Lucian, Juppiter Tragoedus, Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator), 51

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Timocles

Weil, well; my ship leaves you unconvinced; I must drop my sheet-anchor, then; that at least is unbreakable.

Zeus

I wonder what it is.

Timocles

See whether this is a sound syllogism; can you upset it?— If there are altars, there are Gods: there are altars; therefore, there are Gods. Now then.

Damis

Ha, ha, ha! I will answer as soon as I can get done with laughing.

Timocles

Will you never stop? At least tell me what the joke is.

Damis

Why, you don’t see that your anchor (sheet-anchor, too) hangs by a mere thread. You depend on connexion between the existence of Gods and the existence of altars, and fancy yourself Safe at anchor! As you admit that this was your sheet-anchor, there is nothing further to detain us.

Juppiter Tragoedus. Lucian. Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator). Medford, MA, USA. 2023-08-01.

Current edition Perseus

Zeus Tragoedus (English) (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 3. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.)

Editions (1)

Ζεὺς Τραγῳδός Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 51 focus

Τιμοκλῆς

οὐκοῦν ἐπεὶ τῆς νεὼς τὸ παράδειγμα οὐ πάνυ σοι ἰσχυρὸν ἔδοξεν εἶναι, ἄκουσον ἤδη τὴν ἱεράν, φασίν, ἄγκυραν καὶ ἣν οὐδεμιᾷ μηχανῇ ἀπορρήξεις.

Ζεύς

τί ποτε ἄρα καὶ ἐρεῖ;

Τιμοκλῆς

ἴδοις γὰρ εἰ ἀκόλουθα ταῦτα συλλογίζομαι, καὶ εἴ πῃ αὐτὰ δυνατόν σοι περιτρέψαι. εἰ γὰρ εἰσὶ βωμοί, εἰσὶ καὶ θεοί· ἀλλὰ μὴν εἰσὶ βωμοί, εἰσὶν ἄρα καὶ θεοί. τί πρὸς ταῦτα φής;

Δάμις

ἢν πρότερον γελάσω ἐς κόρον, ἀποκρινοῦμαί σοι.

Τιμοκλῆς

ἀλλὰ ἔοικας οὐδὲ παύσεσθαι γελῶν· εἰπὲ δὲ ὅμως ὅπη σοι γελοῖον ἔδοξε τὸ εἰρημένον εἶναι.

Δάμις

ὅτι οὐκ αἰσθάνῃ ἀπὸ λεπτῆς κρόκης ἐξαψάμενός σου τὴν ἄγκυραν, καὶ ταῦτα ἱερὰν οὖσαν· τὸ γὰρ εἶναι θεοὺς τῷ βωμοὺς εἶναι συνδήσας ἰσχυρὸν οἴει ποιήσασθαι ἀπʼ αὐτῶν τὸν ὅρμον. ὥστε ἐπεὶ μηδὲν ἄλλο τούτου φὴς ἔχειν εἰπεῖν ἱερώτερον, ἀπίωμεν ἤδη.

Translations (2)

Zeus Rants Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 51 focus

TIMOCLES

Well then, as my comparison of the ship did not seem to you very valid, attend now to my sheetanchor, as they call it, which you can’t by any possibility cut away.

ZEUS

What in the world is he going to say?

TIMOCLES

See whether I frame this syllogism logically, and whether you can capsize it in any way. If there are altars, there are also gods; but there are altars, ergo there are also gods. What have you to say to that?

DAMIS

After I have laughed to my heart’s content I'll tell you.

TIMOCLES

Well, it looks as if you would never stop laughing; tell me, though, how you thought what I said was funny.

DAMIS

Because you do not see that your anchor is attached to a slender string—and it’s your sheetanchor at that! Having hitched the existence of gods to the existence of altars, you think you have made yourself a safe mooring. So, as you say you have no better sheet-anchor than this, let's be going.

Zeus the Tragedian Perseus (Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York: Harper Brothers, 1892.) — 51 focus

Timokles

Well, since you do not think the analogy of the ship very forcible, listen while I cast the last blessed anchor I have, which you will not drag by any device.

Zeus

What in the world is he going to say?

Timokles

For see now whether my syllogism is fallacious, and whether you can possibly overturn it. If altars exist, gods exist also. But altars certainly exist, therefore gods exist also. What have you to say to that?

Damis

Let me have my laugh out first and then I will answer you.

Timokles

But it looks as if you would never be done laughing. However, tell me why my speech struck you as ridiculous.

Damis

Because you do not perceive that you have slung your anchor on a slender thread, though it is the last blessed one you have. For when you have made fast the proposition "gods. exist" to the proposition "altars exist" you imagine that you have brought it to a safe anchorage. So since you have nothing more blessed to urge let us adjourn at once.

Lucian Juppiter Tragoedus 51

Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator)

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Timocles

Weil, well; my ship leaves you unconvinced; I must drop my sheet-anchor, then; that at least is unbreakable.

Zeus

I wonder what it is.

Timocles

See whether this is a sound syllogism; can you upset it?— If there are altars, there are Gods: there are altars; therefore, there are Gods. Now then.

Damis

Ha, ha, ha! I will answer as soon as I can get done with laughing.

Timocles

Will you never stop? At least tell me what the joke is.

Damis

Why, you don’t see that your anchor (sheet-anchor, too) hangs by a mere thread. You depend on connexion between the existence of Gods and the existence of altars, and fancy yourself Safe at anchor! As you admit that this was your sheet-anchor, there is nothing further to detain us.

Current edition Perseus

Τιμοκλῆς

οὐκοῦν ἐπεὶ τῆς νεὼς τὸ παράδειγμα οὐ πάνυ σοι ἰσχυρὸν ἔδοξεν εἶναι, ἄκουσον ἤδη τὴν ἱεράν, φασίν, ἄγκυραν καὶ ἣν οὐδεμιᾷ μηχανῇ ἀπορρήξεις.

Ζεύς

τί ποτε ἄρα καὶ ἐρεῖ;

Δάμις

ἢν πρότερον γελάσω ἐς κόρον, ἀποκρινοῦμαί σοι.

Τιμοκλῆς

ἀλλὰ ἔοικας οὐδὲ παύσεσθαι γελῶν· εἰπὲ δὲ ὅμως ὅπη σοι γελοῖον ἔδοξε τὸ εἰρημένον εἶναι.

TIMOCLES

Well then, as my comparison of the ship did not seem to you very valid, attend now to my sheetanchor, as they call it, which you can’t by any possibility cut away.

ZEUS

What in the world is he going to say?

TIMOCLES

See whether I frame this syllogism logically, and whether you can capsize it in any way. If there are altars, there are also gods; but there are altars, ergo there are also gods. What have you to say to that?

DAMIS

After I have laughed to my heart’s content I'll tell you.

TIMOCLES

Well, it looks as if you would never stop laughing; tell me, though, how you thought what I said was funny.

Timokles

Well, since you do not think the analogy of the ship very forcible, listen while I cast the last blessed anchor I have, which you will not drag by any device.

Zeus

What in the world is he going to say?

Timokles

For see now whether my syllogism is fallacious, and whether you can possibly overturn it. If altars exist, gods exist also. But altars certainly exist, therefore gods exist also. What have you to say to that?

Damis

Let me have my laugh out first and then I will answer you.

Timokles

But it looks as if you would never be done laughing. However, tell me why my speech struck you as ridiculous.

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Timocles Weil, well; my ship leaves you unconvinced; I must drop my sheet-anchor, then; that at least is unbreakable.

Zeus I wonder what it is.

Timocles See whether this is a sound syllogism; can you upset it?— If there are altars, there are Gods: there are altars; therefore, there are Gods. Now then.

Damis Ha, ha, ha! I will answer as soon as I can get done with laughing.

Timocles Will you never stop? At least tell me what the joke is.

Damis Why, you don’t see that your anchor (sheet-anchor, too) hangs by a mere thread. You depend on connexion between the existence of Gods and the existence of altars, and fancy yourself Safe at anchor! As you admit that this was your sheet-anchor, there is nothing further to detain us.

Current edition Perseus

Τιμοκλῆς οὐκοῦν ἐπεὶ τῆς νεὼς τὸ παράδειγμα οὐ πάνυ σοι ἰσχυρὸν ἔδοξεν εἶναι, ἄκουσον ἤδη τὴν ἱεράν, φασίν, ἄγκυραν καὶ ἣν οὐδεμιᾷ μηχανῇ ἀπορρήξεις.

Ζεύς τί ποτε ἄρα καὶ ἐρεῖ;

Δάμις ἢν πρότερον γελάσω ἐς κόρον, ἀποκρινοῦμαί σοι.

Τιμοκλῆς ἀλλὰ ἔοικας οὐδὲ παύσεσθαι γελῶν· εἰπὲ δὲ ὅμως ὅπη σοι γελοῖον ἔδοξε τὸ εἰρημένον εἶναι.

TIMOCLES Well then, as my comparison of the ship did not seem to you very valid, attend now to my sheetanchor, as they call it, which you can’t by any possibility cut away.

ZEUS What in the world is he going to say?

TIMOCLES See whether I frame this syllogism logically, and whether you can capsize it in any way. If there are altars, there are also gods; but there are altars, ergo there are also gods. What have you to say to that?

DAMIS After I have laughed to my heart’s content I'll tell you.

TIMOCLES Well, it looks as if you would never stop laughing; tell me, though, how you thought what I said was funny.

Timokles Well, since you do not think the analogy of the ship very forcible, listen while I cast the last blessed anchor I have, which you will not drag by any device.

Zeus What in the world is he going to say?

Timokles For see now whether my syllogism is fallacious, and whether you can possibly overturn it. If altars exist, gods exist also. But altars certainly exist, therefore gods exist also. What have you to say to that?

Damis Let me have my laugh out first and then I will answer you.

Timokles But it looks as if you would never be done laughing. However, tell me why my speech struck you as ridiculous.

Stable identifiers

Timocles

Weil, well; my ship leaves you unconvinced; I must drop my sheet-anchor, then; that at least is unbreakable.

Zeus

I wonder what it is.

Timocles

See whether this is a sound syllogism; can you upset it?— If there are altars, there are Gods: there are altars; therefore, there are Gods. Now then.

Damis

Ha, ha, ha! I will answer as soon as I can get done with laughing.

Timocles

Will you never stop? At least tell me what the joke is.

Damis

Why, you don’t see that your anchor (sheet-anchor, too) hangs by a mere thread. You depend on connexion between the existence of Gods and the existence of altars, and fancy yourself Safe at anchor! As you admit that this was your sheet-anchor, there is nothing further to detain us.

Τιμοκλῆς

οὐκοῦν ἐπεὶ τῆς νεὼς τὸ παράδειγμα οὐ πάνυ σοι ἰσχυρὸν ἔδοξεν εἶναι, ἄκουσον ἤδη τὴν ἱεράν, φασίν, ἄγκυραν καὶ ἣν οὐδεμιᾷ μηχανῇ ἀπορρήξεις.

Ζεύς

τί ποτε ἄρα καὶ ἐρεῖ;

Δάμις

ἢν πρότερον γελάσω ἐς κόρον, ἀποκρινοῦμαί σοι.

Τιμοκλῆς

ἀλλὰ ἔοικας οὐδὲ παύσεσθαι γελῶν· εἰπὲ δὲ ὅμως ὅπη σοι γελοῖον ἔδοξε τὸ εἰρημένον εἶναι.

TIMOCLES

Well then, as my comparison of the ship did not seem to you very valid, attend now to my sheetanchor, as they call it, which you can’t by any possibility cut away.

ZEUS

What in the world is he going to say?

TIMOCLES

See whether I frame this syllogism logically, and whether you can capsize it in any way. If there are altars, there are also gods; but there are altars, ergo there are also gods. What have you to say to that?

DAMIS

After I have laughed to my heart’s content I'll tell you.

TIMOCLES

Well, it looks as if you would never stop laughing; tell me, though, how you thought what I said was funny.

Timokles

Well, since you do not think the analogy of the ship very forcible, listen while I cast the last blessed anchor I have, which you will not drag by any device.

Zeus

What in the world is he going to say?

Timokles

For see now whether my syllogism is fallacious, and whether you can possibly overturn it. If altars exist, gods exist also. But altars certainly exist, therefore gods exist also. What have you to say to that?

Damis

Let me have my laugh out first and then I will answer you.

Timokles

But it looks as if you would never be done laughing. However, tell me why my speech struck you as ridiculous.