Lucian, The Eunuch 13: On the Hidden Dangers of Practicing Philosophy

October 9, 2014 ~ sententiaeantiquae ~ 1 Comment

“For this reason, I pray that my son—for he is still very young—would be fit for philosophy with something more “private” than judgment or tongue.”

ὥστε καὶ τὸν υἱὸν—ἔτι δέ μοι κομιδῇ νέος ἐστίν —εὐξαίμην ἂν οὐ τὴν γνώμην οὐδὲ τὴν γλῶτταν ἀλλὰ τὸ αἰδοῖον ἕτοιμον ἐς φιλοσοφίαν ἔχειν.

In this satirical dialogue, Lucian’s interlocutors discuss how the fierceness of a competition for a chair in philosophy in Athens (essentially an ancient professorship) was affected by a man’s status as a eunuch (who could claim greater independence from corruptible impulses because of his ‘lack’).

Lucian, On the Death of Peregrinus by Fire

September 11, 2014 ~ sententiaeantiquae ~ Leave a comment

“The ill-starred Peregriunus, or as he preferred naming himself, Proteus, has suffered the very same fate as that Homeric Proteus: turning in to everything for the sake of repute and acquiring countless forms, in the end turning even into fire. By such a great lust for fame he was possessed! And now? Now your best friend has burnt to a crisp like Empedocles….”

῾Ο κακοδαίμων Περεγρῖνος, ἢ ὡς αὐτὸς ἔχαιρεν ὀνομάζων ἑαυτόν, Πρωτεύς, αὐτὸ δὴ ἐκεῖνο τὸ τοῦ ῾Ομηρικοῦ Πρωτέως ἔπαθεν· ἅπαντα γὰρ δόξης ἕνεκα γενόμενος καὶ μυρίας τροπὰς τραπόμενος, τὰ τελευταῖα ταῦτα καὶ πῦρ ἐγένετο· τοσούτῳ ἄρα τῷ ἔρωτι τῆς δόξης εἴχετο. καὶ νῦν ἐκεῖνος ἀπηνθράκωταί σοι ὁ βέλτιστος κατὰ τὸν ᾿Εμπεδοκλέα

Lucian wrote more than most people will read in a lifetime. (Well, still less than Galen. And more exciting). Peregrinus was a cynic philosopher who eventually converted to Christianity before he recanted and fell in love with Indian philosophy. He cremated himself at Olympia in 165 CE. Lucian makes a joke about it…

Lucian, Dialogues of the Dead 1.3.6

August 24, 2014 ~ sententiaeantiquae ~ Leave a comment

“Fools, why do you watch over your gold? Why do you wear yourselves out calculating interest and adding talents to talents when you must soon go to death with only a single coin?”

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;

Some liberties with this passage: I put “go to death” for ἥκειν because it makes more sense out of context (which is Diogenes in the underworld telling Pollux to send a message to rich men). I also translated ἕνα ὀβολὸν as “with only a single coin” because it too would make more sense to an average reader than “having only one obol” (the point being that the only money you get to take is for the boatman Charon…)