Lucian, Icaromenippus, Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator), 31

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Menippus

'Ask one of these brawling bawling censors, And what do you do? in God’s name, what shall we call your contribution to progress? and he would reply, if conscience and truth were anything to him: I consider it superfluous to sail the sea or till the earth or fight for my country or follow a trade; but I have a loud voice and a dirty body; I eschew warm water and go barefoot through the winter; I am a Momus who can always pick holes in other people’s coats; ifarich man keeps a costly table or a mistress, I make it my business to be properly horrified; but if my familiar friend is lying sick, in need of help and care, I am not aware of it. Such, your Godheads, is the nature of this vermin.

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

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Ἰκαρομένιππος ἢ Ὑπερνέφελος Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 31 focus

Μένιππος

καίτοι τὸν διατεινόμενον αὐτὸν καὶ βοῶντα καὶ κατηγοροῦντα τῶν ἄλλων ἢν ἔρῃ, σὺ δὲ δὴ τί πράττων τυγχάνεις ἢ τί φῶμεν πρὸς θεῶν σε πρὸς τὸν βίον συντελεῖν; φαίη ἄν, εἰ τὰ δίκαια καὶ ἀληθῆ θέλοι λέγειν, ὅτι πλεῖν μὲν ἢ γεωργεῖν ἢ στρατεύεσθαι ἤ τινα τέχνην μετιέναι περιττὸν εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ, κέκραγα δὲ καὶ αὐχμῶ καὶ ψυχρολουτῶ καὶ ἀνυπόδητος τοῦ χειμῶνος περιέρχομαι καὶ τρίβωνα ῥυπαρὸν περιβέβλημαι¹ καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ Μῶμος τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων γιγνόμενα συκοφαντῶ, καὶ εἰ μέν τις ὠψώνηκε τῶν πλουσίων πολυτελῶς ἢ ἑταίραν ἔχει, τοῦτο πολυπραγμονῶ καὶ ἀγανακτῶ, εἰ δὲ τῶν φίλων τις ἢ ἑταίρων κατάκειται νοσῶν ἐπικουρίας τε καὶ θεραπείας δεόμενος, ἀγνοῶ.

Τοιαῦτα μέν ἐστιν ὑμῖν, ὦ θεοί, ταῦτα τὰ θρέμματα.

Translations (1)

Icaromenippus, or the Sky-man Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 31 focus

MENIPPUS

But if you were to ask the very man who is straining his lungs and bawling and accusing everybody else: ‘How about yourself? What do you really do, and what in Heaven’s name do you contribute’ to the world?’ he would say, if he were willing to say what was right and true: ¢1 hold it unnecessary to be a merchant or a farmer or a soldier or to follow'y trade; I shout, go dirty, take cold baths, walk abeut barefoot in winter, wear a filthy mantle and like Momus carp at everything the others do. If some rich man or other has made an extravagant outlay on a dinner or keeps a mistress, I make it my affair and get hot about it; but if one of my friends or associates is ill abed and needs relief and attendance, I ignore it.’

“That is what these whelps are like, gods.

Lucian Icaromenippus 31

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

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