Lucian of Samosata, Vitarum auctio, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 6

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BUYER

How do you stand in the matter of diet?

PYTHAGOREAN

I eat nothing at all that hath life, but all else save beans.

BUYER

Why so? Do you dislike beans?

PYTHAGOREAN

Nay, but they are holy, and wonderful is their nature. First, they are nought but seed of man, and if thou open a bean while it is still green, thou wilt see that it resembleth in structure the member of a man; and again, if thou cook it and set it in the light of the moon for a fixed number of nights, thou wilt make blood. But more than this, the Athenians are wont to choose their magistrates with beans.¹

BUYER

You have explained everything duly and sacerdotally. Come, strip, for I want to see you unclothed. Heracles! His thigh is of gold! He seems to be a god and not a mortal, so I shall certainly buy him. (Yo Hermes.) What price do you sell him for?

HERMES

Ten minas.

BUYER

I'll take him at that figure.

ZEUS

Write down the buyer’s name and where he comes from.

HERMES

He appears to be an Italian, Zeus, one of those who live in the neighbourhood of Croton and Tarentum and the Greek settlements in that quarter of the world. But there is more than one buyer; about three hundred have bought him in shares.²

ZEUS

Let them take him away; let us bring on another.

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.) — 6 focus

Ἀγοράστης

ἀλλὰ τάδε μὲν ἱκανῶς. τὰ δʼ ἀμφὶ δίαιταν ὁποῖός τις εἶ;

Πυθαγόρας

ἐμψυχήϊον μὲν οὐδὲ ἓν σιτέομαι, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα πλὴν κυάμων.

Ἀγοράστης

τίνος ἕνεκα; ἢ μυσάττῃ τοὺς κυάμους;

Πυθαγόρας

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ἱροί εἰσι καὶ θωυμαστὴ αὐτέων ἡ φύσις· πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ τὸ πᾶν γονή εἰσι, καὶ ἢν ἀποδύσῃς κύαμον ἔτι χλωρὸν ἐόντα, ὄψεαι τοῖσιν ἀνδρείοισι μορίοισιν ἐμφερέα τὴν φυήν· ἑψηθέντα δὲ ἢν ἀφῇς ἐς τὴν σεληναίην νυξὶ μεμετρημένῃσιν, αἷμα ποιήσεις. τὸ δὲ μέζον, Ἀθηναίοισι νόμος κυάμοισι τὰς ἀρχὰς αἱρέεσθαι.

Ἀγοράστης

καλῶς πάντα ἔφης καὶ ἱεροπρεπῶς. ἀλλὰ ἀπόδυθι, καὶ γυμνὸν γάρ σε ἰδεῖν βούλομαι. ὦ Ἡράκλεις, χρυσοῦς αὐτῷ ὁ μηρός ἐστι. θεός, οὐ βροτός τις εἶναι φαίνεται· ὥστε ὠνήσομαι πάντως αὐτόν. πόσου τοῦτον ἀποκηρύττεις;

Ἑρμῆς

δέκα μνῶν.

Ἀγοράστης

ἔχω τοσούτου λαβών.

Ζεύς

γράφε τοῦ ὠνησαμένου τοὔνομα καὶ ὅθεν ἐστίν.

Ἑρμῆς

Ἰταλιώτης, ὦ Ζεῦ, δοκεῖ τις εἶναι τῶν ἀμφὶ Κρότωνα καὶ Τάραντα καὶ τὴν ταύτῃ Ἑλλάδα· καίτοι οὐχ εἷς, ἀλλὰ τριακόσιοι σχεδὸν ἐώνηνται κατὰ κοινὸν αὐτόν.

Ζεύς

Ἀπαγέτωσαν· ἄλλον παράγωμεν.

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.) — 6 focus

First Dealer

But enough of this, And now what is your diet?

Pythagoras

Of living things I eat none. All else I eat, except beans.

First Dealer

And why no beans? Do you dislike them?

Pythagoras

No. But they are sacred things. Their nature is a mystery. Consider them first in their generative aspect; take a green one and peel it, and you will see what I mean. Again, boil one and expose it to moonlight for a proper number of nights, and you have—blood. What is more, the Athenians use beans to vote with.

First Dealer

Admirable! A very feast of reason. Now just strip, and let me see what you are like. Bless me, here is a creed with a golden thigh! He is no mortal, he is a God. I must have him at any price. What do you start him at?

Heraclitus

Forty pounds.

First Dealer

He is mine for forty pounds,

Zeus

Take the gentleman’s name and address.

Heraclitus

He must come from Italy, I should think; Croton or Tarentum, or one of the Greek towns in those parts. But he is not the only buyer. Some three hundred of them have clubbed together.

Zeus

They are welcome to him. Now up with the next.

The Sale of Lives Perseus (Lucian. Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York: Harper Brothers, 1892.) — 6 focus

Buyer

What are your habits of life?

Pythagoras

I touch no sort of animal food, but anything else except beans.

Buyer

What is the reason of that? Perhaps you dislike beans?

Pythagoras

Not at all, but they are sacred and of a marvellous nature. But, what is more important, it is the custom of the Athenians to vote for officers with beans.

Buyer

All your remarks are lofty and priestlike. But take off your clothes and let me see you stripped. Good heavens, his thigh is golden! He seems to be a god, not a mortal. I will buy him, by all means. How much do you ask for him?

Hermes

Two hundred dollars.

Buyer

I will take him at the price.

Zeus

Make a note of the buyer's name and country.

Hermes

He is an Italian, I should think, from Croton or Tarentum, or somewhere in Magna Graecia. But he is not the sole purchaser; almost three hundred clubbed together with him.

Zeus

Let them take him off. Put up another.

Notes on the current edition

Philosophies for Sale

1. The offices were filled by lot, and beans were used for lots. This appears to be Lucian’s own contribution to the Pythagorean mysticism, but the other particulars are not very remote from the actual teachings of the Neo-Pythagoreans, Cf. Porphyr. Vit. Pythag., 44.

2. A reference to the brotherhood founded by Pythagoras in Magna Grecia, which wielded great political power until it was extirpated in a general revolt about fifty years after the death of Pythagoras.

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Search the Perseus Catalog for:

BUYER How do you stand in the matter of diet?

PYTHAGOREAN I eat nothing at all that hath life, but all else save beans.

BUYER Why so? Do you dislike beans?

BUYER You have explained everything duly and sacerdotally. Come, strip, for I want to see you unclothed. Heracles! His thigh is of gold! He seems to be a god and not a mortal, so I shall certainly buy him. (Yo Hermes.) What price do you sell him for?

HERMES Ten minas.

BUYER I'll take him at that figure.

ZEUS Write down the buyer’s name and where he comes from.

HERMES He appears to be an Italian, Zeus, one of those who live in the neighbourhood of Croton and Tarentum and the Greek settlements in that quarter of the world. But there is more than one buyer; about three hundred have bought him in shares. 2

ZEUS Let them take him away; let us bring on another.

Current edition Perseus

Ἀγοράστης ἀλλὰ τάδε μὲν ἱκανῶς. τὰ δʼ ἀμφὶ δίαιταν ὁποῖός τις εἶ;

Πυθαγόρας ἐμψυχήϊον μὲν οὐδὲ ἓν σιτέομαι, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα πλὴν κυάμων.

Ἀγοράστης τίνος ἕνεκα; ἢ μυσάττῃ τοὺς κυάμους;

Ἑρμῆς δέκα μνῶν.

Ἀγοράστης ἔχω τοσούτου λαβών.

Ζεύς γράφε τοῦ ὠνησαμένου τοὔνομα καὶ ὅθεν ἐστίν.

Ζεύς Ἀπαγέτωσαν· ἄλλον παράγωμεν.

First Dealer But enough of this, And now what is your diet?

Pythagoras Of living things I eat none. All else I eat, except beans.

First Dealer And why no beans? Do you dislike them?

First Dealer Admirable! A very feast of reason. Now just strip, and let me see what you are like. Bless me, here is a creed with a golden thigh! He is no mortal, he is a God. I must have him at any price. What do you start him at?

Heraclitus Forty pounds.

First Dealer He is mine for forty pounds,

Zeus Take the gentleman’s name and address.

Heraclitus He must come from Italy, I should think; Croton or Tarentum, or one of the Greek towns in those parts. But he is not the only buyer. Some three hundred of them have clubbed together.

Zeus They are welcome to him. Now up with the next.

Buyer What are your habits of life?

Pythagoras I touch no sort of animal food, but anything else except beans.

Buyer What is the reason of that? Perhaps you dislike beans?

Pythagoras Not at all, but they are sacred and of a marvellous nature. But, what is more important, it is the custom of the Athenians to vote for officers with beans.

Buyer All your remarks are lofty and priestlike. But take off your clothes and let me see you stripped. Good heavens, his thigh is golden! He seems to be a god, not a mortal. I will buy him, by all means. How much do you ask for him?

Hermes Two hundred dollars.

Buyer I will take him at the price.

Zeus Make a note of the buyer's name and country.

Hermes He is an Italian, I should think, from Croton or Tarentum, or somewhere in Magna Graecia. But he is not the sole purchaser; almost three hundred clubbed together with him.

Zeus Let them take him off. Put up another.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

BUYER

How do you stand in the matter of diet?

PYTHAGOREAN

I eat nothing at all that hath life, but all else save beans.

BUYER

Why so? Do you dislike beans?

BUYER

You have explained everything duly and sacerdotally. Come, strip, for I want to see you unclothed. Heracles! His thigh is of gold! He seems to be a god and not a mortal, so I shall certainly buy him. (Yo Hermes.) What price do you sell him for?

HERMES

Ten minas.

BUYER

I'll take him at that figure.

ZEUS

Write down the buyer’s name and where he comes from.

HERMES

He appears to be an Italian, Zeus, one of those who live in the neighbourhood of Croton and Tarentum and the Greek settlements in that quarter of the world. But there is more than one buyer; about three hundred have bought him in shares.²

ZEUS

Let them take him away; let us bring on another.

Ἀγοράστης

ἀλλὰ τάδε μὲν ἱκανῶς. τὰ δʼ ἀμφὶ δίαιταν ὁποῖός τις εἶ;

Πυθαγόρας

ἐμψυχήϊον μὲν οὐδὲ ἓν σιτέομαι, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα πλὴν κυάμων.

Ἀγοράστης

τίνος ἕνεκα; ἢ μυσάττῃ τοὺς κυάμους;

Ἑρμῆς

δέκα μνῶν.

Ἀγοράστης

ἔχω τοσούτου λαβών.

Ζεύς

γράφε τοῦ ὠνησαμένου τοὔνομα καὶ ὅθεν ἐστίν.

Ζεύς

Ἀπαγέτωσαν· ἄλλον παράγωμεν.

First Dealer

But enough of this, And now what is your diet?

Pythagoras

Of living things I eat none. All else I eat, except beans.

First Dealer

And why no beans? Do you dislike them?

First Dealer

Admirable! A very feast of reason. Now just strip, and let me see what you are like. Bless me, here is a creed with a golden thigh! He is no mortal, he is a God. I must have him at any price. What do you start him at?

Heraclitus

Forty pounds.

First Dealer

He is mine for forty pounds,

Zeus

Take the gentleman’s name and address.

Heraclitus

He must come from Italy, I should think; Croton or Tarentum, or one of the Greek towns in those parts. But he is not the only buyer. Some three hundred of them have clubbed together.

Zeus

They are welcome to him. Now up with the next.

Buyer

What are your habits of life?

Pythagoras

I touch no sort of animal food, but anything else except beans.

Buyer

What is the reason of that? Perhaps you dislike beans?

Pythagoras

Not at all, but they are sacred and of a marvellous nature. But, what is more important, it is the custom of the Athenians to vote for officers with beans.

Buyer

All your remarks are lofty and priestlike. But take off your clothes and let me see you stripped. Good heavens, his thigh is golden! He seems to be a god, not a mortal. I will buy him, by all means. How much do you ask for him?

Hermes

Two hundred dollars.

Buyer

I will take him at the price.

Zeus

Make a note of the buyer's name and country.

Hermes

He is an Italian, I should think, from Croton or Tarentum, or somewhere in Magna Graecia. But he is not the sole purchaser; almost three hundred clubbed together with him.

Zeus

Let them take him off. Put up another.