Lucian of Samosata, Gallus, Emily James Smith (Translator), 18

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Cock

I was a complete sophist, Mikyllos, for it is right, I think, to tell the truth. However, I was not uneducated nor neglectful of the noblest studies, and I even journeyed to Egypt to receive instruction from the priests. I made my way into the temples and mastered the books of Oros and Isis. And then I sailed back to Italy and so wrought upon the Greeks there that they reckoned me a god.

Mikyllos

I have heard of this, and that you were deemed to have risen from the dead, and that you once showed them that your thigh was gold. But tell me this, why did it occur to you to make a law against eating either flesh or beans?

Cock

Don't ask such things, Mikyllos.

Mikyllos

Why not?

Cock

Because I am ashamed to tell you the truth about them.

Mikyllos

Now, there is no reason whatever for hesitating to tell a man who is your messmate and friend, for I would no longer call myself your master.

Cock

I had no sound or reasonable motive; but seeing that if my practices were ordinary and the same as most people's, I should fail to draw on men to wonder at me, but the more outlandish they were the more august I seemed to them, this was the reason why I chose to innovate, pretending that my grounds were too holy for discussion, so that each might have his conjecture, and all stand amazed as at the dark sayings of the oracles. There, even you are laughing at me in your turn.

Mikyllos

Not so much at you as at the Krotoniates and Metapontines and Tarentines and the others who followed you speechless and kissed the footprints you left as you walked.

Gallus. Lucian of Samosata. Emily James Smith (Translator). Medford, MA. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

The Cock (English) (Lucian. Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York: Harper Brothers, 1892.)

Editions (1)

Ὄνειρος ἢ Ἀλεκτρυών Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 18 focus

Ἀλεκτρυών

τὸ μὲν ὅλον, ὦ Μίκυλλε, σοφιστὴς ἄνθρωπος ἦν· χρὴ γάρ, οἶμαι, τἀληθῆ λέγειν· ἄλλως δὲ οὐκ ἀπαίδευτος οὐδὲ ἀμελέτητος τῶν καλλίστων μαθημάτων· ἀπεδήμησα δὲ καὶ εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ὡς συγγενοίμην τοῖς προφήταις ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ, καὶ ἐς τὰ ἄδυτα κατελθὼν ἐξέμαθον τὰς βίβλους τὰς Ὥρου καὶ Ἴσιδος, καὶ αὖθις εἰς Ἰταλίαν ἐκπλεύσας οὕτω διέθηκα τοὺς κατʼ ἐκεῖνα Ἕλληνας, ὥστε θεὸν ἦγόν με.

Μίκυλλος

ἤκουσα ταῦτα καὶ ὡς δόξειας ἀναβεβιωκέναι ἀποθανὼν καὶ ὡς χρυσοῦν τὸν μηρὸν ἐπιδείξαιό ποτε αὐτοῖς. ἐκεῖνο δέ μοι εἰπέ, τί σοι ἐπῆλθε νόμον ποιήσασθαι μήτε κρεῶν μήτε κυάμων ἐσθίειν;

Ἀλεκτρυών

μὴ ἀνάκρινε ταῦτα, ὦ Μίκυλλε.

Μίκυλλος

διὰ τί, ὦ ἀλεκτρυών;

Ἀλεκτρυών

ὅτι αἰσχύνομαι λέγειν πρὸς σὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν περὶ αὐτῶν.

Μίκυλλος

καὶ μὴν οὐδὲν ὀκνεῖν χρὴ λέγειν πρὸς ἄνδρα σύνοικον καὶ φίλον· δεσπότην γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἔτι εἴποιμι.

Ἀλεκτρυών

οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς οὐδὲ σοφὸν ἦν, ἀλλʼ ἑώρων ὅτι εἰ μὲν τὰ συνήθη καὶ ταὐτὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς νομίζοιμι, ἥκιστα ἐπισπάσομαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐς τὸ θαῦμα, ὅσῳ δʼ ἂν ξενίζοιμι, τοσούτῳ σεμνότερος¹ ᾤμην αὐτοῖς ἔσεσθαι. διὰ τοῦτο καινοποιεῖν εἱλόμην ἀπόρρητον ποιησάμενος τὴν αἰτίαν, ὡς εἰκάζοντες ἄλλος ἄλλως ἅπαντες ἐκπλήττωνται καθάπερ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀσαφέσι τῶν χρησμῶν. ὁρᾷς; καταγελᾷς μου καὶ σὺ ἐν τῷ μέρει.

Μίκυλλος

οὐ τοσοῦτον ὅσον Κροτωνιατῶν καὶ Μεταποντίνων καὶ Ταραντίνων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀφώνων σοι ἑπομένων καὶ προσκυνούντων τὰ ἴχνη ἃ σὺ πατῶν ἀπολιμπάνοις.

Translations (2)

The Dream, or the Cock Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 18 focus

COCK

In brief, Micyllus, I was a sophist, for I must tell the truth, I suppose. However, I was not uneducated or unacquainted with the noblest sciences. I even went to: Egypt to study with the prophets, penetrated into their sanctuaries and learned the books of Horus and Isis by heart, and then I sailed away to Italy and worked upon the Greeks in that quarter of the world to such an extent that they thought me a god.

MICYLLUS

So I have heard, and I have also heard that you were thought to have come to life again after dying, and that you once showed them that your thigh was of gold. But, look here, tell me how it occurred to you to make a law against eating either meat or beans?

COCK

Do not press that question, Micyllus.

MICYLLUS

Why, cock? Cock Because I am ashamed to tell you the truth of it.

MICYLLUS

But you oughtn’t to hesitate to tell a housemate and a friend—for I cannot call myself your master any longer.

COCK

It was nothing sensible or wise, but I perceived that if I made laws that were ordinary and just like those of the run of legislators I should not induce men to wonder at me, whereas the more I departed from precedent, the more of a figure I should cut, I thought, in their eyes. Therefore I preferred to introduce innovations, keeping the reason for them secret so that one man might guess one thing and one another, and all be perplexed, as they are in the case of oracles that are obscure. Look here, you are laughing at me, now.

MICYLLUS

Not so much at you as at the people of Croton and Metapontum and Tarentum and all the rest who followed you dumbly and worshipped the footprints that you left in walking.

The Cock Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 3. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 18 focus

Cock

When I was Pythagoras, I was—not to deceive you— a sophist; that is the long and short of it. At the same time, I was not uncultured, not unversed in polite learning. I travelled in Egypt, cultivated the acquaintance of the priests, and learnt wisdom from their mouths; I penetrated into their temples and mastered the sacred books of Orus and Isis; finally, I took ship to Italy, where I made such an impression on the Greeks that they reckoned me among the Gods.

Micyllus

I have heard all about that; and also how you were supposed to have risen from the dead, and how you had a golden thigh, and favoured the public with a sight of it on occasion. But what put it into your head to make that law about meat and beans?

Cock

Ah, don’t ask me that, Micyllus.

Micyllus

But why not?

Cock

I am ashamed to answer you.

Micyllus

Come, out with it! I am your friend and fellow lodger; we will drop the ‘master’ now.

Cock

There was neither common sense nor philosophy in that law. The fact is, I saw that if I did just the same as other people, I should draw very few admirers; my prestige, I considered, would be in proportion to my originality. Hence these innovations, the motive of which I wrapped up in mystery; each man was left to make his own conjecture, that all might be equally impressed by my oracular obscurity. There now! you are laughing at me; it is your turn this time.

Micyllus

I am laughing much more at the folk of Cortona and Metapontum and Tarentum, and the rest of those mute disciples who worshipped the ground you trod on.

Lucian of Samosata Gallus 18

Emily James Smith (Translator)

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Mikyllos

I have heard of this, and that you were deemed to have risen from the dead, and that you once showed them that your thigh was gold. But tell me this, why did it occur to you to make a law against eating either flesh or beans?

Cock

Don't ask such things, Mikyllos.

Mikyllos

Why not?

Cock

Because I am ashamed to tell you the truth about them.

Mikyllos

Now, there is no reason whatever for hesitating to tell a man who is your messmate and friend, for I would no longer call myself your master.

Mikyllos

Not so much at you as at the Krotoniates and Metapontines and Tarentines and the others who followed you speechless and kissed the footprints you left as you walked.

Current edition Perseus

Ἀλεκτρυών

μὴ ἀνάκρινε ταῦτα, ὦ Μίκυλλε.

Μίκυλλος

διὰ τί, ὦ ἀλεκτρυών;

Ἀλεκτρυών

ὅτι αἰσχύνομαι λέγειν πρὸς σὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν περὶ αὐτῶν.

Μίκυλλος

καὶ μὴν οὐδὲν ὀκνεῖν χρὴ λέγειν πρὸς ἄνδρα σύνοικον καὶ φίλον· δεσπότην γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἔτι εἴποιμι.

MICYLLUS

So I have heard, and I have also heard that you were thought to have come to life again after dying, and that you once showed them that your thigh was of gold. But, look here, tell me how it occurred to you to make a law against eating either meat or beans?

COCK

Do not press that question, Micyllus.

MICYLLUS

Why, cock? Cock Because I am ashamed to tell you the truth of it.

MICYLLUS

But you oughtn’t to hesitate to tell a housemate and a friend—for I cannot call myself your master any longer.

MICYLLUS

Not so much at you as at the people of Croton and Metapontum and Tarentum and all the rest who followed you dumbly and worshipped the footprints that you left in walking.

Micyllus

I have heard all about that; and also how you were supposed to have risen from the dead, and how you had a golden thigh, and favoured the public with a sight of it on occasion. But what put it into your head to make that law about meat and beans?

Cock

Ah, don’t ask me that, Micyllus.

Micyllus

But why not?

Cock

I am ashamed to answer you.

Micyllus

Come, out with it! I am your friend and fellow lodger; we will drop the ‘master’ now.

Micyllus

I am laughing much more at the folk of Cortona and Metapontum and Tarentum, and the rest of those mute disciples who worshipped the ground you trod on.

Stable identifiers

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Mikyllos I have heard of this, and that you were deemed to have risen from the dead, and that you once showed them that your thigh was gold. But tell me this, why did it occur to you to make a law against eating either flesh or beans?

Cock Don't ask such things, Mikyllos.

Mikyllos Why not?

Cock Because I am ashamed to tell you the truth about them.

Mikyllos Now, there is no reason whatever for hesitating to tell a man who is your messmate and friend, for I would no longer call myself your master.

Mikyllos Not so much at you as at the Krotoniates and Metapontines and Tarentines and the others who followed you speechless and kissed the footprints you left as you walked.

Current edition Perseus

Ἀλεκτρυών μὴ ἀνάκρινε ταῦτα, ὦ Μίκυλλε.

Μίκυλλος διὰ τί, ὦ ἀλεκτρυών;

Ἀλεκτρυών ὅτι αἰσχύνομαι λέγειν πρὸς σὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν περὶ αὐτῶν.

Μίκυλλος καὶ μὴν οὐδὲν ὀκνεῖν χρὴ λέγειν πρὸς ἄνδρα σύνοικον καὶ φίλον· δεσπότην γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἔτι εἴποιμι.

MICYLLUS So I have heard, and I have also heard that you were thought to have come to life again after dying, and that you once showed them that your thigh was of gold. But, look here, tell me how it occurred to you to make a law against eating either meat or beans?

COCK Do not press that question, Micyllus.

MICYLLUS Why, cock? Cock Because I am ashamed to tell you the truth of it.

MICYLLUS But you oughtn’t to hesitate to tell a housemate and a friend—for I cannot call myself your master any longer.

MICYLLUS Not so much at you as at the people of Croton and Metapontum and Tarentum and all the rest who followed you dumbly and worshipped the footprints that you left in walking.

Micyllus I have heard all about that; and also how you were supposed to have risen from the dead, and how you had a golden thigh, and favoured the public with a sight of it on occasion. But what put it into your head to make that law about meat and beans?

Cock Ah, don’t ask me that, Micyllus.

Micyllus But why not?

Cock I am ashamed to answer you.

Micyllus Come, out with it! I am your friend and fellow lodger; we will drop the ‘master’ now.

Micyllus I am laughing much more at the folk of Cortona and Metapontum and Tarentum, and the rest of those mute disciples who worshipped the ground you trod on.

Stable identifiers

Mikyllos

I have heard of this, and that you were deemed to have risen from the dead, and that you once showed them that your thigh was gold. But tell me this, why did it occur to you to make a law against eating either flesh or beans?

Cock

Don't ask such things, Mikyllos.

Mikyllos

Why not?

Cock

Because I am ashamed to tell you the truth about them.

Mikyllos

Now, there is no reason whatever for hesitating to tell a man who is your messmate and friend, for I would no longer call myself your master.

Mikyllos

Not so much at you as at the Krotoniates and Metapontines and Tarentines and the others who followed you speechless and kissed the footprints you left as you walked.

Ἀλεκτρυών

μὴ ἀνάκρινε ταῦτα, ὦ Μίκυλλε.

Μίκυλλος

διὰ τί, ὦ ἀλεκτρυών;

Ἀλεκτρυών

ὅτι αἰσχύνομαι λέγειν πρὸς σὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν περὶ αὐτῶν.

Μίκυλλος

καὶ μὴν οὐδὲν ὀκνεῖν χρὴ λέγειν πρὸς ἄνδρα σύνοικον καὶ φίλον· δεσπότην γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἔτι εἴποιμι.

MICYLLUS

So I have heard, and I have also heard that you were thought to have come to life again after dying, and that you once showed them that your thigh was of gold. But, look here, tell me how it occurred to you to make a law against eating either meat or beans?

COCK

Do not press that question, Micyllus.

MICYLLUS

Why, cock? Cock Because I am ashamed to tell you the truth of it.

MICYLLUS

But you oughtn’t to hesitate to tell a housemate and a friend—for I cannot call myself your master any longer.

MICYLLUS

Not so much at you as at the people of Croton and Metapontum and Tarentum and all the rest who followed you dumbly and worshipped the footprints that you left in walking.

Micyllus

I have heard all about that; and also how you were supposed to have risen from the dead, and how you had a golden thigh, and favoured the public with a sight of it on occasion. But what put it into your head to make that law about meat and beans?

Cock

Ah, don’t ask me that, Micyllus.

Micyllus

But why not?

Cock

I am ashamed to answer you.

Micyllus

Come, out with it! I am your friend and fellow lodger; we will drop the ‘master’ now.

Micyllus

I am laughing much more at the folk of Cortona and Metapontum and Tarentum, and the rest of those mute disciples who worshipped the ground you trod on.