Lucian of Samosata, Vitarum auctio, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 20

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ZEUS

Call another, the one over there with the cropped head, the dismal fellow from the Porch.

HERMES

Quite right; at all events it looks as if the men who frequent the public square were waiting for him in great numbers.¹ I sell virtue itself, the most perfect of philosophies. Who wants to be the only one to know everything?

BUYER

What do you mean by that?

HERMES

That he is the only wise man, the only handsome man, the only just man, brave man, king, orator, rich man, lawgiver, and everything else that there is.²

BUYER

Then he is the only cook,—yes and the only tanner or carpenter, and so forth?

HERMES

So it appears.

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.) — 20 focus

Ζεύς

ἄλλον κάλει, τὸν ἐν χρῷ κουρίαν ἐκεῖνον, τὸν σκυθρωπόν, τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς στοᾶς.

Ἑρμῆς

εὖ λέγεις· ἐοίκασι γὰρ πολύ τι πλῆθος αὐτὸν περιμένειν τῶν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν ἀπηντηκότων. αὐτὴν τὴν ἀρετὴν πωλῶ, τῶν βίων τὸν τελειότατον. τίς ἅπαντα μόνος εἰδέναι θέλει;

Ἀγοράστης

πῶς τοῦτο φής;

Ἑρμῆς

ὅτι μόνος οὗτος σοφός, μόνος καλός, μόνος δίκαιος ἀνδρεῖος βασιλεὺς ῥήτωρ πλούσιος νομοθέτης καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὁπόσα ἐστίν.

Ἀγοράστης

οὐκοῦν καὶ μάγειρος μόνος, καὶ νὴ Δία γε σκυτοδέψης ἢ τέκτων καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα;

Ἑρμῆς

ἔοικεν.

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.) — 20 focus

Zeus

Call the next lot. Stoicism; the creed of the sorrowful countenance, the close-cropped creed.

Heraclitus

Ah yes, several customiers, I fancy, are on the look-out for him. Virtue incarnate! The very quintessence of creeds! Who is for universal monopoly?

Seventh Dealer

How are we to understand that?

Heraclitus

Why, here is monopoly of wisdom, monopoly of beauty, monopoly of courage, monopoly of justice. Sole king, sole orator, sole legislator, sole millionaire.

Seventh Dealer

And I suppose sole cook, sole tanner, sole carpenter, and all that?

Heraclitus

Presumably.

The Sale of Lives Perseus (Lucian. Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York: Harper Brothers, 1892.) — 20 focus

Zeus

Call up another-that scowling fellow with the shaved head from the Porch.

Hermes

Very well. At all events, a great crowd of those who have come to the sale seem to be waiting for him. I offer for sale virtue herself, the most perfect of lives. Who wishes to know everything, alone of all men?

Buyer

What do you mean?

Hermes

This man alone is wise, he alone is beautiful, he alone is just, manly, a king, an orator, a millionaire, a legislator, and everything else.

Buyer

Then, friend, is he alone a cook, and a tanner, by Jove! and a carpenter, and everything of that sort?

Hermes

Apparently.

Notes on the current edition

Philosophies for Sale

1. Lucian means that the Stoic philosophy was in high favour with statesmen, lawyers, and men of affairs generally.

2. Compare

Ad summam: sapiens uno minor est Jove, dives,

Liber, honoratus, pulcher, rex denique regum,

Praecipue sanus,— nisi cum pituita molestast!

Horace, Epp. 1, I 106 ff

Lucian of Samosata Vitarum auctio 20

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

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ZEUS

Call another, the one over there with the cropped head, the dismal fellow from the Porch.

HERMES

Quite right; at all events it looks as if the men who frequent the public square were waiting for him in great numbers.¹ I sell virtue itself, the most perfect of philosophies. Who wants to be the only one to know everything?

BUYER

What do you mean by that?

HERMES

That he is the only wise man, the only handsome man, the only just man, brave man, king, orator, rich man, lawgiver, and everything else that there is.²

BUYER

Then he is the only cook,—yes and the only tanner or carpenter, and so forth?

HERMES

So it appears.

Current edition Perseus

Ζεύς

ἄλλον κάλει, τὸν ἐν χρῷ κουρίαν ἐκεῖνον, τὸν σκυθρωπόν, τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς στοᾶς.

Ἀγοράστης

πῶς τοῦτο φής;

Ἑρμῆς

ὅτι μόνος οὗτος σοφός, μόνος καλός, μόνος δίκαιος ἀνδρεῖος βασιλεὺς ῥήτωρ πλούσιος νομοθέτης καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὁπόσα ἐστίν.

Ἀγοράστης

οὐκοῦν καὶ μάγειρος μόνος, καὶ νὴ Δία γε σκυτοδέψης ἢ τέκτων καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα;

Ἑρμῆς

ἔοικεν.

Zeus

Call the next lot. Stoicism; the creed of the sorrowful countenance, the close-cropped creed.

Heraclitus

Ah yes, several customiers, I fancy, are on the look-out for him. Virtue incarnate! The very quintessence of creeds! Who is for universal monopoly?

Seventh Dealer

How are we to understand that?

Heraclitus

Why, here is monopoly of wisdom, monopoly of beauty, monopoly of courage, monopoly of justice. Sole king, sole orator, sole legislator, sole millionaire.

Seventh Dealer

And I suppose sole cook, sole tanner, sole carpenter, and all that?

Heraclitus

Presumably.

Zeus

Call up another-that scowling fellow with the shaved head from the Porch.

Hermes

Very well. At all events, a great crowd of those who have come to the sale seem to be waiting for him. I offer for sale virtue herself, the most perfect of lives. Who wishes to know everything, alone of all men?

Buyer

What do you mean?

Hermes

This man alone is wise, he alone is beautiful, he alone is just, manly, a king, an orator, a millionaire, a legislator, and everything else.

Buyer

Then, friend, is he alone a cook, and a tanner, by Jove! and a carpenter, and everything of that sort?

Hermes

Apparently.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

ZEUS Call another, the one over there with the cropped head, the dismal fellow from the Porch.

HERMES Quite right; at all events it looks as if the men who frequent the public square were waiting for him in great numbers. 1 I sell virtue itself, the most perfect of philosophies. Who wants to be the only one to know everything?

BUYER What do you mean by that?

HERMES That he is the only wise man, the only handsome man, the only just man, brave man, king, orator, rich man, lawgiver, and everything else that there is. 2

BUYER Then he is the only cook,—yes and the only tanner or carpenter, and so forth?

HERMES So it appears.

Current edition Perseus

Ζεύς ἄλλον κάλει, τὸν ἐν χρῷ κουρίαν ἐκεῖνον, τὸν σκυθρωπόν, τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς στοᾶς.

Ἀγοράστης πῶς τοῦτο φής;

Ἑρμῆς ὅτι μόνος οὗτος σοφός, μόνος καλός, μόνος δίκαιος ἀνδρεῖος βασιλεὺς ῥήτωρ πλούσιος νομοθέτης καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὁπόσα ἐστίν.

Ἀγοράστης οὐκοῦν καὶ μάγειρος μόνος, καὶ νὴ Δία γε σκυτοδέψης ἢ τέκτων καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα;

Ἑρμῆς ἔοικεν.

Zeus Call the next lot. Stoicism; the creed of the sorrowful countenance, the close-cropped creed.

Heraclitus Ah yes, several customiers, I fancy, are on the look-out for him. Virtue incarnate! The very quintessence of creeds! Who is for universal monopoly?

Seventh Dealer How are we to understand that?

Heraclitus Why, here is monopoly of wisdom, monopoly of beauty, monopoly of courage, monopoly of justice. Sole king, sole orator, sole legislator, sole millionaire.

Seventh Dealer And I suppose sole cook, sole tanner, sole carpenter, and all that?

Heraclitus Presumably.

Zeus Call up another-that scowling fellow with the shaved head from the Porch.

Hermes Very well. At all events, a great crowd of those who have come to the sale seem to be waiting for him. I offer for sale virtue herself, the most perfect of lives. Who wishes to know everything, alone of all men?

Buyer What do you mean?

Hermes This man alone is wise, he alone is beautiful, he alone is just, manly, a king, an orator, a millionaire, a legislator, and everything else.

Buyer Then, friend, is he alone a cook, and a tanner, by Jove! and a carpenter, and everything of that sort?

Hermes Apparently.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

ZEUS

Call another, the one over there with the cropped head, the dismal fellow from the Porch.

HERMES

Quite right; at all events it looks as if the men who frequent the public square were waiting for him in great numbers.¹ I sell virtue itself, the most perfect of philosophies. Who wants to be the only one to know everything?

BUYER

What do you mean by that?

HERMES

That he is the only wise man, the only handsome man, the only just man, brave man, king, orator, rich man, lawgiver, and everything else that there is.²

BUYER

Then he is the only cook,—yes and the only tanner or carpenter, and so forth?

HERMES

So it appears.

Ζεύς

ἄλλον κάλει, τὸν ἐν χρῷ κουρίαν ἐκεῖνον, τὸν σκυθρωπόν, τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς στοᾶς.

Ἀγοράστης

πῶς τοῦτο φής;

Ἑρμῆς

ὅτι μόνος οὗτος σοφός, μόνος καλός, μόνος δίκαιος ἀνδρεῖος βασιλεὺς ῥήτωρ πλούσιος νομοθέτης καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὁπόσα ἐστίν.

Ἀγοράστης

οὐκοῦν καὶ μάγειρος μόνος, καὶ νὴ Δία γε σκυτοδέψης ἢ τέκτων καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα;

Ἑρμῆς

ἔοικεν.

Zeus

Call the next lot. Stoicism; the creed of the sorrowful countenance, the close-cropped creed.

Heraclitus

Ah yes, several customiers, I fancy, are on the look-out for him. Virtue incarnate! The very quintessence of creeds! Who is for universal monopoly?

Seventh Dealer

How are we to understand that?

Heraclitus

Why, here is monopoly of wisdom, monopoly of beauty, monopoly of courage, monopoly of justice. Sole king, sole orator, sole legislator, sole millionaire.

Seventh Dealer

And I suppose sole cook, sole tanner, sole carpenter, and all that?

Heraclitus

Presumably.

Zeus

Call up another-that scowling fellow with the shaved head from the Porch.

Hermes

Very well. At all events, a great crowd of those who have come to the sale seem to be waiting for him. I offer for sale virtue herself, the most perfect of lives. Who wishes to know everything, alone of all men?

Buyer

What do you mean?

Hermes

This man alone is wise, he alone is beautiful, he alone is just, manly, a king, an orator, a millionaire, a legislator, and everything else.

Buyer

Then, friend, is he alone a cook, and a tanner, by Jove! and a carpenter, and everything of that sort?

Hermes

Apparently.