Lucian of Samosata, Vitarum auctio, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 19

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HERMES

What is your name?

BUYER

Dion of Syracuse.¹

HERMES

He is yours; take him, with good luck to you. Epicurean, I want you now. Who will buy him? He is a pupil of the laugher yonder and of the drunkard, both of whom we put up a short time ago.² In one way, however, he knows more than they, because he is more impious. Besides, he is agreeable and fond of good eating.

BUYER

What is his price?

HERMES

Two minas.

BUYER

Here you are. But, say! I want to know what food he likes.

HERMES

He eats sweets and honey-cakes, and, above all, figs.

BUYER

No trouble about that; we shall buy him cakes of pressed figs from Caria.

Vitarum auctio. Lucian of Samosata. Austin Morris Harmon (Translator). United States. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Philosophies for Sale (English) (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.)

Editions (1)

Βίων Πρᾶσις Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 19 focus

Ἑρμῆς

τί σοι τοὔνομα;

Ἀγοράστης

Δίων Συρακούσιος.

Ἑρμῆς

ἄγε λαβὼν ἀγαθῇ τύχῃ. τὸν Ἐπικούρειον σὲ ἤδη καλῶ. τίς ὠνήσεται τοῦτον; ἔστι μὲν τοῦ γελῶντος ἐκείνου μαθητὴς καὶ τοῦ μεθύοντος, οὓς μικρῷ πρόσθεν ἀπεκηρύττομεν. ἓν δὲ πλέον οἶδεν αὐτῶν, παρʼ ὅσον δυσσεβέστερος τυγχάνει· τὰ δὲ ἄλλα ἡδὺς καὶ λιχνείᾳ φίλος.

Ἀγοράστης

τίς ἡ τιμή;

Ἑρμῆς

δύο μναῖ.

Ἀγοράστης

λάμβανε· τὸ δεῖνα δέ, ὅπως εἰδῶ, τίσι χαίρει τῶν ἐδεσμάτων;

Ἑρμῆς

τὰ γλυκέα σιτεῖται καὶ τὰ μελιτώδη καὶ μάλιστά γε τὰς ἰσχάδας.

Ἀγοράστης

χαλεπὸν οὐδέν· ὠνησόμεθα γὰρ αὐτῷ παλάθας τῶν Καρικῶν.

Translations (2)

Sale of Creeds Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 1. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 19 focus

Heraclitus

What name?

Fifth Dealer

Dion; of Syracuse.

Heraclitus

Take him, and much good may he do you. Now I want Epicureanism. Who offers for Epicureanism? He isa disciple of the laughing creed and the drunken creed, whom we were offering just now. But he has one extra accomplishment— impiety. For the rest, a dainty, lickerish creed.

Sixth Dealer

What price?

Heraclitus

Eight pounds.

Sixth Dealer

Here you are. By the way, you might let me know what he likes to eat.

Heraclitus

Anything sweet. Anything with honey in it. Dried figs are his favourite dish.

Sixth Dealer

That is all right. We will get in a supply of Carian fig-cakes,

The Sale of Lives Perseus (Lucian. Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York: Harper Brothers, 1892.) — 19 focus

Hermes

What is your name?

Buyer

Dion of Syracuse.

Hermes

Take him, with my best wishes. Next I call you, the Epicurean. Who will buy this one? He is the pupil of that laugher and of the drunkard whom I offered a little while ago. But he has made one step in advance of them, inasmuch as he has less regard for holy things. For the rest, he is pleasant and the friend of good living.

Buyer

What's the price?

Hermes

Forty dollars.

Buyer

Here you are. But tell me what sort of food he likes.

Hermes

He lives on sweet things like honey, and particularly figs.

Buyer

That is easy enough. I will buy him penny-loaves of fig-cake.

Notes on the current edition

Philosophies for Sale

1. Chosen for mention, because he was Plato’s pupil.

2. The Epicureans took over the atomic theory from Democritus and the idea that pleasure is the highest good from the Cyrenaics.

Lucian of Samosata Vitarum auctio 19

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

HERMES

What is your name?

BUYER

Dion of Syracuse.¹

BUYER

What is his price?

HERMES

Two minas.

BUYER

Here you are. But, say! I want to know what food he likes.

HERMES

He eats sweets and honey-cakes, and, above all, figs.

BUYER

No trouble about that; we shall buy him cakes of pressed figs from Caria.

Current edition Perseus

Ἑρμῆς

τί σοι τοὔνομα;

Ἀγοράστης

Δίων Συρακούσιος.

Ἀγοράστης

τίς ἡ τιμή;

Ἑρμῆς

δύο μναῖ.

Ἀγοράστης

λάμβανε· τὸ δεῖνα δέ, ὅπως εἰδῶ, τίσι χαίρει τῶν ἐδεσμάτων;

Ἑρμῆς

τὰ γλυκέα σιτεῖται καὶ τὰ μελιτώδη καὶ μάλιστά γε τὰς ἰσχάδας.

Ἀγοράστης

χαλεπὸν οὐδέν· ὠνησόμεθα γὰρ αὐτῷ παλάθας τῶν Καρικῶν.

Heraclitus

What name?

Fifth Dealer

Dion; of Syracuse.

Heraclitus

Take him, and much good may he do you. Now I want Epicureanism. Who offers for Epicureanism? He isa disciple of the laughing creed and the drunken creed, whom we were offering just now. But he has one extra accomplishment— impiety. For the rest, a dainty, lickerish creed.

Sixth Dealer

What price?

Heraclitus

Eight pounds.

Sixth Dealer

Here you are. By the way, you might let me know what he likes to eat.

Heraclitus

Anything sweet. Anything with honey in it. Dried figs are his favourite dish.

Sixth Dealer

That is all right. We will get in a supply of Carian fig-cakes,

Hermes

What is your name?

Buyer

Dion of Syracuse.

Buyer

What's the price?

Hermes

Forty dollars.

Buyer

Here you are. But tell me what sort of food he likes.

Hermes

He lives on sweet things like honey, and particularly figs.

Buyer

That is easy enough. I will buy him penny-loaves of fig-cake.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

HERMES What is your name?

BUYER Dion of Syracuse. 1

BUYER What is his price?

HERMES Two minas.

BUYER Here you are. But, say! I want to know what food he likes.

HERMES He eats sweets and honey-cakes, and, above all, figs.

BUYER No trouble about that; we shall buy him cakes of pressed figs from Caria.

Current edition Perseus

Ἑρμῆς τί σοι τοὔνομα;

Ἀγοράστης Δίων Συρακούσιος.

Ἀγοράστης τίς ἡ τιμή;

Ἑρμῆς δύο μναῖ.

Ἀγοράστης λάμβανε· τὸ δεῖνα δέ, ὅπως εἰδῶ, τίσι χαίρει τῶν ἐδεσμάτων;

Ἑρμῆς τὰ γλυκέα σιτεῖται καὶ τὰ μελιτώδη καὶ μάλιστά γε τὰς ἰσχάδας.

Ἀγοράστης χαλεπὸν οὐδέν· ὠνησόμεθα γὰρ αὐτῷ παλάθας τῶν Καρικῶν.

Heraclitus What name?

Fifth Dealer Dion; of Syracuse.

Heraclitus Take him, and much good may he do you. Now I want Epicureanism. Who offers for Epicureanism? He isa disciple of the laughing creed and the drunken creed, whom we were offering just now. But he has one extra accomplishment— impiety. For the rest, a dainty, lickerish creed.

Sixth Dealer What price?

Heraclitus Eight pounds.

Sixth Dealer Here you are. By the way, you might let me know what he likes to eat.

Heraclitus Anything sweet. Anything with honey in it. Dried figs are his favourite dish.

Sixth Dealer That is all right. We will get in a supply of Carian fig-cakes,

Hermes What is your name?

Buyer Dion of Syracuse.

Buyer What's the price?

Hermes Forty dollars.

Buyer Here you are. But tell me what sort of food he likes.

Hermes He lives on sweet things like honey, and particularly figs.

Buyer That is easy enough. I will buy him penny-loaves of fig-cake.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

HERMES

What is your name?

BUYER

Dion of Syracuse.¹

BUYER

What is his price?

HERMES

Two minas.

BUYER

Here you are. But, say! I want to know what food he likes.

HERMES

He eats sweets and honey-cakes, and, above all, figs.

BUYER

No trouble about that; we shall buy him cakes of pressed figs from Caria.

Ἑρμῆς

τί σοι τοὔνομα;

Ἀγοράστης

Δίων Συρακούσιος.

Ἀγοράστης

τίς ἡ τιμή;

Ἑρμῆς

δύο μναῖ.

Ἀγοράστης

λάμβανε· τὸ δεῖνα δέ, ὅπως εἰδῶ, τίσι χαίρει τῶν ἐδεσμάτων;

Ἑρμῆς

τὰ γλυκέα σιτεῖται καὶ τὰ μελιτώδη καὶ μάλιστά γε τὰς ἰσχάδας.

Ἀγοράστης

χαλεπὸν οὐδέν· ὠνησόμεθα γὰρ αὐτῷ παλάθας τῶν Καρικῶν.

Heraclitus

What name?

Fifth Dealer

Dion; of Syracuse.

Heraclitus

Take him, and much good may he do you. Now I want Epicureanism. Who offers for Epicureanism? He isa disciple of the laughing creed and the drunken creed, whom we were offering just now. But he has one extra accomplishment— impiety. For the rest, a dainty, lickerish creed.

Sixth Dealer

What price?

Heraclitus

Eight pounds.

Sixth Dealer

Here you are. By the way, you might let me know what he likes to eat.

Heraclitus

Anything sweet. Anything with honey in it. Dried figs are his favourite dish.

Sixth Dealer

That is all right. We will get in a supply of Carian fig-cakes,

Hermes

What is your name?

Buyer

Dion of Syracuse.

Buyer

What's the price?

Hermes

Forty dollars.

Buyer

Here you are. But tell me what sort of food he likes.

Hermes

He lives on sweet things like honey, and particularly figs.

Buyer

That is easy enough. I will buy him penny-loaves of fig-cake.