Lucian of Samosata, Cataplus, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 22

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MICYLLUS

Heracles, how dark it is! Where now is handsome Megillus, and who can tell here that Simiche is not more beautiful than Phryne? All things are alike and of the same colour, and nothing is either beautiful or more beautiful; indeed, even my short cloak, which till now I thought ugly, is as good as the purple mantle of the king, for both are invisible and submerged in the same darkness. Cyniscus, where in the world are you?

CYNISCUS

Here I am, talking to you, Micyllus. Come, let’s walk together, if you like.

MICYLLUS

Good! Give me your hand. Tell me—for of course you have been through the Eleusinian Mysteries, Cyniscus—don’t you think this is like them?

CYNISCUS

Right you are; indeed, here comes a woman with a torch, who looks very fierce and threatening. Do you suppose it is an Erinys?¹

MICYLLUS

Probably, to judge from her appearance.

Cataplus. Lucian of Samosata. Austin Morris Harmon (Translator). United States. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

The Downward Journey, or the Tyrant (English) (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.)

Editions (1)

Κατάπλους ἢ Τύραννος Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 22 focus

Μίκυλλος

ὦ Ἡράκλεις, τοῦ ζόφου. ποῦ νῦν ὁ καλὸς Μέγιλλος; ἢ τῷ διαγνῷ τις ἐνταῦθα εἰ καλλίων Φρύνης Σιμίχη; πάντα γὰρ ἴσα καὶ ὁμόχροα καὶ οὐδὲν οὔτε καλὸν οὔτε κάλλιον, ἀλλʼ ἤδη καὶ τὸ τριβώνιον τέως¹ ἄμορφον εἶναί μοι δοκοῦν ἰσότιμον γίγνεται τῇ πορφυρίδι τοῦ βασιλέως· ἀφανῆ γὰρ ἄμφω καὶ ὑπὸ τῷ αὐτῷ σκότῳ καταδεδυκότα. Κυνίσκε, σὺ δὲ ποῦ ποτε ἄρα ὢν τυγχάνεις;

Κυνίσκος

ἐνταῦθα λέγω σοι, Μίκυλλε· ἀλλʼ ἅμα, εἰ δοκεῖ, βαδίζωμεν.

Μίκυλλος

εὖ λέγεις· ἔμβαλέ μοι τὴν δεξιάν. εἰπέ μοι, — ἐτελέσθης γάρ, ὦ Κυνίσκε, δῆλον ὅτι τὰ Ἐλευσίνια — οὐχ ὅμοια τοῖς ἐκεῖ τὰ ἐνθάδε σοι δοκεῖ;

Κυνίσκος

εὖ λέγεις· ἰδοὺ γοῦν² προσέρχεται δᾳδουχοῦσά τις φοβερόν τι καὶ ἀπειλητικὸν προσβλέπουσα. ἦ ἄρα που Ἐρινύς ἐστιν;

Μίκυλλος

ἔοικεν ἀπό γε τοῦ σχήματος.

Translations (2)

Voyage To the Lower World Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 1. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 22 focus

Micyllus

Bless me, how dark it is! Where is handsome Megillus now? There would be no telling Simmiche from Phryne. All complexions are alike here, no question of beauty, greater or less. Why, the cloak I thought so shabby before passes muster here as well as royal purple; the darkness hides both alike. Cyniscus, whereabouts are you?

Cynic

Use your ears; here I am. We might walk together. What do you say?

Micyllus

Very good; give me your hand.—I suppose you have been admitted to the mysteries at Eleusis? That must have been something like this, I should think?

Cynic

Pretty much. Look, here comes a torch-bearer; a grim, forbidding dame. A Fury, perhaps?

Micyllus

She looks like it, certainly.

The Ferry Perseus (Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York; Harper Brothers, 1892.) — 22 focus

Mikyllos

Goodness, how dark it is. Where now is the handsome Megillos? Or how can any one tell here whether Simmiche is more beautiful than Phryne? All things are equal and of the same complexion, and there are no such things as degrees of beauty. Even my threadbare cloak, which always used to seem hideous to me, is now just as good as the king's purple, for they are both invisible and covered by the same darkness. Kyniskos, where may you happen to be?

Kyniskos

Here I am. Let us stroll on together, if agreeable to you.

Mikyllos

By all means. Give me your arm. Tell me, is not this much the same sort of thing as the Eleusinian mysteries-for of course you have been initiated?

Kyniskos

You are right. See, now, this person advancing with a torch, looking fiercely and threateningly about her. I wonder whether it is an Erinnys?

Mikyllos

Probably, from the look of her dress.

Notes on the current edition

The Downward Journey, or the Tyrant

1. The Erinyes, or Furies, were Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. The torch of Tisiphone enhances the resemblance to the Mysteries, which were carried on by torch-light.

Lucian of Samosata Cataplus 22

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

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CYNISCUS

Here I am, talking to you, Micyllus. Come, let’s walk together, if you like.

MICYLLUS

Good! Give me your hand. Tell me—for of course you have been through the Eleusinian Mysteries, Cyniscus—don’t you think this is like them?

CYNISCUS

Right you are; indeed, here comes a woman with a torch, who looks very fierce and threatening. Do you suppose it is an Erinys?¹

MICYLLUS

Probably, to judge from her appearance.

Current edition Perseus

Κυνίσκος

ἐνταῦθα λέγω σοι, Μίκυλλε· ἀλλʼ ἅμα, εἰ δοκεῖ, βαδίζωμεν.

Μίκυλλος

εὖ λέγεις· ἔμβαλέ μοι τὴν δεξιάν. εἰπέ μοι, — ἐτελέσθης γάρ, ὦ Κυνίσκε, δῆλον ὅτι τὰ Ἐλευσίνια — οὐχ ὅμοια τοῖς ἐκεῖ τὰ ἐνθάδε σοι δοκεῖ;

Κυνίσκος

εὖ λέγεις· ἰδοὺ γοῦν² προσέρχεται δᾳδουχοῦσά τις φοβερόν τι καὶ ἀπειλητικὸν προσβλέπουσα. ἦ ἄρα που Ἐρινύς ἐστιν;

Μίκυλλος

ἔοικεν ἀπό γε τοῦ σχήματος.

Cynic

Use your ears; here I am. We might walk together. What do you say?

Micyllus

Very good; give me your hand.—I suppose you have been admitted to the mysteries at Eleusis? That must have been something like this, I should think?

Cynic

Pretty much. Look, here comes a torch-bearer; a grim, forbidding dame. A Fury, perhaps?

Micyllus

She looks like it, certainly.

Kyniskos

Here I am. Let us stroll on together, if agreeable to you.

Mikyllos

By all means. Give me your arm. Tell me, is not this much the same sort of thing as the Eleusinian mysteries-for of course you have been initiated?

Kyniskos

You are right. See, now, this person advancing with a torch, looking fiercely and threateningly about her. I wonder whether it is an Erinnys?

Mikyllos

Probably, from the look of her dress.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

CYNISCUS Here I am, talking to you, Micyllus. Come, let’s walk together, if you like.

MICYLLUS Good! Give me your hand. Tell me—for of course you have been through the Eleusinian Mysteries, Cyniscus—don’t you think this is like them?

CYNISCUS Right you are; indeed, here comes a woman with a torch, who looks very fierce and threatening. Do you suppose it is an Erinys? 1

MICYLLUS Probably, to judge from her appearance.

Current edition Perseus

Κυνίσκος ἐνταῦθα λέγω σοι, Μίκυλλε· ἀλλʼ ἅμα, εἰ δοκεῖ, βαδίζωμεν.

Μίκυλλος εὖ λέγεις· ἔμβαλέ μοι τὴν δεξιάν. εἰπέ μοι, — ἐτελέσθης γάρ, ὦ Κυνίσκε, δῆλον ὅτι τὰ Ἐλευσίνια — οὐχ ὅμοια τοῖς ἐκεῖ τὰ ἐνθάδε σοι δοκεῖ;

Κυνίσκος εὖ λέγεις· ἰδοὺ γοῦν 2 προσέρχεται δᾳδουχοῦσά τις φοβερόν τι καὶ ἀπειλητικὸν προσβλέπουσα. ἦ ἄρα που Ἐρινύς ἐστιν;

Μίκυλλος ἔοικεν ἀπό γε τοῦ σχήματος.

Cynic Use your ears; here I am. We might walk together. What do you say?

Micyllus Very good; give me your hand.—I suppose you have been admitted to the mysteries at Eleusis? That must have been something like this, I should think?

Cynic Pretty much. Look, here comes a torch-bearer; a grim, forbidding dame. A Fury, perhaps?

Micyllus She looks like it, certainly.

Kyniskos Here I am. Let us stroll on together, if agreeable to you.

Mikyllos By all means. Give me your arm. Tell me, is not this much the same sort of thing as the Eleusinian mysteries-for of course you have been initiated?

Kyniskos You are right. See, now, this person advancing with a torch, looking fiercely and threateningly about her. I wonder whether it is an Erinnys?

Mikyllos Probably, from the look of her dress.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

CYNISCUS

Here I am, talking to you, Micyllus. Come, let’s walk together, if you like.

MICYLLUS

Good! Give me your hand. Tell me—for of course you have been through the Eleusinian Mysteries, Cyniscus—don’t you think this is like them?

CYNISCUS

Right you are; indeed, here comes a woman with a torch, who looks very fierce and threatening. Do you suppose it is an Erinys?¹

MICYLLUS

Probably, to judge from her appearance.

Κυνίσκος

ἐνταῦθα λέγω σοι, Μίκυλλε· ἀλλʼ ἅμα, εἰ δοκεῖ, βαδίζωμεν.

Μίκυλλος

εὖ λέγεις· ἔμβαλέ μοι τὴν δεξιάν. εἰπέ μοι, — ἐτελέσθης γάρ, ὦ Κυνίσκε, δῆλον ὅτι τὰ Ἐλευσίνια — οὐχ ὅμοια τοῖς ἐκεῖ τὰ ἐνθάδε σοι δοκεῖ;

Κυνίσκος

εὖ λέγεις· ἰδοὺ γοῦν² προσέρχεται δᾳδουχοῦσά τις φοβερόν τι καὶ ἀπειλητικὸν προσβλέπουσα. ἦ ἄρα που Ἐρινύς ἐστιν;

Μίκυλλος

ἔοικεν ἀπό γε τοῦ σχήματος.

Cynic

Use your ears; here I am. We might walk together. What do you say?

Micyllus

Very good; give me your hand.—I suppose you have been admitted to the mysteries at Eleusis? That must have been something like this, I should think?

Cynic

Pretty much. Look, here comes a torch-bearer; a grim, forbidding dame. A Fury, perhaps?

Micyllus

She looks like it, certainly.

Kyniskos

Here I am. Let us stroll on together, if agreeable to you.

Mikyllos

By all means. Give me your arm. Tell me, is not this much the same sort of thing as the Eleusinian mysteries-for of course you have been initiated?

Kyniskos

You are right. See, now, this person advancing with a torch, looking fiercely and threateningly about her. I wonder whether it is an Erinnys?

Mikyllos

Probably, from the look of her dress.