Lucian of Samosata, Cataplus, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 24

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HERMES

If any one has charges to prefer against this man Cyniscus, let him come this way.

CYNISCUS

No one comes.

RHADAMANTHUS

But that is not enough, Cyniscus: strip yourself, so that I can judge you from the marks on your back.

CYNISCUS

Why, how did I ever come to be a marked man?¹

RHADAMANTHUS

For every wicked deed that each of you has done in his life he bears an invisible mark on his soul.

CYNISCUS

Here I am naked, so seek out the marks you mention.

RHADAMANTHUS

The man is altogether free from marks, except for these three or four, very faint and uncertain. But what is this? There are many traces and indications of brandings, but somehow or other they have been erased, or rather, effaced. How is that, Cyniscus, and how is it that you looked free from them at first?

CYNISCUS

I will tell you. For a long time I was a wicked man through ignorance and earned many marks thereby; but no sooner had I begun to be a philosopher than I gradually washed away all the scars from my soul.

RHADAMANTHUS

At any rate he made use of a cure that is sound and very efficacious. Well, go your way to the Isles of the Blest to live with the good, but first prosecute the tyrant you spoke of. Hermes, summon others.

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.) — 24 focus

Ἑρμῆς

εἴ τις Κυνίσκου τουτουὶ κατηγορεῖ, δεῦρο προσίτω.

Κυνίσκος

οὐδεὶς προσέρχεται.

Ῥαδάμανθυς

ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἱκανὸν τοῦτο, ὦ Κυνίσκε· ἀπόδυθι δέ, ὅπως ἐπισκοπήσω σε ἀπὸ τῶν στιγμάτων.

Κυνίσκος

ποῦ γὰρ ἐγὼ στιγματίας ἐγενόμην;

Ῥαδάμανθυς

ὁπόσα ἄν τις ὑμῶν πονηρὰ ἐργάσηται παρὰ τὸν βίον, καθʼ ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἀφανῆ στίγματα ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς περιφέρει.

Κυνίσκος

ἰδού σοι γυμνὸς παρέστηκα· ὥστε ἀναζήτει ταῦτα ἅπερ σὺ φὴς τὰ στίγματα.

Ῥαδάμανθυς

καθαρὸς ὡς ἐπίπαν οὑτοσὶ πλὴν τούτων τριῶν ἢ τεττάρων ἀμαυρῶν πάνυ καὶ ἀσαφῶν στιγμάτων. καίτοι τί τοῦτο; ἴχνη μὲν καὶ σημεῖα πολλὰ τῶν ἐγκαυμάτων, οὐκ οἶδα δὲ ὅπως ἐξαλήλιπται, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐκκέκοπται. πῶς ταῦτα, ὦ Κυνίσκε, ἢ πῶς καθαρὸς ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς ἀναπέφηνας;

Κυνίσκος

ἐγώ σοι φράσω· πάλαι πονηρὸς διʼ ἀπαιδευσίαν γενόμενος καὶ πολλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἐμπολήσας στίγματα, ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα φιλοσοφεῖν ἠρξάμην κατʼ ὀλίγον ἁπάσας τὰς κηλῖδας ἐκ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπελουσάμην.

Ῥαδάμανθυς

ἀγαθῷ γε οὗτος καὶ ἀνυσιμωτάτῳ χρησάμενος τῷ φαρμάκῳ. ἀλλʼ ἄπιθι ἐς τὰς Μακάρων νήσους τοῖς ἀρίστοις συνεσόμενος, κατηγορήσας γε πρότερον οὗ φὴς τυράννου. ἄλλους προσκάλει.

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.) — 24 focus

Hermes

If any one has an accusation to bring against Cyniscus here present, let him come forward.

Cynic

No one stirs!

Rhadamanthus

Ah, but that is not enough, my friend. Off with your clothes; I must have a look at your brands.

Cynic

Brands? Where will you find them?

Rhadamanthus

Never yet did mortal man sin, but he carried about the secret record thereof, branded on his soul.

Cynic

Well, here I am stripped. Now for the ‘brands.’

Rhadamanthus

Clean from head to heel, except three or four very faint marks, scarcely to be made out. Ah! what does this mean? Here is place after place that tells of the iron; all rubbed out apparently, or cut out. How do you explain this, Cyniscus? How did you get such a clean skin again?

Cynic

Why, in old days, when I knew no better, I lived an evil life, and acquired thereby a number of brands. But from the day that I began to practise philosophy, little by little I washed out all the scars from my soul,—thanks to the efficiency of that admirable lotion.

Rhadamanthus

Off with you'then to the Isles of the Blest, and the excellent company you will find there. But we must have your impeachment of the tyrant before you go.—Next shade, Hermes!

The Ferry Perseus (Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York; Harper Brothers, 1892.) — 24 focus

Hermes

If any one accuses Kyniskos, the defendant, let him come forward.

Kyniskos

No one comes.

Rhadamanthos

But this is not enough, Kyniskos. Take off your clothes, so that I may judge you by your brands.

Kyniskos

How should I be a branded slave?

Rhadamanthos

Every evil deed that one of you commits in his life brands invisible marks on his soul.

Kyniskos

Here I stand stripped, so look for these brands you talk about.

Rhadamanthos

He is spotless from head to foot, except for these three or four blurred and very indistinct brands. But what is this? Here are the prints and traces of many burnings, but they have been washed out somehow, or rather cut out. What do these mean, Kyniskos, and how is it that you look spotless again?

Kyniskos

I will tell you. I used to be wicked because I was ignorant, and won many a brand by this means. But as soon as I began to take to philosophy, I washed off, little by little, all the stains from my soul, by the use of this so excellent and effectual medicine.

Rhadamanthos

I dismiss you to the islands of the blest, to the society of the noblest, after you have accused the despot you mention. Summon the others.

Notes on the current edition

The Downward Journey, or the Tyrant

1. As orvypyartas (branded man) was applied to rogues in general, there is a slight word-play in the Greek also.

Lucian of Samosata Cataplus 24

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

HERMES

If any one has charges to prefer against this man Cyniscus, let him come this way.

CYNISCUS

No one comes.

RHADAMANTHUS

But that is not enough, Cyniscus: strip yourself, so that I can judge you from the marks on your back.

CYNISCUS

Why, how did I ever come to be a marked man?¹

RHADAMANTHUS

For every wicked deed that each of you has done in his life he bears an invisible mark on his soul.

CYNISCUS

Here I am naked, so seek out the marks you mention.

CYNISCUS

I will tell you. For a long time I was a wicked man through ignorance and earned many marks thereby; but no sooner had I begun to be a philosopher than I gradually washed away all the scars from my soul.

RHADAMANTHUS

At any rate he made use of a cure that is sound and very efficacious. Well, go your way to the Isles of the Blest to live with the good, but first prosecute the tyrant you spoke of. Hermes, summon others.

Current edition Perseus

Ἑρμῆς

εἴ τις Κυνίσκου τουτουὶ κατηγορεῖ, δεῦρο προσίτω.

Κυνίσκος

οὐδεὶς προσέρχεται.

Ῥαδάμανθυς

ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἱκανὸν τοῦτο, ὦ Κυνίσκε· ἀπόδυθι δέ, ὅπως ἐπισκοπήσω σε ἀπὸ τῶν στιγμάτων.

Κυνίσκος

ποῦ γὰρ ἐγὼ στιγματίας ἐγενόμην;

Ῥαδάμανθυς

ὁπόσα ἄν τις ὑμῶν πονηρὰ ἐργάσηται παρὰ τὸν βίον, καθʼ ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἀφανῆ στίγματα ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς περιφέρει.

Κυνίσκος

ἰδού σοι γυμνὸς παρέστηκα· ὥστε ἀναζήτει ταῦτα ἅπερ σὺ φὴς τὰ στίγματα.

Hermes

If any one has an accusation to bring against Cyniscus here present, let him come forward.

Cynic

No one stirs!

Rhadamanthus

Ah, but that is not enough, my friend. Off with your clothes; I must have a look at your brands.

Cynic

Brands? Where will you find them?

Rhadamanthus

Never yet did mortal man sin, but he carried about the secret record thereof, branded on his soul.

Cynic

Well, here I am stripped. Now for the ‘brands.’

Rhadamanthus

Clean from head to heel, except three or four very faint marks, scarcely to be made out. Ah! what does this mean? Here is place after place that tells of the iron; all rubbed out apparently, or cut out. How do you explain this, Cyniscus? How did you get such a clean skin again?

Cynic

Why, in old days, when I knew no better, I lived an evil life, and acquired thereby a number of brands. But from the day that I began to practise philosophy, little by little I washed out all the scars from my soul,—thanks to the efficiency of that admirable lotion.

Rhadamanthus

Off with you'then to the Isles of the Blest, and the excellent company you will find there. But we must have your impeachment of the tyrant before you go.—Next shade, Hermes!

Hermes

If any one accuses Kyniskos, the defendant, let him come forward.

Kyniskos

No one comes.

Rhadamanthos

But this is not enough, Kyniskos. Take off your clothes, so that I may judge you by your brands.

Kyniskos

How should I be a branded slave?

Rhadamanthos

Every evil deed that one of you commits in his life brands invisible marks on his soul.

Kyniskos

Here I stand stripped, so look for these brands you talk about.

Kyniskos

I will tell you. I used to be wicked because I was ignorant, and won many a brand by this means. But as soon as I began to take to philosophy, I washed off, little by little, all the stains from my soul, by the use of this so excellent and effectual medicine.

Rhadamanthos

I dismiss you to the islands of the blest, to the society of the noblest, after you have accused the despot you mention. Summon the others.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

HERMES If any one has charges to prefer against this man Cyniscus, let him come this way.

CYNISCUS No one comes.

RHADAMANTHUS But that is not enough, Cyniscus: strip yourself, so that I can judge you from the marks on your back.

CYNISCUS Why, how did I ever come to be a marked man? 1

RHADAMANTHUS For every wicked deed that each of you has done in his life he bears an invisible mark on his soul.

CYNISCUS Here I am naked, so seek out the marks you mention.

CYNISCUS I will tell you. For a long time I was a wicked man through ignorance and earned many marks thereby; but no sooner had I begun to be a philosopher than I gradually washed away all the scars from my soul.

RHADAMANTHUS At any rate he made use of a cure that is sound and very efficacious. Well, go your way to the Isles of the Blest to live with the good, but first prosecute the tyrant you spoke of. Hermes, summon others.

Current edition Perseus

Ἑρμῆς εἴ τις Κυνίσκου τουτουὶ κατηγορεῖ, δεῦρο προσίτω.

Κυνίσκος οὐδεὶς προσέρχεται.

Ῥαδάμανθυς ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἱκανὸν τοῦτο, ὦ Κυνίσκε· ἀπόδυθι δέ, ὅπως ἐπισκοπήσω σε ἀπὸ τῶν στιγμάτων.

Κυνίσκος ποῦ γὰρ ἐγὼ στιγματίας ἐγενόμην;

Ῥαδάμανθυς ὁπόσα ἄν τις ὑμῶν πονηρὰ ἐργάσηται παρὰ τὸν βίον, καθʼ ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἀφανῆ στίγματα ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς περιφέρει.

Κυνίσκος ἰδού σοι γυμνὸς παρέστηκα· ὥστε ἀναζήτει ταῦτα ἅπερ σὺ φὴς τὰ στίγματα.

Hermes If any one has an accusation to bring against Cyniscus here present, let him come forward.

Cynic No one stirs!

Rhadamanthus Ah, but that is not enough, my friend. Off with your clothes; I must have a look at your brands.

Cynic Brands? Where will you find them?

Rhadamanthus Never yet did mortal man sin, but he carried about the secret record thereof, branded on his soul.

Cynic Well, here I am stripped. Now for the ‘brands.’

Rhadamanthus Clean from head to heel, except three or four very faint marks, scarcely to be made out. Ah! what does this mean? Here is place after place that tells of the iron; all rubbed out apparently, or cut out. How do you explain this, Cyniscus? How did you get such a clean skin again?

Cynic Why, in old days, when I knew no better, I lived an evil life, and acquired thereby a number of brands. But from the day that I began to practise philosophy, little by little I washed out all the scars from my soul,—thanks to the efficiency of that admirable lotion.

Rhadamanthus Off with you'then to the Isles of the Blest, and the excellent company you will find there. But we must have your impeachment of the tyrant before you go.—Next shade, Hermes!

Hermes If any one accuses Kyniskos, the defendant, let him come forward.

Kyniskos No one comes.

Rhadamanthos But this is not enough, Kyniskos. Take off your clothes, so that I may judge you by your brands.

Kyniskos How should I be a branded slave?

Rhadamanthos Every evil deed that one of you commits in his life brands invisible marks on his soul.

Kyniskos Here I stand stripped, so look for these brands you talk about.

Kyniskos I will tell you. I used to be wicked because I was ignorant, and won many a brand by this means. But as soon as I began to take to philosophy, I washed off, little by little, all the stains from my soul, by the use of this so excellent and effectual medicine.

Rhadamanthos I dismiss you to the islands of the blest, to the society of the noblest, after you have accused the despot you mention. Summon the others.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

HERMES

If any one has charges to prefer against this man Cyniscus, let him come this way.

CYNISCUS

No one comes.

RHADAMANTHUS

But that is not enough, Cyniscus: strip yourself, so that I can judge you from the marks on your back.

CYNISCUS

Why, how did I ever come to be a marked man?¹

RHADAMANTHUS

For every wicked deed that each of you has done in his life he bears an invisible mark on his soul.

CYNISCUS

Here I am naked, so seek out the marks you mention.

CYNISCUS

I will tell you. For a long time I was a wicked man through ignorance and earned many marks thereby; but no sooner had I begun to be a philosopher than I gradually washed away all the scars from my soul.

RHADAMANTHUS

At any rate he made use of a cure that is sound and very efficacious. Well, go your way to the Isles of the Blest to live with the good, but first prosecute the tyrant you spoke of. Hermes, summon others.

Ἑρμῆς

εἴ τις Κυνίσκου τουτουὶ κατηγορεῖ, δεῦρο προσίτω.

Κυνίσκος

οὐδεὶς προσέρχεται.

Ῥαδάμανθυς

ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἱκανὸν τοῦτο, ὦ Κυνίσκε· ἀπόδυθι δέ, ὅπως ἐπισκοπήσω σε ἀπὸ τῶν στιγμάτων.

Κυνίσκος

ποῦ γὰρ ἐγὼ στιγματίας ἐγενόμην;

Ῥαδάμανθυς

ὁπόσα ἄν τις ὑμῶν πονηρὰ ἐργάσηται παρὰ τὸν βίον, καθʼ ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἀφανῆ στίγματα ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς περιφέρει.

Κυνίσκος

ἰδού σοι γυμνὸς παρέστηκα· ὥστε ἀναζήτει ταῦτα ἅπερ σὺ φὴς τὰ στίγματα.

Hermes

If any one has an accusation to bring against Cyniscus here present, let him come forward.

Cynic

No one stirs!

Rhadamanthus

Ah, but that is not enough, my friend. Off with your clothes; I must have a look at your brands.

Cynic

Brands? Where will you find them?

Rhadamanthus

Never yet did mortal man sin, but he carried about the secret record thereof, branded on his soul.

Cynic

Well, here I am stripped. Now for the ‘brands.’

Rhadamanthus

Clean from head to heel, except three or four very faint marks, scarcely to be made out. Ah! what does this mean? Here is place after place that tells of the iron; all rubbed out apparently, or cut out. How do you explain this, Cyniscus? How did you get such a clean skin again?

Cynic

Why, in old days, when I knew no better, I lived an evil life, and acquired thereby a number of brands. But from the day that I began to practise philosophy, little by little I washed out all the scars from my soul,—thanks to the efficiency of that admirable lotion.

Rhadamanthus

Off with you'then to the Isles of the Blest, and the excellent company you will find there. But we must have your impeachment of the tyrant before you go.—Next shade, Hermes!

Hermes

If any one accuses Kyniskos, the defendant, let him come forward.

Kyniskos

No one comes.

Rhadamanthos

But this is not enough, Kyniskos. Take off your clothes, so that I may judge you by your brands.

Kyniskos

How should I be a branded slave?

Rhadamanthos

Every evil deed that one of you commits in his life brands invisible marks on his soul.

Kyniskos

Here I stand stripped, so look for these brands you talk about.

Kyniskos

I will tell you. I used to be wicked because I was ignorant, and won many a brand by this means. But as soon as I began to take to philosophy, I washed off, little by little, all the stains from my soul, by the use of this so excellent and effectual medicine.

Rhadamanthos

I dismiss you to the islands of the blest, to the society of the noblest, after you have accused the despot you mention. Summon the others.