Lucian, Juppiter Tragoedus, ed. Austin Morris Harmon, 11

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Κολοσσός Ῥοδίων

ἐμοὶ δὲ τίς ἂν ἐρίσαι τολμήσειεν Ἡλίῳ τε ὄντι καὶ τηλικούτῳ τὸ μέγεθος; εἰ γοῦν μὴ ὑπερφυᾶ μηδὲ ὑπέρμετρον οἱ Ῥόδιοι κατασκευάσασθαί με ἠξίωσαν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἴσου τελέσματος ἑκκαίδεκα χρυσοῦς θεοὺς ἐπεποίηντο ἄν· ὥστε ἀνάλογον πολυτελέστερος ἂν νομιζοίμην. καὶ πρόσεστιν ἡ τέχνη καὶ τῆς ἐργασίας τὸ ἀκριβὲς ἐν μεγέθει τοσούτῳ.

Ἑρμῆς

τί, ὦ Ζεῦ, χρὴ ποιεῖν; δύσκριτον γὰρ ἐμοὶ γοῦν τοῦτο· εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐς τὴν ὕλην ἀποβλέποιμι, χαλκοῦς ἐστιν, εἰ δὲ λογιζοίμην ἀφʼ ὁπόσων ταλάντων κεχάλκευται, ὑπὲρ τοὺς πεντακοσιομεδίμνους ἂν εἴη.

Ζεύς

τί γὰρ ἔδει παρεῖναι καὶ τοῦτον ἐλέγξοντα τὴν τῶν ἄλλων μικρότητα καὶ ἐνοχλήσοντα τῇ καθέδρᾳ; πλὴν ἀλλʼ, ὦ Ῥοδίων ἄριστε, εἰ καὶ ὅτι μάλιστα προτιμητέος εἶ τῶν χρυσῶν, πῶς ἂν καὶ προεδρεύοις, εἰ μὴ δεήσει ἀναστῆναι πάντας ὡς μόνος καθέζοιο, τὴν Πνύκα ὅλην θατέρᾳ τῶν πυγῶν ἐπιλαβών; ὥστε ἄμεινον ποιήσεις ὀρθοστάδην ἐκκλησιάζων, ἐπικεκυφὼς τῷ συνεδρίῳ.

Juppiter Tragoedus. Lucian. ed. Austin Morris Harmon. Medford, MA. Perseus 4.0.

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Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (3)

Zeus Rants Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 11 focus

COLOSSUS OF RHODES

But who would make bold to rival me, when I ain Helius and so great in size? If the Rhodians had not wanted to make me monstrous and enormous, they might have made sixteen gods of gold at the same expense, so in virtue of this I should be considered more valuable. And I have art and precision of workmanship, too, for all my great size.

HERMES

What’s to be done, Zeus? This is a hard question to decide, at least for me; for if I should consider the material, he is only bronze, but if I compute how many thousands it cost to cast him, he would be more than a millionaire.

ZEUS

Oh, why had he to turn up to disparage the smallness of the others and to disarrange the seating? See here, most puissant of Rhodians, however much you may deserve precedence over those of gold, how can you sit in the front row unless everyone else is to be obliged to stand up so that you alone can sit down, occupying the whole Pnyx with one of your hams? Therefore you had better stand up during the meeting and stoop over the assembly.

Zeus Tragoedus Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 3. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 11 focus

Colossus

Well, who will dare dispute my claim? Am I not the Sun? and look at my height. If the Rhodians had not decided on such grandiose dimensions for me, the same outlay would have furnished forth a round dozen of your golden Gods; I ought to be valued proportionally. And then, besides the size, there is the workmanship and careful finish.

Hermagoras

What shall I do, Zeus? Here is a difficulty again— too much for me. Going by material, he is bronze; but, reckoning the talents his bronze cost, he would be above the first class.

Zeus

What business has he here dwarfing the rest and blocking up all the bench?—Why, my excellent Rhodian, you may be as superior to the golden ones as you will; but how can you possibly go in the front row? Every one would have to get up, to let you sit; half that broad beam of yours would fill the whole House, I must ask you to assist our deliberations standing; you can bend down your head to the meeting.

Zeus the Tragedian Perseus (Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York: Harper Brothers, 1892.) — 11 focus

Kolossos

I imagine that no one will venture to vie with me, for I am Helios, and as you see for size. For if the Rhodians had not seen fit to make me abnormally large they could have made sixteen golden gods for the same money. So I ought to be considered proportionately rich. And I exhibit art, too, and accurate workmanship, in spite of my great stature.

Hermes

What is to be done, Zeus? This case, too, is certainly a hard one to decide, for if I regard his material, he is bronze; but if I compute how much money it cost to forge him, he ranks above the highest class.

Zeus

Why need he be here, anyhow, to comment on the smallness of other people and give trouble about his seat? However, O mightiest of the Rhodians, even you take rank never so much above the golden gods, how could you take your seat before them unless you ask them all to get up? If you were to sit down you would fill the whole Pnyx. So you would do better to stand during the meeting and bend over the assembly.

Lucian Juppiter Tragoedus 11

ed. Austin Morris Harmon

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HERMES

What’s to be done, Zeus? This is a hard question to decide, at least for me; for if I should consider the material, he is only bronze, but if I compute how many thousands it cost to cast him, he would be more than a millionaire.

Hermagoras

What shall I do, Zeus? Here is a difficulty again— too much for me. Going by material, he is bronze; but, reckoning the talents his bronze cost, he would be above the first class.

Hermes

What is to be done, Zeus? This case, too, is certainly a hard one to decide, for if I regard his material, he is bronze; but if I compute how much money it cost to forge him, he ranks above the highest class.

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

HERMES What’s to be done, Zeus? This is a hard question to decide, at least for me; for if I should consider the material, he is only bronze, but if I compute how many thousands it cost to cast him, he would be more than a millionaire.

Hermagoras What shall I do, Zeus? Here is a difficulty again— too much for me. Going by material, he is bronze; but, reckoning the talents his bronze cost, he would be above the first class.

Hermes What is to be done, Zeus? This case, too, is certainly a hard one to decide, for if I regard his material, he is bronze; but if I compute how much money it cost to forge him, he ranks above the highest class.

Stable identifiers

HERMES

What’s to be done, Zeus? This is a hard question to decide, at least for me; for if I should consider the material, he is only bronze, but if I compute how many thousands it cost to cast him, he would be more than a millionaire.

Hermagoras

What shall I do, Zeus? Here is a difficulty again— too much for me. Going by material, he is bronze; but, reckoning the talents his bronze cost, he would be above the first class.

Hermes

What is to be done, Zeus? This case, too, is certainly a hard one to decide, for if I regard his material, he is bronze; but if I compute how much money it cost to forge him, he ranks above the highest class.