Selected Dialogues'you'll find another man to harvest, Glycerion: let this one go' The Greek satirist Lucian was a brilliantly entertaining writer who invented the comic dialogue as a vehicle for satiric comment. His influence was immense, not only in the Greek world, but on later European writers such as Rabelais and Swift. His dialogues puncture the pretensions of pompous philosophers and describe the daily lives of Greek courtesans; they are peopled by politicians, historians and ordinary citizens, as well as by gods and mythic figures. This selection provides a cross-section of Lucian's styles and satirical targets, from serious polemic to lighter squibs and character portrayals. It includes How to Write History and his most famous piece, A True History, a fabulous tale of space travel and a monstrous whale which prefigures the fantasies of Jules Verne. This lively new translation is both accurate and idiomatic, and the introduction highlights Lucian's importance in his own and later times. |
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Alexander Alexander’s Apollo Aristaenetus Asclepius asked Athenian Athens believe better century BC Charon courtesan Croesus Cynic death Demonax dialogue didn’t Diogenes Dionysus dream earth Epicureans Epicurus Eucrates everything eyes famous father fifth fighting figure find fine finished fire first fish five flames flatterers fly gave give Glycon gods gold Greek hand happened hear heard heaven Hephaestus Heracles Hermes Hermotimus Herodotus historian Homer honour Iliad imagine influence island king live look Lucian Lycinus man’s Menippus moon mother night Nigrinus obols Odysseus ofthe once oracle Peregrinus Pheidias philosophers Plato poet praise Proteus Pythagoras replied rich Rutilianus sacrifice sail seems seen Socrates SOLON someone sort soul Stoics story talk tell there’s things thought Thucydides Timon told took truth turned Tychiades wealth What’s whole wings words writing Zeus