Lucian of Samosata, Juppiter Confutatus, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 10

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →

CYNISCUS

I should like to ask you, though—for from whom can I learn the truth except from you?—what this Providence of yours is, a Fate or a goddess, as it were, superior to the Fates, ruling even over them?

ZEUS

I have already told you that it is not permitted you to know everything. At first you said that you would ask me only one question, but you keep chopping all this logic with me, and I see that in your eyes the chief object of this talk is to show that we exert no providence at all in human affairs.

CYNISCUS

That is none of my doing: you yourself said not long ago that it was the Fates who brought every- thing to pass. But perhaps you repent of it and take back what you said, and you gods lay claim to the oversight, thrusting the Fates aside?

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

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Zeus Catechized (English) (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.)

Editions (1)

Ζεὺς ἐλεγχόμενος Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 10 focus

Κυνίσκος

ἐγὼ δὲ — παρὰ τίνος γὰρ ἂν ἄλλου τἀληθὲς ἢ παρὰ σοῦ μάθοιμι; — ἡδέως δʼ ἂν καὶ τοῦτο ἐροίμην σε, τίς ἡ Πρόνοια ὑμῖν αὕτη ἐστί, Μοῖρά τις ἢ καὶ ὑπὲρ ταύτας θεὸς ὥσπερ, ἄρχουσα καὶ αὐτῶν ἐκείνων;

Ζεύς

ἤδη σοι καὶ πρότερον ἔφην οὐ θεμιτὸν εἶναι πάντα σε εἰδέναι. σὺ δʼ ἕν τι ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐρωτήσειν φήσας οὐ παύῃ τοσαῦτα πρός με λεπτολογούμενος· καὶ ὁρῶ ὅτι σοι τὸ κεφάλαιόν ἐστι τοῦ λόγου ἐπιδεῖξαι οὐδενὸς ἡμᾶς προνοοῦντας τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων.

Κυνίσκος

οὐκ ἐμὸν τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ σὺ μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν ἔφησθα τὰς Μοίρας εἶναι τὰς ἅπαντα ἐπιτελούσας· εἰ μὴ μεταμέλει σοι ἐκείνων καὶ ἀνατίθεσαι αὖθις τὰ εἰρημένα καὶ ἀμφισβητεῖτε τῆς ἐπιμελείας παρωσάμενοι τὴν Εἱμαρμένην;

Translations (1)

Zeus Cross-examined Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 3. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 10 focus

Cyniscus

Not one word can I say, but you must think I picked it up from them. Oblige me by answering another question; I could desire no better authority than yours. What is this Providence? Is she a Fate too? or some greater, a mistress of the Fates?

Zeus

I have already told you that there are things which it is not proper for you to know. You said you were only going to ask me one question, instead of which you go on quibbling without end. I see what it is you are at: you want to make out that we Gods take no thought for human affairs.

Cyniscus

It is nothing to do with me: it was you who said just now that the Fates ordained everything. Have you thought better of it? Are you going to retract what you said? Are the Gods going to push Destiny aside and make a bid for government?

Lucian of Samosata Juppiter Confutatus 10

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

CYNISCUS

I should like to ask you, though—for from whom can I learn the truth except from you?—what this Providence of yours is, a Fate or a goddess, as it were, superior to the Fates, ruling even over them?

CYNISCUS

That is none of my doing: you yourself said not long ago that it was the Fates who brought every- thing to pass. But perhaps you repent of it and take back what you said, and you gods lay claim to the oversight, thrusting the Fates aside?

Current edition Perseus

Cyniscus

Not one word can I say, but you must think I picked it up from them. Oblige me by answering another question; I could desire no better authority than yours. What is this Providence? Is she a Fate too? or some greater, a mistress of the Fates?

Zeus

I have already told you that there are things which it is not proper for you to know. You said you were only going to ask me one question, instead of which you go on quibbling without end. I see what it is you are at: you want to make out that we Gods take no thought for human affairs.

Cyniscus

It is nothing to do with me: it was you who said just now that the Fates ordained everything. Have you thought better of it? Are you going to retract what you said? Are the Gods going to push Destiny aside and make a bid for government?

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

CYNISCUS I should like to ask you, though—for from whom can I learn the truth except from you?—what this Providence of yours is, a Fate or a goddess, as it were, superior to the Fates, ruling even over them?

CYNISCUS That is none of my doing: you yourself said not long ago that it was the Fates who brought every- thing to pass. But perhaps you repent of it and take back what you said, and you gods lay claim to the oversight, thrusting the Fates aside?

Current edition Perseus

Cyniscus Not one word can I say, but you must think I picked it up from them. Oblige me by answering another question; I could desire no better authority than yours. What is this Providence? Is she a Fate too? or some greater, a mistress of the Fates?

Zeus I have already told you that there are things which it is not proper for you to know. You said you were only going to ask me one question, instead of which you go on quibbling without end. I see what it is you are at: you want to make out that we Gods take no thought for human affairs.

Cyniscus It is nothing to do with me: it was you who said just now that the Fates ordained everything. Have you thought better of it? Are you going to retract what you said? Are the Gods going to push Destiny aside and make a bid for government?

Stable identifiers

CYNISCUS

I should like to ask you, though—for from whom can I learn the truth except from you?—what this Providence of yours is, a Fate or a goddess, as it were, superior to the Fates, ruling even over them?

CYNISCUS

That is none of my doing: you yourself said not long ago that it was the Fates who brought every- thing to pass. But perhaps you repent of it and take back what you said, and you gods lay claim to the oversight, thrusting the Fates aside?

Cyniscus

Not one word can I say, but you must think I picked it up from them. Oblige me by answering another question; I could desire no better authority than yours. What is this Providence? Is she a Fate too? or some greater, a mistress of the Fates?

Zeus

I have already told you that there are things which it is not proper for you to know. You said you were only going to ask me one question, instead of which you go on quibbling without end. I see what it is you are at: you want to make out that we Gods take no thought for human affairs.

Cyniscus

It is nothing to do with me: it was you who said just now that the Fates ordained everything. Have you thought better of it? Are you going to retract what you said? Are the Gods going to push Destiny aside and make a bid for government?