξάμενος τόπον, ἔνθα ἂν ἐθέλῃς, κεῖσο καταβαλὼν σεαυτόν, ἐγὼ δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους νεκροὺς ἤδη μετελεύσομαι.

## 6. Dialogue 6

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/6/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/6/#p-N

[¶0] 1. MENIPPUS: I ask you, Aeacus, in the name of Pluto, to conduct me round every thing in Hades.

> Greek: 1. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Πρὸς τοῦ Πλούτωνος, ὦ Αἰακέ, περιήγησαί μοι τὰ ἐν ᾅδου πάντα.

[¶1] AEACUS: It’s not easy to do it all, Menippus, but I’ll show you the chief things. This is Cerberus, as you know, and on your way in you’ve already seen the ferryman here who brought you over, and the lake and Pyriphlegethon.

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Οὐ ῥᾴδιον, ὦ Μένιππε, ἅπαντα· ὅσα μέντοι κεφαλαιώδη, μάνθανε· οὗτος μὲν ὅτι Κέρβερός ἐστιν οἶσθα, καὶ τὸν πορθμέα τοῦτον, ὅς σε διεπέρασεν, καὶ τὴν λίμνην καὶ τὸν Πυριφλεγέθοντα ἤδη ἑώρακας εἰσιών.

[¶2] MENIPPUS: I know all that and that you are the gate-keeper, and I’ve seen the king and the Furies. But show me the men of old, and particularly the famous ones.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οἶδα ταῦτα καὶ σέ, ὅτι πυλωρεῖς, καὶ τὸν βασιλέα εἶδον καὶ τὰς Ἐρινῦς· τοὺς δὲ ἀνθρώπους μοι τοὺς πάλαι δεῖξον καὶ μάλιστα τοὺς ἐπισήμους αὐτῶν.

[¶3] AEACUS: This is Agamemnon, and this Achilles, here is Idomeneus close by, and here Odysseus, then come Ajax, Diomede and the finest of the Greeks.

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Οὗτος μὲν Ἀγαμέμνων, οὗτος δὲ Ἀχιλλεύς, οὗτος δὲ Ἰδομενεὺς πλησίον, οὗτος δὲ Ὀδυσσεύς, εἶτα Αἴας καὶ Διομήδης καὶ οἱ ἄριστοι τῶν Ἑλλήνων.

[¶4] 2. MENIPPUS: Dear me, Homer, how the central figures of your epics have been cast to the ground and lie unrecognisable and ugly, all so much dust and rubbish, “strengthless heads” in very truth! But who is this, Aeacus?

> Greek: 2. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Βαβαί, ὦ Ὅμηρε, οἷά σοι τῶν ῥαψῳδιῶν τὰ κεφάλαια χαμαὶ ἔρριπται ἄγνωστα καὶ ἄμορφα, κόνις πάντα καὶ λῆρος πολύς, ἀμενηνὰ ὡς ἀληθῶς κάρηνα. οὗτος δέ, ὦ Αἰακέ, τίς ἐστιν;

[¶5] AEACUS: Cyrus, and this is Croesus, and the one beyond him Sardanapalus, and beyond them Midas, and that one is Xerxes.

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Κῦρός ἐστιν· οὗτος δὲ Κροῖσος, ὁ δ’ ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν Σαρδανάπαλλος, ὁ δ’ ὑπὲρ τούτους Μίδας, ἐκεῖνος δὲ Ξέρξης.

[¶6] MENIPPUS: Then you, you scum, were the terror of Hellas? You bridged the Hellespont, and wanted to sail through the mountains? And what a sight Croesus is! And, Aeacus, let me slap the face of Sardanapalus.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Εἶτα σέ, ὦ κάθαρμα, ἡ Ἑλλὰς ἔφριττε ζευγνύντα μὲν τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον, διὰ δὲ τῶν ὀρῶν πλεῖν ἐπιθυμοῦντα; οἷος δὲ καὶ ὁ Κροῖσός ἐστιν. τὸν Σαρδανάπαλλον δέ, ὦ Αἰακέ, πατάξαι μοι κατὰ κόρρης ἐπίτρεψον.

[¶7] AEACUS: Don’t, you’re breaking his skull; it’s as weak as a woman’s.

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Μηδαμῶς· διαθρύπτεις γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸ κρανίον γυναικεῖον ὄν.

[¶8] MENIPPUS: Then at least I’ll have a good spit at him, since he’s as much woman as man.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐκοῦν ἀλλὰ προσπτύσομαί γε πάντως αὐτῷ ἀνρογύνῳ γε ὄντι.

[¶9] 3. AEACUS: Would you like me to show you the Philosophers?

> Greek: 3. ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Βούλει σοὶ ἐπιδείξω καὶ τοὺς σοφούς;

[¶10] MENIPPUS: Oh yes, please.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Νὴ Δία γε.

[¶11] AEACUS: Here first you have Pythagoras.

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Πρῶτος οὗτός σοι ὁ Πυθαγόρας ἐστί.

[¶12] MENIPPUS: Good day to you, Euphorbus or Apollo, or whatever name you prefer. PYTHAGORAS: And a bad day to you, Menippus.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Χαῖρε, ὦ Εὔφορβε ἢ Ἄπολλον ἢ ὅ τι ἂν θέλῃς. ΠΥΘΑΓΟΡΑΣ: Μὴ καὶ σύ γε, ὦ Μένιππε.

[¶13] MENIPPUS: Don’t you still have your thigh of gold? PYTHAGORAS: No; but let me see if there’s anything to eat in your wallet.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐκέτι χρυσοῦς ὁ μηρός σοι; ΠΥΘΑΓΟΡΑΣ: Οὐ γάρ· ἀλλὰ φέρε ἴδω εἴ τί σοι ἐδώδιμον ἡ πήρα ἔχει.

[¶14] MENIPPUS: Beans, my good fellow—something you mustn’t eat. PYTHAGORAS: Just give me some. Doctrines are different among the dead; I’ve learnt that beans and parents’ heads are not the same thing here.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Κυάμους, ὦγαθέ· ὥστε οὐ τουτί σοι ἐδώδιμον. ΠΥΘΑΓΟΡΑΣ: Δὸς μόνον· ἄλλα παρὰ νεκροῖς δόγματα· ἔμαθον γάρ, ὡς οὐδὲν ἴσον κύαμοι καὶ κεφαλαὶ τοκήων ἐνθάδε.

[¶15] 4. AEACUS: This is Solon, the son of Execestides, and that is Thales, and past them is Pittacus, and the others; they are seven in all, as you see.

> Greek: 4. ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Οὗτος δὲ Σόλων ὁ Ἐξηκεστίδου καὶ Θαλῆς ἐκεῖνος καὶ παρ' αὐτοὺς Πιττακὸς καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι· ἑπτὰ δὲ πάντες εἰσὶν ὡς ὁρᾷς.

[¶16] MENIPPUS: These are the only happy and cheerful ones, Aeacus. But who is this covered with cinders, like a loaf baked in the ashes, and with such a crop of blisters on his skin?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἄλυποι, ὦ Αἰακέ, οὗτοι μόνοι καὶ φαιδροὶ τῶν ἄλλων· ὁ δὲ σποδοῦ ἀνάπλεως καθάπερ ἐγκρυφίας ἄρτος, ὁ ταῖς φλυκταίναις ἐξηνθηκώς, τίς ἐστιν;

[¶17] AEACUS: Empedocles; he came half-boiled from Etna.

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Ἐμπεδοκλῆς, ὦ Μένιππε, ἡμίεφθος ἀπὸ τῆς Αἴτνης παρών.

[¶18] MENIPPUS: O brazen-foot most excellent, what came over you that you jumped into the crater? EMPEDOCLES: A fit of mad depression, Menippus.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὦ χαλκόπου βέλτιστε, τί παθὼν σεαυτὸν εἰς τοὺς κρατῆρας ἐνέβαλες; ΕΜΠΕΔΟΚΛΗΣ: Μελαγχολία τις, ὦ Μένιππε.

[¶19] MENIPPUS: No, but a fit of vanity and pride and a dose of drivelling folly; that was what burnt you to ashes, boots and all—and well you deserved it! But the trick didn’t do you any good; they found out that you were dead. But wherever, Aeacus, is Socrates?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐ μὰ Δί' ἀλλὰ κενοδοξία καὶ τῦφος καὶ πολλὴ κόρυζα, ταῦτά σε ἀπηνθράκωσεν αὐταῖς κρηπῖσιν οὐκ ἀνάξιον ὄντα· πλὴν οὐδέν σε ὤνησεν τὸ σόφισμα· ἐφωράθης γὰρ τεθνεώς. ὁ Σωκράτης δέ, ὦ Αἰακέ, ποῦ ποτε ἄρα ἐστίν;

[¶20] AEACUS: Usually he’s talking nonsense with Nestor and Palamedes.

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Μετὰ Νέστορος καὶ Παλαμήδους ἐκεῖνος ληρεῖ τὰ πολλά.

[¶21] MENIPPUS: However, I should like to see him, if he’s around.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὅμως ἐβουλόμην ἰδεῖν αὐτόν, εἴ που ἐνθάδε ἐστίν.

[¶22] AEACUS: Do you see the bald one?

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Ὁρᾷς τὸν φαλακρόν;

[¶23] MENIPPUS: They’re all bald; that distinguishing feature would apply to them all.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἅπαντες φαλακροί εἰσιν· ὥστε πάντων ἂν εἴη τοῦτο τὸ γνώρισμα.

[¶24] AEACUS: I mean the one with the snub nose.

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Τὸν σιμὸν λέγω.

[¶25] MENIPPUS: This too they have in common; they’re all snub-nosed.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Καὶ τοῦτο ὅμοιον· σιμοὶ γὰρ ἅπαντες.

[¶26] 5. SOCRATES: Looking for me, Menippus?
MENIPPUS: Yes, I am, Socrates. SOCRATES: What’s the news in Athens?

> Greek: 5. ΣΩΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Ἐμὲ ζητεῖς, ὦ Μένιππε;
ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Καὶ μάλα, ὦ Σώκρατες. ΣΩΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Τί τὰ ἐν Ἀθήναις;

[¶27] MENIPPUS: Many of the young men call themselves Philosophers, and, to judge at least from their garb and gait, are tiptop Philosophers. SOCRATES: I’ve seen lots of them.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Πολλοὶ τῶν νέων φιλοσοφεῖν λέγουσι, καὶ τά γε σχήματα αὐτὰ καὶ τὰ βαδίσματα εἰ θεάσαιτό τις, ἄκροι φιλόσοφοι. ΣΩΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Μάλα πολλοὺς ἑώρακα.

[¶28] MENIPPUS: But you’ve seen, I imagine, what Aristippus was like when he came to join you, or Plato himself—the one reeking of scent, the other accomplished in flattering Sicilian tyrants. SOCRATES: And what do they think of me?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἀλλὰ ἑώρακας, οἶμαι, οἷος ἧκε παρὰ σοὶ Ἀρίστιππος ἢ Πλάτων αὐτός, ὁ μὲν ἀποπνέων μύρον, ὁ δὲ τοὺς ἐν Σικελίᾳ τυράννους θεραπεύειν ἐκμαθών. ΣΩΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Περὶ ἐμοῦ δὲ τί φρονοῦσιν;

[¶29] MENIPPUS: In these respects at least, you’re a lucky fellow, Socrates. At any rate they all think you were a wonderful man, and knew everything, though—I think I’m right in saying so—you knew nothing. SOCRATES: That’s what I myself kept telling them, but they thought it was all pretence on my part.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Εὐδαίμων, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἄνθρωπος εἶ τά γε τοιαῦτα. πάντες γοῦν σε θαυμάσιον οἴονται ἄνδρα γεγενῆσθαι καὶ πάντα ἐγνωκέναι καὶ ταῦτα—οἶμαι γὰρ τἀληθῆ λέγειν—οὐδὲν εἰδότα. ΣΩΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Καὶ αὐτὸς ἔφασκον ταῦτα πρὸς αὐτούς, οἱ δὲ εἰρωνείαν τὸ πρᾶγμα ᾤοντο εἶναι.

[¶30] 6. MENIPPUS: But who are these round you? SOCRATES: Charmides, my good fellow, and Phaedrus and Clinias’ son.

> Greek: 6. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Τίνες δέ εἰσιν οὗτοι οἱ περὶ σέ; ΣΩΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Χαρμίδης, ὦ Μένιππε, καὶ Φαῖδρος καὶ ὁ τοῦ Κλεινίου.

[¶31] MENIPPUS: Bravo, Socrates! Still following your own special line here! Still with an eye for beauty! SOCRATES: What could I find to do more agreeable? But won’t you lie down by us, please?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Εὖ γε, ὦ Σώκρατες, ὅτι κἀνταῦθα μέτει τὴν σεαυτοῦ τέχνην καὶ οὐκ ὀλιγωρεῖς τῶν καλῶν. ΣΩΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Τί γὰρ ἂν ἥδιον ἄλλο πράττοιμι; ἀλλὰ πλησίον ἡμῶν κατάκεισο, εἰ δοκεῖ.

[¶32] MENIPPUS: Oh, no; I’m going off to Croesus and Sardanapalus, to stay near them. I expect to have plenty of fun hearing their lamentations.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Μὰ Δί', ἐπεὶ παρὰ τὸν Κροῖσον καὶ τὸν Σαρδανάπαλλον ἄπειμι πλησίον οἰκήσων αὐτῶν· ἔοικα γοῦν οὐκ ὀλίγα γελάσεσθαι οἰμωζόντων ἀκούων.

[¶33] AEACUS: I’m off now, too, to see that none of the dead gives us the slip and escapes. You’ll see things in full another time, Menippus.

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Κἀγὼ ἤδη ἄπειμι, μὴ καί τις ἡμᾶς νεκρὸς λάθῃ διαφυγών. τὰ πολλὰ δ’ εἰσαῦθις ὄψει, ὦ Μένιππε.

[¶34] MENIPPUS: Off with you, Aeacus. What I’ve seen is enough.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἄπιθι· καὶ ταυτὶ γὰρ ἱκανά, ὦ Αἰακέ.

## 7. Dialogue 7

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/7/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/7/#p-N

[¶0] 1. MENIPPUS: Why are you crying, Tantalus? Why do you stand beside the lake lamenting your lot? TANTALUS: Because, Menippus, I’m dying of thirst.

> Greek: 1. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Τί κλάεις, ὦ Τάνταλε; ἢ τί σεαυτὸν ὀδύρῃ ἐπὶ τῇ λίμνῃ ἑστώς; ΤΑΝΤΑΛΟΣ: Ὅτι, ὦ Μένιππε, ἀπόλωλα ὑπὸ τοῦ δίψους.

[¶1] MENIPPUS: Are you too lazy to bend your head down and drink, or even, bless us, to scoop the water up with your palm? TANTALUS: It’s no good bending down; the water runs away as soon as it feels me coming near, and, if ever I do scoop up any, and bring it to my mouth, I can’t wet the tip of my lips before it runs through my fingers somehow and leaves my hand dry as before.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὕτως ἀργὸς εἶ, ὡς μὴ ἐπικύψας πιεῖν ἢ καὶ νὴ Δί' ἀρυσάμενος κοίλῃ τῇ χειρί; ΤΑΝΤΑΛΟΣ: Οὐδὲν ὄφελος, εἰ ἐπικύψαιμι· φεύγει γὰρ τὸ ὕδωρ, ἐπειδὰν προσιόντα αἴσθηταί με· ἢν δέ ποτε καὶ ἀρύσωμαι καὶ προσενέγκω τῷ στόματι, οὐ φθάνω βρέξας ἄκρον τὸ χεῖλος, καὶ διὰ τῶν δακτύλων διαρρυὲν οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅπως αὖθις ἀπολείπει ξηρὰν τὴν χεῖρά μοι.

[¶2] MENIPPUS: You’re the victim of a miracle, Tantalus. But tell me, just why do you need to drink? You have no body, for that’s been buried in Lydia. That could feel hunger and thirst. But you are a ghost; how can you still be thirsty or able to drink? TANTALUS: It’s just that that’s my punishment—that my ghost should be thirsty as if it were a body.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Τεράστιόν τι πάσχεις, ὦ Τάνταλε. ἀτὰρ εἰπέ μοι, τί δαὶ καὶ δέῃ τοῦ πιεῖν; οὐ γὰρ σῶμα ἔχεις, ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖνο μὲν ἐν Λυδίᾳ που τέθαπται, ὅπερ καὶ πεινῆν καὶ διψῆν ἐδύνατο, σὺ δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ πῶς ἂν ἔτι ἢ διψῴης ἢ πίοις; ΤΑΝΤΑΛΟΣ: Τοῦτ' αὐτὸ ἡ κόλασίς ἐστι, τὸ διψῆν τὴν ψυχὴν ὡς σῶμα οὖσαν.

[¶3] 2. MENIPPUS: Well, we’ll believe it, since you tell us you’re punished by thirst. But what do you find so terrible in that? Are you afraid of dying for lack of drink? I can’t see another Hades after this one, or a death hereafter taking us elsewhere. TANTALUS: You are quite right; but this is part of my sentence—to long to drink when I’ve no need.

> Greek: 2. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Αλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν οὕτως πιστεύσομεν, ἐπεὶ φῂς κολάζεσθαι τῷ δίψει. τί δ’ οὖν σοι τὸ δεινὸν ἔσται; ἢ δέδιας μὴ ἐνδείᾳ τοῦ ποτοῦ ἀποθάνῃς; οὐχ ὁρῶ γὰρ ἄλλον ᾅδην μετὰ τοῦτον ἢ θάνατον ἐντεῦθεν εἰς ἕτερον τόπον. ΤΑΝΤΑΛΟΣ: Ὀρθῶς μὲν λέγεις· καὶ τοῦτο δ’ οὖν μέρος τῆς καταδίκης, τὸ ἐπιθυμεῖν πιεῖν μηδὲν δεόμενον.

[¶4] MENIPPUS: Nonsense, Tantalus: I think you really do need a drink—neat hellebore, so help me; you’re the opposite of people bitten by mad dogs; you don’t fear water, but you do fear thirst. TANTALUS: I don’t mind drinking even hellebore—I only wish I could have some.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ληρεῖς, ὦ Τάνταλε, καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς ποτοῦ δεῖσθαι δοκεῖς, ἀκράτου γε ἐλλεβόρου νὴ Δία, ὅστις τοὐναντίον τοῖς ὑπὸ τῶν λυττώντων κυνῶν δεδηγμένοις πέπονθας οὐ τὸ ὕδωρ ἀλλὰ τὴν δίψαν πεφοβημένος. ΤΑΝΤΑΛΟΣ: Οὐδὲ τὸν ἐλλέβορον, ὦ Μένιππε, ἀναίνομαι πιεῖν, γένοιτό μοι μόνον.

[¶5] MENIPPUS: Don’t worry, Tantalus, for neither you nor any other dead man will drink; that’s impossible. However, they’ve not all been condemned to thirst, as you do, for water which won’t wait for them.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Θάρρει, ὦ Τάνταλε, ὡς οὔτε σὺ οὔτε ἄλλος πίεται τῶν νεκρῶν· ἀδύνατον γάρ· καίτοι οὐ πάντες ὥσπερ σὺ ἐκ καταδίκης διψῶσι τοῦ ὕδατος αὐτοὺς οὐχ ὑπομένοντος.

## 8. Dialogue 8

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/8/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/8/#p-N

[¶0] 1. MENIPPUS: I heard, Chiron, that though you were a god, you wanted to die. CHIRON: What you heard is true, Menippus, and I am dead, as you see, though I could have been immortal.

> Greek: 1. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἤκουσα, ὦ Χείρων, ὡς θεὸς ὢν ἐπεθύμησας ἀποθανεῖν. ΧΕΙΡΩΝ: Ἀληθῆ ταῦτα ἤκουσας, ὦ Μένιππε, καὶ τέθνηκα, ὡς ὁρᾷς, ἀθάνατος εἶναι δυνάμενος.

[¶1] MENIPPUS: Whatever made you so enamoured of death, a thing for which most men have no love? CHIRON: I’ll tell you, seeing that you’re an intelligent fellow. I had no pleasure left in enjoying immortality.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Τίς δαί σε ἔρως τοῦ θανάτου ἔσχεν, ἀνεράστου τοῖς πολλοῖς χρήματος; ΧΕΙΡΩΝ: Ἐρῶ πρὸς σὲ οὐκ ἀσύνετον ὄντα. οὐκ ἦν ἔτι ἡδὺ ἀπολαύειν τῆς ἀθανασίας.

[¶2] MENIPPUS: Was it not pleasant to live and see the light? CHIRON: No, Menippus. I consider pleasure to come from variety and change; but I was living on and on, and enjoying the same things—sun, light and food; the seasons were always the same, and everything came in its turn, one thing seeming to follow automatically upon another; and so I had too much of it all, for I found my pleasure not in always having the same thing, but also in doing quite without it.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐχ ἡδὺ ἦν ζῶντα ὁρᾶν τὸ φῶς; ΧΕΙΡΩΝ: Οὔκ, ὦ Μένιππε· τὸ γὰρ ἡδὺ ἔγωγε ποικίλον τι καὶ οὐχ ἁπλοῦν ἡγοῦμαι εἶναι. ἐγὼ δὲ ἔζων ἀεὶ καὶ ἀπέλαυον τῶν ὁμοίων, ἡλίου, φωτός, τροφῆς, αἱ ὧραι δὲ αἱ αὐταὶ καὶ τὰ γινόμενα ἅπαντα ἑξῆς ἕκαστον, ὥσπερ ἀκολουθοῦντα θάτερον θατέρῳ· ἐνεπλήσθην οὖν αὐτῶν· οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ ἀεὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ ⟨μὴ⟩ μετασχεῖν ὅλως τὸ τερπνὸν ἦν.

[¶3] MENIPPUS: Well spoken, Chiron. But how do you endure things in Hades, now that you’ve come down here out of preference?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Εὖ λέγεις, ὦ Χείρων. τὰ ἐν ᾅδου δὲ πῶς φέρεις, ἀφ' οὗ προελόμενος αὐτὰ ἥκεις;

[¶4] 2. CHIRON: I find them not unpleasant, Menippus. The equality here is truly democratic, and it makes no difference whether one is in light or in darkness. Besides, there’s no need to be thirsty or hungry, as up above; we don’t feel any of these needs.
MENIPPUS: Take care you don’t trip yourself up, Chiron, and have to use the same theory again. CHIRON: What do you mean?

> Greek: 2. ΧΕΙΡΩΝ: Οὐκ ἀηδῶς, ὦ Μένιππε· ἡ γὰρ ἰσοτιμία πάνυ δημοτικὴ καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα οὐδὲν ἔχει τὸ διάφορον ἐν φωτὶ εἶναι ἢ ἐν σκότῳ· ἄλλως τε οὔτε διψῆν ὥσπερ ἄνω οὔτε πεινῆν δεῖ, ἀλλ’ ἀνεπιδεεῖς τούτων ἁπάντων ἐσμέν.
ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὅρα, ὦ Χείρων, μὴ περιπίπτῃς σεαυτῷ καὶ ἐς τὸ αὐτό σοι ὁ λόγος περιστῇ. ΧΕΙΡΩΝ: Πῶς τοῦτο φῄς;

[¶5] MENIPPUS: That if you became sick and tired of the constant monotony and sameness of things in life, things here too are monotonous; and so you may become just as sick and tired of them, and have to look for a change from here to yet another life—and that, I think, is impossible. CHIRON: Then what can one do, Menippus?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὅτι εἰ τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τὸ ὅμοιον ἀεὶ καὶ ταὐτὸν ἐγένετό σοι προσκορές, καὶ τἀνταῦθα ὅμοια ὄντα προσκορῆ ὁμοίως ἂν γένοιτο, καὶ δεήσει μεταβολήν σε ζητεῖν τινα καὶ ἐντεῦθεν εἰς ἄλλον βίον, ὅπερ οἶμαι ἀδύνατον. ΧΕΙΡΩΝ: Τί οὐν ἂν πάθοι τις, ὦ Μένιππε;

[¶6] MENIPPUS: What I imagine a sensible man is reputed to do—be content and satisfied with one’s lot and think no part of it intolerable.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὅπερ, οἶμαι, φασί, συνετὸν ὄντα ἀρέσκεσθαι καὶ ἀγαπᾶν τοῖς παροῦσι καὶ μηδὲν αὐτῶν ἀφόρητον οἴεσθαι.

## 9. Dialogue 9

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/9/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/9/#p-N

[¶0] 1. MENIPPUS: It’s difficult to tell now, Tiresias, whether you’re blind, as our eyes are all alike—empty, with nothing but sockets. Indeed, you can no longer tell which was Phineus, or which was Lynceus. But I do know you were a prophet, and the only person to have been both man and woman. I heard that from the poets. So, for heaven’s sake, tell me which life you found more pleasant—when you were a man, or a woman? TIRESIAS: The woman’s life, Menippus, by a long way. It has fewer worries, and women have the mastery over men, and don’t have to fight in wars, or stand on the battlements, or argue in parliament, or be crossexamined in court.

> Greek: 1. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὦ Τειρεσία, εἰ μὲν καὶ τυφλὸς εἶ, οὐκέτι διαγνῶναι ῥᾴδιον. ἅπασι γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁμοῖα τὰ ὄμματα, κενά, μόνον δὲ αἱ χῶραι αὐτῶν· τὰ δ’ ἄλλα οὐκέτ' ἂν εἰπεῖν ἔχοις, τίς ὁ Φινεὺς ἦν ἢ τίς ὁ Λυγκεύς. ὅτι μέντοι μάντις ἦσθα καὶ ὅτι ἀμφότερα ἐγένου μόνος καὶ ἄρρην καὶ γυνή, τῶν ποιητῶν ἀκούσας οἶδα. πρὸς τῶν θεῶν τοιγαροῦν εἰπέ μοι, ὁποτέρου ἡδίονος ἐπειράθης τῶν βίων, ὁπότε ἀνὴρ ἦσθα, ἢ ὁ γυναικεῖος ἀμείνων ἦν; ΤΕΙΡΕΣΙΑΣ: Παρὰ πολύ, ὦ Μένιππε, ὁ γυναικεῖος· ἀπραγμονέστερος γάρ. καὶ δεσπόζουσι τῶν ἀνδρῶν αἱ γυναῖκες, καὶ οὔτε πολεμεῖν ἀνάγκη αὐταῖς οὔτε παρ' ἔπαλξιν ἑστάναι οὔτ' ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ διαφέρεσθαι οὔτ' ἐν δικαστηρίοις ἐξετάζεσθαι.

[¶1] 2. MENIPPUS: Then you haven’t heard, Tiresias, what Euripides’ Medea said about women’s pitiable plight in having an unhappy lot, and having to endure intolerable suffering in childbirth? But tell me, now that I’m reminded of it by Medea’s lines from the play, did you ever have any children, when you were a woman, or did you remain barren and childless in that life? TIRESIAS: Why do you ask that, Menippus?

> Greek: 2. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐ γὰρ ἀκήκοας, ὦ Τειρεσία, τῆς Εὐριπίδου Μηδείας, οἷα εἶπεν οἰκτείρουσα τὸ γυναικεῖον, ὡς ἀθλίας οὔσας καὶ ἀφόρητόν τινα τὸν ἐκ τῶν ὠδίνων πόνον ὑφισταμένας; ἀτὰρ εἰπέ μοι,— ὑπέμνησε γάρ με τὰ τῆς Μηδείας ἰαμβεῖα—καὶ ἔτεκές ποτε, ὁπότε γυνὴ ἦσθα, ἢ στεῖρα καὶ ἄγονος διετέλεσας ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ βίῳ; ΤΕΙΡΕΣΙΑΣ: Τί τοῦτο, Μένιππε, ἐρωτᾷς;

[¶2] MENIPPUS: It’s an easy enough question, Tiresias. Just answer, if it’s not too difficult. TIRESIAS: I wasn’t barren, but I didn’t have any children.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐδὲν χαλεπόν, ὦ Τειρεσία· πλὴν ἀπόκριναι, εἴ σοι ῥᾴδιον. ΤΕΙΡΕΣΙΑΣ: Οὐ στεῖρα μὲν ἤμην, οὐκ ἔτεκον δ’ ὅλως.

[¶3] MENIPPUS: That will suffice; I wanted to know if you had a womb. TIRESIAS: Of course I did.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἱκανὸν τοῦτο· εἰ γὰρ καὶ μήτραν εἶχες, ἐβουλόμην εἰδέναι. ΤΕΙΡΕΣΙΑΣ: Εἶχον δηλαδή.

[¶4] MENIPPUS: And in time your womb gradually disappeared, the woman’s place sealed up, your breasts subsided, you grew a male organ and produced a beard? Or was your change from woman to man sudden? TIRESIAS: I don’t understand the object of your question, but it seems to me you don’t believe things happened like that.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Χρόνῳ δέ σοι ἡ μήτρα ἠφανίσθη καὶ τὸ χωρίον τὸ γυναικεῖον ἀπεφράγη καὶ οἱ μαστοὶ ἀπεστάθησαν καὶ τὸ ἀνδρεῖον ἀνέφυ καὶ πώγωνα ἐξήνεγκας, ἢ αὐτίκα ἐκ γυναικὸς ἀνὴρ ἀνεφάνης; ΤΕΙΡΕΣΙΑΣ: Οὐχ ὁρῶ τί σοι βούλεται τὸ ἐρώτημα· δοκεῖς δ’ οὖν μοι ἀπιστεῖν, εἰ τοῦθ' οὕτως ἐγένετο.

[¶5] MENIPPUS: Why shouldn’t I disbelieve such a story, Tiresias, rather than accept it like a dolt without examining whether its possible or not?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐ χρὴ γὰρ ἀπιστεῖν, ὦ Τειρεσία, τοῖς τοιούτοις, ἀλλὰ καθάπερ τινὰ βλᾶκα μὴ ἐξετάζοντα, εἴτε δυνατά ἐστιν εἴτε καὶ μή, παραδέχεσθαι;

[¶6] 3. TIRESIAS: Then you don’t believe any of the other stories either, when you hear of women changing into birds or trees or beasts, as, for example, Aedon, or Daphne, or the daughter of Lycaon?
MENIPPUS: If I ever come across them, I’ll learn what they have to say. But when you were a woman, good sir, were you a prophet then too, just as later, or did you learn to be man and prophet at the same time? TIRESIAS: You see, you know nothing about me, or how I settled a quarrel of the gods, and Hera blinded me, and Zeus consoled me in my misfortune with the gift of prophecy.

> Greek: 3. ΤΕΙΡΕΣΙΑΣ: Σὺ οὖν οὐδὲ τὰ ἄλλα πιστεύεις οὕτω γενέσθαι, ὁπόταν ἀκούσῃς ὅτι ὄρνεα ἐκ γυναικῶν ἐγένοντό τινες ἢ δένδρα ἢ θηρία, τὴν Ἀηδόνα ἢ τὴν Δάφνην ἢ τὴν τοῦ Λυκάονος θυγατέρα;
ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἤν που κἀκείναις ἐντύχω, εἴσομαι ὅ τι καὶ λέγουσι. σὺ δέ, ὦ βέλτιστε, ὁπότε γυνὴ ἦσθα, καὶ ἐμαντεύου τότε ὥσπερ καὶ ὕστερον, ἢ ἅμα ἀνὴρ καὶ μάντις ἔμαθες εἶναι; ΤΕΙΡΕΣΙΑΣ: Ὁρᾷς; ἀγνοεῖς τὰ περὶ ἐμοῦ ἅπαντα, ὡς καὶ διέλυσά τινα ἔριν τῶν θεῶν, καὶ ἡ μὲν Ἥρα ἐπήρωσέν με, ὁ δὲ Ζεὺς παρεμυθήσατο τῇ μαντικῇ τὴν συμφοράν.

[¶7] MENIPPUS: So you still keep to your falsehoods, Tiresias? That’s just like you prophets; you’re habitual liars.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἔτι ἔχῃ, ὦ Τειρεσία, τῶν ψευσμάτων; ἀλλὰ κατὰ τοὺς μάντεις τοῦτο ποιεῖς· ἔθος γὰρ ὑμῖν μηδὲν ὑγιὲς λέγειν.

## 10. Dialogue 10

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/10/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/10/#p-N

[¶0] 1. MENIPPUS: And yet the pair of you, Trophonius and Amphilochus, though shades, have somehow or other been thought worthy of temples, and are considered prophets, and empty-headed men have taken you for gods! AMPHILOCHUS: Well, how is that our fault, if they are so silly as to think such things about Dead Men?

> Greek: 1. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Σφὼ μέντοι, ὦ Τροφώνιε καὶ Ἀμφίλοχε, νεκροὶ ὄντες οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅπως ναῶν κατηξιώθητε καὶ μάντεις δοκεῖτε, καὶ οἱ μάταιοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων θεοὺς ὑμᾶς ὑπειλήφασιν εἶναι. ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΟΣ: Τί οὖν ἡμεῖς αἴτιοι, εἰ ὑπὸ ἀνοίας ἐκεῖνοι τοιαῦτα περὶ νεκρῶν δοξάζουσιν;

[¶1] MENIPPUS: They would never have done so but for all your mysterious talk in your lifetime, and your pretence of knowing the future and foretelling it to anyone who asked. TROPHONIUS: My good Menippus, Amphilochus here will know what answer to give on his own behalf, but, as for me, I am a hero and prophesy if anyone comes down to me. But I don’t think you’ve visited Lebadea at all, or you wouldn’t be so sceptical.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἐδόξαζον, εἰ μὴ ζῶντες καὶ ὑμεῖς τοιαῦτα ἐτερατεύεσθε ὡς τὰ μέλλοντα προειδότες καὶ προειπεῖν δυνάμενοι τοῖς ἐρομένοις. ΤΡΟΦΩΝΙΟΣ: Ὦ Μένιππε, Ἀμφίλοχος μὲν οὗτος ἂν εἰδείη ὅ τι αὐτῷ ἀποκριτέον ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ, ἐγὼ δὲ ἥρως εἰμὶ καὶ μαντεύομαι, ἤν τις κατέλθῃ παρ' ἐμέ. σὺ δὲ ἔοικας οὐκ ἐπιδεδημηκέναι Λεβαδείᾳ τὸ παράπαν· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἠπίστεις σὺ τούτοις.

[¶2] 2. MENIPPUS: What’s that? Must I go to Lebadea, and make a fool of myself wearing linen and carrying a pancake in my hands, and crawl into your cave through that passage that’s so low, in order to be able to tell that you’re dead just like us, surpassing us only in your false pretences? But, in the name of prophecy, what is a hero? I don’t know. TROPHONIUS: A compound of god and man.

> Greek: 2. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Τί φῄς; εἰ μὴ εἰς Λεβάδειαν γὰρ παρέλθω καὶ ἐσταλμένος ταῖς ὀθόναις γελοίως μᾶζαν ἐν ταῖν χεροῖν ἔχων εἰσερπύσω διὰ τοῦ στομίου ταπεινοῦ ὄντος ἐς τὸ σπήλαιον, οὐκ ἂν ἠδυνάμην εἰδέναι, ὅτι νεκρὸς εἶ ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς μόνῃ τῇ γοητείᾳ διαφέρων; ἀλλὰ πρὸς τῆς μαντικῆς, τί δαὶ ὁ ἥρως ἐστίν; ἀγνοῶ γάρ. ΤΡΟΦΩΝΙΟΣ: Ἐξ ἀνθρώπου τι καὶ θεοῦ σύνθετον.

[¶3] MENIPPUS: Something neither man nor god, you mean, but both at once? Well then, where has your divine half gone at present? TROPHONIUS: It’s prophesying, Menippus, in Boeotia.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὃ μήτε ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν, ὡς φῄς, μήτε θεός, καὶ συναμφότερόν ἐστιν; νῦν οὖν ποῦ σου τὸ θεῶν ἐκεῖνο ἡμίτομον ἀπελήλυθεν; ΤΡΟΦΩΝΙΟΣ: Χρᾷ, ὦ Μένιππε, ἐν Βοιωτίᾳ.

[¶4] MENIPPUS: I don’t know what you mean, Trophonius; but I can see quite clearly that all of you is dead.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐκ οἶδα, ὦ Τροφώνιε, ὅ τι καὶ λέγεις· ὅτι μέντοι ὅλος εἶ νεκρὸς ἀκριβῶς ὁρῶ.

## 11. Dialogue 11

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/11/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/11/#p-N

[¶0] 1. DIOGENES: Isn’t that Heracles? No one else, by Heracles! Bow, club, lionskin, bulk—Heracles from head to toe. Is he dead, then, though a son of Zeus? Tell me, conquering hero, are you a shade? I used to sacrifice to you on earth above, thinking you a god. HERACLES: And quite right too. The real Heracles is in heaven with the gods, and “hath beauteous-ankled Hebe for his wife”; I am his wraith.

> Greek: 1. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Οὐχ Ἡρακλῆς οὗτός ἐστιν; οὐ μὲν οὖν ἄλλος, μὰ τὸν Ἡρακλέα. τὸ τόξον, τὸ ῥόπαλον, ἡ λεοντῆ, τὸ μέγεθος, ὅλος Ἡρακλῆς ἐστιν. εἶτα τέθνηκεν Διὸς υἱὸς ὤν; εἰπέ μοι, ὦ καλλίνικε, νεκρὸς εἶ; ἐγὼ γάρ σοι ἔθυον ὑπὲρ γῆς ὡς θεῷ. ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ: Καὶ ὀρθῶς ἔθυες· αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ ὁ Ἡρακλῆς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ τοῖς θεοῖς σύνεστι “καὶ ἔχει καλλίσφυρον Ἥβην,” ἐγὼ δὲ εἴδωλόν εἰμι αὐτοῦ.

[¶1] DIOGENES: What do you mean? The god’s wraith? Is it possible for anyone to be half god, and half dead? HERACLES: Yes, for Heracles is not dead, but only I his likeness.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Πῶς λέγεις; εἴδωλον τοῦ θεοῦ; καὶ δυνατὸν ἐξ ἡμισείας μέν τινα θεὸν εἶναι, τεθνάναι δὲ τῷ ἡμίσει; ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ: Ναί· οὐ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος τέθνηκεν, ἀλλ’ ἐγὼ ἡ εἰκὼν αὐτοῦ.

[¶2] 2. DIOGENES: I understand. He has given you to Pluto in his own place as a substitute, and you are now dead instead of him. HERACLES: Something like that.

> Greek: 2. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Μανθάνω· ἄντανδρόν σε τῷ Πλούτωνι παραδέδωκεν ἀνθ' ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ σὺ νῦν ἀντ' ἐκείνου νεκρὸς εἶ. ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ: Τοιοῦτό τι.

[¶3] DIOGENES: But Aeacus is very exact. How did he fail to spot that you were a fraud? How did he accept a changeling Heracles whom he saw face to face? HERACLES: Because I was exactly like him.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Πῶς οὖν ἀκριβὴς ὢν ὁ Ἀἰακὸς οὐ διέγνω σε μὴ ὄντα ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλὰ παρεδέξατο ὑποβολιμαῖον Ἡρακλέα παρόντα; ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ: Ὅτι ἐῴκειν ἀκριβῶς.

[¶4] DIOGENES: Very true; an exact likeness indeed; you might be the fellow himself. But perhaps it’s the other way round, and you are Heracles, and the wraith has married Hebe in heaven.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ἀληθῆ λέγεις· ἀκριβῶς γάρ, ὥστε αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος εἶναι. ὅρα γοῦν μὴ τὸ ἐναντίον ἐστὶ καὶ σὺ μὲν εἶ ὁ Ἡρακλῆς, τὸ δὲ εἴδωλον γεγάμηκεν τὴν Ἥβην παρὰ τοῖς θεοῖς.

[¶5] 3. HERACLES: What impudence! You talk too much. If you don’t stop these gibes at me, I’ll soon show you what sort of god has me for a wraith. DIOGENES: The bow is out and ready. But why should I fear you now? I’ve died once and for all. But please tell me, in the name of your Heracles; when he was alive, were you with him then too, as his wraith? Or were you both one during his lifetime, but split up when you died, Heracles flying off to heaven, while you, his wraith, came here to Hades, as was only right? HERACLES: One who makes it his business to poke fun doesn’t so much as deserve a reply. However, I’ll let you have one more answer. All of Amphitryon that was in Heracles is dead, and I am all that part; but the part that came from Zeus is in heaven living with the gods.

> Greek: 3. ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ: Θρασύς εἶ καὶ λάλος, καὶ εἰ μὴ παύσῃ σκώπτων εἰς ἐμέ, εἴσῃ αὐτίκα οἵου θεοῦ εἴδωλόν εἰμι. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Τὸ μὲν τόξον γυμνὸν καὶ πρόχειρον· ἐγὼ δὲ τί ἂν ἔτι φοβοίμην σε ἅπαξ τεθνεώς; ἀτὰρ εἰπέ μοι πρὸς τοῦ σοῦ Ἡρακλέους, ὁπότε ἐκεῖνος ἔζη, συνῆς αὐτῷ καὶ τότε εἴδωλον ὤν; ἢ εἷς μὲν ἦτε παρὰ τὸν βίον, ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπεθάνετε, διαιρεθέντες ὁ μὲν εἰς θεοὺς ἀπέπτατο, σὺ δὲ τὸ εἴδωλον, ὥσπερ εἰκὸς ἦν, εἰς ᾅδου πάρει; ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ: Ἐχρῆν μὲν μηδὲ ἀποκρίνεσθαι πρὸς ἄνδρα ἐξεπίτηδες ἐρεσχηλοῦντα· ὅμως δ’ οὖν καὶ τοῦτο ἄκουσον· ὁπόσον μὲν γὰρ Ἀμφιτρύωνος ἐν τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ ἦν, τοῦτο τέθνηκεν καί εἰμι ἐγὼ ἐκεῖνο πᾶν, ὃ δὲ ἦν τοῦ Διός, ἐν οὐρανῷ σύνεστι τοῖς θεοῖς.

[¶6] 4. DIOGENES: Now I understand perfectly. Alcmena, you mean, bore two Heracleses at the same time, one by Amphitryon, the other from Zeus, and so you were twin sons of the same mother—though nobody knew about it? HERACLES: No, you fool. We were both the same person.

> Greek: 4. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Σαφῶς νῦν μανθάνω· δύο γὰρ φῂς ἔτεκεν ἡ Ἀλκμήνη κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ Ἡρακλέας, τὸν μὲν ὑπ' Ἀμφιτρύωνι, τὸν δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Διός, ὥστε ἐλελήθειτε δίδυμοι ὄντες ὁμομήτριοι. ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ: Οὔκ, ὦ μάταιε· ὁ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἄμφω ἦμεν.

[¶7] DIOGENES: That’s difficult to understand, two Heracleses in a compound, unless you were man and god fused together, like horse and man in a Centaur. HERACLES: Well, don’t you think everyone is compounded of two parts, soul and body? What then prevents the soul, the part which came from Zeus, from being in heaven, and me, the mortal part, from being with the dead?

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Οὐκ ἔστι μαθεῖν τοῦτο ῥᾴδιον, συνθέτους δύο ὄντας Ἡρακλέας, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ ὥσπερ ἱπποκένταυρός τις ἦτε εἰς ἓν συμπεφυκότες ἄνθρωπός τε καὶ θεός. ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ: Οὐ γὰρ καὶ πάντες οὕτως σοι δοκοῦσι συγκεῖσθαι ἐκ δυεῖν, ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος; ὥστε τί τὸ κωλῦόν ἐστι τὴν μὲν ψυχὴν ἐν οὐρανῷ εἶναι, ἥπερ ἦν ἐκ Διός, τὸ δὲ θνητὸν ἐμὲ παρὰ τοῖς νεκροῖς;

[¶8] 5. DIOGENES: But, most excellent son of Amphitryon, you would be right enough, if you were a body, but in fact you are a bodiless wraith. So it looks as if you’re now making Heracles triple. HERACLES: How triple?

> Greek: 5. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ἀλλ', ὦ βέλτιστε Ἀμφιτρυωνιάδη, καλῶς ἂν ταῦτα ἔλεγες, εἰ σῶμα ἦσθα, νῦν δὲ ἀσώματον εἴδωλον εἶ· ὥστε κινδυνεύεις τριπλοῦν ἤδη ποιῆσαι τὸν Ἡρακλέα. ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ: Πῶς τριπλοῦν;

[¶9] DIOGENES: Like this. If there’s one of him in heaven, and one here with us (that’s you the wraith), and there’s his body on Oeta, now dust, he’s now become three. You’d better start thinking what third father you’ll invent for your body. HERACLES: You’re an impudent quibbler. Who the blazes are you?

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ὧδέ πως· εἰ γὰρ ὁ μέν τις ἐν οὐρανῷ, ὁ δὲ παρ' ἡμῖν σὺ τὸ εἴδωλον, τὸ δὲ σῶμα ἐν Οἴτῃ κόνις ἤδη γενόμενον, τρία ταῦτα ἤδη γεγένηται· καὶ σκόπει ὅντινα τὸν τρίτον πατέρα ἐπινοήσεις τῷσώματι. ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ: Θρασὺς εἶ καὶ σοφιστής· τίς δαὶ καὶ ὢν τυγ χάνεις;

[¶10] DIOGENES: I’m the wraith of Diogenes of Sinope, but Diogenes himself isn’t “among the gods that know not death”, no indeed, but in the company of the finest of the ghosts, laughing at Homer and nonsensical stories like this.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Διογένους τοῦ Σινωπέως εἴδωλον, αὐτὸς δὲ οὐ μὰ Δία “μετ' ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν,” ἀλλὰ τοῖς βελτίστοις τῶν νεκρῶν σύνεστιν Ὁμήρου καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης ψυχρολογίας καταγελῶν.

## 12. Dialogue 12

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/12/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/12/#p-N

[¶0] 1. PHILIP: You can’t deny being my son now, Alexander; you wouldn’t be dead, if you were the son of Ammon.

> Greek: 1. ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΣ: Νῦν μέν, ὦ Ἀλέξανδρε, οὐκ ἂν ἔξαρνος γένοιο μὴ οὐκ ἐμὸς υἱὸς εἶναι· οὐ γὰρ ἂν τεθνήκεις Ἄμμωνός γε ὤν.

[¶1] ALEXANDER: I knew quite well myself, father, that I was the son of Philip, the son of Amyntas, but I accepted the oracle, because I thought it useful for my purposes.

> Greek: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Οὐδ’ αὐτὸς ἠγνόουν, ὦ πάτερ, ὡς Φιλίππου τοῦ Ἀμύντου υἱός εἰμι, ἀλλ’ ἐδεξάμην τὸ μάντευμα, χρήσιμον εἰς τὰ πράγματα εἶναι οἰόμενος.

[¶2] PHILIP: What! Useful to allow yourself to be cheated by the prophets?

> Greek: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΣ: Πῶς λέγεις; χρήσιμον ἐδόκει σοι τὸ παρέχειν σεαυτὸν ἐξαπατηθησόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν;

[¶3] ALEXANDER: Not that, but the barbarians were terrified of me, and nobody resisted me any more; they thought they were fighting against a god, so that I conquered them the more easily.

> Greek: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Οὐ τοῦτο, ἀλλ’ οἱ βάρβαροι κατεπλάγησάν με καὶ οὐδεὶς ἔτι ἀνθίστατο οἰόμενοι θεῷ μάχεσθαι, ὥστε ῥᾷον ἐκράτουν αὐτῶν.

[¶4] 2. PHILIP: What enemies did you conquer that were worth fighting? Your adversaries were always cowards, and armed with nothing better than bows and bucklers and wicker shields. But conquering Greeks, conquering Boeotians, Phocians and Athenians was a real task, and subduing Arcadian heavy troops, Thessalian horse, javelin men of Elis, and light troops from Mantinea, or Thracians, Illyrians or Paeonians was a great achievement. But as for Medes, Persians and Chaldaeans, effeminate creatures bedecked in gold—you weren’t the first to conquer them. Don’t you know how Clearchus did so, going inland with a mere ten thousand men, and they didn’t even wait to fight at close quarters, but fled before they were in bow-shot?

> Greek: 2. ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΣ: Τίνων δὲ ἐκράτησας σύ γε ἀξιομάχων ἀνδρῶν, ὃς δειλοῖς ἀεὶ συνηνέχθης τοξάρια καὶ πελτίδια καὶ γέρρα οἰσύϊνα προβεβλημένοις; Ἑλλήνων κρατεῖν ἔργον ἦν, Βοιωτῶν καὶ Φωκέων καὶ Ἀθηναίων, καὶ τὸ Ἀρκάδων ὁπλιτικὸν καὶ τὴν Θετταλὴν ἵππον καὶ τοὺς Ἠλείων ἀκοντιστὰς καὶ τὸ Μαντινέων πελταστικὸν ἢ Θρᾷκας ἢ Ἰλλυριοὺς ἢ καὶ Παίονας χειρώσασθαι, ταῦτα μεγάλα· Μήδων δὲ καὶ Περσῶν καὶ Χαλδαίων, χρυσοφόρων ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἁβρῶν, οὐκ οἶσθα ὡς πρὸ σοῦ μύριοι μετὰ Κλεάρχου ἀνελθόντες ἐκράτησαν οὐδ’ εἰς χεῖρας ὑπομεινάντων ἐλθεῖν ἐκείνων, ἀλλὰ πρὶν ἢ τόξευμα ἐξικνεῖσθαι φυγόντων;

[¶5] 3. ALEXANDER: But, father, the Scythians and the elephants of the Indians are not to be despised, and yet I won my victories over them without sowing dissension, or using bribery and treachery. I never went back on an oath or a promise, or broke faith to gain a victory, and, though I took over most of the Greeks without bloodshed, perhaps you’ve heard how I punished the Thebans.

> Greek: 3. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Ἀλλ' οἱ Σκύθαι γε, ὦ πάτερ, καὶ οἱ Ἰνδῶν ἐλέφαντες οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητόν τι ἔργον, καὶ ὅμως οὐ διαστήσας αὐτοὺς οὐδὲ προδοσίαις ὠνούμενος τὰς νίκας ἐκράτουν αὐτῶν· οὐδ’ ἐπιώρκησα πώποτε ἢ ὑποσχόμενος ἐψευσάμην ἢ ἄπιστον ἔπραξά τι τοῦ νικᾶν ἕνεκα. καὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας δὲ τοὺς μὲν ἀναιμωτὶ παρέλαβον, Θηβαίους δὲ ἴσως ἀκούεις ὅπως μετῆλθον.

[¶6] PHILIP: I know all that; I was told by Clitus, whom you killed at dinner, by running him through with a spear, because he dared to praise me rather than your achievements.

> Greek: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΣ: Οἶδα ταῦτα πάντα· Κλεῖτος γὰρ ἀπήγγειλέ μοι, ὃν σὺ τῷ δορατίῳ διελάσας μεταξὺ δειπνοῦντα ἐφόνευσας, ὅτι με πρὸς τὰς σὰς πράξεις ἐπαινέσαι ἐτόλμησεν.

[¶7] 4. PHILIP: Furthermore, you discarded the Macedonian cloak, they tell me, for a Median doublet, and took to a tiara worn upright on your head, and expected Macedonians, free men, to bow down before you. And, most ridiculous thing of all, you aped the habits of your defeated foes! I won’t mention your other activities—how you locked up educated men along with lions, all your weddings, and your inordinate affection for Hephaestion. I’ve only heard of one thing I can praise; you kept your attentions away from Darius’ beautiful queen, and looked after his mother and his daughters. That was conduct befitting a king.

> Greek: 4. ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΣ: σὺ δὲ καὶ τὴν Μακεδονικὴν χλαμύδα καταβαλὼν κάνδυν, ὥς φασι, μετενέδυς καὶ τιάραν ὀρθὴν ἐπέθου καὶ προσκυνεῖσθαι ὑπὸ Μακεδόνων, ἐλευθέρων ἀνδρῶν, ἠξίους, καὶ τὸ πάντων γελοιότατον, ἐμιμοῦ τὰ τῶν νενικημένων. ἐῶ γὰρ λέγειν ὅσα ἄλλα ἔπραξας, λέουσι συγκατακλείων πεπαιδευμένους ἄνδρας καὶ τοσούτους γαμῶν γάμους καὶ Ἡφαιστίωνα ὑπεραγαπῶν. ἓν ἐπῄνεσα μόνον ἀκούσας, ὅτι ἀπέσχου τῆς τοῦ Δαρείου γυναικὸς καλῆς οὔσης, καὶ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων ἐπεμελήθης· βασιλικὰ γὰρ ταῦτα.

[¶8] 5. ALEXANDER: Don’t you praise me for my adventurous spirit, father, and for being first man to leap into the fort of the Oxydracae, and for receiving so many wounds?

> Greek: 5. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Τὸ φιλοκίνδυνον δέ, ὦ πάτερ, οὐκ ἐπαινεῖς καὶ τὸ ἐν Ὀξυδράκαις πρῶτον καθαλέσθαι ἐντὸς τοῦ τείχους καὶ τοσαῦτα λαβεῖν τραύματα;

[¶9] PHILIP: I don’t. Not that I think it’s a bad thing for a king to suffer an occasional wound and to face dangers at the head of his army; but that wasn’t at all the sort of thing for you. For you were supposed to be a god, and any time you were wounded and seen being carried out of the fighting on a litter, streaming with blood and groaning from your wound, the onlookers were amused to see how Ammon was being shown up as an impostor whose forecasts were false, and his prophets as mere flatterers. Who wouldn’t have been amused to see the son of Zeus fainting and calling for the assistance of the doctors? For now that you’re dead, don’t you think that there are many who wax witty about that pretence of yours, now that they see the corpse of the “god ‘” lying at full length, clammy and swollen like any other body? Besides, this policy, which you said was so useful, Alexander, the policy of gaining easy victories in this way, greatly diminished the glory of your successes. For everything seemed disappointing, when regarded as the work of a god.

> Greek: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐκ ἐπαινῶ τοῦτο, ὦ Ἀλέξανδρε, οὐχ ὅτι μὴ καλὸν οἴομαι εἶναι καὶ τιτρώσκεσθαί ποτε τὸν βασιλέα καὶ προκινδυνεύειν τοῦ στρατοῦ, ἀλλ’ ὅτι σοι τὸ τοιοῦτο ἥκιστα συνέφερεν· θεὸς γὰρ εἶναι δοκῶν εἴ ποτε τρωθείης, καὶ βλέποιέν σε φοράδην τοῦ πολέμου ἐκκομιζόμενον, αἵματι ῥεόμενον, οἰμώζοντα ἐπὶ τῷ τραύματι, ταῦτα γέλως ἦν τοῖς ὁρῶσιν, ᾗ καὶ ὁ Ἄμμων γόης καὶ ψευδόμαντις ἠλέγχετο καὶ οἱ προφῆται κόλακες. ἢ τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐγέλασεν ὁρῶν τὸν τοῦ Διὸς υἱὸν ἀποψύχοντα, δεόμενον τῶν ἰατρῶν βοηθεῖν; νῦν μὲν γὰρ ὁπότε ἤδη τέθνηκας, οὐκ οἴει πολλοὺς εἶναι τοὺς τὴν προσποίησιν ἐκείνην ἐπικερτομοῦντας, ὁρῶντας τὸν νεκρὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκτάδην κείμενον, μυδῶντα ἤδη καὶ ἐξῳδηκότα κατὰ νόμον ἁπάντων τῶν σωμάτων; ἄλλως τε καὶ τοῦτο, ὃ χρήσιμον ἔφης, ὦ Ἀλέξανδρε, τὸ διὰ τοῦτο κρατεῖν ῥᾳδίως, πολὺ τῆς δόξης ἀφῄρει τῶν κατορθουμένων· πᾶν γὰρ ἐδόκει ἐνδεὲς ὑπὸ θεοῦ γίγνεσθαι δοκοῦν.

[¶10] 6. ALEXANDER: People don’t think like that about me, but put me on a par with Heracles and Dionysus. And yet I alone have subdued the famous Aornos, a place captured by neither of them.

> Greek: 6. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Οὐ ταῦτα φρονοῦσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι περὶ ἐμοῦ, ἀλλὰ Ἡρακλεῖ καὶ Διονύσῳ ἐνάμιλλον τιθέασί με. καίτοι τὴν Ἄορνον ἐκείνην, οὐδετέρου ἐκείνων λαβόντος, ἐγὼ μόνος ἐχειρωσάμην.

[¶11] PHILIP: Don’t you see how you’re speaking just now like the son of Ammon, in comparing yourself to Heracles and Dionysus? Aren’t you ashamed, Alexander? Won’t you learn to forget your pride, and know yourself, and realise that you’re now dead?

> Greek: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ταῦτα ὡς Ἄμμωνος υἱὸς λέγεις, ὃς Ἡρακλεῖ καὶ Διονύσῳ παραβάλλεις σεαυτόν; καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ, ὦ Ἀλέξανδρε, οὐδὲ τὸν τῦφον ἀπομαθήσῃ καὶ γνώσῃ σεαυτὸν καὶ συνήσεις ἤδη νεκρὸς ὤν;

## 13. Dialogue 13

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

[¶0] 1. DIOGENES: What’s this, Alexander? Are you dead too, just like the rest of us?

> Greek: 1. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Τί τοῦτο, ὦ Ἀλέξανδρε; καὶ σὺ τέθνηκας ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἅπαντες;

[¶1] ALEXANDER: As you see, Diogenes. There’s nothing strange in a human like me dying.

> Greek: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Ὁρᾷς, ὦ Διόγενες· οὐ παράδοξον δέ, εἰ ἄνθρωπος ὢν ἀπέθανον.

[¶2] DIOGENES: Ammon lied, then, when he said you were his son? You were Philip’s son after all?

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Οὐκοῦν ὁ Ἄμμων ἐψεύδετο λέγων ἑαυτοῦ σε εἶναι, σὺ δὲ Φιλίππου ἄρα ἦσθα;

[¶3] ALEXANDER: Of course I was Philip’s son. I shouldn’t have died, if Ammon was my father.

> Greek: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Φιλίππου δηλαδή· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐτεθνήκειν Ἄμμωνος ὤν.

[¶4] DIOGENES: And it was another lie about Olympias—that a serpent came to her and was seen in her bed, that that was how you came to be born, and that Philip was deceived in thinking that he was your father?

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Καὶ μὴν καὶ περὶ τῆς Ὀλυμιάδος ὅμοια ἐλέγετο, δράκοντα ὁμιλεῖν αὐτῇ καὶ βλέπεσθαι ἐν τῇ εὐνῇ, εἶτα οὕτω σε τεχθῆναι, τὸν δὲ Φίλιππον ἐξηπατῆσθαι οἰόμενον πατέρα σου εἶναι.

[¶5] ALEXANDER: I heard that too, just as you did, but now I see that there was not a word of truth in what my mother and the prophets of Ammon said.

> Greek: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Κἀγὼ ταῦτα ἤκουον ὥσπερ σύ, νῦν δὲ ὁρῶ ὅτι οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς οὔτε ἡ μήτηρ οὔτε οἱ τῶν Ἀμμωνίων προφῆται ἔλεγον.

[¶6] DIOGENES: But their lies weren’t without practical advantage to you, Alexander. For many cowered down before you, thinking you a god.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ἀλλὰ τὸ ψεῦδος αὐτῶν οὐκ ἄχρηστόν σοι, ὦ Ἀλέξανδρε, πρὸς τὰ πράγματα ἐγένετο· πολλοὶ γὰρ ὑπέπτησσον θεὸν εἶναί σε νομίζοντες.

[¶7] 2. DIOGENES: But tell me, to whom have you left your great empire?

> Greek: 2. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: ἀτὰρ εἰπέ μοι, τίνι τὴν τοσαύτην ἀρχὴν καταλέλοιπας;

[¶8] ALEXANDER: I don’t know, Diogenes; I didn’t give any instructions about it in time; I merely gave my ring to Perdiccas when I died. But why do you laugh, Diogenes?

> Greek: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Οὐκ οἶδα, ὦ Διόγενες· οὐ γὰρ ἔφθασα ἐπισκῆψαί τι περὶ αὐτῆς ἢ τοῦτο μόνον, ὅτι ἀποθνήσκων Περδίκκᾳ τὸν δακτύλιον ἐπέδωκα. πλὴν ἀλλὰ τί γελᾷς, ὦ Διόγενες;

[¶9] DIOGENES: I’m only recalling how Greece treated you, flattering you from the moment you succeeded to your kingdom, and choosing you as her champion and leader against the barbarians, and how some even added you to the twelve gods, built you temples, and sacrificed to you, as the son of the serpent.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Τί γὰρ ἄλλο ἢ ἀνεμνήσθην οἷα ἐποίει ἡ Ἑλλάς, ἄρτι σε παρειληφότα τὴν ἀρχὴν κολακεύοντες καὶ προστάτην αἱρούμενοι καὶ στρατηγὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους, ἔνιοι δὲ καὶ τοῖς δώδεκα θεοῖς προστιθέντες καὶ οἰκοδομοῦντές σοι νεὼς καὶ θύοντες ὡς δράκοντος υἱῷ.

[¶10] 3. DIOGENES: But tell me, where did the Macedonians bury you?

> Greek: 3. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: ἀλλ’ εἰπέ μοι, ποῦ σε οἱ Μακεδόνες ἔθαψαν;

[¶11] ALEXANDER: I’ve been lying in Babylon for a whole thirty days now, but my guardsman Ptolemy promises that, whenever he gets a respite from the present disturbances, he’ll take me away to Egypt and bury me there, so that I may become one of the gods of the Egyptians.

> Greek: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Ἔτι ἐν Βαβυλῶνι κεῖμαι τριακοστὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην, ὑπισχνεῖται δὲ Πτολεμαῖος ὁ ὑπασπιστής, ἤν ποτε ἀγάγῃ σχολὴν ἀπὸ τῶν θορύβων τῶν ἐν ποσίν, εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἀπαγαγὼν θάψειν ἐκεῖ, ὡς γενοίμην εἷς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων θεῶν.

[¶12] DIOGENES: Well, can I help laughing, Alexander, when I see that even in Hades you still act like a fool and hope you’ll be an Anubis or an Osiris? But don’t be too hopeful about that, personage most divine. It’s against our law that anyone who has once sailed across our lake and passed within our entrance should go up again. For Aeacus does not neglect his duties, nor is Cerberus to be taken lightly.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Μὴ γελάσω οὖν, ὦ Ἀλέξανδρε, ὁρῶν καὶ ἐν ᾅδου ἔτι σε μωραίνοντα καὶ ἐλπίζοντα Ἄνουβιν ἢ Ὄσιριν γενήσεσθαι; πλὴν ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μέν, ὦ θειότατε, μὴ ἐλπίσῃς· οὐ γὰρ θέμις ἀνελθεῖν τινα τῶν ἅπαξ διαπλευσάντων τὴν λίμνην καὶ εἰς τὸ εἴσω τοῦ στομίου παρελθόντων· οὐ γὰρ ἀμελὴς ὁ Αἰακὸς οὐδὲ ὁ Κέρβερος εὐκαταφρόνητος.

[¶13] 4. DIOGENES: But what I should like you to tell me is how you bear the thought of the great happiness you left on the earth above, when you came here—your bodyguards, crack regiments and satraps, all that gold, the nations bowing down before you, and Babylon and Bactra, and those enormous beasts, and the honour and the glory, and your distinction, when you rode forth with a white ribbon on your head, and wearing a purple robe fastened with brooches. Don’t you feel sad that these things are passing beyond your memory? Why do you cry, you fool? Didn’t the wise Aristotle even teach you to realise the insecurity of the gifts of fortune?

> Greek: 4. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: ἐκεῖνο δέ γε ἡδέως ἂν μάθοιμι παρὰ σοῦ, πῶς φέρεις, ὁπόταν ἐννοήσῃς ὅσην εὐδαιμονίαν ὑπὲρ γῆς ἀπολιπὼν ἀφῖξαι, σωματοφύλακας καὶ ὑπασπιστὰς καὶ σατράπας καὶ χρυσὸν τοσοῦτον καὶ ἔθνη προσκυνοῦντα καὶ Βαβυλῶνα καὶ Βάκτρα καὶ τὰ μεγάλα θηρία καὶ τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν καὶ τὸ ἐπίσημον εἶναι ἐξελαύνοντα διαδεδεμένον ταινίᾳ λευκῇ τὴν κεφαλὴν πορφυρίδα ἐμπεπορπημένον. οὐ λυπεῖ ταῦτά σε ὑπὲρ τὴν μνήμην ἰόντα; τί δακρύεις, ὦ μάταιε; οὐδὲ ταῦτά σε ὁ σοφὸς Ἀριστοτέλης ἐπαίδευσεν μὴ οἴεσθαι βέβαια εἶναι τὰ παρὰ τῆς τύχης;

[¶14] 5. ALEXANDER: Wise Aristotle! Why, he’s the arch-knave of all flatterers. Let me be the sole authority on him, with all his requests for gifts and his instructions, and the way he took advantage of my zeal for education by flattering and praising me, sometimes for my beauty (as though even that were part of the “Good”), or again for my achievements and my wealth. For that was yet another thing he counted as good, so that he need have no shame in accepting some for himself too. The fellow’s an impostor, Diogenes, and a master at the game. But I did at least get one thing from his wisdom—grief for those things you’ve just enumerated, for I think them the greatest of goods.

> Greek: 5. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Ὁ σοφὸς ἐκεῖνος ἁπάντων κολάκων ἐπιτριπτότατος ὤν; ἐμὲ μόνον ἔασον τὰ Ἀριστοτέλους εἰδέναι, ὅσα μὲν ᾔτησεν παρ' ἐμοῦ, οἷα δὲ ἐπέστελλεν, ὡς δὲ κατεχρῆτό μου τῇ περὶ παιδείαν φιλοτιμίᾳ θωπεύων καὶ ἐπαινῶν ἄρτι μὲν πρὸς τὸ κάλλος, ὠς καὶ τοῦτο μέρος ὂν τἀγαθοῦ, ἄρτι δὲ ἐς τὰς πράξεις καὶ τὸν πλοῦτον. καὶ γὰρ αὖ καὶ τοῦτο ἀγαθὸν ἡγεῖτο εἶναι, ὡς μὴ αἰσχύνοιτο καὶ αὐτὸς λαμβάνων· γόης, ὦ Διόγενες, ἅνθρωπος καὶ τεχνίτης. πλὴν ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γε ἀπολέλαυκα τῆς σοφίας αὐτοῦ, τὸ λυπεῖσθαι ὡς ἐπὶ μεγίστοις ἀγαθοῖς ἐκείνοις, ἃ κατηριθμήσω μικρῷ γε ἔμπροσθεν.

[¶15] 6. DIOGENES: Well, here’s what to do. I’ll prescribe a cure for your grief. As there’s no hellebore growing here, you’d better take a stiff drink of the water of Lethe, and repeat the dose frequently, and then you’ll stop sorrowing for Aristotle’s “goods”. Do so, for I see Clitus over there and Callisthenes and many others bearing down on you, to tear you to pieces and get even with you for the things you did to them. So you’d better take this other path here, and take frequent doses as I’ve just said.

> Greek: 6. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ἀλλ' οἶσθα ὃ δράσεις; ἄκος γάρ σοι τῆς λύπης ὑποθήσομαι. ἐπεὶ ἐνταῦθά γε ἐλλέβορος οὐ φύεται, σὺ δὲ κἂν τὸ Λήθης ὕδωρ χανδὸν ἐπισπασάμενος πίε καὶ αὖθις πίε καὶ πολλάκις· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν παύσαιο ἐπὶ τοῖς Ἀριστοτέλους ἀγαθοῖς ἀνιώμενος. καὶ γὰρ Κλεῖτον ἐκεῖνον ὁρῶ καὶ Καλλισθένην καὶ ἄλλους πολλοὺς ἐπὶ σὲ ὁρμῶντας, ὡς διασπάσαιντο καὶ ἀμύναιντο σε ὧν ἔδρασας αὐτούς. ὥστε τὴν ἑτέραν σὺ ταύτην βάδιζε καὶ πῖνε πολλάκις, ὡς ἔφην.

## 14. Dialogue 14

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/14/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/14/#p-N

[¶0] 1. HERMES: If you don’t mind, ferryman, let’s work out how much you owe me at the moment, so that we won’t quarrel about it later.

> Greek: 1. ΕΡΜΗΣ: Λογισώμεθα, ὦ πορθμεῦ, εἰ δοκεῖ, ὁπόσα μοι ὀφείλεις ἤδη, ὅπως μὴ αὖθις ἐρίζωμέν τι περὶ αὐτῶν.

[¶1] CHARON: Let’s do that, Hermes. It’s better to have this settled, and it’ll save trouble.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Λογισώμεθα, ὦ Ἑρμῆ· ἄμεινον γὰρ ὡρίσθαι καὶ ἀπραγμονέστερον.

[¶2] HERMES: I brought you an anchor as you ordered; five drachmae.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ἄγκυραν ἐντειλαμένῳ ἐκόμισα πέντε δραχμῶν.

[¶3] CHARON: That’s dear.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Πολλοῦ λέγεις.

[¶4] HERMES: By Hades, that’s what I paid for it, and a thong for an oar cost me two obols.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Νὴ τὸν Ἀϊδωνέα, τῶν πέντε ὠνησάμην, καὶ τροπωτῆρα δύο ὀβολῶν.

[¶5] CHARON: Put down five drachmae and two obols.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Τίθει πέντε δραχμὰς καὶ ὀβολοὺς δύο.

[¶6] HERMES: And a darning-needle for your sail. Five obols it cost me.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Καὶ ἀκέστραν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἱστίου· πέντε ὀβολοὺς ἐγὼ κατέβαλον.

[¶7] CHARON: Put that down too.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Καὶ τούτους προστίθει.

[¶8] HERMES: And wax to plug up the leaks in your boat, and nails, and a bit of rope which you made into a brace, costing two drachmae in all.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Καὶ κηρὸν ὡς ἐπιπλάσαι τοῦ σκαφιδίου τὰ ἀνεῳγότα καὶ ἥλους δὲ καὶ καλῴδιον, ἀφ' οὗ τὴν ὑπέραν ἐποίησας, δύο δραχμῶν ἅπαντα.

[¶9] CHARON: You got these cheap too!

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Καὶ ἄξια ταῦτα ὠνήσω.

[¶10] HERMES: That’s all, unless we’ve forgotten something in our calculations. Well, when do you say that you are going to pay me?

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ταῦτά ἐστιν, εἰ μή τι ἄλλο ἡμᾶς διέλαθεν ἐν τῷ λογισμῷ. πότε δ’ οὖν ταῦτα ἀποδώσειν φῄς;

[¶11] CHARON: For the moment, Hermes, it’s impossible, but if an epidemic or a war sends me down a large batch, I can then make a profit, by overcharging on the fares in the rush.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Νῦν μέν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, ἀδύνατον, ἢν δὲ λοιμός τις ἢ πόλεμος καταπέμψῃ ἀθρόους τινάς, ἐνέσται τότε ἀποκερδᾶναι παραλογιζόμενον ἐν τῷ πλήθει τὰ πορθμεῖα.

[¶12] 2. HERMES: So, for the present, I’ll have to sit down and pray for the worst to happen so that I may be paid?

> Greek: 2. ΕΡΜΗΣ: Νῦν οὖν ἐγὼ καθεδοῦμαι τὰ κάκιστα εὐχόμενος γενέσθαι, ὡς ἂν ἀπὸ τούτων ἀπολάβοιμι;

[¶13] CHARON: It can’t be helped, Hermes. We get few coming here at the moment, as you can see. It’s peacetime.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλως, ὦ Ἑρμῆ. νῦν δὲ ὀλίγοι, ὡς ὁρᾷς, ἀφικνοῦνται ἡμῖν· εἰρήνη γάρ.

[¶14] HERMES: Better so, even if you do keep me waiting for what you owe me. Ah, but in the old days, Charon, you know what men they were that came, all of them brave, and most of them covered with blood and wounded; but now we get a few poisoned by a wife or a son, or with their legs and bellies all puffed out with rich living, a pale miserable lot, all of them, quite unlike the old ones. Most of them have money to thank for their coming here; they scheme against each other for it, apparently.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ἄμεινον οὕτως, εἰ καὶ ἡμῖν παρατείνοιτο ὑπὸ σοῦ τὸ ὄφλημα. πλὴν ἀλλ’ οἱ μὲν παλαιοί, ὦ Χάρων, οἶσθα οἷοι παρεγίγνοντο, ἀνδρεῖοι ἅπαντες, αἵματος ἀνάπλεῳ καὶ τραυματίαι οἱ πολλοί· νῦν δὲ ἢ φαρμάκῳ τις ὑπὸ τοῦ παιδὸς ἀποθανὼν ἢ ὑπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς ἢ ὑπὸ τρυφῆς ἐξῳδηκὼς τὴν γαστέρα καὶ τὰ σκέλη, ὠχροὶ ἅπαντες καὶ ἀγεννεῖς, οὐδὲν ὅμοιοι ἐκείνοις. οἱ δὲ πλεῖστοι αὐτῶν διὰ χρήματα ἥκουσιν ἐπιβουλεύοντες ἀλλήλοις, ὡς ἐοίκασι.

[¶15] CHARON: Yes, it’s the grand passion.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Πάνυ γὰρ περιπόθητά ἐστι ταῦτα.

[¶16] HERMES: Then you won’t think it wrong of me if I dun you for my debt.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Οὐκοῦν οὐδ’ ἐγὼ δόξαιμι ἂν ἁμαρτάνειν πικρῶς ἀπαιτῶν τὰ ὀφειλόμενα παρὰ σοῦ.

## 15. Dialogue 15

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/15/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/15/#p-N

[¶0] 1. PLUTO: Do you know the old man—I mean that veritable greybeard, EuCrates the rich—the man with no sons, but with fifty thousand men hunting his estate?

> Greek: 1. ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Τὸν γέροντα οἶσθα, τὸν πάνυ γεγηρακότα λέγω, τὸν πλούσιον Εὐκράτην, ᾧ παῖδες μὲν οὐκ εἰσίν, οἱ τὸν κλῆρον δὲ θηρῶντες πεντακισμύριοι;

[¶1] HERMES: Yes, you mean the man from Sicyon. Well, what?

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ναί, τὸν Σικυώνιον φῄς. τί οὖν;

[¶2] PLUTO: Let him go on living, Hermes, and, over and above the ninety years he’s had already, measure out as many more for him, if possible, or even more; but as for his toadies, young Charinus and Damon and the rest, drag them all down here one after the other.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Ἐκεῖνον μέν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, ζῆν ἔασον ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐνενήκοντα ἔτεσιν, ἃ βεβίωκεν, ἐπιμετρήσας ἄλλα τοσαῦτα, εἴ γε οἷόν τε ἦν, καὶ ἔτι πλείω, τοὺς δὲ κόλακας αὐτοῦ Χαρῖνον τὸν νέον καὶ Δάμωνα καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους κατάσπασον ἐφεξῆς ἅπαντας.

[¶3] HERMES: That would look queer.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ἄτοπον ἂν δόξειε τὸ τοιοῦτον.

[¶4] PLUTO: No; it would be perfectly just. What possesses them that they pray for his death, or aspire to his fortune, although not related? But what’s most disgusting of all is the way they shower attentions on him in public in spite of such prayers, and make their plans obvious to everyone when he’s sick, but, in spite of it all, they promise sacrifices if he recovers; in fact there’s no little versatility in their flattery. So, I’d like him to be immortal, and them, thwarted in their open-mouthed greed, to depart the scene before him.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Οὐ μὲν οὖν, ἀλλὰ δικαιότατον· τί γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι παθόντες εὔχονται ἀποθανεῖν ἐκεῖνον ἢ τῶν χρημάτων ἀντιποιοῦνται οὐδὲν προσήκοντες; ὃ δὲ πάντων ἐστὶ μιαρώτατον, ὅτι καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα εὐχόμενοι ὅμως θεραπεύουσιν ἔν γε τῷ φανερῷ, καὶ νοσοῦντος ἃ μὲν βουλεύονται πᾶσι πρόδηλα, θύσειν δὲ ὅμως ὑπισχνοῦνται, ἢν ῥαΐσῃ, καὶ ὅλως ποικίλη τις ἡ κολακεία τῶν ἀνδρῶν. διὰ ταῦτα ὁ μὲν ἔστω ἀθάνατος, οἱ δὲ προαπίτωσαν αὐτοῦ μάτην ἐπιχ ανόντες.

[¶5] 2. HERMES: That will be an amusing fate for the rascals to suffer.

> Greek: 2. ΕΡΜΗΣ: Γελοῖα πείσονται, πανοῦργοι ὄντες.

[¶6] PLUTO: He himself often leads them up the garden path with great skill, and has hopes of his own. In fact, though he always looks “close to death’s dark vale”, he’s a lot healthier than the young men. But they’ve already divided up his property amongst themselves and batten on it, thinking a life of bliss is already theirs. So, let him cast off his old age like Iolaus, and grow young again, and let them leave behind the wealth they dreamed of, and in the midst of their hopes come here forthwith, dying the sorry death they deserve.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Πολλὰ κἀκεῖνος εὖ μάλα διαβουκολεῖ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐλπίζει, καὶ ὅλως “αἰεὶ θανέοντι ἐοικὼς” ἔρρωται πολὺ μᾶλλον τῶν νέων. οἱ δὲ ἤδη τὸν κλῆρον ἐν σφίσι διῃρημένοι βόσκονται ζωὴν μακαρίαν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς τιθέντες. Οὐκοῦν ὁ μὲν ἀποδυσάμενος τὸ γῆρας ὥσπερ Ἰόλεως ἀνηβησάτω, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ μέσων τῶν ἐλπίδων τὸν ὀνειροποληθέντα πλοῦτον ἀπολιπόντες ἡκέτωσαν ἤδη κακοὶ κακῶς ἀποθανόντες.

[¶7] HERMES: Don’t worry, Pluto. I’ll start fetching them for you now, one after the other. There are seven of them, I think.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ἀμέλησον, ὦ Πλούτων· μετελεύσομαι γάρ σοι ἤδη αὐτοὺς καθ' ἕνα ἑξῆς· ἑπτὰ δέ, οἶμαι, εἰσί.

[¶8] PLUTO: Drag them down, and he’ll change from old age to the prime of youth, and attend each of the funerals.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Κατάσπα, ὁ δὲ παραπέμψει ἕκαστον ἀντὶ γέροντος αὖθις πρωθήβης γενόμενος.

## 16. Dialogue 16

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/16/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/16/#p-N

[¶0] 1. TERPSION: Is this just, Pluto? Me to die at thirty, and old Thucritus, already over ninety, to go on living?

> Greek: 1. ΤΕΡΨΙΩΝ: Τοῦτο, ὦ Πλούτων, δίκαιον, ἐμὲ μὲν τεθνάναι τριάκοντα ἔτη γεγονότα, τὸν δὲ ὑπὲρ τὰ ἐνενήκοντα γέροντα Θούκριτον ζῆν ἔτι;

[¶1] PLUTO: Perfectly just, Terpsion; he lives on without praying for the death of any of his friends, but you spent all your time plotting against him and waiting for his possessions.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Δικαιότατον μὲν οὖν, ὦ Τερψίων, εἴ γε ὁ μὲν ζῇ μηδένα εὐχόμενος ἀποθανεῖν τῶν φίλων, σὺ δὲ παρὰ πάντα τὸν χρόνον ἐπεβούλευες αὐτῷ περιμένων τὸν κλῆρον.

[¶2] TERPSION: Well, oughtn’t an old man like him, who can no longer make use of his wealth, to depart from life and make way for young men?

> Greek: ΤΕΡΨΙΩΝ: Οὐ γὰρ ἐχρῆν γέροντα ὄντα καὶ μηκέτι χρήσασθαι τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτὸν δυνάμενον ἀπελθεῖν τοῦ βίου παραχωρήσαντα τοῖς νέοις;

[¶3] PLUTO: I never heard the like of this edict of yours, Terpsion, requiring the death of anyone who can no longer use his wealth on pleasure. But Fate and Nature have arranged things otherwise.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Καινά, ὦ Τερψίων, νομοθετεῖς, τὸν μηκέτι τῷ πλούτῳ χρήσασθαι δυνάμενον πρὸς ἡδονὴν ἀποθνήσκειν· τὸ δὲ ἄλλως ἡ Μοῖρα καὶ ἡ φύσις διέταξεν.

[¶4] 2. TERPSION: Then I object to the present arrangement. It ought to be a matter of turn, with the oldest man first, and after him the next oldest, without the slightest change in the order. Your Methuselah shouldn’t live on, when he has no more than three teeth still left, and is scarcely able to see, supported by four servants, with his nose always running and his eyes bleary, past knowing any of the pleasures of life, a living tomb laughed at by the young men. He shouldn’t live, while handsome lusty young men die. That’s as unnatural as “rivers running backwards ”. The young men ought at least to know when each old man is going to die, so that they wouldn’t waste their attentions upon some of them. But at present, it’s just one more case of the proverbial cart coming before the horse.

> Greek: 2. ΤΕΡΨΙΩΝ: Οὐκοῦν ταύτης αἰτιῶμαι τῆς διατάξεως· ἐχρῆν γὰρ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἑξῆς πως γίνεσθαι, τὸν πρεσβύτερον πρότερον καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον ὅστις καὶ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ μετ' αὐτόν, ἀναστρέφεσθαι δὲ μηδαμῶς, μηδὲ ζῆν μὲν τὸν ὑπέργηρων ὀδόντας τρεῖς ἔτι λοιποὺς ἔχοντα, μόγις ὁρῶντα, οἰκέταις γε τέτταρσιν ἐπικεκυφότα, κορύζης μὲν τὴν ῥῖνα, λήμης δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς μεστὸν ὄντα, οὐδὲν ἔτι ἡδὺ εἰδότα, ἔμψυχόν τινα τάφον ὑπὸ τῶν νέων καταγελώμενον, ἀποθνήσκειν δὲ καλλίστους καὶ ἐρρωμενεστάτους νεανίσκους· ἄνω γὰρ ποταμῶν τοῦτό γε· ἢ τὸ τελευταῖον εἰδέναι γε ἐχρῆν, πότε καὶ τεθνήξεται τῶν γερόντων ἕκαστος, ἵνα μὴ μάτην ἂν ἐνίους ἐθεράπευον. νῦν δὲ τὸ τῆς παροιμίας, ἡ ἅμαξα τὸν βοῦν πολλάκις ἐκφέρει.

[¶5] 3. PLUTO: Things are done much more sensibly than you think, Terpsion. Tell me now, what makes you gape with greed at other people’s property, and foist yourselves upon childless old men? As a result you provide a good laugh, if your burial comes before theirs, and most folk find the situation really delightful. The more you pray for their death, the more delighted people are, if you die first; for there’s never been anything like this art you’ve invented, with your love for old men and women, and for the childless ones in particular, while those with children inspire no love in your hearts. However, many of those you love have seen through the wickedness behind your affection, and, even if they have children, they pretend to hate them, so that they too may have their own lovers. But later, when the wills are read, the bodyguard, for all their years of service, are excluded, and the sons and Nature herself, as is only right, prevail over all of them, and they gnash their teeth in secret at having been made to look such fools.

> Greek: 3. ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Ταῦτα μέν, ὦ Τερψίων, πολὺ συνετώτερα γίνεται ἤπερ σοὶ δοκεῖ. καὶ ὑμεῖς δὲ τί παθόντες ἀλλοτρίοις ἐπιχαίνετε καὶ τοῖς ἀτέκνοις τῶν γερόντων εἰσποιεῖτε φέροντες αὑτούς; τοιγαροῦν γέλωτα ὀφλισκάνετε πρὸ ἐκείνων κατορυττόμενοι, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῖς πολλοῖς ἥδιστον γίνεται· ὅσῳ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ἐκείνους ἀποθανεῖν εὔχεσθε, τοσούτῳ ἅπασιν ἡδὺ προαποθανεῖν ὑμᾶς αὐτῶν. καινὴν γάρ τινα ταύτην τὴν τέχνην ἐπινενοήκατε γραῶν καὶ γερόντων ἐρῶντες, καὶ μάλιστα εἰ ἄτεκνοι εἶεν, οἱ δὲ ἔντεκνοι ὑμῖν ἀνέραστοι. καίτοι πολλοὶ ἤδη τῶν ἐρωμένων συνέντες ὑμῶν τὴν πανουργίαν τοῦ ἔρωτος, ἢν καὶ τύχωσι παῖδας ἔχοντες, μισεῖν αὐτοὺς πλάττονται, ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐραστὰς ἔχωσιν· εἶτα ἐν ταῖς διαθήκαις ἀπεκλείσθησαν μὲν οἱ πάλαι δορυφορήσαντες, ὁ δὲ παῖς καὶ ἡ φύσις, ὥσπερ ἐστὶ δίκαιον, κρατοῦσι πάντων, οἱ δὲ ὑποπρίουσι τοὺς ὀδόντας ἀπομυγέντες.

[¶6] 4. TERPSION: True enough. Take me, for example—how much of mine has Thucritus devoured! Yet he always seemed on the point of death, and whenever I came in, would be groaning to himself, and his voice would be as faint and squeaky as an unfledged chicken straight from the egg; and so I, thinking I’d be putting him in his coffin any minute, would send in most of what he got, so that my rivals in love should not outdo me in generosity, and usually I lay awake at night, sleepless with worry, calculating each penny and arranging each move. It is this that has caused my death—the loss of sleep and the worry. But he gobbled down all that bait, and turned up the other day to gloat at my funeral.

> Greek: 4. ΤΕΡΨΙΩΝ: Ἀληθῆ ταῦτα φῄς· ἐμοῦ γοῦν Θούκριτος πόσα κατέφαγεν ἀεὶ τεθνήξεσθαι δοκῶν καὶ ὁπότε εἰσίοιμι ὑποστένων καὶ μύχιόν τι καθάπερ ἐξ ᾠοῦ νεοττὸς ἀτελὴς ὑποκρώζων ὥστ' ἐμε ὅσον αὐτίκα οἰόμενον ἐπιβήσειν αὐτὸν τῆς σοροῦ ἐσπέμπειν τὰ πολλά, ὡς μὴ ὑπερβάλλοιντό με οἱ ἀντερασταὶ τῇ μεγαλοδωρεᾷ, καὶ τὰ πολλὰ ὑπὸ φροντίδων ἄγρυπνος ἐκείμην ἀριθμῶν ἕκαστα καὶ διατάττων. ταῦτα γοῦν μοι καὶ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν αἴτια γεγένηται, ἀγρυπνία καὶ φροντίδες· ὁ δὲ τοσοῦτόν μοι δέλεαρ καταπιὼν ἐφειστήκει θαπτομένῳ πρῴην ἐπιγελῶν.

[¶7] 5. PLUTO: Well done, Thucritus! Long may you live to keep your wealth, and, at the same time, have the laugh on fellows like that! May you never die till you have seen the funeral of all these toadies!

> Greek: 5. ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Εὖ γε, ὦ Θούκριτε, ζῴης ἐπὶ μήκιστον πλουτῶν ἅμα καὶ τῶν τοιούτων καταγελῶν, μηδὲ πρότερόν γε σὺ ἀποθάνοις ἢ προπέμψας πάντας τοὺς κόλακας.

[¶8] TERPSION: It will give me too, the greatest pleasure Pluto, under the circumstances, if Charoeades is another to die before Thucritus.

> Greek: ΤΕΡΨΙΩΝ: Τοῦτο μέν, ὦ Πλούτων, καὶ ἐμοὶ ἥδιστον ἤδη, εἰ καὶ Χαροιάδης προτεθνήξεται Θουκρίτου.

[¶9] PLUTO: Don’t worry, Terpsion. Not only he but Phidon and Melanthus, and, in fact, all of them will come here before him through the same worries.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Θάρρει, ὦ Τερψίων· καὶ Φείδων γὰρ καὶ Μέλανθος καὶ ὅλως ἅπαντες προελεύσονται αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ ταῖς αὐταῖς φροντίσιν.

[¶10] TERPSION: I’m glad to hear it. Long life to you, Thucritus.

> Greek: ΤΕΡΨΙΩΝ: Ἐπαινῶ ταῦτα. ζῴης ἐπὶ μήκιστον, ὡ Θούκριτε.

## 17. Dialogue 17

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/17/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/17/#p-N

[¶0] 1. ZENOPHANTUS: Well, Callidemides, how did you die? I used to be a parasite of Dinias, and choked myself to death by eating too much, as you know; for you were there when I died. CALLIDEMIDES: Yes, I was there, Zenophantus. But my death was a strange one. I think you know Ptoeodorus, the old man? ZENOPHANTUS: The rich man with no children? I knew you were often with him. CALLIDEMIDES: I was always most attentive to him, because he promised I would benefit by his death. But since the matter was taking an unconscionable time, and he was living to be older than Tithonus, I found a short cut to the inheritance. I bought poison, and persuaded his butler, next time he asked for wine—he’s a pretty heavy drinker, you know—to have the poison ready in the cup, and give it to him. I promised him his freedom, if he did it. ZENOPHANTUS: Well, what happened? Your story looks like being a strange one.

> Greek: 1. ΖΗΝΟΦΑΝΤΟΣ: Σὺ δὲ, ὦ Καλλιδημίδη, πῶς ἀπέθανες; ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ὅτι παράσιτος ὢν Δεινίου πλέον τοῦ ἱκανοῦ ἐμφαγὼν ἀπεπνίγην, οἶσθα· παρῆς γὰρ ἀποθνήσκοντί μοι. ΚΑΛΛΙΔΗΜΙΔΗΣ: Παρῆν, ὦ Ζηνόφαντε· τὸ δὲ ἐμὸν παράδοξόν τι ἐγένετο. οἶσθα γὰρ καὶ σύ που Πτοιόδωρον τὸν γέροντα; ΖΗΝΟΦΑΝΤΟΣ: Τὸν ἄτεκνον, τὸν πλούσιον, ᾧ σε τὰ πολλα ᾔδειν συνόντα. ΚΑΛΛΙΔΗΜΙΔΗΣ: Ἐκεῖνον αὐτὸν ἀεὶ ἐθεράπευον ὑπισχνούμενον ἐπ' ἐμοὶ τεθνήξεσθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ πρᾶγμα εἰς μήκιστον ἐπεγίνετο καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸν Τιθωνὸν ὁ γέρων ἔζη, ἐπίτομόν τινα ὁδὸν ἐπὶ τὸν κλῆρον ἐξηῦρον· πριάμενος γὰρ φάρμακον ἀνέπεισα τὸν οἰνοχόον, ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα ὁ Πτοιόδωρος αἰτήσῃ πιεῖν,—πίνει δὲ ἐπιεικῶς ζωρότερον—ἐμβαλόντα εἰς κύλικα ἕτοιμον ἔχειν αὐτὸ καὶ ἐπιδοῦναι αὐτῷ· εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ποιήσει, ἐλεύθερον ἐπωμοσάμην ἀφήσειν αὐτόν. ΖΗΝΟΦΑΝΤΟΣ: Τί οὖν ἐγένετο; πάνυ γάρ τι παράδοξον ἐρεῖν ἔοικας.

[¶1] 2. CALLIDEMIDES: When we’d come in after our bath, the lad had two cups ready, one with the poison for Ptoeodorus, and the other for me, but somehow he made a mistake, giving me the poison, and Ptoeodorus the harmless cup. A moment later, while he was still drinking, I was lying my full length on the floor, and the wrong man was dead. Why do you find it amusing, Zenophantus? You oughtn’t to laugh at a friend. ZENOPHANTUS: Well, it was a droll thing to happen. But what did the old man do? CALLIDEMIDES: At first he was a little put out by the suddenness of it all, but then he understood what had happened, I suppose, and laughed himself to see what his butler had done. ZENOPHANTUS: But you oughtn’t to have taken that short cut; you’d have been surer of getting him here by the highway, even if he was a little slow in coming.

> Greek: 2. ΚΑΛΛΙΔΗΜΙΔΗΣ: Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν λουσάμενοι ἥκομεν, δύο δὴ ὁ μειρακίσκος κύλικας ἑτοίμους ἔχων τὴν μὲν τῷ Πτοιοδώρῳ τὴν ἔχουσαν τὸ φάρμακον, τὴν δὲ ἑτέραν ἐμοί, σφαλεὶς οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅπως ἐμοὶ μὲν τὸ φάρμακον, Πτοιοδώρῳ δὲ τὸ ἀφάρμακτον ἔδωκεν· εἶτα ὁ μὲν ἔπινεν, ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτίκα μάλα ἐκτάδην ἐκείμην ὑποβολιμαῖος ἀντ' ἐκείνου νεκρός. τί τοῦτο γελᾷς, ὦ Ζηνόφαντε; καὶ μὴν οὐκ ἔδει γε ἑταίρῳ ἀνδρὶ ἐπιγελᾶν. ΖΗΝΟΦΑΝΤΟΣ: Ἀστεῖα γάρ, ὦ Καλλιδημίδη, πέπονθας. ὁ γέρων δὲ τί πρὸς ταῦτα; ΚΑΛΛΙΔΗΜΙΔΗΣ: Πρῶτον μὲν ὑπεταράχθη πρὸς τὸ αἰφνίδιον, εἶτα συνείς, οἶμαι, τὸ γεγενημένον ἐγέλα καὶ αὐτός, οἷά γε ὁ οἰνοχόος εἴργασται. ΖΗΝΟΦΑΝΤΟΣ: Πλὴν ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ σὲ τὴν ἐπίτομον ἐχρῆν τραπέσθαι· ἧκε γὰρ ἄν σοι διὰ τῆς λεωφόρου ἀσφαλέστερον, εἰ καὶ ὀλίγῳ βραδύτερος ἦν.

## 18. Dialogue 18

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/18/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/18/#p-N

[¶0] 1. CNEMON: It’s just like the proverb; the fawn’s caught the lion. DAMNIPPUS: Why so angry, Cnemon? CNEMON: You ask why I’m angry? I’ve been outsmarted, poor fool that I am, and have left an heir I didn’t want, passing over those I’d have preferred to have my property. DAMNIPPUS: How did it happen? CNEMON: I’d been showering my attentions on Hermolaus, the childless millionaire, in hopes of his death, and he was glad enough to have them. So I thought of another clever move, and decided to make my will public. I’ve left him all my property in it, hoping he in turn would emulate me, and do the same by me. DAMNIPPUS: Well, what did he do? CNEMON: What he put in his own will, I don’t know; I can only tell you that I myself died suddenly, when my roof fell down upon me, and now Hermolaus is in possession of my property, like a greedy bass that has swallowed both hook and bait. DAMNIPPUS: Not only that, but he’s swallowed you the fisherman as well; you’ve been caught by your own cunning. CNEMON: So it seems; that’s why I’m so sorry for myself.

> Greek: 1. ΚΝΗΜΩΝ: Τοῦτο ἐκεῖνο τὸ τῆς παροιμίας· ὁ νεβρὸς τὸν λέοντα. ΔΑΜΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Τί ἀγανακτεῖς, ὦ Κνήμων; ΚΝΗΜΩΝ: Πυνθάνῃ ὅ τι ἀγανακτῶ; κληρονόμον ἀκούσιον καταλέλοιπα κατασοφισθεὶς ἄθλιος, οὓς ἐβουλόμην ἂν μάλιστα σχεῖν τἀμὰ παραλιπών. ΔΑΜΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Πῶς τοῦτο ἐγένετο; ΚΝΗΜΩΝ: Ἑρμόλαον τὸν πάνυ πλούσιον ἄτεκνον ὄντα ἐθεράπευον ἐπὶ θανάτῳ, κἀκεῖνος οὐκ ἀηδῶς τὴν θεραπείαν προσίετο. ἔδοξε δή μοι καὶ σοφὸν τοῦτο εἶναι, θέσθαι διαθήκας εἰς τὸ φανερόν, ἐν αἷς ἐκείνῳ καταλέλοιπα τἀμὰ πάντα, ὡς κἀκεῖνος ζηλώσειεν καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ πράξειεν. ΔΑΜΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Τί οὖν δὴ ἐκεῖνος; ΚΝΗΜΩΝ: Ὅ τι μὲν αὐτὸς ἐνέγραψεν ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ διαθήκαις οὐκ οἶδα· ἐγὼ γοῦν ἄφνω ἀπέθανον τοῦ τέγους μοι ἐπιπεσόντος, καὶ νῦν Ἑρμόλαος ἔχει τἀμὰ ὥσπερ τις λάβραξ καὶ τὸ ἄγκιστρον τῷ δελέατι συγκατασπάσας. ΔΑΜΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτόν σε τὸν ἁλιέα· ὥστε τὸ σόφισμα κατὰ σαυτοῦ συντέθεικας. ΚΝΗΜΩΝ: Ἔοικα· οἰμώζω τοιγαροῦν.

## 19. Dialogue 19

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/19/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/19/#p-N

[¶0] 1. SIMYLUS: So, you’ve come to join us at last, Polystratus, after living to be, I think, almost a hundred?

> Greek: 1. ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Ἥκεις ποτέ, ὦ Πολύστρατε, καὶ σὺ παρ' ἡμᾶς ἔτη οἶμαι οὐ πολύ ἀποδέοντα τῶν ἑκατὸν βεβιωκώς;

[¶1] POLYSTRATUS: Ninety-eight, Simylus.

> Greek: ΠΟΛΥΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Ὀκτὼ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐνενήκοντα, ὦ Σιμύλε.

[¶2] SIMYLUS: Whatever sort of life did you have for these thirty years after my death? I died when you were about seventy.

> Greek: ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Πῶς δαὶ τὰ μετ' ἐμὲ ταῦτα ἐβίως τριάκοντα; ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀμφὶ τὰ ἑβδομήκοντά σου ὄντος ἀπέθανον.

[¶3] POLYSTRATUS: An exceedingly pleasant life, even if you will think it strange.

> Greek: ΠΟΛΥΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Ὑπερήδιστα, εἰ καί σοι παράδοξον τοῦτο δόξει.

[¶4] SIMYLUS: Strange indeed, if you were not only old and weak but also childless, and yet could enjoy life.

> Greek: ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Παράδοξον, εἰ γέρων τε καὶ ἀσθενὴς ἄτεκνός τε προσέτι ἥδεσθαι τοῖς ἐν τῷ βίῳ ἐδύνασο.

[¶5] 2. POLYSTRATUS: At first, I could do anything. I still could enjoy plenty of pretty boys, and the nicest women, unguents and fragrant wine, and a table to outdo any in Sicily.

> Greek: 2. ΠΟΛΥΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἅπαντα ἐδυνάμην· ἔτι καὶ παῖδες ὡραῖοι ἦσαν πολλοὶ καὶ γυναῖκες ἁβρόταται καὶ μύρα καὶ οἶνος ἀνθοσμίας καὶ τράπεζα ὑπὲρ τὰς ἐν Σικελίᾳ.

[¶6] SIMYLUS: That’s something new. I knew you to be very sparing.

> Greek: ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Καινὰ ταῦτα· ἐγὼ γάρ σε πάνυ φειδόμενον ἠπιστάμην.

[¶7] POLYSTRATUS: Ah, but the good things came pouring in from others, my good fellow; at crack of dawn crowds of folk would start flocking to my doors, and later in the day all kinds of choice gifts from every corner of the earth would arrive.

> Greek: ΠΟΛΥΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Ἀλλ' ἐπέρρει μοι, ὦ γενναῖε, παρὰ ἄλλων τὰ ἀγαθά· καὶ ἕωθεν μὲν εὐθὺς ἐπὶ θύρας ἐφοίτων μάλα πολλοί, μετὰ δὲ παντοῖά μοι δῶρα προσήγετο ἁπανταχόθεν τῆς γῆς τὰ κάλλιστα.

[¶8] SIMYLUS: Did you become tyrant, Polystratus, after my time?

> Greek: ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Ἐτυράννησας, ὦ Πολύστρατε, μετ' ἐμέ;

[¶9] POLYSTRATUS: No, but I had thousands of lovers.

> Greek: ΠΟΛΥΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Οὔκ, ἀλλ’ ἐραστὰς εἶχον μυρίους.

[¶10] SIMYLUS: You make me laugh. Lovers? At your age? With only four teeth in your head?

> Greek: ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Ἐγέλασα· ἐραστὰς σὺ τηλικοῦτος ὤν, ὀδόντας τέτταρας ἔχων;

[¶11] POLYSTRATUS: Yes indeed, the noblest lovers in the city. Though I was old and bald, as you see, yes, and blear-eyed and snivelling too, they were delighted to court me, and anyone of them I favoured with a mere glance thought himself in heaven.

> Greek: ΠΟΛΥΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Νὴ Δία, τοὺς ἀρίστους γε τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει· καὶ γέροντά με καὶ φαλακρόν, ὡς ὁρᾷς, ὄντα καὶ λημῶντα προσέτι καὶ κορυζῶντα ὑπερήδοντο θεραπεύοντες, καὶ μακάριος ἦν αὐτῶν ὅντινα ἂν καὶ μόνον προσέβλεψα.

[¶12] SIMYLUS: You weren’t another to have a divine passenger, as did Phaon, when he ferried Aphrodite over from Chios, and have your prayers answered, becoming young, handsome and attractive all over again?

> Greek: ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Μῶν καὶ σύ τινα ὥσπερ ὁ Φάων τὴν Ἀφροδίτην ἐκ Χίου διεπόρθμευσας, εἶτά σοι εὐξαμένῳ ἔδωκεν νέον εἶναι καὶ καλὸν ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς καὶ ἀξιέραστον;

[¶13] POLYSTRATUS: No, I was the desire of all, though just as you see me now.

> Greek: ΠΟΛΥΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ τοιοῦτος ὢν περιπόθητος ἦν.

[¶14] SIMYLUS: You’re talking in riddles.

> Greek: ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Αἰνίγματα λέγεις.

[¶15] 3. POLYSTRATUS: Yet this great love for rich, childless old men is there for all to see.

> Greek: 3. ΠΟΛΥΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Καὶ μὴν πρόδηλός γε ὁ ἔρως οὑτοσὶ πολὺς ὢν ὁ περὶ τοὺς ἀτέκνους καὶ πλουσίους γέροντας.

[¶16] SIMYLUS: Now I understand your beauty, you old wonder; it came from the golden Aphrodite.

> Greek: ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Νῦν μανθάνω σου τὸ κάλλος, ὦ θαυμάσιε, ὅτι παρὰ τῆς χρυσῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἦν.

[¶17] POLYSTRATUS: And no small enjoyment, Simylus, my lovers have brought me; I was almost worshipped by them. Often I would be coy, and occasionally bar my door to some of them, but they would vie with each other in their zeal for my affection.

> Greek: ΠΟΛΥΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Ἀτάρ, ὦ Σιμύλε, οὐκ ὀλίγα τῶν ἐραστῶν ἀπολέλαυκα μονονουχὶ προσκυνούμενος ὑπ' αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐθρυπτόμην δὲ πολλάκις καὶ ἀπέκλειον αὐτῶν τινας ἐνίοτε, οἱ δὲ ἡμιλλῶντο καὶ ἀλλήλους ὑπερεβάλλοντο ἐν τῇ περὶ ἐμὲ φιλοτιμίᾳ.

[¶18] SIMYLUS: But what decision did you make about your property in the end?

> Greek: ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Τέλος δ’ οὖν πῶς ἐβουλεύσω περὶ τῶν κτημάτων;

[¶19] POLYSTRATUS: I would keep saying in public that I had left each of them as my heir, and each would believe me, and show himself more assiduous than ever in his flattery; but all the time my real will was different and I left them—instructions to go to the devil one and all.

> Greek: ΠΟΛΥΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Εἰς τὸ φανερὸν μὲν ἕκαστον αὐτῶν κληρονόμον ἀπολιπεῖν ἔφασκον, ὁ δ’ ἐπίστευέν τε ἂν καὶ κολακευτικώτερον παρεσκεύαζεν αὑτόν, ἄλλας δὲ τὰς ἀληθεῖς διαθήκας ἐκείνας ἔχων κατέλιπον οἰμώζειν ἅπασι φράσας.

[¶20] 4. SIMYLUS: And who was the heir under your final will? One of your family, no doubt?
POLYSTRATUS: Good heavens no; it was a pretty boy from Phrygia I’d just bought.

> Greek: 4. ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Τίνα δὲ αἱ τελευταῖαι τὸν κληρονόμον ἔσχον; ἦ πού τινα τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ γένους; ΠΟΛΓΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Οὐ μὰ Δία, ἀλλὰ νεώνητόν τινα τῶν μειρακίων τῶν ὡραίων Φρύγα.

[¶21] SIMYLUS: What sort of age was he?

> Greek: ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Ἀμφὶ πόσα ἔτη, ὦ Πολύστρατε;

[¶22] POLYSTRATUS: Roughly about twenty.

> Greek: ΠΟΛΥΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Σχεδὸν ἀμφὶ τὰ εἴκοσι.

[¶23] SIMYLUS: Now I understand how he won your favour.

> Greek: ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Ἤδη μανθάνω ἅτινά σοι ἐκεῖνος ἐχαρίζετο.

[¶24] POLYSTRATUS: Oh well, he deserved to be my heir much more than they did, even if he was a barbarian and a pest. He’s already being courted by the noblest of them all. So he became my heir, and is now numbered among the aristocrats, and, despite his smooth chin and foreign accent, is credited with bluer blood than Codrus, greater beauty than NIreus, and more intelligence than Odysseus.

> Greek: ΠΟΛΥΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Πλὴν ἀλλὰ πολὺ ἐκείνων ἀξιώτερος κληρονομεῖν, εἰ καὶ βάρβαρος ἦν καὶ ὄλεθρος, ὃν ἤδη καὶ αὐτῶν οἱ ἄριστοι θεραπεύουσιν. ἐκεῖνος τοίνυν ἐκληρονόμησέ μου καὶ νῦν ἐν τοῖς εὐπατρίδαις ἀριθμεῖται ὑπεξυρημένος μὲν τὸ γένειον καὶ βαρβαρίζων, Κόδρου δὲ εὐγενέστερος καὶ Νιρέως καλλίων καὶ Ὀδυσσέως συνετώτερος λεγόμενος εἶναι.

[¶25] SIMYLUS: That doesn’t worry me. Let him even be Generalissimo of Greece, if he wishes to, so long as those fellows don’t inherit.

> Greek: ΣΙΜΥΛΟΣ: Οὔ μοι μέλει· καὶ στρατηγησάτω τῆς Ἑλλάδος, εἰ δοκεῖ, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ⟨μὴ⟩ κληρονομείτωσαν μόνον.

## 20. Dialogue 20

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/20/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/20/#p-N

[¶0] 1. CHARON: Let me tell you how you stand; your boat is small, as you can see, and unsound, and leaks almost all over; if it lists one way or the other, it will capsize and sink. Yet you come in such numbers all at once, each of you laden with luggage. If, then, you take all this on board, I’m afraid you’ll be sorry for it later on, particularly those of you that can’t swim. DEAD MEN: Well, what shall we do to have a good passage?

> Greek: 1. ΧΑΡΩΝ: Ἀκούσατε ὡς ἔχει ὑμῖν τὰ πράγματα. μικρὸν μὲν ὑμῖν, ὡς ὁρᾶτε, τὸ σκαφίδιον καὶ ὑπόσαθρόν ἐστιν καὶ διαρρεῖ τὰ πολλά, καὶ ἢν τραπῇ ἐπὶ θάτερα, οἰχήσεται περιτραπέν, ὑμεῖς δὲ τοσοῦτοι ἅμα ἥκετε πολλὰ ἐπιφερόμενοι ἕκαστος. ἢν οὖν μετὰ τούτων ἐμβῆτε, δέδια μὴ ὕστερον μετανοήσητε, καὶ μάλιστα ὁπόσοι νεῖν οὐκ ἐπίστασθε.
ΕΡΜΗΣ: Πῶς οὖν ποιήσαντες εὐπλοήσομεν;

[¶1] CHARON: I’ll tell you. Strip yourselves before you come on board, and leave all this useless stuff on the shore; for, even then, the ferry will hardly hold you. It will be up to you, Hermes, to let none of them aboard after this, unless he has stripped himself and thrown away his trappings, as I said he must. Go and stand by the gangway, and sort them out for admission. Make them strip, before you let them on board.

> Greek: ΧΑΡΩΝ: Ἐγὼ ὑμῖν φράσω· γυμνοὺς ἐπιβαίνειν χρὴ τὰ περιττὰ ταῦτα πάντα ἐπὶ τῆς ἠϊόνος καταλιπόντας· μόλις γὰρ ἂν καὶ οὕτως δέξαιτο ὑμᾶς τὸ πορθμεῖον. σοὶ δέ, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, μελήσει τὸ ἀπὸ τούτου μηδένα παραδέχεσθαι αὐτῶν, ὃς ἂν μὴ ψιλὸς ᾖ καὶ τὰ ἔπιπλα, ὥσπερ ἔφην, ἀποβαλών. παρὰ δὲ τὴν ἀποβάθραν ἑστὼς διαγίνωσκε αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀναλάμβανε γυμνοὺς ἐπιβαίνειν ἀναγκάζων.

[¶2] 2. HERMES: Well spoken. Let’s do as you say. Who’s this first one?

> Greek: 2. ΕΡΜΗΣ: Εὖ λέγεις, καὶ οὕτω ποιήσωμεν.—Οὑτοσὶ τίς ὁ πρῶτός ἐστιν;

[¶3] MENIPPUS: I’m Menippus. But see, here’s my bag for you, Hermes, and my stick; into the water with them. My cloak I didn’t even bring—and a good job too!

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Μένιππος ἔγωγε. ἀλλ’ ἰδοὺ ἡ πήρα μοι, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, καὶ τὸ βάκτρον εἰς τὴν λίμνην ἀπερρίφθων, τὸν τρίβωνα δὲ οὐδὲ ἐκόμισα εὖ ποιῶν.

[¶4] HERMES: Come on board, Menippus, best of men, and take the seat of honour up beside the steersman, so that you can keep an eye on the others.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ἔμβαινε, ὦ Μένιππε ἀνδρῶν ἄριστε, καὶ τὴν προεδρίαν ἔχε παρὰ τὸν κυβερνήτην ἐφ' ὑψηλοῦ, ὡς ἐπισκοπῇς ἅπαντας.

[¶5] 3. HERMES: And who’s this handsome fellow? CHARMOLEOS: Charmoleos, the darling of Megara, whose kiss was worth two talents.

> Greek: 3. ΕΡΜΗΣ: ὁ καλὸς δ’ οὗτος τίς ἐστιν; ΧΑΡΜΟΛΕΩΣ: Χαρμόλεως ὁ Μεγαρικὸς ἐπέραστος, οὗ τὸ φίλημα διτάλαντον ἦν.

[¶6] HERMES: Then off with your beauty and your lips, kisses and all, your luxuriant hair, your rosy cheeks and all your skin; that’s fine, now you’re travelling light, and may come on board.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ἀπόδυθι τοιγαροῦν τὸ κάλλος καὶ τὰ χείλη αὐτοῖς φιλήμασι καὶ τὴν κόμην τὴν βαθεῖαν καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ τῶν παρειῶν ἐρύθημα καὶ τὸ δέρμα ὅλον. ἔχει καλῶς, εὔζωνος εἶ, ἐπίβαινε ἤδη.

[¶7] 4. HERMES: And who are you over here, with the purple robe and diadem, you who are so solemn? LAMPICHUS: Lampichus, tyrant of Gela.

> Greek: 4. ΕΡΜΗΣ: ὁ δὲ τὴν πορφυρίδα οὑτοσὶ καὶ τὸ διάδημα ὁ βλοσυρὸς τίς ὢν τυγχάνεις; ΛΑΜΠΙΧΟΣ: Λάμπιχος Γελῴων τύραννος.

[¶8] HERMES: Well why, Lampichus, do you bring all that with you? LAMPICHUS: Well, what should I do? Ought a tyrant to come naked, Hermes?

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Τί οὖν, ὦ Λάμπιχε, τοσαῦτα ἔχων πάρει; ΛΑΜΠΙΧΟΣ: Τί οὖν; ἐχρῆν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, γυμνὸν ἥκειν τύραννον ἄνδρα;

[¶9] HERMES: A tyrant shouldn’t, but a dead man most certainly should. So off with it all. LAMPICHUS: There you are; there goes my wealth.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Τύραννον μὲν οὐδαμῶς, νεκρὸν δὲ μάλα· ὥστε ἀπόθουταῦτα. ΛΑΜΠΙΧΟΣ: Ἰδού σοι ὁ πλοῦτος ἀπέρριπται.

[¶10] HERMES: Away too with your vanity, Lampichus, and your pride; they will weigh down the ferry, if they come in along with you. LAMPICHUS: Then at least allow me to keep my diadem and my mantle.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Καὶ τὸν τῦφον ἀπόρριψον, ὦ Λάμπιχε, καὶ τὴν ὑπεροψίαν· βαρήσει γὰρ τὸ πορθμεῖον συνεμπεσόντα. ΛΑΜΠΙΧΟΣ: Οὐκοῦν ἀλλὰ τὸ διάδημα ἔασόν με ἔχειν καὶ τὴν ἐφεστρίδα.

[¶11] HERMES: Certainly not; away with these too. LAMPICHUS: Very well. What else? I’ve thrown away everything, as you can see.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα ἄφες. ΛΑΜΠΙΧΟΣ: Εἶεν. τί ἔτι; πᾶν γὰρ ἀφῆκα, ὡς ὁρᾷς.

[¶12] HERMES: There remain your cruelty, folly, insolence, and temper; away with these too. LAMPICHUS: There you are; I’m stripped.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Καὶ τὴν ὠμότητα καὶ τὴν ἄνοιαν καὶ τὴν ὕβριν καὶ τὴν ὀργήν, καὶ ταῦτα ἄφες. ΛΑΜΠΙΧΟΣ: Ἰδού σοι ψιλός εἰμι.

[¶13] 5. HERMES: Now you may get in. You, the fat and fleshy one, who are you? DAMASIAS: Damasias, the athlete.

> Greek: 5. ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ἔμβαινε ἤδη. σὺ δὲ ὁ παχύς, ὁ πολύσαρκος τίς ὢν τυγχάνεις; ΔΑΜΑΣΙΑΣ: Δαμασίας ὁ ἀθλητής.

[¶14] HERMES: Yes, you look like him. I know you, having often seen you in the ring. DAMASIAS: Yes, Hermes; but let me in; I’m stripped to the skin.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ναί, ἔοικας· οἶδα γάρ σε πολλάκις ἐν ταῖς παλαίστραις ἰδών. ΔΑΜΑΣΙΑΣ: Ναί, ὦ Ἑρμῆ· ἀλλὰ παράδεξαί με γυμνὸν ὄντα.

[¶15] HERMES: No, you’re not, my good fellow, not while you have all that flesh on you. Well, take it off, for you’ll sink the boat, if you only put one foot aboard. Off too with those wreaths and proclamations of your prowess. DAMASIAS: There you are; I’m really stripped now, as you see, and no heavier than the other dead.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Οὐ γυμνόν, ὦ βέλτιστε, τοσαύτας σάρκας περιβεβλημένον· ὥστε ἀπόδυθι αὐτάς, ἐπεὶ καταδύσεις τὸ σκάφος τὸν ἕτερον πόδα ὑπερθεὶς μόνον· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς στεφάνους τούτους ἀπόρριψον καὶ τὰ κηρύγματα. ΔΑΜΑΣΙΑΣ: Ἰδού σοι γυμνός, ὡς ὁρᾷς, ἀληθῶς εἰμι καὶ ἰσοστάσιος τοῖς ἄλλοις νεκροῖς.

[¶16] 6. HERMES: It’s better that you should be light like that; get in then. You too, Craton, off with your wealth and your effeminacy too, and your luxury, and don’t bring your funeral trappings or your ancestors’ reputations, but leave behind family, fame, all public proclamations in your honour, and the inscriptions on your statues, and say nothing of the mighty tomb they raised over your body. Even the mention of such things weighs down the boat. CRATON: I don’t like it, but away they go. What choice have I?

> Greek: 6. ΕΡΜΗΣ: Οὕτως ἄμεινον ἀβαρῆ εἶναι· ὥστε ἔμβαινε. καὶ σὺ τὸν πλοῦτον ἀποθέμενος, ὦ Κράτων, καὶ τὴν μαλακίαν δὲ προσέτι καὶ τὴν τρυφὴν μηδὲ τὰ ἐντάφια κόμιζε μηδὲ τὰ τῶν προγόνων ἀξιώματα, κατάλιπε δὲ καὶ γένος καὶ δόξαν καὶ εἴ ποτέ σε ἡ πόλις ἀνεκήρυξεν καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀνδριάντων ἐπιγραφάς, μηδέ ὅτι μέγαν τάφον ἐπί σοι ἔχωσαν λέγε· βαρύνει γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα μνημονευόμενα. ΚΡΑΤΩΝ: Οὐχ ἑκὼν μέν, ἀπορρίψω δέ· τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ πάθοιμι;

[¶17] 7. HERMES: Good gracious! You there—what do you want with all that armour? Why do you carry that trophy? GENERAL: Because I was victorious, won the prize for valour, and was honoured by my city.

> Greek: 7. ΕΡΜΗΣ: βαβαί. σὺ δὲ ὁ ἔνοπλος τί βούλει; ἢ τί τὸ τρόπαιον τοῦτο φέρεις; ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΟΣ: Ὅτι ἐνίκησα, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, καὶ ἠρίστευσα καὶ ἡ πόλις ἐτίμησέν με.

[¶18] HERMES: Leave your trophy on earth above; there’s peace in Hades and weapons won’t be needed.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ἄφες ὑπὲρ γῆς τὸ τρόπαιον· ἐν ᾅδου γὰρ εἰρήνη καὶ οὐδὲν ὅπλων δεήσει.

[¶19] 8. HERMES: But here’s an august personage, to judge by his appearance, and a proud man. Who can he be, with his haughty eyebrows, thoughtful mien, and bushy beard?

> Greek: 8. ΕΡΜΗΣ: ὁ σεμνὸς δὲ οὗτος ἀπό γε τοῦ σχήματος καὶ βρενθυόμενος, ὁ τὰς ὀφρῦς ἐπηρκώς, ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν φροντίδων τίς ἐστιν, ὁ τὸν βαθὺν πώγωνα καθειμένος;

[¶20] MENIPPUS: A Philosopher, Hermes, or rather an impostor, full of talk of marvels. Strip him too, and you’ll see many amusing things covered up under his cloak.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Φιλόσοφός τις, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, μᾶλλον δὲ γόης καὶ τερατείας μεστός· ὥστε ἀπόδυσον καὶ τοῦτον· ὄψει γὰρ πολλὰ καὶ γελοῖα ὑπὸ τῷ ἱματίῳ σκεπόμενα.

[¶21] HERMES: You there, off first with your clothes, and then with all this here. Ye gods, what hypocrisy he carries, what ignorance, contentiousness, vanity, unanswerable puzzles, thorny argumentations, and complicated conceptions—yes, and plenty of wasted effort, and no little nonsense, and idle talk, and splitting of hairs, and, good heavens, here’s gold too, and soft living, shamelessness, temper, luxury, and effeminacy! I can see them, however much you try to hide them. Away with your falsehood too, and your pride, and notions of your superiority over the rest of men. If you came on board with all these, not even a battleship would be big enough for you. PHILOSOPHER: Then I take them off, since these are your orders.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Κατάθου σὺ τὸ σχῆμα πρῶτον, εἶτα καὶ ταυτὶ πάντα. ὦ Ζεῦ, ὅσην μὲν τὴν ἀλαζονείαν κομίζει, ὅσην δὲ ἀμαθίαν καὶ ἔριν καὶ κενοδοξίαν καὶ ἐρωτήσεις ἀπόρους καὶ λόγους ἀκανθώδεις καὶ ἐννοίας πολυπλόκους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ματαιοπονίαν μάλα πολλὴν καὶ λῆρον οὐκ ὀλίγον καὶ ὕθλους καὶ μικρολογίαν, νὴ Δία καὶ χρυσίον γε τουτὶ καὶ ἡδυπάθειαν δὲ καὶ ἀναισχυντίαν καὶ ὀργὴν καὶ τρυφὴν καὶ μαλακίαν· οὐ λέληθεν γάρ με, εἰ καὶ μάλα περικρύπτεις αὐτά. καὶ τὸ ψεῦδος δὲ ἀπόθου καὶ τὸν τῦφον καὶ τὸ οἴεσθαι ἀμείνων εἶναι τῶν ἄλλων· ὡς εἴ γε ταῦτα πάντα ἔχων ἐμβαίης, ποία πεντηκόντορος δέξαιτο ἄν σε; ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΟΣ: Ἀποτίθεμαι τοίνυν αὐτά, ἐπείπερ οὕτω κελεύεις.

[¶22] 9. MENIPPUS: But he ought to take off that beard as well, Hermes; it’s heavy and shaggy, as you can see. He has at least five pounds of hair there.

> Greek: 9. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Αλλὰ καὶ τὸν πώγωνα τοῦτον ἀποθέσθω, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, βαρύν τε ὄντα καὶ λάσιον, ὡς ὁρᾷς· πέντε μναῖ τριχῶν εἰσι τοὐλάχιστον.

[¶23] HERMES: Well spoken. Off with that too. PHILOSOPHER: Who will be my barber?

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Εὖ λέγεις· ἀπόθου καὶ τοῦτον. ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΟΣ: Καὶ τίς ὁ ἀποκείρων ἔσται;

[¶24] HERMES: Menippus here will take a shipwright’s axe and cut it off; he can use the gangway as his block.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Μένιππος οὑτοσὶ λαβὼν πέλεκυν τῶν ναυπηγικῶν ἀποκόψει αὐτὸν ἐπικόπῳ τῇ ἀποβάθρᾳ χρησάμενος.

[¶25] MENIPPUS: No, Hermes, pass me up a saw. That’ll be better fun.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὔκ, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, ἀλλὰ πρίονά μοι ἀνάδος· γελοιότερον γὰρ τοῦτο.

[¶26] HERMES: The axe will do well enough. That’s fine. You look more human, now that you’ve lost that goat’s beard of yours.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ὁ πέλεκυς ἱκανός. εὖ γε. ἀνθρωπινώτερος νῦν ἀναπέφηνας ἀποθέμενος σαυτοῦ τὴν κινάβραν.

[¶27] MENIPPUS: Shall I take a little off his eyebrows as well?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Βούλει μικρὸν ἀφέλωμαι καὶ τῶν ὀφρύων;

[¶28] HERMES: By all means; he has them rising high over his forehead, as he strains after something or other. What’s this? Crying, you scum? Afraid to face death? Get in with you.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Μάλιστα· ὑπὲρ τὸ μέτωπον γὰρ καὶ ταύτας ἐπῆρκεν, οὐκ οἶδα ἐφ' ὅτῳ ἀνατείνων ἑαυτόν. τί τοῦτο; καὶ δακρύεις, ὦ κάθαρμα, καὶ πρὸς θάνατον ἀποδειλιᾷς; ἔμβηθι δ’ οὖν.

[¶29] MENIPPUS: He still has the heaviest thing of all under his arm.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἓν ἔτι τὸ βαρύτατον ὑπὸ μάλης ἔχει.

[¶30] HERMES: What, Menippus?

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Τί, ὦ Μένιππε;

[¶31] MENIPPUS: Flattery, Hermes, which was often most useful to him in life. PHILOSOPHER: What about you then, Menippus? Off with your independence, plain speaking, cheerfulness, noble bearing, and laughter. You’re the only one that laughs.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Κολακείαν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, πολλὰ ἐν τῷ βίῳ χρησιμεύσασαν αὐτῷ. ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΟΣ: Οὐκοῦν καὶ σύ, ὦ Μένιππε, ἀπόθου τὴν ἐλευθερίαν καὶ παρρησίαν καὶ τὸ ἄλυπον καὶ τὸ γενναῖον καὶ τὸν γέλωτα· μόνος γοῦν τῶν ἄλλων γελᾷς.

[¶32] HERMES: Do nothing of the sort, but keep them, Menippus; they’re light and easy to carry, and useful for the voyage.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Μηδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔχε ταῦτα, κοῦφα γὰρ καὶ πάνυ εὔφορα ὄντα καὶ πρὸς τὸν κατάπλουν χρήσιμα.

[¶33] 10. HERMES: But you, Rhetorician, throw away your endless loquacity, your antitheses, balanced clauses, periods, foreign phrases, and everything else that makes your speeches so heavy. RHETORICIAN: Look, away they go.

> Greek: 10. ΕΡΜΗΣ: καὶ ὁ ῥήτωρ δὲ σὺ ἀπόθου τῶν ῥημάτων τὴν τοσαύτην ἀπεραντολογίαν καὶ ἀντιθέσεις καὶ παρισώσεις καὶ περιόδους καὶ βαρβαρισμοὺς καὶ τὰ ἄλλα βάρη τῶν λόγων. ΡΗΤΩΡ: Ἢν ἰδού, ἀποτίθεμαι.

[¶34] HERMES: Good. Loose the hawsers, then, let’s pull in the gangway, raise anchor and spread the sail, and you, Charon, take the rudder and see to the steering, and good luck to us.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Εὖ ἔχει· ὥστε λύε τὰ ἀπόγεια, τὴν ἀποβάθραν ἀνελώμεθα, τὸ ἀγκύριον ἀνεσπάσθω, πέτασον τὸ ἱστίον, εὔθυνε, ὦ πορθμεῦ, τὸ πηδάλιον· εὖ πάθωμεν.

[¶35] 11. HERMES: Why are you groaning like that, you fools, and you, in particular, the Philosopher just despoiled of the beard? PHILOSOPHER: Because, Hermes, I thought my soul was immortal.

> Greek: 11. ΕΡΜΗΣ: τί οἰμώζετε, ὦ μάταιοι, καὶ μάλιστα ὁ φιλόσοφος σὺ ὁ ἀρτίως τὸν πώγωνα δεδῃωμένος; ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΟΣ: Ὅτι, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, ἀθάνατον ᾤμην τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπάρχειν.

[¶36] MENIPPUS: He’s lying; something else seems to be grieving him.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ψεύδεται· ἄλλα γὰρ ἔοικε λυπεῖν αὐτόν.

[¶37] HERMES: What?

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Τὰ ποῖα;

[¶38] MENIPPUS: That he’ll have no more expensive dinners, or go out at night, unknown to all, with his cloak wrapped over his head, and go the round of the brothels, and never again take money next morning for cheating the young men with his show of wisdom. That’s what grieves him. PHILOSOPHER: Aren’t you sorry to die yourself, Menippus?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὅτι μηκέτι δειπνήσει πολυτελῆ δεῖπνα μηδὲ νύκτωρ ἐξιὼν ἅπαντας λανθάνων τῷ ἱματίῳ τὴν κεφαλὴν κατειλήσας περίεισιν ἐν κύκλῳ τὰ χαμαιτυπεῖα, καὶ ἕωθεν ἐξαπατῶν τοὺς νέους ἐπὶ τῇ σοφίᾳ ἀργύριον λήψεται· ταῦτα λυπεῖ αὐτόν. ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΟΣ: Σὺ γάρ, ὦ Μένιππε, οὐκ ἄχθῃ ἀποθανών;

[¶39] MENIPPUS: How so, when I was eager for death and needed no invitation?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Πῶς, ὃς ἔσπευσα ἐπὶ τὸν θάνατον καλέσαντος μηδενός;

[¶40] 12. MENIPPUS: But, as I speak, don’t I hear the noise of what seems to be shouting on earth?

> Greek: 12. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: ἀλλὰ μεταξὺ λόγων οὐ κραυγή τις ἀκούεται ὥσπερ τινῶν ἀπὸ γῆς βοώντων;

[¶41] HERMES: Yes, Menippus, and coming from several quarters. In one place they’ve all flocked to the assembly, glad and laughing over the death of Lampichus, while the women have got hold of his wife, and his tiny children too are being pelted by the other children with showers of stones. Then there are others, in Sicyon, applauding Diophantus, the Rhetorician, for his funeral speech over Craton here; and, upon my word, there’s the mother of Damasias wailing with the other women, and leading the dirge over him. But nobody weeps for you, Menippus; you’re the only one lying in peace.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Ναί, ὦ Μένιππε, οὐκ ἀφ' ἑνός γε χώρου, ἀλλ’ οἱ μὲν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν συνελθόντες ἄσμενοι γελῶσι πάντες ἐπὶ τῷ Λαμπίχου θανάτῳ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ συνέχεται πρὸς τῶν γυναικῶν καὶ τὰ παιδία νεογνὰ ὄντα ὁμοίως κἀκεῖνα ὑπὸ τῶν παίδων βάλλεται ἀφθόνοις τοῖς λίθοις· ἄλλοι δὲ Διόφαντον τὸν ῥήτορα ἐπαινοῦσιν ἐν Σικυῶνι ἐπιταφίους λόγους διεξιόντα ἐπὶ Κράτωνι τούτῳ. καὶ νὴ Δία γε ἡ Δαμασίου μήτηρ κωκύουσα ἐξάρχει τοῦ θρήνου σὺν γυναιξὶν ἐπὶ τῷ Δαμασίᾳ· σὲ δὲ οὐδείς, ὧ Μένιππε, δακρύει, καθ' ἡσυχίαν δὲ κεῖσαι μόνος.

[¶42] 13. MENIPPUS: Not so; soon you’ll hear the dogs howling most piteous laments over me, and the ravens flapping their wings in mourning, when they gather and perform my burial.

> Greek: 13. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλ’ ἀκούσῃ τῶν κυνῶν μετ' ὀλίγον ὠρυομένων οἴκτιστον ἐπ' ἐμοὶ καὶ τῶν κοράκων τυπτομένων τοῖς πτεροῖς, ὁπόταν συνελθόντες θάπτωσί με.

[¶43] HERMES: You’re a man of spirit, Menippus. But, now that we’ve reached port, off to the court with you along that straight path, while the ferryman and I go for another lot.

> Greek: ΕΡΜΗΣ: Γεννάδας εἶ, ὦ Μένιππε. ἀλλ’ ἐπεὶ καταπεπλεύκαμεν ἡμεῖς, ὑμεῖς μὲν ἄπιτε πρὸς τὸ δικαστήριον εὐθεῖαν ἐκείνην προϊόντες, ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ὁ πορθμεὺς ἄλλους μετελευσόμεθα.

[¶44] MENIPPUS: A good voyage to you, Hermes; but let’s be on our way too. Why do you keep on lingering? We shall have to be judged, and they say the sentences are heavy, wheels and stones and vultures; and the life of each of us will be revealed.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Εὐπλοεῖτε, ὦ Ἑρμῆ· προΐωμεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς. τί οὖν ἔτι καὶ μέλλετε; δικασθῆναι δεήσει, καὶ τὰς καταδίκας φασὶν εἶναι βαρείας, τροχοὺς καὶ λίθους καὶ γῦπας· δειχθήσεται δὲ ὁ ἑκάστου βίος.

## 21. Dialogue 21

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/21/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/21/#p-N

[¶0] 1. CRATES: Diogenes, did you know Moerichus, the rich man, the millionaire from Corinth, who owned a fleet of merchant ships, and had a cousin called Aristeas, another rich man, who used to quote Homer and say, “You try to throw me, or let me try to throw you”?

> Greek: 1. ΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Μοίριχον τὸν πλούσιον ἐγίνωσκες, ὦ Διόγενες, τὸν πάνυ πλούσιον, τὸν ἐκ Κορίνθου, τὸν τὰς πολλὰς ὁλκάδας ἔχοντα, οὗ ἀνεψιὸς Ἀριστέας, πλούσιος καὶ αὐτὸς ὤν, τὸ Ὁμηρικὸν ἐκεῖνο εἰώθει ἐπιλέγειν, ῾ἤ μ' ἀνάειρ' ἢ ἐγὼ σέ'.

[¶1] DIOGENES: Why, Crates?

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Τίνος ἕνεκα, ὦ Κράτης;

[¶2] CRATES: They were of an age and showering attentions each on the other for his property. They made no secret of their wills; Moerichus was leaving Aristeas master of all he had, if he died first, and Aristeas was doing the same for Moerichus. This was all down in black and white, and they tried to outdo each other with obsequious attentions, and not only the prophets, divining the future from stars or from dreams in the best Chaldaean tradition, but even the Delphic god himself would assign the victory first to Aristeas, and then to Moerichus, and the scales would dip in favour now of one, now of the other.

> Greek: ΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Ἐθεράπευον ἀλλήλους τοῦ κλήρου ἕνεκα ἑκάτερος ἡλικιῶται ὄντες, καὶ τὰς διαθήκας εἰς τὸ φανερὸν ἐτίθεντο, Ἀριστέαν μὲν ὁ Μοίριχος, εἰ προαποθάνοι, δεσπότην ἀφιεὶς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ πάντων, Μοίριχον δὲ ὁ Ἀριστέας, εἰ προαπέλθοι αὐτοῦ. ταῦτα μὲν ἐγέγραπτο, οἱ δὲ ἐθεράπευον ὑπερβαλλόμενοι ἀλλήλους τῇ κολακείᾳ. καὶ οἱ μάντεις, εἴτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἄστρων τεκμαιρόμενοι τὸ μέλλον εἴτε ἀπὸ τῶν ὀνειράτων, ὥς γε Χαλδαίων παῖδες, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Πύθιος αὐτὸς ἄρτι μὲν Ἀριστέᾳ παρεῖχε τὸ κράτος, ἄρτι δὲ Μοιρίχῳ, καὶ τὰ τάλαντα ποτὲ μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦτον, νῦν δ’ ἐπ' ἐκεῖνον ἔρρεπε.

[¶3] 2. DIOGENES: Well, what happened in the end? The story’s worth hearing.

> Greek: 2. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Τί οὖν πέρας ἐγένετο, ὦ Κράτης; ἀκοῦσαι γὰρ ἄξιον.

[¶4] CRATES: Both have died on one day, and the properties have passed on to Eunomius and Thrasycles, two relations who have never imagined things turning out thus. Their ship was halfway across from Sicyon to Cirrha, when a squall from the north-west caught her on the beam and capsized her.

> Greek: ΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Ἄμφω τεθνᾶσιν ἐπὶ μιᾶς ἡμέρας, οἱ δὲ κλῆροι εἰς Εὐνόμιον καὶ Θρασυκλέα περιῆλθον ἄμφω συγγενεῖς ὄντας οὐδὲ πώποτε προμαντευομένους οὕτω γενέσθαι ταῦτα· διαπλέοντες γὰρ ἀπὸ Σικυῶνος εἰς Κίρραν κατὰ μέσον τὸν πόρον πλαγίῳ περιπεσόντες τῷ Ἰάπυγι ἀνετράπησαν.

[¶5] 3. DIOGENES: And a good thing too! We never had such thoughts about each other, when we were alive. I never prayed for the death of Antisthenes, so that I could inherit his staff—though he had a very strong one that he had made for himself from the wild olive—nor did you, Crates, I imagine, wish that I should die and leave you my property, the tub and the bag with its two measures of lupines.

> Greek: 3. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Εὖ ἐποίησαν. ἡμεῖς δὲ ὁπότε ἐν τῷ βίῳ ἦμεν, οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐνενοοῦμεν περὶ ἀλλήλων· οὔτε πώποτε ηὐξάμην Ἀντισθένην ἀποθανεῖν, ὡς κληρονομήσαιμι τῆς βακτηρίας αὐτοῦ—εἶχεν δὲ πάνυ καρτερὰν ἐκ κοτίνου ποιησάμενος—οὔτε οἶμαι σὺ ὁ Κράτης ἐπεθύμεις κληρονομεῖν ἀποθανόντος ἐμοῦ τὰ κτήματα καὶ τὸν πίθον καὶ τὴν πήραν χοίνικας δύο θέρμων ἔχουσαν.

[¶6] CRATES: No, I didn’t need any of these things; but neither did you, Diogenes. All that was needful you inherited from Antisthenes and I from you—things far more important and august than the Persian empire.

> Greek: ΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Οὐδὲν γάρ μοι τούτων ἔδει, ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ σοί, ὦ Διόγενες· ἃ γὰρ ἐχρῆν, σύ τε Ἀντισθένους ἐκληρονόμησας καὶ ἐγὼ σοῦ, πολλῷ μείζω καὶ σεμνότερα τῆς Περσῶν ἀρχῆς.

[¶7] DIOGENES: What things do you mean?

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Τίνα ταῦτα φῄς;

[¶8] CRATES: Wisdom, independence, truth, plain speaking, freedom.

> Greek: ΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Σοφίαν, αὐτάρκειαν, ἀλήθειαν, παρρησίαν, ἐλευθερίαν.

[¶9] DIOGENES: Good heavens, yes. I remember taking over these riches from Antisthenes, and leaving you them in still greater measure.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Νὴ Δία, μέμνημαι τοῦτον διαδεξάμενος τὸν πλοῦτον παρὰ Ἀντισθένους καὶ σοὶ ἔτι πλείω καταλιπών.

[¶10] 4. CRATES: But no one else cared for wealth of this sort, or paid us attentions in the hope of inheriting it from us; it was gold on which they all had their eyes.

> Greek: 4. ΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Ἀλλ' οἱ ἄλλοι ἠμέλουν τῶν τοιούτων κτημάτων καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐθεράπευεν ἡμᾶς κληρονομήσειν προσδοκῶν, εἰς δὲ τὸ χρυσίον πάντες ἔβλεπον.

[¶11] DIOGENES: Only to be expected; they had nowhere to put such a legacy from us. They were falling apart from rich living, and were like rotten purses; and so no sooner did one put wisdom or plain speech or truth into them, than it would fall out through a hole, for the bottom couldn’t hold it. It was just like what happens to those daughters of Danaus here, as they pour water into that jar full of holes. But their gold they would keep safe with teeth or nails or any means in their power.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Εἰκότως· οὐ γὰρ εἶχον ἔνθα δέξαιντο τὰ τοιαῦτα παρ' ἡμῶν διερρυηκότες ὑπὸ τρυφῆς, καθάπερ τὰ σαπρὰ τῶν βαλλαντίων· ὥστε εἴ ποτε καὶ ἐμβάλοι τις ἐς αὐτοὺς ἢ σοφίαν ἢ παρρησίαν ἢ ἀλήθειαν, ἐξέπιπτεν εὐθὺς καὶ διέρρει, τοῦ πυθμένος στέγειν οὐ δυναμένου, οἷόν τι πάσχουσιν αἱ τοῦ Δαναοῦ αὗται παρθένοι εἰς τὸν τετρυπημένον πίθον ἐπαντλοῦσαι· τὸ δὲ χρυσίον ὀδοῦσι καὶ ὄνυξι καὶ πάσῃ μηχανῇ ἐφύλαττον.

[¶12] CRATES: In consequence we shall retain our wealth even down here, but they will bring with them no more than an obol, and even that won’t go beyond the ferryman.

> Greek: ΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Οὐκοῦν ἡμεῖς μὲν ἕξομεν κἀνταῦθα τὸν πλοῦτον, οἱ δὲ ὀβολὸν ἥξουσι κομίζοντες καὶ τοῦτον ἄχρι τοῦ πορθμέως.

## 22. Dialogue 22

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/22/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/22/#p-N

[¶0] 1. DIOGENES: Seeing that we’ve nothing to do, Antisthenes and Crates, why don’t we make straight for the entrance, to have a walk around, and see what the newcomers are like, and how each of them acts?

> Greek: 1. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ἀντίσθενες καὶ Κράτης, σχολὴν ἄγομεν· ὥστε τί οὐκ ἄπιμεν εὐθὺ τῆς καθόδου περιπατήσοντες, ὀψόμενοι τοὺς κατιόντας οἷοί τινές εἰσι καὶ τί ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ποιεῖ;

[¶1] ANTISTHENES: Let’s do that, Diogenes. It will be a pleasant sight to see some of them weeping, others begging to be let go, and some most reluctant to come down, resisting, though Hermes pushes them along head foremost, lying on their backs, and bracing their bodies against him. Quite unnecessary behaviour!

> Greek: ΑΝΤΙΣΘΕΝΗΣ: Ἀπίωμεν, ὦ Διόγενες· καὶ γὰρ ἂν ἡδὺ τὸ θέαμα γένοιτο, τοὺς μὲν δακρύοντας αὐτῶν ὁρᾶν, τοὺς δὲ ἱκετεύοντας ἀφεθῆναι. ἐνίους δὲ μόλις κατιόντας καὶ ἐπὶ τράχηλον ὠθοῦντος τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ ὅμως ἀντιβαίνοντας καὶ ὑπτίους ἀντερείδοντας οὐδὲν δέον.

[¶2] CRATES: Then I’ll tell you what I saw on my way down.

> Greek: ΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Ἔγωγ' οὖν καὶ διηγήσομαι ὑμῖν ἃ εἶδον ὁπότε κατῄειν κατὰ τὴν ὁδόν.

[¶3] DIOGENES: Do tell us, Crates. It looks as though what you saw was really amusing.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Διήγησαι, ὦ Κράτης· ἔοικας γάρ τινα ἑωρακέναι παγγέλοια.

[¶4] 2. CRATES: We had quite a crowd with us on our way down, but the most distinguished were our rich countryman Ismenodorus, Arsaces, governor of Media, and Oroetes the Armenian. Well, Ismenodorus, who’d been killed by bandits on his way past Cithaeron to Eleusis, I believe, was groaning, holding his wound with both hands, and calling upon the young children he had left behind, reproaching himself for his rashness in only bringing two servants when crossing Cithaeron and passing the district round Eleutherae, when it had been desolated by the wars, although he was taking five golden bowls and four cups with him.

> Greek: 2. ΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Καὶ ἄλλοι μὲν πολλοὶ συγκατέβαινον ἡμῖν, ἐν αὐτοῖς δὲ ἐπίσημοι Ἰσμηνόδωρός τε ὁ πλούσιος ὁ ἡμέτερος καὶ Ἀρσάκης ὁ Μηδίας ὕπαρχος καὶ Ὀροίτης ὁ Ἀρμένιος. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἰσμηνόδωρος— ἐπεφόνευτο γὰρ ὑπὸ τῶν λῃστῶν ὑπὸ τὸν Κιθαιρῶνα Ἐλευσῖνάδε οἶμαι βαδίζων—ἔστενε καὶ τὸ τραῦμα ἐν ταῖν χεροῖν εἶχε καὶ τὰ παιδία, ἃ νεογνὰ καταλελοίπει, ἀνεκαλεῖτο καὶ ἑαυτῷ ἐπεμέμφετο τῆς τόλμης, ὃς Κιθαιρῶνα ὑπερβάλλων καὶ τὰ περὶ τὰς Ἐλευθερὰς χωρία πανέρημα ὄντα ὑπὸ τῶν πολέμων διοδεύων δύο μόνους οἰκέτας ἐπηγάγετο, καὶ ταῦτα φιάλας πέντε χρυσᾶς καὶ κυμβία τέτταρα μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ κομίζων.

[¶5] 3. CRATES: Arsaces, an old man, and, in all truth, not undignified to look at, showed his annoyance in true barbarian fashion at having to walk, and kept calling for his horse; for his horse had been killed with him, both pierced by the same blow from a Thracian targeteer in the fight with the Cappadocians by the Araxes. Arsaces was riding, he told us, a long way ahead of the rest, when the Thracian, standing his ground and crouching beneath his shield, parried his lance, and, planting his pike beneath him, pierced both man and horse with it.

> Greek: 3. ΚΡΑΤΗΣ: ὁ δὲ Ἀρσάκης—γηραιὸς ἤδη καὶ νὴ Δί' οὐκ ἄσεμνος τὴν ὄψιν—εἰς τὸ βαρβαρικὸν ἤχθετο καὶ ἠγανάκτει πεζὸς βαδίζων καὶ ἠξίου τὸν ἵππον αὐτῷ προσαχθῆναι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ ἵππος αὐτῷ συνετεθνήκει, μιᾷ πληγῇ ἀμφότεροι διαπαρέντες ὑπὸ Θρᾳκός τινος πελταστοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐπὶ τῷ Ἀράξῃ πρὸς τὸν Καππαδόκην συμπλοκῇ. ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἀρσάκης ἐπήλαυνεν, ὡς διηγεῖτο, πολὺ τῶν ἄλλων προεξορμήσας, ὑποστὰς δὲ ὁ Θρᾷξ τῇ πέλτῃ μὲν ὑποδὺς ἀποσείεται τοῦ Ἀρσάκου τὸν κοντόν, ὑποθεὶς δὲ τὴν σάρισαν αὐτόν τε διαπείρει καὶ τὸν ἵππον.

[¶6] 4. ANTISTHENES: How, Crates, could that be done by one blow?

> Greek: 4. ΑΝΤΙΣΘΕΝΗΣ: Πῶς οἷόν τε, ὦ Κράτης, μιᾷ πληγῇ τοῦτο γενέσθαι;

[¶7] CRATES: Very easily, Antisthenes. He rode to the attack with his twenty cubit lance levelled, but the Thracian parried his thrust with his target, and, when the point had passed him, bent down on one knee, and, meeting the charge with his pike, wounded the chest of the horse, which impaled itself by its own fire and force, while Arsaces too was run right through from groin to buttock. You see what happened; it was done, not by the Thracian, but rather by the horse. However, Arsaces was annoyed at having no more honour than the rest, and wanted to come down on horseback.

> Greek: ΚΡΑΤΗΣ: Ῥᾷστ', ὦ Ἀντισθένες· ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐπήλαυνεν εἰκοσάπηχύν τινα κοντὸν προβεβλημένος, ὁ Θρᾷξ δ’ ἐπειδὴ τῇ πέλτῃ παρεκρούσατο τὴν προσβολὴν καὶ παρῆλθεν αὐτὸν ἡ ἀκωκή, ἐς τὸ γόνυ ὀκλάσας δέχεται τῇ σαρίσῃ τὴν ἐπέλασιν καὶ τιτρώσκει τὸν ἵππον ὑπὸ τὸ στέρνον ὑπὸ θυμοῦ καὶ σφοδρότητος ἑαυτὸν διαπείραντα· διελαύνεται δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἀρσάκης ἐκ τοῦ βουβῶνος διαμπὰξ ἄχρι ὑπὸ τὴν πυγήν. ὁρᾷς οἷόν τι ἐγένετο, οὐ τοῦ ἀνδρός, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἵππου μᾶλλον τὸ ἔργον. ἠγανάκτει δ’ ὅμως ὁμότιμος ὢν τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ ἠξίου ἱππεὺς κατιέναι.

[¶8] 5. CRATES: Oroetes had very tender feet, and couldn’t even stand on the ground, much less walk. All Medes are just like that, once they’re off their horses; like men walking on thistles, they go on tiptoe and can hardly move. So he threw himself down and lay there and defied all efforts to put him on his feet. But Hermes, excellent fellow, picked him up and carried him all the way to the ferry. How I laughed!

> Greek: 5. ΚΡΑΤΗΣ: ὁ δέ γε Ὀροίτης καὶ πάνυ ἁπαλὸς ἦν τὼ πόδε καὶ οὐδ’ ἑστάναι χαμαί, οὐχ ὅπως βαδίζειν ἐδύνατο· πάσχουσι δ’ αὐτὸ ἀτεχνῶς Μῆδοι πάντες, ἢν ἀποβῶσι τῶν ἵππων· ὥσπερ οἱ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀκανθῶν ἀκροποδητὶ μόλις βαδίζουσιν. ὥστε ἐπεὶ καταβαλὼν ἑαυτὸν ἔκειτο καὶ οὐδεμιᾷ μηχανῇ ἀνίστασθαι ἤθελεν, ὁ βέλτιστος Ἑρμῆς ἀράμενος αὐτὸν ἐκόμισεν ἄχρι πρὸς τὸ πορθμεῖον, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐγέλων.

[¶9] 6. ANTISTHENES: So did I, when I came down. I didn’t mix with the rest, but left them to their groans, and ran on ahead to the ferry, and made sure of a comfortable place for the voyage. During the crossing, they cried and were seasick, but I found it all most enjoyable.

> Greek: 6. ΑΝΤΙΣΘΕΝΗΣ: Κἀγὼ δὲ ὁπότε κατῄειν, οὐδ’ ἀνέμιξα ἐμαυτὸν τοῖς ἄλλοις, ἀλλ’ ἀφεὶς οἰμώζοντας αὐτοὺς προδραμὼν ἐπὶ τὸ πορθμεῖον προκατέλαβον χώραν, ὡς ἂν ἐπιτηδείως πλεύσαιμι· καὶ παρὰ τὸν πλοῦν οἱ μὲν ἐδάκρυόν τε καὶ ἐναυτίων, ἐγὼ δὲ μάλα ἐτερπόμην ἐπ' αὐτοῖς.

[¶10] 7. DIOGENES: So such, my friends, were your companions on the journey; for my part, I came down with Blepsias, the money-lender from the Piraeus, Lampis, the free-lance officer from Acarnania, and Damis, the rich man from Corinth. Damis had been poisoned by his son, Lampis had committed suicide out of love for Myrtium, the courtesan, while Blepsias, poor fellow, was said to have starved to death, and you could see quite clearly that he was pale in the extreme and completely wasted away. I knew how they died, but I asked just the same. Then, when Damis railed at his son, I said to him, “But your treatment at his hands was quite just, if you, who had a thousand talents in all, and lived a life of pleasure at ninety, wouldn’t allow your eighteen-year-old son any more than fourpence. And you, the gentleman from Acarnania” (for he was groaning too, and cursing Myrtium) “why do you blame Love instead of yourself as you should? Though you never showed fear in the face of the enemy, but would always court danger and fight in front of the others, yet, for all your courage, you admitted defeat to a quite ordinary wench with her artificial tears and lamentations.” As for Blepsias, he was the first to accuse himself of great folly in hoarding his money for heirs who were unrelated, thinking in his folly that he would live for ever. But they afforded me uncommon pleasure by their lamentations on that occasion.

> Greek: 7. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Σὺ μέν, ὦ Κράτης καὶ Ἀντίσθενες, τοιούτων ἐτύχετε τῶν ξυνοδοιπόρων, ἐμοὶ δὲ Βλεψίας τε ὁ δανειστικὸς ὁ ἐκ Πειραιῶς καὶ Λάμπις ὁ Ἀκαρνὰν ξεναγὸς ὢν καὶ Δᾶμις ὁ πλούσιος ὁ ἐκ Κορίνθου συγκατῄεσαν, ὁ μὲν Δᾶμις ὑπὸ τοῦ παιδὸς ἐκ φαρμάκων ἀποθανών, ὁ δὲ Λάμπις δι’ ἔρωτα Μυρτίου τῆς ἑταίρας ἀποσφάξας ἑαυτόν, ὁ δὲ Βλεψίας λιμῷ ἄθλιος ἐλέγετο ἀπεσκληκέναι καὶ ἐδήλου δὲ ὠχρὸς εἰς ὑπερβολὴν καὶ λεπτὸς εἰς τὸ ἀκριβέστατον φαινόμενος. ἐγὼ δὲ καίπερ εἰδὼς ἀνέκρινον, ὃν τρόπον ἀποθάνοιεν. εἶτα τῷ μὲν Δάμιδι αἰτιωμένῳ τὸν υἱόν, Οὐκ ἄδικα μέντοι ἔπαθες, ἔφην, ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, εἰ τάλαντα ἔχων ὁμοῦ χίλια καὶ τρυφῶν αὐτὸς ἐνενηκοντούτης ὢν ὀκτωκαιδεκαέτει νεανίσκῳ τέτταρας ὀβολοὺς παρεῖχες. σὺ δέ, ὦ Ἀκαρνάν,—ἔστενε γὰρ κἀκεῖνος καὶ κατηρᾶτο τῇ Μυρτίῳ—τί αἰτιᾷ τὸν Ἔρωτα, σεαυτὸν δέον, ὃς τοὺς μὲν πολεμίους οὐδεπώποτε ἔτρεσας, ἀλλὰ φιλοκινδύνως ἠγωνίζου πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ τυχόντος παιδισκαρίου καὶ δακρύων ἐπιπλάστων καὶ στεναγμῶν ἑάλως ὁ γενναῖος; ὁ μὲν γὰρ Βλεψίας αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ κατηγόρει φθάσας πολλὴν τὴν ἄνοιαν, ὡς τὰ χρήματα ἐφύλαττεν τοῖς οὐδὲν προσήκουσιν κληρονόμοις, εἰς ἀεὶ βιώσεσθαι ὁ μάταιος νομίζων. πλὴν ἔμοιγε οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν τερπωλὴν παρέσχον τότε στένοντες.

[¶11] 8. DIOGENES: But here we are at the entrance. We must look out and watch the distance for the first appearance of the newcomers. Hullo! What a crowd! What an assortment! And all crying except for those children and infants! Yes, even the oldest among them are in tears. Why such behaviour? Does Life hold them in her spell through a love-potion?

> Greek: 8. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: ἀλλ’ ἤδη μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ στομίῳ ἐσμέν, ἀποβλέπειν δὲ χρὴ καὶ ἀποσκοπεῖν πόρρωθεν τοὺς ἀφικνουμένους. βαβαί, πολλοί γε καὶ ποικίλοι καὶ πάντες δακρύοντες πλὴν τῶν νεογνῶν τούτων καὶ νηπίων. ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ πάνυ γέροντες ὀδύρονται. τί τοῦτο; ἆρα τὸ φίλτρον αὐτοὺς ἔχει τοῦ βίοῦ;

[¶12] 9. DIOGENES: I’d like to put a question to this hoary old fellow. Why do you weep at having died at your age? Why, good sir, are you so annoyed, though you’ve come here only in old age? Were you a king? BEGGAR: By no means.

> Greek: 9. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: τοῦτον οὖν τὸν ὑπέργηρων ἐρέσθαι βούλομαι. τί δακρύεις τηλικοῦτος ἀποθανών; τί ἀγανακτεῖς, ὦ βέλτιστε, καὶ ταῦτα γέρων ἀφιγμένος; ἦ που βασιλεύς τις ἦσθα; ΠΤΩΧΟΣ: Οὐδαμῶς.

[¶13] DIOGENES: A satrap? BEGGAR: Not that either.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ἀλλὰ σατράπης τις; ΠΤΩΧΟΣ: Οὐδὲ τοῦτο.

[¶14] DIOGENES: Were you rich, then, and grieve at having left great luxury by your death? BEGGAR: Nothing of the kind. I was about ninety years old, I got a poor living by rod and line, I was utterly penniless, had no children, and besides all that, was lame and half blind.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ἆρα οὖν ἐπλούτεις, εἶτα ἀνιᾷ σε τὸ πολλὴν τρυφὴν ἀπολιπόντα τεθνάναι; ΠΤΩΧΟΣ: Οὐδὲν τοιοῦτο, ἀλλ’ ἔτη μὲν ἐγεγόνειν ἀμφὶ τὰ, ἐνενήκοντα, βίον δὲ ἄπορον ἀπὸ καλάμου καὶ ὁρμιᾶς εἶχον εἰς ὑπερβολὴν πτωχὸς ὢν ἄτεκνός τε καὶ προσέτι χωλὸς καὶ ἀμυδρὸν βλέπων.

[¶15] DIOGENES: And in spite of your condition you still wanted to live? BEGGAR: Yes, for the light was sweet to me, and death was a frightening thing and to be avoided.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Εἶτα τοιοῦτος ὢν ζῆν ἤθελες; ΠΤΩΧΟΣ: Ναί· ἡδὺ γὰρ ἦν τὸ φῶς καὶ τὸ τεθνάναι δεινὸν καὶ φευκτέον.

[¶16] DIOGENES: You’re out of your mind, old fellow, and acting just like a boy, with such timidity in the face of the inevitable, though you’re as old as our ferryman. Why should we talk any more about the young, when men as old as you are such lovers of life, men who ought to be eager for death as a cure for the evils of old age? But let’s be off now, or we may be suspected of plotting our escape, if we’re seen crowding round the entrance.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Παραπαίεις, ὦ γέρον, καὶ μειρακιεύῃ πρὸς τὸ χρεών, καὶ ταῦτα ἡλικιώτης ὢν τοῦ πορθμέως. τί οὖν ἄν τις ἔτι λέγοι περὶ τῶν νέων, ὁπότε οἱ τηλικοῦτοι φιλόζωοί εἰσιν, οὓς ἐχρῆν διώκειν τὸν θάνατον ὡς τῶν ἐν τῷ γήρᾳ κακῶν φάρμακον. ἀλλ’ ἀπίωμεν ἤδη, μὴ καί τις ἡμᾶς ὑπίδηται ὡς ἀπόδρασιν βουλεύοντας, ὁρῶν περὶ τὸ στόμιον εἰλουμένους.

## 23. Dialogue 23

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/23/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/23/#p-N

[¶0] 1. AGAMEMNON: If you went mad, Ajax, and killed only yourself, instead of all of us as you had intended, why do you blame Odysseus? Why wouldn’t you look at him the other day, when he came to consult the prophet, or even deign to speak to your fellow-soldier and comrade, but went striding past him with your head in the air? AJAX: And quite right, too, Agamemnon. He was personally to blame for my madness, by being my only rival for the arms.

> Greek: 1. ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ: Εἰ σὺ μανείς, ὠ Αἶαν, σεαυτὸν ἐφόνευσας, ἐμέλλησας δὲ καὶ ἡμᾶς ἅπαντας, τί αἰτιᾷ τὸν Ὀδυσσέα καὶ πρῴην οὔτε προσέβλεψας αὐτόν, ὁπότε ἧκεν μαντευσόμενος, οὔτε προσειπεῖν ἠξίωσας ἄνδρα συστρατιώτην καὶ ἑταῖρον, ἀλλ’ ὑπεροπτικῶς μεγάλα βαίνων παρῆλθες; ΑΙΑΣ: Εἰκότως, ὦ Ἀγαμέμνον· αὐτὸς γοῦν μοι τῆς μανίας αἴτιος κατέστη μόνος ἀντεξετασθεὶς ἐπὶ τοῖς ὅπλοις.

[¶1] AGAMEMNON: Did you expect to be unopposed and to overcome us all without a struggle? AJAX: Yes, under the circumstances. The armour belonged to me by natural right, as it was my cousin’s, and the rest of you, though far superior to him, wouldn’t compete, but left the prize for me; the son of Laertes, however, whom I’d often saved when in danger of being cut to pieces by the Phrygians, claimed he was my superior and more deserving of the arms.

> Greek: ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ: Ἠξίους δὲ ἀνανταγώνιστος εἶναι καὶ ἀκονιτὶ κρατεῖν ἁπάντων; ΑΙΑΣ: Ναί, τά γε τοιαῦτα· οἰκεία γάρ μοι ἦν ἡ πανοπλία τοῦ ἀνεψιοῦ γε οὖσα. καὶ ὑμεῖς οἱ ἄλλοι πολὺ ἀμείνους ὄντες ἀπείπασθε τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ παρεχωρήσατέ μοι τῶν ἄθλων, ὁ δὲ Λαέρτου, ὃν ἐγὼ πολλάκις ἔσωσα κινδυνεύοντα κατακεκόφθαι ὑπὸ τῶν Φρυγῶν, ἀμείνων ἠξίου εἶναι καὶ ἐπιτηδειότερος ἔχειν τὰ ὅπλα.

[¶2] 2. AGAMEMNON: Blame Thetis, then, my good man. She ought to have left you the arms as a legacy to a kinsman, but she brought them and delivered them up to the community. AJAX: No, Odysseus is to blame, as the only one to make a rival claim.

> Greek: 2. ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ: Αἰτιῶ τοιγαροῦν, ὦ γενναῖε, τὴν Θέτιν, ἣ δέον σοὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν τῶν ὅπλων παραδοῦναι συγγενεῖ γε ὄντι, φέρουσα ἐς τὸ κοινὸν κατέθετο αὐτά. ΑΙΑΣ: Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ τὸν Ὀδυσσέα, ὃς ἀντεποιήθη μόνος.

[¶3] AGAMEMNON: There’s some excuse for him, Ajax, as he’s only a man, and was eager for glory, the sweetest thing of all, the thing for which each of us faced danger, especially as he was judged your better—and, what’s more, by Trojans. AJAX: I know who voted against me, but it’s not right to discuss the gods. However, as far as Odysseus is concerned, I couldn’t stop myself from hating him, even if Athena herself ordered me to do so.

> Greek: ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ: Συγγνώμη, ὦ Αἶαν, εἰ ἄνθρωπος ὢν ὠρέχθη δόξης ἡδίστου πράγματος, ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ ἡμῶν ἕκαστος κινδυνεύειν ὑπέμενεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐκράτησέ σου καὶ ταῦτα ἐπὶ Τρωσὶ δικασταῖς. ΑΙΑΣ: Οἶδα ἐγώ, ἥτις μου κατεδίκασεν· ἀλλ’ οὐ θέμις λέγειν τι περὶ τῶν θεῶν. τὸν δ’ οὖν Ὀδυσσέα μὴ οὐχὶ μισεῖν οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην, ὦ Ἀγάμεμνον, οὐδ’ εἰ αὐτή μοι ἡ Ἀθηνᾶ τοῦτο ἐπιτάττοι.

## 24. Dialogue 24

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/24/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/24/#p-N

[¶0] 1. MINOS: Let this pirate, Sostratus, be cast into Pyriphlegethon, the temple-robber be torn apart by Chimera, and the tyrant he stretched alongside Tityus, Hermes, and have his liver too torn by the vultures; but you good ones go off with all speed to the Elysian Fields, and live in the Isles of the Blest, as a reward for your just dealings in life.
SOSTRATUS: Listen, Minos, and see if what I say is just. MINOS: Listen again now? Haven’t you already been found guilty of wickedness, Sostratus, and of committing all these murders?

> Greek: 1. ΜΙΝΩΣ: Ὁ μὲν λῃστὴς οὑτοσὶ Σώστρατος εἰς τὸν Πυριφλεγέθοντα ἐμβεβλήσθω, ὁ δὲ ἱερόσυλος ὑπὸ τῆς Χιμαίρας διασπασθήτω, ὁ δὲ τύραννος, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, παρὰ τὸν Τιτυὸν ἀποταθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν γυπῶν καὶ αὐτὸς κειρέσθω τὸ ἧπαρ, ὑμεῖς δὲ οἱ ἀγαθοὶ ἄπιτε κατὰ τάχος εἰς τὸ Ἠλύσιον πεδίον καὶ τὰς μακάρων νήσους κατοικεῖτε, ἀνθ' ὧν δίκαια ἐποιεῖτε παρὰ τὸν βίον.
ΣΩΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Ἄκουσον, ὦ Μίνως, εἴ σοι δίκαια δόξω λέγειν. ΜΙΝΩΣ: Νῦν ἀκούσω αὖθις; οὐ γὰρ ἐξελήλεγξαι, ὦ Σώστρατε, πονηρὸς ὢν καὶ τοσούτους ἀπεκτονώς;

[¶1] SOSTRATUS: I admit I have, but consider whether it will be just for me to be punished. MINOS: Of course it will, if it is just to pay the proper penalty.

> Greek: ΣΩΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Ἐλήλεγμαι μέν, ἀλλ’ ὅρα, εἰ δικαίως κολασθήσομαι. ΜΙΝΩΣ: Καὶ πάνυ, εἴ γε ἀποτίνειν τὴν ἀξίαν δίκαιον.

[¶2] SOSTRATUS: But answer me this, Minos. My question will be a short one. MINOS: Speak on, then, only be brief, so that we can settle the other cases at once.

> Greek: ΣΩΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Ὅμως ἀπόκριναί μοι, ὦ Μίνως· βραχὺ γάρ τι ἐρήσομαί σε. ΜΙΝΩΣ: Λέγε, μὴ μακρὰ μόνον, ὡς καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους διακρίνωμεν ἤδη.

[¶3] 2. SOSTRATUS: Were my actions in life carried out by me of my own will, or already spun for me by Fate? MINOS: Already spun by Fate, of course.

> Greek: 2. ΣΩΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Ὁπόσα ἔπραττον ἐν τῷ βίῳ, πότερα ἑκὼν ἔπραττον ἢ ἐπεκέκλωστό μοι ὑπὸ τῆς Μοίρας; ΜΙΝΩΣ: Ὑπὸ τῆς Μοίρας δηλαδή.

[¶4] SOSTRATUS: Then all of us, whether we are thought good or bad, acted as we did as the servants of Fate? MINOS: Yes, as servants of Clotho, who has ordained for each of us at birth what he must do.

> Greek: ΣΩΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Οὐκοῦν καὶ οἱ χρηστοὶ ἅπαντες καὶ οἱ πονηροὶ δοκοῦντες ἡμεῖς ἐκείνῃ ὑπηρετοῦντες ταῦτα ἐδρῶμεν; ΜΙΝΩΣ: Ναί, τῇ Κλωθοῖ, ἣ ἑκάστῳ ἐπέταξε γεννηθέντι τὰ πρακτέα.

[¶5] SOSTRATUS: If, then, a man is forced by another man to kill, and is unable to gainsay the compulsion he brings to bear, if, for instance, he is a public executioner, or a mercenary, obeying, in one case, a judge, and, in the other, a tyrant, whom will you hold responsible for the killing? MINOS: Clearly the judge or the tyrant, since the actual sword can’t be blamed; for it merely serves as a tool to serve the passion of the person who is responsible in the first instance.

> Greek: ΣΩΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Εἰ τοίνυν ἀναγκασθείς τις ὑπ' ἄλλου φονεύσειέν τινα οὐ δυνάμενος ἀντιλέγειν ἐκείνῳ βιαζομένῳ, οἷον δήμιος ἢ δορυφόρος, ὁ μὲν δικαστῇ πεισθείς, ὁ δέ τυράννῳ, τίνα αἰτιάσῃ τοῦ φόνου; ΜΙΝΩΣ: Δῆλον ὡς τὸν δικαστὴν ἢ τὸν τύραννον, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τὸ ξίφος αὐτό· ὑπηρετεῖ γὰρ ὄργανον ὂν τοῦτο πρὸς τὸν θυμὸν τῷ πρώτῳ παρασχόντι τὴν αἰτίαν.

[¶6] SOSTRATUS: Many thanks, Minos, for your generous elaboration of my example. And, if some one brings with his own hands gold or silver sent by his master, whom must we thank and record as the benefactor? MINOS: The sender, Sostratus; the bringer was merely a servant.

> Greek: ΣΩΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Εὖ γε, ὦ Μίνως, ὅτι καὶ ἐπιδαψιλεύῃ τῷ παραδείγματι. ἢν δέ τις ἀποστείλαντος τοῦ δεσπότου ἥκῃ αὐτὸς χρυσὸν ἢ ἄργυρον κομίζων, τίνι τὴν χάριν ἰστέον ἢ τίνα εὐεργέτην ἀναγραπτέον; ΜΙΝΩΣ: Τὸν πέμψαντα, ὦ Σώστρατε· διάκονος γὰρ ὁ κομίσας ἦν.

[¶7] 3. SOSTRATUS: Don’t you see then how wrong it is for you to punish us, who have been the servants of the commands of Clotho, and to have shown honour to those who ministered to the good deeds of others? No one can say that it was possible for us to gainsay ordinances that are all-compelling. MINOS: These are not the only illogicalities you could find, Sostratus, by examining things carefully. However, you shall have your reward for your persistent questions, as I can see you’re not merely a pirate but also something of a master in the art of argument. Set him free, Hermes, and have his punishment stopped. But take care, fellow, that you don’t teach the other shades to ask questions like that.

> Greek: 3. ΣΩΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ: Οὐκοῦν ὁρᾷς πῶς ἄδικα ποιεῖς κολάζων ἡμᾶς ὑπηρέτας γενομένους ὧν ἡ Κλωθὼ προσέταττεν, καὶ τούτους τιμήσας τοὺς διακονησαμένους ἀλλοτρίοις ἀγαθοῖς; οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἐκεῖνό γε εἰπεῖν ἔχοι τις ὡς ἀντιλέγειν δυνατὸν ἦν τοῖς μετὰ πάσης ἀνάγκης προστεταγμένοις. ΜΙΝΩΣ: Ὦ Σώστρατε, πολλὰ ἴδοις ἂν καὶ ἄλλα οὐ κατὰ λόγον γιγνόμενα, εἰ ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάζοις. πλὴν ἀλλὰ σὺ τοῦτο ἀπολαύσεις τῆς ἐπερωτήσεως, διότι οὐ λῃστὴς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σοφιστής τις εἶναι δοκεῖς. ἀπόλυσον αὐτόν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, καὶ μηκέτι κολαζέσθω. ὅρα δὲ μὴ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους νεκροὺς τὰ ὅμοια ἐρωτᾶν διδάξῃς.

## 25. Dialogue 25

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/25/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/25/#p-N

[¶0] 1. ALEXANDER: I should be preferred to you, Libyan; I’m the better man.

> Greek: 1. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Ἐμὲ δεῖ προκεκρίσθαι σου, ὦ Λίβυ· ἀμείνων γάρ εἰμι.

[¶1] HANNIBAL: No, I should.

> Greek: ΑΝΝΙΒΑΣ: Οὐ μὲν οὖν, ἀλλ’ ἐμέ.

[¶2] ALEXANDER: Let Minos decide, then. MINOS: Who are you?

> Greek: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Οὐκοῦν ὁ Μίνως δικασάτω. ΜΙΝΩΣ: Τίνες δὲ ἐστέ;

[¶3] ALEXANDER: This is Hannibal of Carthage, and I am Alexander, son of Philip. MINOS: Both famous indeed. But what are you disputing?

> Greek: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Οὗτος μὲν Ἀννίβας ὁ Καρχηδόνιος, ἐγὼ δὲ Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Φιλίππου. ΜΙΝΩΣ: Νὴ Δία ἔνδοξοί γε ἀμφότεροι. ἀλλὰ περὶ τίνος ὑμῖν ἡ ἔρις;

[¶4] ALEXANDER: The first place. He says he was a better General than I was, but I say, as is known to all, that in the arts of war I was superior not only to him, but to pretty well every one who went before me. MINOS: Then let each of you speak in turn; you start, Libyan.

> Greek: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Περὶ προεδρίας· φησὶ γὰρ οὗτος ἀμείνων γεγενῆσθαι στρατηγὸς ἐμοῦ, ἐγὼ δέ, ὥσπερ ἅπαντες ἴσασιν, οὐχὶ τούτου μόνον, ἀλλὰ πάντων σχεδὸν τῶν πρὸ ἐμοῦ φημι διενεγκεῖν τὰ πολέμια. ΜΙΝΩΣ: Οὐκοῦν ἐν μέρει ἑκάτερος εἰπάτω, σὺ δὲ πρῶτος ὁ Λίβυς λέγε.

[¶5] 2. HANNIBAL: I’ve one thing to be thankful for, Minos, for, while I’ve been here, I’ve added Greek to my other accomplishments; he won’t, as a result, have the advantage of me even in that. I maintain that those are most deserving of praise who began from nothing, and yet advanced to greatness by their own efforts, by winning power for themselves and being thought worthy of command. Thus it was that I, setting out for Spain with a few followers, served at first as my brother’s lieutenant, and then was thought worthy of the highest command, because I was judged to be the best man, and conquered the Celtiberians, mastered the Gauls of the West, crossed the mighty mountains, overran the whole Po Valley, devastated all those cities, subdued the plains of Italy, reached the outskirts of the greatest city of all, and killed so many in one day, that I measured their rings by the bushel, and bridged rivers with the dead. Moreover, I did all this without being called the son of Ammon, or pretending to be a god, or recounting dreams of my mother, but I admitted I was a man, I matched myself against the most accomplished Generals, and locked myself in battle with the finest of soldiers. My opponents were no Medes or Armenians who flee before they are pursued and yield immediate victory to anyone who shows a bold front.

> Greek: 2. ΑΝΝΙΒΑΣ: Ἓν μὲν τοῦτο, ὦ Μίνως, ὠνάμην, ὅτι ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα φωνὴν ἐξέμαθον· ὥστε οὐδὲ ταύτῃ πλέον οὗτος ἐνέγκαιτό μου. φημὶ δὲ τούτους μάλιστα ἐπαίνου ἀξίους εἶναι, ὅσοι τὸ μηδὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὄντες ὅμως ἐπὶ μέγα προεχώρησαν δι’ αὑτῶν δύναμίν τε περιβαλόμενοι καὶ ἄξιοι δόξαντες ἀρχῆς. ἔγωγ' οὖν μετ' ὀλίγων ἐξορμήσας εἰς τὴν Ἰβηρίαν τὸ πρῶτον ὕπαρχος ὢν τῷ ἀδελφῷ μεγίστων ἠξιώθην ἄριστος κριθείς, καὶ τούς τε Κελτίβηρας εἷλον καὶ Γαλατῶν ἐκράτησα τῶν ἑσπερίων καὶ τὰ μεγάλα ὄρη ὑπερβὰς τὰ περὶ τὸν Ἠριδανὸν ἅπαντα κατέδραμον καὶ ἀναστάτους ἐποίησα τοσαύτας πόλεις καὶ τὴν πεδινὴν Ἰταλίαν ἐχειρωσάμην καὶ μέχρι τῶν προαστείων τῆς προὐχούσης πόλεως ἦλθον καὶ τοσούτους ἀπέκτεινα μιᾶς ἡμέρας, ὥστε τοὺς δακτυλίους αὐτῶν μεδίμνοις ἀπομετρῆσαι καὶ τοὺς ποταμοὺς γεφυρῶσαι νεκροῖς. καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ἔπραξα οὔτε Ἄμμωνος υἱὸς ὀνομαζόμενος οὔτε θεὸς εἶναι προσποιούμενος ἢ ἐνύπνια τῆς μητρὸς διεξιών, ἀλλ’ ἄνθρωπος εἶναι ὁμολογῶν, στρατηγοῖς τε τοῖς συνετωτάτοις ἀντεξεταζόμενος καὶ στρατιώταις τοῖς μαχιμωτάτοις συμπλεκόμενος, οὐ Μήδους καὶ Ἀρμενίους καταγωνιζόμενος ὑποφεύγοντας πρὶν διώκειν τινὰ καὶ τῷ τολμήσαντι παραδιδόντας εὐθὺς τὴν νίκην.

[¶6] 3. HANNIBAL: But Alexander inherited his kingdom from his father, and was helped in enlarging it and extending it so far by the impetus of fortune. In any case, when he was victorious, and had defeated that contemptible Darius at Issus and Arbela, he renounced the traditions of his fathers; he demanded the worship of men; he changed over to the Median way of life; at his banquets he murdered his friends or arrested them to have them killed. But I led my country as her equal, and, when she sent for me, after the enemy had invaded Africa with a great force, I promptly obeyed, gave myself up as a private citizen, and, when tried and condemned, accepted it without rancour. All this did I do, although I was a barbarian without the advantage of a Greek education, and unable to declaim Homer like him. I had no education under Professor Aristotle, but relied solely on my natural gifts. These are the things in which I claim to excel Alexander. If he is more handsome because he wore a diadem on his head—well, perhaps Macedonians respect such things, but he cannot be thought better for that reason than a noble and skilful General who depended more on his own intellect than on fortune. MINOS: This is no mean speech that he’s made on his own behalf, and not at all what one would have expected from a Libyan. What have you to say to this, Alexander?

> Greek: 3. ΑΝΝΙΒΑΣ: Ἀλέξανδρος δὲ πατρῴαν ἀρχὴν παραλαβὼν ηὔξησεν καὶ παρὰ πολὺ ἐξέτεινε χρησάμενος τῇ τῆς τύχης ὁρμῇ. ἐπεὶ δ’ οὖν ἐνίκησέ τε καὶ τὸν ὄλεθρον ἐκεῖνον Δαρεῖον ἐν Ἰσσῷ τε καὶ Ἀρβήλοις ἐκράτησεν, ἀποστὰς τῶν πατρῴων προσκυνεῖσθαι ἠξίου καὶ δίαιταν τὴν Μηδικὴν μετεδιῄτησεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἐμιαιφόνει ἐν τοῖς συμποσίοις τοὺς φίλους καὶ συνελάμβανεν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ. ἐγὼ δὲ ἦρξα ἐπ' ἴσης τῆς πατρίδος, καὶ ἐπειδὴ μετεπέμπετο τῶν πολεμίων μεγάλῳ στόλῳ ἐπιπλευσάντων τῇ Λιβύῃ, ταχέως ὑπήκουσα, καὶ ἰδιώτην ἐμαυτὸν παρέσχον καὶ καταδικασθεὶς ἤνεγκα εὐγνωμόνως τὸ πρᾶγμα. καὶ ταῦτα ἔπραξα βάρβαρος ὢν καὶ ἀπαίδευτος παιδείας τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς καὶ οὔτε Ὅμηρον ὥσπερ οὗτος ῥαψῳδῶν οὔτε ὑπ' Ἀριστοτέλει τῷ σοφιστῇ παιδευθείς, μόνῃ δὲ τῇ φύσει ἀγαθῇ χρησάμενος. ταῦτά ἐστιν ἃ ἐγὼ Αλεξάνδρου ἀμείνων φημὶ εἶναι. εἰ δέ ἐστι καλλίων οὑτοσί, διότι διαδήματι τὴν κεφαλὴν διεδέδετο, Μακεδόσι ἴσως καὶ ταῦτα σεμνά, οὐ μὴν διὰ τοῦτο ἀμείνων μὲν δόξειεν ἂν γενναίου καὶ στρατηγικοῦ ἀνδρὸς τῇ γνώμῃ πλέον ἤπερ τῇ τύχῃ κεχρημένου. ΜΙΝΩΣ: Ὁ μὲν εἴρηκεν οὐκ ἀγεννῆ τὸν λόγον οὐδὲ ὡς Λίβυν εἰκὸς ἦν ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ. σὺ δέ, ὦ Ἀλέξανδρε, τί πρὸς ταῦτα φῄς;

[¶7] 4. ALEXANDER: A man so impudent, Minos, deserves no answer. Common report suffices to show you what a king I was and what a brigand he was. But consider whether I was not greatly superior to him. I was still young when I came to power, put an end to the disorders of my kingdom, and punished my father’s murderers. Then I struck fear into Hellas by the destruction of the Thebans, and was elected her leader, but I was not content to govern Macedonia, and rule only the domain left to me by my father, but, thinking in terms of the whole world, and considering it a disgrace not to conquer it all, I invaded Asia with a few men, was victorious in a great battle at the Granicus, took over Lydia, and, subduing Ionia, Phrygia, and, in short, whatever lay before me, reached Issus, where Darius awaited me at the head of countless thousands of men.

> Greek: 4. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: Ἐχρῆν μέν, ὦ Μίνως, μηδὲν πρὸς ἄνδρα οὕτω θρασὺν· ἱκανὴ γὰρ ἡ φήμη διδάξαι σε, οἷος μὲν ἐγὼ βασιλεύς, οἷος δὲ οὗτος λῃστὴς ἐγένετο. ὅμως δὲ ὅρα εἰ κατ' ὀλίγον αὐτοῦ διήνεγκα, ὃς νέος ὢν ἔτι παρελθὼν ἐπὶ τὰ πράγματα καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τεταραγμένην κατέσχον καὶ τοὺς φονέας τοῦ πατρὸς μετῆλθον, κᾆτα φοβήσας τὴν Ἑλλάδα τῇ Θηβαίων ἀπωλείᾳ στρατηγὸς ὑπ' αὐτῶν χειροτονηθεὶς οὐκ ἠξίωσα τὴν Μακεδόνων ἀρχὴν περιέπων ἀγαπᾶν ἄρχειν ὁπόσων ὁ πατὴρ κατέλιπεν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ἐπινοήσας τὴν γῆν καὶ δεινὸν ἡγησάμενος, εἰ μὴ ἁπάντων κρατήσαιμι, ὀλίγους ἄγων εἰσέβαλον εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν, καὶ ἐπί τε Γρανικῷ ἐκράτησα μεγάλῃ μάχῃ καὶ τὴν Λυδίαν λαβὼν καὶ Ἰωνίαν καὶ Φρυγίαν καὶ ὅλως τὰ ἐν ποσὶν ἀεὶ χειρούμενος ἦλθον ἐπὶ Ἰσσόν, ἔνθα Δαρεῖος ὑπέμεινεν μυριάδας πολλὰς στρατοῦ ἄγων.

[¶8] 5. ALEXANDER: The result you all know, Minos, and the numbers of dead I sent down to you in a single day. The ferryman certainly says that his boat could not cope with them on that occasion, but that the majority of them made their own rafts and crossed over in that way. Moveover, while doing this, I faced danger at the head of my men, and did not object to wounds. Not to speak of what happened at Tyre and Arbela, I marched as far as India, making the Ocean the boundary of my empire. I kept their elephants and overcame Porus; I crossed the Tanais, and defeated the Scythians, formidable foes, in a mighty cavalry battle; I treated my friends well, and wrought vengeance on my enemies. Even if men did think me a god, they had some excuse for such beliefs about me in view of the greatness of my achievements.

> Greek: 5. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τούτου, ὦ Μίνως, ὑμεῖς ἴστε ὅσους ὑμῖν νεκροὺς ἐπὶ μιᾶς ἡμέρας κατέπεμψα· φησὶ γοῦν ὁ πορθμεὺς μὴ διαρκέσαι αὐτοῖς τότε τὸ σκάφος, ἀλλὰ σχεδίας διαπηξαμένους τοὺς πολλοὺς αὐτῶν διαπλεῦσαι. καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ἔπραττον αὐτὸς προκινδυνεύων καὶ τιτρώσκεσθαι ἀξιῶν. καὶ ἵνα σοὶ μὴ τὰ ἐν Τύρῳ μηδὲ τὰ ἐν Ἀρβήλοις διηγήσωμαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρι Ἰνδῶν ἦλθον καὶ τὸν Ὠκεανὸν ὅρον ἐποιησάμην τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ τοὺς ἐλέφαντας αὐτῶν εἶχον καὶ Πῶρον ἐχειρωσάμην, καὶ Σκύθας δὲ οὐκ εὐκαταφρονήτους ἄνδρας ὑπερβὰς τὸν Τάναϊν ἐνίκησα μεγάλῃ ἱππομαχίᾳ, καὶ τοὺς φίλους εὖ ἐποίησα καὶ τοὺ ἐχθροὺς ἠμυνάμην. εἰ δὲ καὶ θεὸς ἐδόκουν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, συγγνωστοὶ ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς τὸ μέγεθος τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ τοιοῦτόν τι πιστεύσαντες περὶ ἐμοῦ.

[¶9] 6. ALEXANDER: Last of all, I died a king, whereas he died an exile, at the court of Prusias of Bithynia—a proper end for so exceedingly wicked and cruel a man. Take for instance his conquests in Italy. I won’t mention that these were achieved not by might, but by knavery and treachery and deceit, but of open legitimate warfare there was nothing at all; but when he reproaches me with luxurious living, I think the distinguished gentleman has forgotten how he behaved in Capua, consorting with loose women, and wasting in debauchery his opportunities for victory in the war. But suppose I hadn’t despised the west, and preferred to march against the east, what great feat would I have accomplished by a bloodless conquest of Italy and the subjection of Libya and everything as far as Gades? But I didn’t think it worth fighting against peoples who were already cowering before me, and ready to admit me their master, I have had my say. Do you, Minos, make you decision. Though I could have said much, this is enough.

> Greek: 6. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ: τὸ δ’ οὖν τελευταῖον ἐγὼ μὲν βασιλεύων ἀπέθανον, οὗτος δὲ ἐν φυγῇ ὢν παρὰ Προυσίᾳ τῷ Βιθυνῷ, καθάπερ ἄξιον ἦν πανουργότατον καὶ ὠμότατον ὄντα· ὡς γὰρ δὴ ἐκράτησεν τῶν Ἰταλῶν, ἐῶ λέγειν ὅτι οὐκ ἰσχύι, ἀλλὰ πονηρίᾳ καὶ ἀπιστίᾳ καὶ δόλοις, νόμιμον δὲ ἢ προφανὲς οὐδέν. ἐπεὶ δέ μοι ὠνείδισεν τὴν τρυφήν, ἐκλελῆσθαί μοι δοκεῖ οἷα ἐποίει ἐν Καπύῃ ἑταίραις συνὼν καὶ τοὺς τοῦ πολέμου καιροὺς ὁ θαυμάσιος καθηδυπαθῶν. ἐγὼ δὲ εἰ μὴ μικρὰ τὰ ἑσπέρια δόξας ἐπὶ τὴν ἕω μᾶλλον ὥρμησα, τί ἂν μέγα ἔπραξα Ἰταλίαν ἀναιμωτὶ λαβὼν καὶ Λιβύην καὶ τὰ μέχρι Γαδείρων ὑπαγόμενος; ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἀξιόμαχα ἔδοξέ μοι ἐκεῖνα ὑποπτήσσοντα ἤδη καὶ δεσπότην ὁμολογοῦντα. εἴρηκα· σὺ δέ, ὦ Μίνως, δίκαζε· ἱκανὰ γὰρ ἀπὸ πολλῶν καὶ ταῦτα.

[¶10] 7. SCIPIO: Do not do so yet, but hear what I have to say. MINOS: Who are you, my good man? Where do you come from, that you wish to speak? SCIPIO: From Italy. I am Scipio, the General who destroyed Carthage, and overcame the Libyans in mighty battle. MINOS: Well, what have you to say? SCIPIO: That I am a lesser man than Alexander, but superior to Hannibal, for I drove him before me, after defeating him, and forcing him to flee ignominiously. Is he not shameless, then, in posing as the rival of Alexander, with whom even I, Scipio, the conqueror of Hannibal, do not presume to compare myself? MINOS: By heaven, what you say, Scipio, is reasonable! So let Alexander be adjudged first, and after him you, and then, if you don’t mind, Hannibal third, though even he is of no little account.

> Greek: 7. ΣΚΙΠΙΩΝ: Μὴ πρότερον, ἢν μὴ καὶ ἐμοῦ ἀκούσῃς. ΜΙΝΩΣ: Τίς γὰρ εἶ, ὦ βέλτιστε; ἢ πόθεν ὢν ἐρεῖς; ΣΚΙΠΙΩΝ: Ἰταλιώτης Σκιπίων στρατηγὸς ὁ καθελὼν Καρχηδόνα καὶ κρατήσας Λιβύων μεγάλαις μάχαις. ΜΙΝΩΣ: Τί οὖν καὶ σὺ ἐρεῖς; ΣΚΙΠΙΩΝ: Ἀλεξάνδρου μὲν ἥττων εἶναι, τοῦ δὲ Ἀννίβου ἀμείνων, ὃς ἐδίωξα νικήσας αὐτὸν καὶ φυγεῖν καταναγκάσας ἀτίμως. πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἀναίσχυντος οὗτος, ὃς προς Ἀλέξανδρον ἁμιλλᾶται, ᾧ οὐδὲ Σκιπίων ἐγὼ ὁ νενικηκὼς ἐμαυτὸν παραβάλλεσθαι ἀξιῶ; ΜΙΝΩΣ: Νὴ Δί' εὐγνώμονα φῄς, ὦ Σκιπίων· ὥστε πρῶτος μὲν κεκρίσθω Ἀλέξανδρος, μετ' αὐτὸν δὲ σύ, εἶτα, εἰ δοκεῖ, τρίτος Ἀννίβας οὐδὲ οὗτος εὐκαταφρόνητος ὤν.

## 26. Dialogue 26

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/26/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/26/#p-N

[¶0] 1. ANTILOCHUS: I was surprised at what you had to say the other day, Achilles, to Odysseus on the subject of death. What ignoble words! What little credit they reflected on both of your teachers, Chiron and Phoenix! I was listening, you know, when you said you would gladly “if but on earth above” be thrall to any man “whose lot is poverty, whose substance small”, rather than be king of all the dead. To speak thus might perhaps have been right for some mean cowardly Phrygian, who loves life regardless of honour, but for the son of Peleus, who surpassed all the heroes in his love of danger, to have such mean ideas for himself is utterly shameful, and opposed to the way you acted in life; for, though you could have had a long and obscure reign in the land of Phthia, you gladly preferred death with glory.

> Greek: 1. ΑΝΤΙΛΟΧΟΣ: Οἷα πρῴην, Ἀχιλλεῦ, πρὸς τὸν Ὀδυσσέα σοι εἴρηται περὶ τοῦ θανάτου, ὡς ἀγεννῆ καὶ ἀνάξια τοῖν διδασκάλοιν ἀμφοῖν, Χείρωνός τε καὶ Φοίνικος. ἠκροώμην γάρ, ὁπότε ἔφης βούλεσθαι ἐπάρουρος ὢν θητεύειν παρά τινι τῶν ἀκλήρων, “ᾧ μὴ βίοτος πολὺς εἴη,” μᾶλλον ἢ πάντων ἀνάσσειν τῶν νεκρῶν. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἀγεννῆ τινα Φρύγα δειλὸν καὶ πέρα τοῦ καλῶς ἔχοντος φιλόζῳον ἴσως ἐχρῆν λέγειν, τὸν Πηλέως δὲ υἱόν, τὸν φιλοκινδυνότατον ἡρώων ἁπάντων, ταπεινὰ οὕτω περὶ αὑτοῦ διανοεῖσθαι πολλὴ αἰσχύνη καὶ ἐναντιότης πρὸς τὰ πεπραγμένα σοι ἐν τῷ βίῳ, ὃς ἐξὸν ἀκλεῶς ἐν τῇ Φθιώτιδι πολυχρόνιον βασιλεύειν, ἑκὼν προείλου τὸν μετὰ τῆς ἀγαθῆς δόξης θάνατον.

[¶1] 2. ACHILLES: But in those days, son of Nestor, I still had no experience of this place, and, not knowing which existence was preferable, I preferred that miserable empty shadow of glory to life itself; but now I realise that glory is useless, however much men above hymn its praises, that among the dead all have but equal honour, and neither the beauty nor the strength we had remain with us, but we lie buried in the same darkness, all of us quite alike, and no better one than the other, and I am neither feared by the Trojan dead nor respected by the Greeks, but there is complete equality of speech and one dead man is like another, “be he mean or be he great”. That’s why I’m distressed and annoyed at not being a thrall alive on earth.

> Greek: 2. ΑΧΙΛΛΕΥΣ: Ὦ παῖ Νέστορος, ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν ἄπειρος ἔτι τῶν ἐνταῦθα ὢν καὶ τὸ βέλτιον ἐκείνων ὁπότερον ἦν ἀγνοῶν τὸ δύστηνον ἐκεῖνο δοξάριον προετίμων τοῦ βίου, νῦν δὲ συνίημι ἤδη ὡς ἐκείνη μὲν ἀνωφελής, εἰ καὶ ὅτι μάλιστα οἱ ἄνω ῥαψῳδήσουσιν. μετὰ νεκρῶν δὲ ὁμοτιμία, καὶ οὔτε τὸ κάλλος ἐκεῖνο, ὦ Ἀντίλοχε, οὔτε ἡ ἰσχὺς πάρεστιν, ἀλλὰ κείμεθα ἅπαντες ὑπὸ τῷ αὐτῷ ζόφῳ ὅμοιοι καὶ κατ' οὐδὲν ἀλλήλων διαφέροντες, καὶ οὔτε οἱ τῶν Τρώων νεκροὶ δεδίασίν με οὔτε οἱ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν θεραπεύουσιν, ἰσηγορία δὲ ἀκριβὴς καὶ νεκρὸς ὅμοιος, “ἠμὲν κακὸς ἠδὲ καὶ ἐσθλός.” ταῦτά με ἀνιᾷ καὶ ἄχθομαι, ὅτι μὴ θητεύω ζῶν.

[¶2] 3. ANTILOCHUS: But what can one do about it, Achilles? Nature has decreed that, come what may, all men must die; we must, therefore, abide by her law, and not be distressed at the way she orders things. In any case you can see such of us, your old companions, as are present here, and assuredly, Odysseus too will join us down here before very long. It’s a comfort that all share in this, and that one doesn’t suffer this alone and by oneself. You can see Heracles and Meleager and other great men, who would, I think, refuse a return to earth, if they were sent up to be thralls to poor men without substance.

> Greek: 3. ΑΝΤΙΛΟΧΟΣ: Ὅμως τί οὖν ἄν τις πάθοι, ὦ Ἀχιλλεῦ; ταῦτα γὰρ ἔδοξε τῇ φύσει, πάντως ἀποθνήσκειν ἅπαντας, ὥστε χρὴ ἐμμένειν τῷ νόμῳ καὶ μὴ ἀνιᾶσθαι τοῖς διατεταγμένοις. ἄλλως τε ὁρᾷς τῶν ἑταίρων ὅσοι περὶ σέ ἐσμεν οἵδε· μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ καὶ Ὀδυσσεὺς ἀφίξεται πάντως. φέρει δὲ παραμυθίαν καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ πράγματος καὶ τὸ μὴ μόνον αὐτὸν πεπονθέναι. ὁρᾷς τὸν Ηρακλέα καὶ τὸν Μελέαγρον καὶ ἄλλους θαυμαστοὺς ἄνδρας, οἳ οὐκ ἂν οἶμαι δέξαιντο ἀνελθεῖν, εἴ τις αὐτοὺς ἀναπέμψειε θητεύσοντας ἀκλήροις καὶ ἀβίοις ἀνδράσιν.

[¶3] 4. ACHILLES: You give your advice out of friendship; but somehow I am distressed by my memory of life above, just as I think each of you is. If you won’t admit it, you show yourselves my inferiors, by submitting to it without protest.

> Greek: 4. ΑΧΙΛΛΕΥΣ: Ἑταιρικὴ μὲν ἡ παραίνεσις, ἐμὲ δὲ οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅπως ἡ μνήμη τῶν παρὰ τὸν βίον ἀνιᾷ, οἶμαι δὲ καὶ ὑμῶν ἕκαστον· εἰ δὲ μὴ ὁμολογεῖτε, ταύτῃ χείρους ἐστὲ καθ' ἡσυχίαν αὐτὸ πάσχοντες.

[¶4] ANTILOCHUS: No, but your betters, Achilles. We see the uselessness of speaking. We’ve resolved to say nothing, and to bear and endure it all, for fear that we too become a laughing-stock, as you have by indulging in wishes of that sort.

> Greek: ΑΝΤΙΛΟΧΟΣ: Οὔκ, ἀλλ’ ἀμείνους, ὦ Ἀχιλλεῦ· τὸ γὰρ ἀνωφελὲς τοῦ λέγειν ὁρῶμεν· σιωπᾶν γὰρ καὶ φέρειν καὶ ἀνέχεσθαι δέδοκται ἡμῖν, μὴ καὶ γέλωτα ὄφλωμεν ὥσπερ σὺ τοιαῦτα εὐχόμενος.

## 27. Dialogue 27

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/27/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/27/#p-N

[¶0] 1. AEACUS: Why do you dash at Helen, and choke her, Protesilaus?

> Greek: 1. ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Τί ἄγχεις, ὦ Πρωτεσίλαε, τὴν Ἑλένην προσπεσών;

[¶1] PROTESILAUS: It was because of her that I was killed, Aeacus, and left my house half-built, and my newly-wed wife a widow.

> Greek: ΠΡΩΤΕΣΙΛΑΟΣ: Ὅτι διὰ ταύτην, ὦ Αἰακέ, ἀπέθανον ἡμιτελῆ μὲν τὸν δόμον καταλιπών, χήραν τε νεόγαμον γυναῖκα.

[¶2] AEACUS: Then blame Menelaus, for taking you to Troy to fight for a woman like that.

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Αἰτιῶ τοίνυν τὸν Μενέλαον, ὅστις ὑμᾶς ὑπὲρ τοιαύτης γυναικὸς ἐπὶ Τροίαν ἤγαγεν.

[¶3] PROTESILAUS: Quite right. I should blame him. MENELAUS: Don’t blame me, my good man; it would be fairer to blame Paris. Though I was his host, he carried off my wife with him, contrary to all justice. Paris ought to be strangled, and not by you only, but by all the soldiers on both sides, for bringing death to so many.

> Greek: ΠΡΩΤΕΣΙΛΑΟΣ: Εὖ λέγεις· ἐκεῖνόν μοι αἰτιατέον. ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ: Οὐκ ἐμέ, ὦ βέλτιστε, ἀλλὰ δικαιότερον τὸν Πάριν, ὃς ἐμοῦ τοῦ ξένου τὴν γυναῖκα παρὰ πάντα τα δίκαια ᾤχετο ἁρπάσας· οὗτος γὰρ οὐχ ὑπὸ σοῦ μόνου, ἀλλ’ ὑπὸ πάντων Ἑλλήνων τε καὶ βαρβάρων ἄξιος ἄγχεσθαι τοσούτοις θανάτου αἴτιος γεγενημένος.

[¶4] PROTESILAUS: A better idea; then you, accursed Paris, are the one I’ll keep forever in my grip. PARIS: That would be unjust too, Protesilaus, for I practise the same craft as you; I’m a lover too, and subject to the same god; you know how it’s none of our wishing, but some divine power leads us wherever it chooses, and it’s impossible to resist him.

> Greek: ΠΡΩΤΕΣΙΛΑΟΣ: Ἄμεινον οὕτω· σὲ τοιγαροῦν, ὦ Δύσπαρι, οὐκ ἀφήσω ποτὲ ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν. ΠΑΡΙΣ: Ἄδικα ποιῶν, ὦ Πρωτεσίλαε, καὶ ταῦτα ὁμότεχνον ὄντα σοι· ἐρωτικὸς γὰρ καὶ αὐτός εἰμι καὶ τῷ αὐτῷ θεῷ κατέσχημαι· οἶσθα δὲ ὡς ἀκούσιόν τί ἐστιν καί τις ἡμᾶς δαίμων ἄγει ἔνθα ἂν ἐθέλῃ, καὶ ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν ἀντιτάττεσθαι αὐτῷ.

[¶5] 2. PROTESILAUS: True enough. Well, I wish I could catch Eros here.

> Greek: 2. ΠΡΩΤΕΣΙΛΑΟΣ: Εὖ λέγεις. εἴθε οὖν μοι τὸν Ἔρωτα ἐνταῦθα λαβεῖν δυνατὸν ἦν.

[¶6] AEACUS: I will answer you in defence of Eros. He will say that he may have been the cause of the love of Paris, but that you, Protesilaus, were the sole cause of your own death; for, when your fleet was approaching the land of Troy, you forgot your new-wed wife, and made that mad adventurous leap ashore before any of the others; you were in love with glory, and because of her were the first to die at the landing of the army.

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Ἐγώ σοι καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἔρωτος ἀποκρινοῦμαι τὰ δίκαια· φήσει γὰρ αὐτὸς μὲν τοῦ ἐρᾶν τῷ Πάριδι ἴσως γεγενῆσθαι αἴτιος, τοῦ θανάτου δέ σοι οὐδένα ἄλλον, ὦ Πρωτεσίλαε, ἢ σεαυτόν. ὃς ἐκλαθόμενος τῆς νεογάμου γυναικός, ἐπεὶ προσεφέρεσθε τῇ Τρῳάδι, οὕτως φιλοκινδύνως καὶ ἀπονενοημένως προεπήδησας τῶν ἄλλων δόξης ἐρασθείς, δι’ ἣν πρῶτος ἐν τῇ ἀποβάσει ἀπέθανες.

[¶7] PROTESILAUS: Then, Aeacus, I shall retort with an even stronger argument in my defence; the responsibility lies not with me, but with Fate and the way the thread was spun from the start.

> Greek: ΠΡΩΤΕΣΙΛΑΟΣ: Οὐκοῦν καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ σοι, ὦ Αἰακέ, ἀποκρινοῦμαι δικαιότερα· οὐ γὰρ ἐγὼ τούτων αἴτιος, ἀλλὰ ἡ Μοῖρα καὶ τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς οὕτως ἐπικεκλῶσθαι.

[¶8] AEACUS: Quite right; why, then, blame the present company?

> Greek: ΑΙΑΚΟΣ: Ὀρθῶς· τί οὖν τούτους αἰτιᾷ;

## 28. Dialogue 28

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/28/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/28/#p-N

[¶0] 1. PROTESILAUS: O master and king, and Zeus of our world, and you, daughter of Demeter, scorn not a lover’s prayer.

> Greek: 1. ΠΡΩΤΕΣΙΛΑΟΣ: Ὦ δέσποτα καὶ βασιλεῦ καὶ ἡμέτερε Ζεῦ καὶ σὺ Δήμητρος θύγατερ, μὴ ὑπερίδητε δέησιν ἐρωτικήν.

[¶1] PLUTO: What do you ask of us? Who are you?

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Σὺ δὲ τίνων δέῃ παρ' ἡμῶν; ἢ τίς ὢν τυγχάνεις;

[¶2] PROTESILAUS: I am Protesilaus, son of Iphiclus, from Phylace, one who served with the Achaean army, and first man to die at Troy. I beg to be released and restored to life for a little.

> Greek: ΠΡΩΤΕΣΙΛΑΟΣ: Εἰμὶ μὲν Πρωτεσίλαος ὁ Ἰφίκλου Φυλάκιος συστρατιώτης τῶν Ἀχαιῶν καὶ πρῶτος ἀποθανὼν τῶν ἐπ' Ἰλίῳ. δέομαι δὲ ἀφεθεὶς πρὸς ὀλίγον ἀναβιῶναι πάλιν.

[¶3] PLUTO: That’s a love that’s common to all the dead, but will come to pass for none of them.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Τοῦτον μὲν τὸν ἔρωτα, ὦ Πρωτεσίλαε, πάντες νεκροὶ ἐρῶσιν, πλὴν οὐδεὶς ἂν αὐτῶν τύχοι.

[¶4] PROTESILAUS: My love, Aidoneus, is not for life, but for my wife, whom, while still but newly wed, I left in her bower and sailed away; and then, by evil fortune, I was slain by Hector, while I was landing; and so my love for my wife is eating my heart out, my lord; could I be restored to her sight even for a short while, I would gladly return here again.

> Greek: ΠΡΩΤΕΣΙΛΑΟΣ: Ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦ ζῆν, Ἀϊδωνεῦ, ἐρῶ ἔγωγε, τῆς γυναικὸς δέ, ἣν νεόγαμον ἔτι ἐν τῷ θαλάμῳ καταλιπὼν ᾠχόμην ἀποπλέων, εἶτα ὁ κακοδαίμων ἐν τῇ ἀποβάσει ἀπέθανον ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἕκτορος. ὁ οὖν ἔρως τῆς γυναικὸς οὐ μετρίως ἀποκναίει με, ὦ δέσποτα, καὶ βούλομαι κἂν πρὸς ὀλίγον ὀφθεὶς αὐτῇ καταβῆναι πάλιν.

[¶5] 2. PLUTO: Have you not drunk, Protesilaus, from the waters of Lethe?

> Greek: 2. ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Οὐκ ἔπιες, ὦ Πρωτεσίλαε, τὸ Λήθης ὕδωρ;

[¶6] PROTESILAUS: Deeply have I drunk, my lord, but my affliction was too strong.

> Greek: ΠΡΩΤΕΣΙΛΑΟΣ: Καὶ μάλα, ὦ δέσποτα· τὸ δὲ πρᾶγμα ὑπέρογκον ἦν.

[¶7] PLUTO: Then be patient; in time, she will join you here; you won’t have to go up there.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Οὐκοῦν περίμεινον· ἀφίξεται γὰρ κἀκείνη ποτὲ καὶ οὐδὲ σὲ ἀνελθεῖν δεήσει.

[¶8] PROTESILAUS: I can’t bear to wait, Pluto. You’ve been in love yourself, before now, Pluto, and know what it’s like.

> Greek: ΠΡΩΤΕΣΙΛΑΟΣ: Ἀλλ' οὐ φέρω τὴν διατριβήν, ὦ Πλούτων· ἠράσθης δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἤδη καὶ οἶσθα οἷον τὸ ἐρᾶν ἐστιν.

[¶9] PLUTO: What good will it do you to return to life for a single day, if shortly afterwards you must bewail the same misfortune?

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Εἶτα τί σε ὀνήσει μίαν ἡμέραν ἀναβιῶναι μετ' ὀλίγον τὰ αὐτὰ ὀδυρόμενον;

[¶10] PROTESILAUS: I think I’ll be able to persuade her to follow me here, so that soon you’ll have two of us dead instead of one.

> Greek: ΠΡΩΤΕΣΙΛΑΟΣ: Οἶμαι πείσειν κἀκείνην ἀκολουθεῖν παρ' ὑμᾶς, ὥστε ἀνθ' ἑνὸς δύο νεκροὺς λήψῃ μετ' ὀλίγον.

[¶11] PLUTO: All this would be wrong, and has never happened before.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Οὐ θέμις γενέσθαι ταῦτα οὐδὲ γέγονε πώποτε.

[¶12] 3. PROTESILAUS: Let me refresh your memory, Pluto. You gave up Eurydice to Orpheus for this very reason, and sent back my kinswoman, Alcestis, 1 as a favour to Heracles.

> Greek: 3. ΠΡΩΤΕΣΙΛΑΟΣ: Ἀναμνήσω σε, ὦ Πλούτων· Ὀρφεῖ γὰρ δι’ αὐτὴν ταύτην τὴν αἰτίαν τὴν Εὐρυδίκην παρέδοτε καὶ τὴν ὁμογενῆ μου Ἄλκηστιν παρεπέμψατε Ἡρακλεῖ χαριζόμενοι.

[¶13] PLUTO: Do you want that fair bride of yours to see you as you are now—a bare unsightly skull? What sort of a welcome will she give you, if she can’t even recognise you? She’ll be frightened, I’m sure, and run away from you, and you’ll find your long journey up to earth to have been a waste of time. PERSEPHONE: Then, dear husband, you must put matters right, and instruct Hermes to touch Protesilaus with his wand the moment he’s in the light, and make him the handsome youth he was when he left the bridal chamber.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Θελήσεις δὲ οὕτως κρανίον γυμνὸν ὢν καὶ ἄμορφον τῇ καλῇ σου ἐκείνῃ νύμφῃ φανῆναι; πῶς δὲ κἀκείνη προσήσεταί σε οὐδὲ διαγνῶναι δυναμένη; φοβήσεται γὰρ εὖ οἶδα καὶ φεύξεταί σε καὶ μάτην ἔσῃ τοσαύτην ὁδὸν ἀνεληλυθώς. ΠΕΡΣΕΦΟΝΗ: Οὐκοῦν, ὦ ἄνερ, σὺ καὶ τοῦτο ἴασαι καὶ τὸν Ἑρμῆν κέλευσον, ἐπειδὰν ἐν τῷ φωτὶ ἤδη ὁ Πρωτεσίλαος ᾖ, καθικόμενον ἐν τῇ ῥάβδῳ νεανίαν εὐθὺς καλὸν ἀπεργάσασθαι αὐτὸν, οἷος ἦν ἐκ τοῦ παστοῦ.

[¶14] PLUTO: Well, Hermes, since Persephone agrees, take him up and make him into a bridegroom again. And you, sir, remember you’ve only been given one day.

> Greek: ΠΛΟΥΤΩΝ: Ἐπεὶ Φερσεφόνῃ συνδοκεῖ, ἀναγαγὼν τοῦτον αὖθις ποίησον νυμφίον· σὺ δὲ μέμνησο μίαν λαβὼν ἡμέραν.

## 29. Dialogue 29

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/29/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/29/#p-N

[¶0] 1. DIOGENES: Why, Carian, are you so proud, and expect to be honoured above all of us? MAUSOLUS: Firstly, Sinopean, because of my royal position. I was king of all Caria, ruler also of part of Lydia, subdued some islands, too, and advanced as far as Miletus, subjugating most of Ionia. Moreover, I was handsome and tall and mighty in war. But, most important of all, I have lying over me in Halicarnassus a vast memorial, outdoing that of any other of the dead not only in size but also in its finished beauty, with horses and men reproduced most perfectly in the fairest marble, so that it would be difficult to find even a temple like it. Don’t you think I’ve a right to be proud of these things?

> Greek: 1. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ὠ Κάρ, ἐπὶ τίνι μέγα φρονεῖς καὶ πάντων ἡμῶν προτιμᾶσθαι ἀξιοῖς; ΜΑΥΣΩΛΟΣ: Καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ βασιλείᾳ μέν, ὦ Σινωπεῦ, ὃς ἐβασίλευσα Καρίας μὲν ἁπάσης, ἦρξα δὲ καὶ Λυδῶν ἐνίων καὶ νήσους δέ τινας ὑπηγαγόμην καὶ ἄχρι Μιλήτου ἐπέβην τὰ πολλὰ τῆς Ἰωνίας καταστρεφόμενος· καὶ καλὸς ἦν καὶ μέγας καὶ ἐν πολέμοις καρτερός· τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, ὅτι ἐν Ἁλικαρνασσῷ μνῆμα παμμέγεθες ἔχω ἐπικείμενον, ἡλίκον οὐκ ἄλλος νεκρός, ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐς κάλλος ἐξησκημένον, ἵππων καὶ ἀνδρῶν ἐς τὸ ἀκριβέστατον εἰκασμένων λίθου τοῦ καλλίστου, οἷον οὐδὲ νεὼν εὕροι τις ἂν ῥᾳδίως. οὐ δοκῶ σοι δικαίως ἐπὶ τούτοις μέγα φρονεῖν;

[¶1] 2. DIOGENES: Of your royal position, you say, and your beauty, and the weight of your tomb? MAUSOLUS: Good heavens, yes.

> Greek: 2. ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ἐπὶ τῇ βασιλείᾳ φῄς καὶ τῷ κάλλει καὶ τῷ βάρει τοῦ τάφου; ΜΑΥΣΩΛΟΣ: Νὴ Δί' ἐπὶ τούτοις.

[¶2] DIOGENES: But, my handsome Mausolus, the strength and the beauty you mention aren’t still with you here. If we chose a judge of beauty, I can’t see why your skull should be thought better than mine. Both of them are bald and bare, both of us show our teeth in the same way, and have lost our eyes, and have snub noses now. Perhaps your tomb and all that costly marble may give the people of Halicarnassus something to show off, and they can boast to strangers of the magnificent building they have, but I can’t see what good it is to you, my good fellow, unless you’re claiming that, with all that marble pressing down on you, you have a heavier burden to bear than any of us.

> Greek: ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Ἀλλ', ὦ καλὲ Μαύσωλε, οὔτε ἡ ἰσχὺς ἔτι σοι ἐκείνη οὔτε ἡ μορφὴ πάρεστιν· εἰ γοῦν τινα ἑλοίμεθα δικαστὴν εὐμορφίας πέρι, οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν, τίνος ἕνεκα τὸ σὸν κρανίον προτιμηθείη ἂν τοῦ ἐμοῦ· φαλακρὰ γὰρ ἄμφω καὶ γυμνά, καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας ὁμοίως προφαίνομεν καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀφῃρήμεθα καὶ τὰς ῥῖνας ἀποσεσιμώμεθα. ὁ δὲ τάφος καὶ οἱ πολυτελεῖς ἐκεῖνοι λίθοι Ἁλικαρνασσεῦσι μὲν ἴσως εἶεν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι καὶ φιλοτιμεῖσθαι πρὸς τοὺς ξένους, ὡς δή τι μέγα οἰκοδόμημα αὐτοῖς ἐστιν· σὺ δέ, ὦ βέλτιστε, οὐχ ὁρῶ ὅ τι ἀπολαύεις αὐτοῦ, πλὴν εἰ μὴ τοῦτο φῄς, ὅτι μᾶλλον ἡμῶν ἀχθοφορεῖς ὑπὸ τηλικούτοις λίθοις πιεζόμενος.

[¶3] 3. MAUSOLUS: Will all that, then, be of no good to me? Will Mausolus and Diogenes be on an equal footing? DIOGENES: No indeed, your excellency; we shan’t be on an equal footing. Mausolus will groan when he remembers the things on earth above, which he thought brought him happiness, while Diogenes will be able to laugh at him. Mausolus will talk of the tomb erected to him at Halicarnassus by his wife and sister, Artemisia, whereas Diogenes has no idea whether he even has a tomb for his body, for he didn’t care about that, but he has left for the best of those who come after the report that he has lived the life of a man, a life, most servile of Carians, that towers above your memorial, and is built on surer foundations.

> Greek: 3. ΜΑΥΣΩΛΟΣ: Ἀνόνητα οὖν μοι ἐκεῖνα πάντα καὶ ἰσότιμος ἔσται Μαύσωλος καὶ Διογένης; ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ: Οὐκ ἰσότιμος, ὦ γενναιότατε, οὐ γὰρ· Μαύσωλος μὲν γὰρ οἰμώξεται μεμνημένος τῶν ὑπὲρ γῆς, ἐν οἷς εὐδαιμονεῖν ᾤετο, Διογένης δὲ καταγελάσεται αὐτοῦ. καὶ τάφον ὁ μὲν ἐν Ἁλικαρνασσῷ ἐρεῖ ἑαυτοῦ ὑπὸ Ἀρτεμισίας τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἀδελφῆς κατεσκευασμένον, ὁ Διογένης δὲ τοῦ μὲν σώματος εἰ καί τινα τάφον ἔχει οὐκ οἶδεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔμελεν αὐτῷ τούτου· λόγον δὲ τοῖς ἀρίστοις περὶ τούτου καταλέλοιπεν ἀνδρὸς βίον βεβιωκὼς ὑψηλότερον, ὦ Καρῶν ἀνδραποδωδέστατε, τοῦ σοῦ μνήματος καὶ ἐν βεβαιοτέρῳ χωρίῳ κατεσκευασμένον.

## 30. Dialogue 30

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/30/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-dead/30/#p-N

[¶0] 1. NIREUS: Look, here’s Menippus, who will decide which of us is more handsome. Tell us, Menippus, don’t you think I am?
MENIPPUS: Whoever are you both? I ought to know that first, I suppose. NIREUS: NIreus and Thersites.

> Greek: 1. ΝΙΡΕΥΣ: Ἰδοὺ δή, Μένιππος οὑτοσὶ δικάσει, πότερος εὐμορφότερός ἐστιν. εἰπέ, ὦ Μένιππε, οὐ καλλίων σοι δοκῶ;
ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Τίνες δὲ καὶ ἔστε; πρότερον, οἶμαι, χρὴ γὰρ τοῦτο εἰδέναι. ΝΙΡΕΥΣ: Νιρεὺς καὶ Θερσίτης.

[¶1] MENIPPUS: Well, which is NIreus, and which Thersites? That’s still not clear. THERSITES: That’s already one point in my favour, if I’m like you, and you don’t have the great superiority for which Homer the blind praised you, when he called you the most handsome of them all; I, with my sugarloaf head, and thin hair, seemed just as good-looking as you to Minos; but you, Menippus, take a good look to see which you think more handsome. IREUS: Me, son of Charops and Aglaea, “handsomest man of all who came to Troy”.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Πότερος οὖν ὁ Νιρεὺς καὶ πότερος ὁ Θερσίτης; οὐδέπω γὰρ τοῦτο δῆλον. ΘΕΡΣΙΤΗΣ: Ἓν μὲν ἤδη τοῦτο ἔχω, ὅτι ὅμοιός εἰμί σοι καὶ οὐδὲν τηλικοῦτον διαφέρεις ἡλίκον σε Ὅμηρος ἐκεῖνος ὁ τυφλὸς ἐπῄνεσεν ἁπάντων εὐμορφότερον προσειπών, ἀλλ’ ὁ φοξὸς ἐγὼ καὶ ψεδνὸς οὐδὲν χείρων ἐφάνην τῷ δικαστῇ. ὅρα δὲ σύ, ὦ Μένιππε, ὅντινα καὶ εὐμορφότερον ἡγῇ. ΝΙΡΕΥΣ: Ἐμέ γε τὸν Ἀγλαΐας καὶ Χάροπος, “ὃς κάλλιστος ἀνὴρ ὑπὸ Ἴλιον ἦλθον.”

[¶2] 2. MENIPPUS: But not, methinks, the handsomest that has come to the lower world; your bones are no different here, and your skull can only be told from that of Thersites, by its brittleness. Your skull is fragile and unmanly. NIREUS: But just ask Homer what I was like when I was fighting in the Greek army.

> Greek: 2. ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ ὑπὸ γῆν, ὡς οἶμαι, κάλλιστος ἦλθες, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ὀστᾶ ὅμοια, τὸ δὲ κρανίον ταύτῃ μόνον ἄρα διακρίνοιτο ἀπὸ τοῦ Θερσίτου κρανίου, ὅτι εὔθρυπτον τὸ σόν· ἀλαπαδνὸν γὰρ αὐτὸ καὶ οὐκ ἀνδρῶδες ἔχεις. ΝΙΡΕΥΣ: Καὶ μὴν ἐροῦ Ὅμηρον, ὁποῖος ἦν, ὁπότε συνεστράτευον τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς.

[¶3] MENIPPUS: You talk of dreams; I of what I see, and of your present state; your past is only known to the men of that time. NIREUS: Then, Menippus, I’m not handsomer here than he is?

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Ὀνείρατά μοι λέγεις· ἐγὼ δὲ ἃ βλέπω καὶ νῦν ἔχεις, ἐκεῖνα δέ οἱ τότε ἴσασιν. ΝΙΡΕΥΣ: Οὔκουν ἐγὼ ἐνταῦθα εὐμορφότερός εἰμι, ὦ Μένιππε;

[¶4] MENIPPUS: Neither you nor anyone else is handsome here. In Hades all are equal, and all alike. THERSITES: That’s good enough for me.

> Greek: ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὔτε σὺ οὔτε ἄλλος εὔμορφος· ἰσοτιμία γὰρ ἐν ᾅδου καὶ ὅμοιοι ἅπαντες. ΘΕΡΣΙΤΗΣ: Ἐμοὶ μὲν καὶ τοῦτο ἱκανόν.