Lucian of Samosata, Vitarum auctio, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 3

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BUYER

Where are you from?

PYTHAGOREAN

From Samos.¹

BUYER

Where were you educated?

PYTHAGOREAN

In Egypt, with the sages there.

BUYER

Come now, if I buy you, what will you teach me?

PYTHAGOREAN

I shall teach thee nothing, but make thee remember.²

BUYER

How will you make me remember?

PYTHAGOREAN

First by making thy soul pure and purging off the filth upon it.

BUYER

Well, imagine that my purification is complete, what will be your method of making me remember?

PYTHAGOREAN

In the first place, long silence and speechlessness, and for five entire years no word of talk.

BUYER

My good man, you had better teach the son of Croesus!?³ I want to be talkative, not a graven image. However, what comes after the silence and the five years?

PYTHAGOREAN

Thou shalt be practised in music and geometry.

BUYER

That is delightful; I am to become a fiddler before being wise!

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.) — 3 focus

Ἀγοράστης

ποδαπὸς εἶ σύ;

Πυθαγόρας

Σάμιος.

Ἀγοράστης

ποῦ δὲ ἐπαιδεύθης;

Πυθαγόρας

ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ παρὰ τοῖς ἐκεῖ σοφοῖσι.

Ἀγοράστης

φέρε δέ, ἢν πρίωμαί σε, τί με διδάξει;¹

Πυθαγόρας

διδάξομαι μὲν οὐδέν, ἀναμνήσω δέ.

Ἀγοράστης

πῶς ἀναμνήσεις;

Πυθαγόρας

καθαρὴν πρότερον τὴν ψυχὴν ἐργασάμενος καὶ τὸν ἐπʼ αὐτῇ ῥύπον ἐκκλύσας.

Ἀγοράστης

καὶ δὴ νόμισον ἤδη ἐκκεκαθάρθαι με, τις ὁ τρόπος τῆς ἀναμνήσεως;

Πυθαγόρας

τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἡσυχίη μακρὴ καὶ ἀφωνίη καὶ πέντε ὅλων ἐτέων λαλέειν μηδέν.

Ἀγοράστης

ὥρα σοι, ὦ βέλτιστε, τὸν Κροίσου παῖδα παιδεύειν· ἐγὼ γὰρ λάλος, οὐκ ἀνδριὰς εἶναι βούλομαι. τί δὲ μετὰ τὴν σιωπὴν ὅμως καὶ τὴν πενταετίαν;

Πυθαγόρας

Μουσουργίῃ καὶ γεωμετρίῃ ἐνασκήσεαι.

Ἀγοράστης

χάριεν λέγεις, εἰ πρῶτόν με κιθαρῳδὸν γενόμενον κᾆτα εἶναι σοφὸν χρή.

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.) — 3 focus

First Dealer

Where do you come from?

Pythagoras

Samos.

First Dealer

Where did you get your schooling?

Pythagoras

From the sophists in Egypt.

First Dealer

If I buy you, what will you teach me?

Pythagoras

Nothing. I will remind you.

First Dealer

Remind me?

Pythagoras

But first I shall have to cleanse your soul of its filth.

First Dealer

Well, suppose the cleansing process complete. How is the reminding done?

Pythagoras

We shall begin with a long course of silent contemplation. Not a word to be spoken for five years.

First Dealer

You would have been just the creed for Croesus’s son! But I have a tongue in my head; I have no ambition to be a statue. And after the five years’ silence?

Pythagoras

You will study music and geometry.

First Dealer

A charming recipe!’ The way to be wise: learn the guitar.

The Sale of Lives Perseus (Lucian. Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York: Harper Brothers, 1892.) — 3 focus

Buyer

What country are you of?

Pythagoras

Samos.

Buyer

Where were you educated?

Pythagoras

In Egypt, among the sages there.

Buyer

Well, then, if I buy you what will you teach me?

Pythagoras

I will not teach you anything. I will remind you.

Buyer

How will you remind me?

Pythagoras

By first making your soul clean, and washing off the filth that is on it.

Buyer

Now, suppose me already purified, what is your method of reminding?

Pythagoras

The first step is a long, speechless silence; you must not say a word for five whole years.

Buyer

You ought to teach mutes, my friend. But I am a talker with no desire to become a graven image. All the same, what comes after the silence and the five-year term?

Pythagoras

Practise in music and geometry.

Buyer

That is a nice statement! If I am to become a philosopher I must first learn to play the harp!

Notes on the current edition

Philosophies for Sale

1. The birthplace of Pythagoras. Hence the “‘ Pythagorean philosophy” talks Ionic Greek.

2. Before centering upon its round of transmigrations, the soul was all-wise; learning is merely remembering. Socrates expounds this theory in Plato’s Jeno.

3. One of the sons of Crocsus was mute: Herod. 1. 34, 85.

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

BUYER Where are you from?

PYTHAGOREAN From Samos. 1

BUYER Where were you educated?

PYTHAGOREAN In Egypt, with the sages there.

BUYER Come now, if I buy you, what will you teach me?

PYTHAGOREAN I shall teach thee nothing, but make thee remember. 2

BUYER How will you make me remember?

PYTHAGOREAN First by making thy soul pure and purging off the filth upon it.

BUYER Well, imagine that my purification is complete, what will be your method of making me remember?

PYTHAGOREAN In the first place, long silence and speechlessness, and for five entire years no word of talk.

BUYER My good man, you had better teach the son of Croesus!? 3 I want to be talkative, not a graven image. However, what comes after the silence and the five years?

PYTHAGOREAN Thou shalt be practised in music and geometry.

BUYER That is delightful; I am to become a fiddler before being wise!

Current edition Perseus

Ἀγοράστης ποδαπὸς εἶ σύ;

Πυθαγόρας Σάμιος.

Ἀγοράστης ποῦ δὲ ἐπαιδεύθης;

Πυθαγόρας ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ παρὰ τοῖς ἐκεῖ σοφοῖσι.

Ἀγοράστης φέρε δέ, ἢν πρίωμαί σε, τί με διδάξει; 1

Πυθαγόρας διδάξομαι μὲν οὐδέν, ἀναμνήσω δέ.

Ἀγοράστης πῶς ἀναμνήσεις;

Πυθαγόρας καθαρὴν πρότερον τὴν ψυχὴν ἐργασάμενος καὶ τὸν ἐπʼ αὐτῇ ῥύπον ἐκκλύσας.

Ἀγοράστης καὶ δὴ νόμισον ἤδη ἐκκεκαθάρθαι με, τις ὁ τρόπος τῆς ἀναμνήσεως;

Πυθαγόρας τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἡσυχίη μακρὴ καὶ ἀφωνίη καὶ πέντε ὅλων ἐτέων λαλέειν μηδέν.

Ἀγοράστης ὥρα σοι, ὦ βέλτιστε, τὸν Κροίσου παῖδα παιδεύειν· ἐγὼ γὰρ λάλος, οὐκ ἀνδριὰς εἶναι βούλομαι. τί δὲ μετὰ τὴν σιωπὴν ὅμως καὶ τὴν πενταετίαν;

Πυθαγόρας Μουσουργίῃ καὶ γεωμετρίῃ ἐνασκήσεαι.

Ἀγοράστης χάριεν λέγεις, εἰ πρῶτόν με κιθαρῳδὸν γενόμενον κᾆτα εἶναι σοφὸν χρή.

First Dealer Where do you come from?

Pythagoras Samos.

First Dealer Where did you get your schooling?

Pythagoras From the sophists in Egypt.

First Dealer If I buy you, what will you teach me?

Pythagoras Nothing. I will remind you.

First Dealer Remind me?

Pythagoras But first I shall have to cleanse your soul of its filth.

First Dealer Well, suppose the cleansing process complete. How is the reminding done?

Pythagoras We shall begin with a long course of silent contemplation. Not a word to be spoken for five years.

First Dealer You would have been just the creed for Croesus’s son! But I have a tongue in my head; I have no ambition to be a statue. And after the five years’ silence?

Pythagoras You will study music and geometry.

First Dealer A charming recipe!’ The way to be wise: learn the guitar.

Buyer What country are you of?

Pythagoras Samos.

Buyer Where were you educated?

Pythagoras In Egypt, among the sages there.

Buyer Well, then, if I buy you what will you teach me?

Pythagoras I will not teach you anything. I will remind you.

Buyer How will you remind me?

Pythagoras By first making your soul clean, and washing off the filth that is on it.

Buyer Now, suppose me already purified, what is your method of reminding?

Pythagoras The first step is a long, speechless silence; you must not say a word for five whole years.

Buyer You ought to teach mutes, my friend. But I am a talker with no desire to become a graven image. All the same, what comes after the silence and the five-year term?

Pythagoras Practise in music and geometry.

Buyer That is a nice statement! If I am to become a philosopher I must first learn to play the harp!

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

BUYER

Where are you from?

PYTHAGOREAN

From Samos.¹

BUYER

Where were you educated?

PYTHAGOREAN

In Egypt, with the sages there.

BUYER

Come now, if I buy you, what will you teach me?

PYTHAGOREAN

I shall teach thee nothing, but make thee remember.²

BUYER

How will you make me remember?

PYTHAGOREAN

First by making thy soul pure and purging off the filth upon it.

BUYER

Well, imagine that my purification is complete, what will be your method of making me remember?

PYTHAGOREAN

In the first place, long silence and speechlessness, and for five entire years no word of talk.

BUYER

My good man, you had better teach the son of Croesus!?³ I want to be talkative, not a graven image. However, what comes after the silence and the five years?

PYTHAGOREAN

Thou shalt be practised in music and geometry.

BUYER

That is delightful; I am to become a fiddler before being wise!

Ἀγοράστης

ποδαπὸς εἶ σύ;

Πυθαγόρας

Σάμιος.

Ἀγοράστης

ποῦ δὲ ἐπαιδεύθης;

Πυθαγόρας

ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ παρὰ τοῖς ἐκεῖ σοφοῖσι.

Ἀγοράστης

φέρε δέ, ἢν πρίωμαί σε, τί με διδάξει;¹

Πυθαγόρας

διδάξομαι μὲν οὐδέν, ἀναμνήσω δέ.

Ἀγοράστης

πῶς ἀναμνήσεις;

Πυθαγόρας

καθαρὴν πρότερον τὴν ψυχὴν ἐργασάμενος καὶ τὸν ἐπʼ αὐτῇ ῥύπον ἐκκλύσας.

Ἀγοράστης

καὶ δὴ νόμισον ἤδη ἐκκεκαθάρθαι με, τις ὁ τρόπος τῆς ἀναμνήσεως;

Πυθαγόρας

τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἡσυχίη μακρὴ καὶ ἀφωνίη καὶ πέντε ὅλων ἐτέων λαλέειν μηδέν.

Ἀγοράστης

ὥρα σοι, ὦ βέλτιστε, τὸν Κροίσου παῖδα παιδεύειν· ἐγὼ γὰρ λάλος, οὐκ ἀνδριὰς εἶναι βούλομαι. τί δὲ μετὰ τὴν σιωπὴν ὅμως καὶ τὴν πενταετίαν;

Πυθαγόρας

Μουσουργίῃ καὶ γεωμετρίῃ ἐνασκήσεαι.

Ἀγοράστης

χάριεν λέγεις, εἰ πρῶτόν με κιθαρῳδὸν γενόμενον κᾆτα εἶναι σοφὸν χρή.

First Dealer

Where do you come from?

Pythagoras

Samos.

First Dealer

Where did you get your schooling?

Pythagoras

From the sophists in Egypt.

First Dealer

If I buy you, what will you teach me?

Pythagoras

Nothing. I will remind you.

First Dealer

Remind me?

Pythagoras

But first I shall have to cleanse your soul of its filth.

First Dealer

Well, suppose the cleansing process complete. How is the reminding done?

Pythagoras

We shall begin with a long course of silent contemplation. Not a word to be spoken for five years.

First Dealer

You would have been just the creed for Croesus’s son! But I have a tongue in my head; I have no ambition to be a statue. And after the five years’ silence?

Pythagoras

You will study music and geometry.

First Dealer

A charming recipe!’ The way to be wise: learn the guitar.

Buyer

What country are you of?

Pythagoras

Samos.

Buyer

Where were you educated?

Pythagoras

In Egypt, among the sages there.

Buyer

Well, then, if I buy you what will you teach me?

Pythagoras

I will not teach you anything. I will remind you.

Buyer

How will you remind me?

Pythagoras

By first making your soul clean, and washing off the filth that is on it.

Buyer

Now, suppose me already purified, what is your method of reminding?

Pythagoras

The first step is a long, speechless silence; you must not say a word for five whole years.

Buyer

You ought to teach mutes, my friend. But I am a talker with no desire to become a graven image. All the same, what comes after the silence and the five-year term?

Pythagoras

Practise in music and geometry.

Buyer

That is a nice statement! If I am to become a philosopher I must first learn to play the harp!