Lucian, Contemplantes, Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator), 8

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Charon

I should like to know, for instance,

Who is yon hero, stout and strong and tall,

O’ertopping all mankind by head and shoulders?

Hermes

That is Milo of Croton, the athlete. He has just picked up a bull, and is carrying it along the race-course; and the Greeks are applauding him.

Charon

It would be more to the point, if they were to offer their congratulations to me. I shall presently be picking up Milo himself, and putting him into my boat; that will be after he has had his fall from Death, that most invincible of antagonists, who will have him on his back before he knows what is happening. We shall hear a sad tale then, no doubt, of the crowns and the applause he has left behind him. Meanwhile, he is mightily elated over the bull exploit, and the distinction it has won him. What is one to think? Does it ever occur to him that he must die some day?

Hermes

How should he think of death? He is at his zenith.

Charon

Well, never mind him. We shall have sport enough with him before long; he will come aboard with no strength left to pick up a gnat, let alone a bull.

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

Current edition Perseus

Charon (English) (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 1. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.)

Editions (1)

Χάρων ἢ Ἐπισκοποῦντες Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 8 focus

Χάρων

εἰπὲ γάρ μοι·

τίς τʼ ἄρʼ¹ ὅδʼ ἐστὶ πάχιστος ἀνὴρ ἠΰς τε μέγας τε,

ἔξοχος ἀνθρώπων κεφαλὴν καὶ εὐρέας ὤμους;

Ἑρμῆς

Μίλων οὗτος ὁ ἐκ Κρότωνος ἀθλητής. ἐπικροτοῦσι δʼ αὐτῷ οἱ Ἕλληνες, ὅτι τὸν ταῦρον ἀράμενος φέρει διὰ τοῦ σταδίου μέσου.

Χάρων

καὶ πόσῳ δικαιότερον ἂν ἐμέ, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, ἐπαινοῖεν, ὃς αὐτόν σοι τὸν Μίλωνα μετʼ ὀλίγοι συλλαβὼν ἐνθήσομαι ἐς τὸ σκαφίδιον, ὁπόταν ἥκῃ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀμαχωτάτου τῶν ἀνταγωνιστῶν καταπαλαισθεὶς τοῦ Θανάτου, μηδὲ συνεὶς ὅπως αὐτὸν ὑποσκελίζει; κᾆτα οἰμώξεται ἡμῖν δηλαδὴ μεμνημένος τῶν στεφάνων τούτων καὶ τοῦ κρότου· νῦν δὲ μέγα φρονεῖ θαυμαζόμενος ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ ταύρου φορᾷ. τί δʼ οὖν; οἰηθῶμεν ἄρα ἐλπίζειν αὐτὸν καὶ τεθνήξεσθαί ποτε;

Ἑρμῆς

πόθεν ἐκεῖνος θανάτου νῦν μνημονεύσειεν ἂν ἐν ἀκμῇ τοσαύτῃ;

Χάρων

ἔα τοῦτον οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν γέλωτα ἡμῖν παρέξοντα ὁπόταν πλέῃ, μηδʼ ἐμπίδα οὐχ ὅπως ταῦρον ἔτι ἄρασθαι δυνάμενος.

Translations (1)

Charon, or the Inspectors Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 8 focus

CHARON

Tell me:

Who is the burly man yonder, the hero so tall and so handsome,

Towering over the throng by a head and a broadpair of shoulders?

Parody on Iliad3, 226 (Ajax).

HERMES

That is Milo, the athlete from Croton. The Greeks are clapping their hands at him because he has lifted the bull and is carrying him through the centre of the stadium.

CHARON

How much more fitting it would be, Hermes, if they should applaud me; for in a little while I shall seize Milo himself and heave him aboard the boat, when he comes to us after getting thrown by Death, the most invincible of all antagonists, without even knowing how he was tripped! Then we shall hear him wail, depend upon it, when he remembers these crowns of victory and this applause; but now he thinks highly of himself because of the admiration he is winning for carrying the bull. What! Are we to think that he expects to die some day?

HERMES

Why should he think of death now, when he is so young and strong?

CHARON

Never mind him; he will give us food for laughter before long when he makes his voyage and is no longer able to lift a mosquito, let alone a bull!

Lucian Contemplantes 8

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

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Charon

I should like to know, for instance,

Who is yon hero, stout and strong and tall,

O’ertopping all mankind by head and shoulders?

Hermes

That is Milo of Croton, the athlete. He has just picked up a bull, and is carrying it along the race-course; and the Greeks are applauding him.

Hermes

How should he think of death? He is at his zenith.

Charon

Well, never mind him. We shall have sport enough with him before long; he will come aboard with no strength left to pick up a gnat, let alone a bull.

Current edition Perseus

Χάρων

εἰπὲ γάρ μοι·

τίς τʼ ἄρʼ¹ ὅδʼ ἐστὶ πάχιστος ἀνὴρ ἠΰς τε μέγας τε,

ἔξοχος ἀνθρώπων κεφαλὴν καὶ εὐρέας ὤμους;

Ἑρμῆς

Μίλων οὗτος ὁ ἐκ Κρότωνος ἀθλητής. ἐπικροτοῦσι δʼ αὐτῷ οἱ Ἕλληνες, ὅτι τὸν ταῦρον ἀράμενος φέρει διὰ τοῦ σταδίου μέσου.

Ἑρμῆς

πόθεν ἐκεῖνος θανάτου νῦν μνημονεύσειεν ἂν ἐν ἀκμῇ τοσαύτῃ;

Χάρων

ἔα τοῦτον οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν γέλωτα ἡμῖν παρέξοντα ὁπόταν πλέῃ, μηδʼ ἐμπίδα οὐχ ὅπως ταῦρον ἔτι ἄρασθαι δυνάμενος.

CHARON

Tell me:

Who is the burly man yonder, the hero so tall and so handsome,

Towering over the throng by a head and a broadpair of shoulders?

Parody on Iliad3, 226 (Ajax).

HERMES

That is Milo, the athlete from Croton. The Greeks are clapping their hands at him because he has lifted the bull and is carrying him through the centre of the stadium.

HERMES

Why should he think of death now, when he is so young and strong?

CHARON

Never mind him; he will give us food for laughter before long when he makes his voyage and is no longer able to lift a mosquito, let alone a bull!

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Charon I should like to know, for instance, Who is yon hero, stout and strong and tall, O’ertopping all mankind by head and shoulders?

Hermes That is Milo of Croton, the athlete. He has just picked up a bull, and is carrying it along the race-course; and the Greeks are applauding him.

Hermes How should he think of death? He is at his zenith.

Charon Well, never mind him. We shall have sport enough with him before long; he will come aboard with no strength left to pick up a gnat, let alone a bull.

Current edition Perseus

Χάρων εἰπὲ γάρ μοι· τίς τʼ ἄρʼ 1 ὅδʼ ἐστὶ πάχιστος ἀνὴρ ἠΰς τε μέγας τε, ἔξοχος ἀνθρώπων κεφαλὴν καὶ εὐρέας ὤμους;

Ἑρμῆς Μίλων οὗτος ὁ ἐκ Κρότωνος ἀθλητής. ἐπικροτοῦσι δʼ αὐτῷ οἱ Ἕλληνες, ὅτι τὸν ταῦρον ἀράμενος φέρει διὰ τοῦ σταδίου μέσου.

Ἑρμῆς πόθεν ἐκεῖνος θανάτου νῦν μνημονεύσειεν ἂν ἐν ἀκμῇ τοσαύτῃ;

Χάρων ἔα τοῦτον οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν γέλωτα ἡμῖν παρέξοντα ὁπόταν πλέῃ, μηδʼ ἐμπίδα οὐχ ὅπως ταῦρον ἔτι ἄρασθαι δυνάμενος.

CHARON Tell me: Who is the burly man yonder, the hero so tall and so handsome, Towering over the throng by a head and a broadpair of shoulders? Parody on Iliad3, 226 (Ajax).

HERMES That is Milo, the athlete from Croton. The Greeks are clapping their hands at him because he has lifted the bull and is carrying him through the centre of the stadium.

HERMES Why should he think of death now, when he is so young and strong?

CHARON Never mind him; he will give us food for laughter before long when he makes his voyage and is no longer able to lift a mosquito, let alone a bull!

Stable identifiers

Charon

I should like to know, for instance,

Who is yon hero, stout and strong and tall,

O’ertopping all mankind by head and shoulders?

Hermes

That is Milo of Croton, the athlete. He has just picked up a bull, and is carrying it along the race-course; and the Greeks are applauding him.

Hermes

How should he think of death? He is at his zenith.

Charon

Well, never mind him. We shall have sport enough with him before long; he will come aboard with no strength left to pick up a gnat, let alone a bull.

Χάρων

εἰπὲ γάρ μοι·

τίς τʼ ἄρʼ¹ ὅδʼ ἐστὶ πάχιστος ἀνὴρ ἠΰς τε μέγας τε,

ἔξοχος ἀνθρώπων κεφαλὴν καὶ εὐρέας ὤμους;

Ἑρμῆς

Μίλων οὗτος ὁ ἐκ Κρότωνος ἀθλητής. ἐπικροτοῦσι δʼ αὐτῷ οἱ Ἕλληνες, ὅτι τὸν ταῦρον ἀράμενος φέρει διὰ τοῦ σταδίου μέσου.

Ἑρμῆς

πόθεν ἐκεῖνος θανάτου νῦν μνημονεύσειεν ἂν ἐν ἀκμῇ τοσαύτῃ;

Χάρων

ἔα τοῦτον οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν γέλωτα ἡμῖν παρέξοντα ὁπόταν πλέῃ, μηδʼ ἐμπίδα οὐχ ὅπως ταῦρον ἔτι ἄρασθαι δυνάμενος.

CHARON

Tell me:

Who is the burly man yonder, the hero so tall and so handsome,

Towering over the throng by a head and a broadpair of shoulders?

Parody on Iliad3, 226 (Ajax).

HERMES

That is Milo, the athlete from Croton. The Greeks are clapping their hands at him because he has lifted the bull and is carrying him through the centre of the stadium.

HERMES

Why should he think of death now, when he is so young and strong?

CHARON

Never mind him; he will give us food for laughter before long when he makes his voyage and is no longer able to lift a mosquito, let alone a bull!