---
title: "Hippias, or the Bath · Ἱππίας ἢ Βαλανεῖον"
author: "Lucian"
translator: "Austin Morris Harmon"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
url: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-hippias/
cite: "Lucian, tr. Austin Morris Harmon, Hippias, or the Bath · Ἱππίας ἢ Βαλανεῖον. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-hippias/"
---

# Hippias, or the Bath · Ἱππίας ἢ Βαλανεῖον

*Lucian, tr. Austin Morris Harmon*

A description of a fine new bath-house and praise of its architect.

> Greek: ed. Austin Morris Harmon, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0062.tlg002, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Austin Morris Harmon, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0062.tlg002.perseus-eng2). Notes are not included.

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

## Contents

1. [Sections 1–8](https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-hippias/1.md)

## 1. Sections 1–8

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-hippias/1/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-hippias/1/#p-N

[¶0] 1. Among wise men, I maintain, the most praiseworthy are they who not only have spoken cleverly on their particular subjects, but have made their assertions good by doing things to match them. Take doctors, for instance: a man of sense, on falling ill, does not send for those who can talk about their profession best, but for those who have trained themselves to accomplish something in it. Likewise a musician who can himself play the lyre and the cithara is better, surely, than one who simply has a good ear for rhythm and harmony. And why need I tell you that the generals who have been rightly judged’ the best were good not only at marshalling their forces and addressing them, but at heading charges and at doughty deeds? Such, we know, were Agamemnon and Achilles of old, Alexander and Pyrrhus more recently.

> Greek: 1. τῶν σοφῶν ἐκείνους μάλιστα ἔγωγέ φημι δεῖν ἐπαινεῖν, ὁπόσοι μὴ λόγους μόνον δεξιοὺς παρέσχοντο ὑπὲρ τῶν πραγμάτων ἑκάστων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔργοις ὁμοίοις τὰς τῶν λόγων ὑποσχέσεις ἐπιστώσαντο. καὶ γὰρ τῶν ἰατρῶν ὅ γε νοῦν ἔχων οὐ τοὺς ἄριστα ὑπὲρ τῆς τέχνης εἰπεῖν δυναμένους μεταστέλλεται νοσῶν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς πρᾶξαί τι κατʼ αὐτὴν μεμελετηκότας. ἀμείνων δὲ καὶ μουσικός, οἶμαι, τοῦ διακρίνειν ῥυθμοὺς καὶ ἁρμονίας ἐπισταμένου ὁ καὶ ψᾶλαι καὶ κιθαρίσαι αὐτὸς δυνάμενος. τί γὰρ ἄν σοι τῶν στρατηγῶν λέγοιμι τοὺς εἰκότως ἀρίστους κριθέντας, ὅτι οὐ τάττειν μόνον καὶ παραινεῖν ἦσαν ἀγαθοί, ἀλλὰ καὶ προμάχεσθαι τῶν ἄλλων καὶ χειρὸς ἔργα ἐπιδείκνυσθαι; οἷον πάλαι μὲν Ἀγαμέμνονα καὶ Ἀχιλλέα, τῶν κάτω δὲ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ Πύρρον ἴσμεν γεγονότας.

[¶1] 2. Why have I said all this? It was not out of an ill-timed desire to air my knowledge of history that I brought it up, but because the same. thing is true of engineers—we ought to admire those who, though famous for knowledge, have yet left to later generations reminders and proofs of their practical skill, for men trained in words alone would better be called wiseacres than wise. Such an engineer we are told, was Archimedes, and also Sostratus of Cnidus, The latter took Memphis for Ptolemy without a siege by turning the river aside and dividing it; the former burned the ships of the enemy by means of his science. And before their time Thales of Miletus, who had promised Croesus to set his army across the Halys dryshod, thanks to his ingenuity brought the river round behind the camp in a single night. Yet he was not an engineer: he was wise, however, and very able at devising plans and grasping problems.. As for the case of Epeius, it is prehistoric: he is said not only to have made the wooden horse for the Achaeans but to have gone into it along with them.

> Greek: 2. πρὸς δὴ τί ταῦτʼ ἔφην; οὐ γὰρ ἄλλως ἱστορίαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι βουλόμενος ἐπεμνήσθην αὐτῶν, ἀλλʼ ὅτι καὶ τῶν μηχανικῶν ἐκείνους ἄξιον θαυμάζειν, ὁπόσοι ἐν τῇ θεωρίᾳ λαμπροὶ γενόμενοι καὶ μνημόσυνα ὅμως τῆς τέχνης καὶ παραδείγματα τοῖς μετʼ αὐτοὺς κατέλιπον· ἐπεὶ οἵ γε τοῖς λόγοις μόνοις ἐγγεγυμνασμένοι σοφισταὶ ἂν εἰκότως μᾶλλον ἢ σοφοὶ καλοῖντο. τοιοῦτον ἀκούομεν τὸν Ἀρχιμήδη γενέσθαι καὶ τὸν Κνίδιον Σώστρατον, τὸν μὲν Πτολεμαίῳ χειρωσάμενον τὴν Μέμφιν ἄνευ πολιορκίας ἀποστροφῇ καὶ διαιρέσει τοῦ ποταμοῦ, τὸν δὲ τὰς τῶν πολεμίων τριήρεις καταφλέξαντα τῇ τέχνῃ. καὶ Θαλῆς δὲ ὁ Μιλήσιος πρὸ αὐτῶν ὑποσχόμενος Κροίσῳ ἄβροχον διαβιβάσειν τὸν στρατὸν ἐπινοίᾳ κατόπιν τοῦ στρατοπέδου μιᾷ νυκτὶ τὸν Ἅλυν περιήγαγεν, οὐ μηχανικὸς οὗτος γενόμενος, σοφὸς δὲ καὶ ἐπινοῆσαι καὶ συνεῖναι πιθανώτατος. τὸ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ Ἐπειοῦ πάνυ ἀρχαῖον, ὃς οὐ μόνον τεχνήσασθαι τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς τὸν ἵππον, ἀλλὰ καὶ συγκαταβῆναι αὐτοῖς ἐς αὐτὸν λέγεται.

[¶2] 3. Among these men Hippias, our own contemporary, deserves mention. Not only is he trained as highly in the art of speech as any of his predecessors, and alike quick of comprehension and clear in exposition, but he is better at action than speech, and fulfils his professional promises, not merely doing so in those matters in which his predecessors succeeded in getting to the fore, but, as the geometricians put it, knowing how to construct a triangle accurately on a given base. Moreover, whereas each of the others marked off some one department of science and sought fame in it, making a name for himself in spite of this delimitation, he, on the contrary, is clearly a leader in harmony and music as well as in engineering and geometry, and yet he shows as great perfection in each of these fields as if he knew nothing else. It would take no little time to sing his praises in the doctrine of rays and refraction and mirrors, or in astronomy, in which he made his predecessors appear’ children, but I shall not hesitate to speak of one of his achievements which I recently looked upon with wonder.

> Greek: 3. ἐν δὴ τούτοις καὶ Ἱππίου τουτουὶ τοῦ καθʼ ἡμᾶς μεμνῆσθαι ἄξιον, ἀνδρὸς λόγοις μὲν παρʼ ὅντινα βούλει τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ γεγυμνασμένου καὶ συνεῖναί τε ὀξέος καὶ ἑρμηνεῦσαι σαφεστάτου, τὰ δὲ ἔργα πολὺ τῶν λόγων ἀμείνω παρεχομένου καὶ τὴν τῆς τέχνης ὑπόσχεσιν ἀποπληροῦντος, οὐκ ἐν τοιαύταις μὲν ὑποθέσεσιν ἐν αἷς οἱ πρὸ αὐτοῦ πρῶτοι γενέσθαι εὐτύχησαν, κατὰ δὲ τὸν γεωμετρικὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τῆς δοθείσης, φασίν, εὐθείας τὸ τρίγωνον ἀκριβῶς συνισταμένου. καίτοι τῶν γε ἄλλων ἕκαστος ἕν τι τῆς ἐπιστήμης ἔργον ἀποτεμόμενος ἐν ἐκείνῳ εὐδοκιμήσας εἶναί τις ὅμως ἔδοξεν, ὁ δὲ μηχανικῶν τε ὢν τὰ πρῶτα καὶ γεωμετρικῶν, ἔτι δὲ ἁρμονικῶν καὶ μουσικῶν φαίνεται, καὶ ὅμως ἕκαστον τούτων οὕτως ἐντελῶς δείκνυσιν ὡς ἓν αὐτὸ μόνον ἐπιστάμενος. τὴν μὲν γὰρ περὶ ἀκτίνων καὶ ἀνακλάσεων καὶ κατόπτρων θεωρίαν, ἔτι δὲ ἀστρονομίαν, ἐν ᾗ παῖδας τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ ἀπέφηνεν, οὐκ ὀλίγου χρόνου ἂν εἴη ἐπαινεῖν.

[¶3] 4. Though the undertaking is a commonplace, and in our days a very frequent one, the construction of a bath, yet his thoughtfulness and intelligence even in this commonplace matter is marvellous. The site was not flat, but quite sloping and steep; it was extremely low on one side when he took it in hand, but he made it level, not only constructing a firm basis for the entire work and laying foundations to ensure the safety of the superstructure, but strengthening the whole with buttresses, very sheer and, for security’s sake, close together. The building suits the magnitude of the site, accords well with the accepted idea of such an establishment, and shows regard for the principles of lighting.

> Greek: 4. ἃ δὲ ἔναγχος ἰδὼν αὐτοῦ τῶν ἔργων κατεπλάγην, οὐκ ὀκνήσω εἰπεῖν· κοινὴ μὲν γὰρ ἡ ὑπόθεσις κἀν τῷ καθʼ ἡμᾶς βίῳ πάνυ πολλή, βαλανείου κατασκευή· ἡ περίνοια δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ κοινῷ τούτῳ σύνεσις θαυμαστή. τόπος μὲν ἦν οὐκ ἐπίπεδος, ἀλλὰ πάνυ προσάντης καὶ ὄρθιος, ὃν παραλαβὼν κατὰ θάτερα εἰς ὑπερβολὴν ταπεινόν, ἰσόπεδον θάτερον θατέρῳ ἀπέφηνεν, κρηπῖδα μὲν βεβαιοτάτην ἅπαντι τῷ ἔργῳ βαλόμενος καὶ θεμελίων θέσει τὴν τῶν ἐπιτιθεμένων ἀσφάλειαν ἐμπεδωσάμενος, ὕψεσι δὲ πάνυ ἀποτόμοις καὶ πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν συνεχομένοις τὸ ὅλον κρατυνάμενος· τὰ δὲ ἐποικοδομηθέντα τῷ τε τοῦ τόπου μεγέθει σύμμετρα καὶ τῷ εὐλόγῳ τῆς κατασκευῆς ἁρμοδιώτατα καὶ τὸν τῶν φώτων λόγον φυλάττοντα.

[¶4] 5. The entrance is high, with a flight of broad steps of which the tread is greater than the pitch, to make them easy to ascend. On entering, one is received into a public hall of good size, with ample accommodations for servants and attendants. On the left are the lounging-rooms, also of just the right sort for a bath, attractive, brightly lighted retreats, Then, beside them, a hall, larger than need be for the purposes of a bath, but necessary for the reception of the rich. Next, capacious locker-rooms to undress in, on each side, with a very high and brilliantly lighted hall between them, in which are three swimming-pools of cold water; it is finished in Laconian marble, and has two statues of white marble in the ancient technique, one of Hygieia, the other of Aesculapius.

> Greek: 5. πυλὼν μὲν ὑψηλὸς ἀναβάσεις πλατείας ἔχων, ὑπτίας μᾶλλον ἢ ὀρθίας πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀνιόντων εὐμάρειαν· εἰσιόντα δὲ τοῦτον ἐκδέχεται κοινὸς οἶκος εὐμεγέθης, ἱκανὴν ἔχων ὑπηρέταις καὶ ἀκολούθοις διατριβήν, ἐν ἀριστερᾷ δὲ τὰ ἐς τρυφὴν παρεσκευασμένα οἰκήματα, βαλανείῳ δʼ οὖν καὶ ταῦτα πρεπωδέστατα, χαρίεσσαι καὶ φωτὶ πολλῷ καταλαμπόμεναι ὑποχωρήσεις. εἶτʼ ἐχόμενος αὐτῶν οἶκος, περιττὸς μὲν ὡς πρὸς τὸ λουτρόν, ἀναγκαῖος δὲ ὡς πρὸς τὴν τῶν εὐδαιμονεστέρων ὑποδοχήν. μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον ἑκατέρωθεν διαρκεῖς τοῖς ἀποδυομένοις ἀποθέσεις, καὶ μέσος οἶκος ὕψει τε ὑψηλότατος καὶ φωτὶ φαιδρότατος, ψυχροῦ ὕδατος ἔχων τρεῖς κολυμβήθρας, Λακαίνῃ λίθῳ κεκοσμημένος, καὶ εἰκόνες ἐν αὐτῷ λίθου λευκοῦ τῆς ἀρχαίας ἐργασίας, ἡ μὲν Ὑγιείας, ἡ δὲ Ἀσκληπιοῦ.

[¶5] 6. On leaving this hall, you come into another which is slightly warmed instead of meeting you at once with fierce heat; it is oblong, and has an apse at each side. Next it, on the right, is a very bright hall, nicely fitted up for massage, which has on each side an entrance decorated with Phrygian marble, and receives those who come in from the exercising-floor. Then near this is another hall, the most beautiful in the world, in which one can sit or stand with comfort, linger without danger and stroll about with profit. It also is refulgent with Phrygian marble clear to the roof. Next, comes the hot corridor, faced with Numidian marble. The hall beyond it is very beautiful, full of abundant light and aglow with colour like that of purple hangings. It contains three hot tubs.

> Greek: 6. ἐξελθόντας δὲ ὑποδέχεται ἠρέμα χλιαινόμενος οἶκος οὐκ ἀπηνεῖ τῇ θέρμῃ προαπαντῶν, ἐπιμήκης, ἀμφιστρόγγυλος, μεθʼ ὃν ἐν δεξιᾷ οἶκος εὖ μάλα φαιδρός, ἀλείψασθαι προσηνῶς παρεχόμενος, ἑκατέρωθεν εἰσόδους ἔχων Φρυγίῳ λίθῳ κεκαλλωπισμένας, τοὺς ἀπὸ παλαίστρας εἰσιόντας δεχόμενος. εἶτʼ ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἄλλος οἶκος οἴκων ἁπάντων κάλλιστος, στῆναί τε καὶ ἐγκαθίζεσθαι προσηνέστατος καὶ ἐμβραδῦναι ἀβλαβέστατος καὶ ἐγκυλίσασθαι ὠφελιμώτατος, Φρυγίου καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς ὀροφὴν ἄκραν ἀποστίλβων. ἑξῆς δὲ ὁ θερμὸς ὑποδέχεται διάδρομος Νομάδι λίθῳ διακεκολλημένος. ὁ δὲ ἔνδον οἶκος κάλλιστος, φωτός τε πολλοῦ ἀνάμεστος καὶ ὡς πορφύρᾳ διηνθισμένος. τρεῖς καὶ οὗτος θερμὰς πυέλους παρέχεται.

[¶6] 7. When you have bathed, you need not go back through the same rooms, but can go directly to the cold room through a slightly warmed apartment. Everywhere there is copious illumination and full indoor daylight. Furthermore, the height of each room is just, and the breadth proportionate to the length; and everywhere great beauty and loveliness prevail, for in the words of noble Pindar, “Your work should have a glorious countenance.” This is probably due in the main to the light, ‘the brightness and the windows. Hippias, being truly wise, built the room for cold baths to northward, though it does not lack a southern exposure; whereas he faced south, east, and west the rooms that require abundant heat.

> Greek: 7. λουσαμένῳ δὲ ἔνεστί σοι μὴ τὴν διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν οἴκων αὖθις ἐπανιέναι, ἀλλὰ ταχεῖαν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ ψυχρὸν διʼ ἠρέμα θερμοῦ οἰκήματος, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ὑπὸ φωτὶ μεγάλῳ καὶ πολλῇ τῇ ἔνδον ἡμέρᾳ. ὕψη πρὸς τούτοις ἀνάλογα καὶ πλάτη τοῖς μήκεσι σύμμετρα καὶ πανταχοῦ πολλὴ χάρις καὶ Ἀφροδίτη ἐπανθεῖ· κατὰ γὰρ τὸν καλὸν Πίνδαρον, ἀρχομένου ἔργου πρόσωπον χρὴ θέμεν τηλαυγές. τοῦτο δʼ ἂν εἴη ἐκ τῆς αὐγῆς μάλιστα καὶ τοῦ φέγγους καὶ τῶν φωταγωγῶν μεμηχανημένον. ὁ γὰρ σοφὸς ὡς ἀληθῶς Ἱππίας τὸν μὲν ψυχροδόχον οἶκον εἰς βορρᾶν προσκεχωρηκότα ἐποίησεν, οὐκ ἄμοιρον οὐδὲ τοῦ μεσημβρινοῦ ἀέρος· τοὺς δὲ πολλοῦ τοῦ θάλπους δεομένους νότῳ καὶ εὔρῳ καὶ ζεφύρῳ ὑπέθηκε.

[¶7] 8. Why should I go on and tell you of the exercising-floors and of the cloakrooms, which have quick and direct communication with the hall containing the basin, so as to be convenient and to do away with all risk? Let no one suppose that I have taken an insignificant achievement as my theme, and purpose to ennoble it by my eloquence. It requires more than a little wisdom, in my opinion, to invent new manifestations of beauty in commonplace things, as did our marvellous Hippias in producing this work. It has all the good points of a bath—usefulness, convenience, light, good proportions, fitness to its site, and the fact that it can be used without risk. Moreover, it is beautified with all other marks of thoughtfulness—with two toilets, many exits; and two devices for telling time, a water-clock that bellows like a bull, and a sundial. For a man who has seen all this not to render the work its meed of praise is not only foolish but ungrateful, even malignant, it seems to me. I for my part have done what I could to do justice both to the work and to the man who planned and built it. If Heaven ever grants you the privilege of bathing there, I know that I shall have many who will join me in my words of praise.

> Greek: 8. τί δʼ ἄν σοι τὸ ἐπὶ τούτῳ λέγοιμι παλαίστρας καὶ τὰς κοινὰς τῶν ἱματιοφυλακούντων κατασκευὰς ταχεῖαν ἐπὶ τὸ λουτρὸν καὶ μὴ διὰ μακροῦ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐχούσας τοῦ χρησίμου τε καὶ ἀβλαβοῦς ἕνεκα; καὶ μή με ὑπολάβῃ τις μικρὸν ἔργον προθέμενον κοσμεῖν τῷ λόγῳ προαιρεῖσθαι· τὸ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς κοινοῖς καινὰ ἐπινοῆσαι κάλλους δείγματα, οὐ μικρᾶς σοφίας ἔγωγε τίθεμαι, οἷον καὶ τόδε τὸ ἔργον ὁ θαυμάσιος ἡμῖν Ἱππίας ἐπεδείξατο πάσας ἔχον τὰς βαλανείου ἀρετάς, τὸ χρήσιμον, τὸ εὔκαιρον, τὸ εὐφεγγές, τὸ σύμμετρον, τὸ τῷ τόπῳ ἡρμοσμένον, τὸ τὴν χρείαν ἀσφαλῆ παρεχόμενον, καὶ προσέτι τῇ ἄλλῃ περινοίᾳ κεκοσμημένον, ἀφόδων μὲν ἀναγκαίων δυσὶν ἀναχωρήσεσιν, ἐξόδοις δὲ πολλαῖς τεθυρωμένον, ὡρῶν δὲ διττὰς δηλώσεις, τὴν μὲν διʼ ὕδατος καὶ μυκήματος, τὴν δὲ διʼ ἡλίου ἐπιδεικνύμενον. ταῦτα ἰδόντα μὴ ἀποδοῦναι τὸν πρέποντα ἔπαινον τῷ ἔργῳ οὐκ ἀνοήτου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀχαρίστου, μᾶλλον δὲ βασκάνου μοι εἶναι ἔδοξεν. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν εἰς δύναμιν καὶ τὸ ἔργον καὶ τὸν τεχνίτην καὶ δημιουργὸν ἠμειψάμην τῷ λόγῳ. εἰ δὲ θεὸς παράσχοι καὶ λούσασθαί ποτε, πολλοὺς οἶδα ἕξων τοὺς κοινωνήσοντάς μοι τῶν ἐπαίνων.