Lucian Juppiter Tragoedus 43

MOMUS

Didn't I tell you, gods, that all this would come out and be thoroughly looked into?

ZEUS

You did, Momus, and your criticism was just. I shall try to set it all right if we escape this immediate danger.

TIMOCLES

But, you god-hater, how about the oracles and pre- dictions of coming events? whose work can you call them except that of the gods and their providence?

DAMIS

Don’t say a word about the oracles, my worthy friend, or else I'l ask you which of them you want to cite. The one that Apollo gave the Lydian, which was thoroughly double-edged and two-faced, like some of our Herms, which are double and just alike on both sides, whichever way you look at them; for what was there to show that Croesus by crossing the Halys would destroy his own kingdom rather than that of Cyrus? And yet the luckless Sardian had paid a. good many thousands for that ambidextrous verse.

MOMUS

Gods, the man keeps saying the very things that I most feared. Where is our handsome musician now? (Zo Arotto) Go down and defend yourself to him against these charges!

ZEUS

You are boring us to extinction, Momus, with yout untimely eriticism.

Timocles

Infidel! where do you find the source of oracles and prophecies, if not in the Gods and their Providence?

Damis

About oracles, friend, the less said the better; I shall ask you to choose your instances, you see. Will Apollo's answer to the Lydian suit you? That was as symmetrical as a double-edged knife; or say, it faced both ways, like those Hermae which are made double, alike whether you look at front or back. Consider; will Croesus’s passage of the Halys destroy bis own realm, or Cyruss? Yet the wretched Sardian paid a long price for bis ambidextrous hexameter.

Momus

The man is realizing just my worst apprehensions, Where is our handsome musician now? Ah, there you are; go down and plead your own cause against him.

Zeus

Hush, Momus; you are murdering our feelings; it is no time for recrimination.

Timokles

But tell me, god-forsaken wretch, whose work would you call oracles and prophecies of future events, if not of the gods and their providence?

Damis

Hold your peace, my good fellow, on the subject of the oracles, for I shall ask you which of them in particular you would like to recall. Perhaps that one Apollo delivered to the Lydian, which was neatly double-edged and looked both ways, like some of the Hermae, which are exactly alike on both sides to whichever part of them you look. For tell me, will Croesus by crossing the Halys be more likely to overthrow his own kingdom or that of Cyros? And yet that Sardian pest paid no small sum for this reversible utterance.

Momos

The man is enumerating the very things I was most afraid of. Where now is our handsome harper? Go down and defend yourself against these charges of his.

Zeus

You strike us when we are down, Momos, finding fault with us now, when the season is past.