Lucian, Vitarum auctio, Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator), 8

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Second Dealer

Tell me, good fellow, where do you come from?

Diogenes

Everywhere.

Second Dealer

What does that mean?

Diogenes

It means that I am a citizen of the world.

Second Dealer

And your model?

Diogenes

Heracles.

Second Dealer

Then why no lion’s-skin? You have the orthodox club.

Diogenes

My cloak is my lion’s-skin. Like Heracles, I live in a state of warfare, and my enemy is Pleasure; but unlike him I am a volunteer. My purpose is to purify humanity.

Second Dealer

A noble purpose. Now what do I understand to be your strong subject?. What is your profession?

Diogenes

The liberation of humanity, and the treatment of the” passions, In short, I am the prophet of Truth and Candour.

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

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

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

Ἀγοράστης

τὸ πρῶτον, ὦ βέλτιστε, ποδαπὸς εἶ;

Διογένης

παντοδαπός.

Ἀγοράστης

πῶς λέγεις;

Διογένης

τοῦ κόσμου πολίτην ὁρᾷς.

Ἀγοράστης

ζηλοῖς δὲ δὴ τίνα;

Διογένης

τὸν Ἡρακλέα.

Ἀγοράστης

τί οὖν οὐχὶ καὶ λεοντῆν ἀμπέχῃ; τὸ μὲν γὰρ ξύλον ἔοικας αὐτῷ.

Διογένης

τουτί μοι λεοντῆ, τὸ τριβώνιον. στρατεύομαι δὲ ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος ἐπὶ τὰς ἡδονάς, οὐ κελευστός, ἀλλὰ ἑκούσιος, ἐκκαθᾶραι τὸν βίον προαιρούμενος.

Ἀγοράστης

εὖ γε τῆς προαιρέσεως. ἀλλὰ τί μάλιστα εἰδέναι σε φῶμεν; ἢ τίνα τὴν τέχνην ἔχεις;

Διογένης

ἐλευθερωτής εἰμι τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἰατρὸς τῶν παθῶν· τὸ δὲ ὅλον ἀληθείας καὶ παρρησίας προφήτης εἶναι βούλομαι.

Translations (2)

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

BUYER

First of all, my friend, where are you from?

CYNIC

Everywhere.

BUYER

What do you mean?

CYNIC

You see in me a citizen of the world.

BUYER

Whom do you take for your pattern?

CYNIC

Heracles.

BUYER

Then why don’t you wear a lion’s skin? For as to the cudgel, you are like him in that.

CYNIC

This short cloak is my lion-skin; and I am a soldier like him, fighting against pleasures, no conscript but a volunteer, purposing to make life clean.

BUYER

A fine purpose! But what do you know best, and what is your business?

CYNIC

I am a liberator of men and a physician to their ills; in short I desire to be an interpreter of truth and free speech.

The Sale of Lives Perseus (Lucian. Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York: Harper Brothers, 1892.) — 8 focus

Buyer

In the first place, my friend, where are you from?

Diogones

Everywhere.

Buyer

What do you mean?

Diogones

You see before you a citizen of the world.

Buyer

And who is your model?

Diogones

Herakles.

Buyer

Then why don't you wear the lion-skin, too? You are like him as far as the club goes.

Diogones

This is my lion-skin, my threadbare coat. Like him, I make war on pleasures; not under orders, but of my own will, deliberately choosing to purify life.

Buyer

A noble choice! But just what are we to understand that you know? What art are you master of?

Diogones

I am the liberator of mankind and the physician of their passions; but, above all, I wish to be the prophet of truth and free speech.

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Second Dealer Tell me, good fellow, where do you come from?

Diogenes Everywhere.

Second Dealer What does that mean?

Diogenes It means that I am a citizen of the world.

Second Dealer And your model?

Diogenes Heracles.

Second Dealer Then why no lion’s-skin? You have the orthodox club.

Diogenes My cloak is my lion’s-skin. Like Heracles, I live in a state of warfare, and my enemy is Pleasure; but unlike him I am a volunteer. My purpose is to purify humanity.

Second Dealer A noble purpose. Now what do I understand to be your strong subject?. What is your profession?

Diogenes The liberation of humanity, and the treatment of the” passions, In short, I am the prophet of Truth and Candour.

Current edition Perseus

Ἀγοράστης τὸ πρῶτον, ὦ βέλτιστε, ποδαπὸς εἶ;

Διογένης παντοδαπός.

Ἀγοράστης πῶς λέγεις;

Διογένης τοῦ κόσμου πολίτην ὁρᾷς.

Ἀγοράστης ζηλοῖς δὲ δὴ τίνα;

Διογένης τὸν Ἡρακλέα.

Ἀγοράστης τί οὖν οὐχὶ καὶ λεοντῆν ἀμπέχῃ; τὸ μὲν γὰρ ξύλον ἔοικας αὐτῷ.

Διογένης τουτί μοι λεοντῆ, τὸ τριβώνιον. στρατεύομαι δὲ ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος ἐπὶ τὰς ἡδονάς, οὐ κελευστός, ἀλλὰ ἑκούσιος, ἐκκαθᾶραι τὸν βίον προαιρούμενος.

Ἀγοράστης εὖ γε τῆς προαιρέσεως. ἀλλὰ τί μάλιστα εἰδέναι σε φῶμεν; ἢ τίνα τὴν τέχνην ἔχεις;

Διογένης ἐλευθερωτής εἰμι τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἰατρὸς τῶν παθῶν· τὸ δὲ ὅλον ἀληθείας καὶ παρρησίας προφήτης εἶναι βούλομαι.

BUYER First of all, my friend, where are you from?

CYNIC Everywhere.

BUYER What do you mean?

CYNIC You see in me a citizen of the world.

BUYER Whom do you take for your pattern?

CYNIC Heracles.

BUYER Then why don’t you wear a lion’s skin? For as to the cudgel, you are like him in that.

CYNIC This short cloak is my lion-skin; and I am a soldier like him, fighting against pleasures, no conscript but a volunteer, purposing to make life clean.

BUYER A fine purpose! But what do you know best, and what is your business?

CYNIC I am a liberator of men and a physician to their ills; in short I desire to be an interpreter of truth and free speech.

Buyer In the first place, my friend, where are you from?

Diogones Everywhere.

Buyer What do you mean?

Diogones You see before you a citizen of the world.

Buyer And who is your model?

Diogones Herakles.

Buyer Then why don't you wear the lion-skin, too? You are like him as far as the club goes.

Diogones This is my lion-skin, my threadbare coat. Like him, I make war on pleasures; not under orders, but of my own will, deliberately choosing to purify life.

Buyer A noble choice! But just what are we to understand that you know? What art are you master of?

Diogones I am the liberator of mankind and the physician of their passions; but, above all, I wish to be the prophet of truth and free speech.

Stable identifiers

Second Dealer

Tell me, good fellow, where do you come from?

Diogenes

Everywhere.

Second Dealer

What does that mean?

Diogenes

It means that I am a citizen of the world.

Second Dealer

And your model?

Diogenes

Heracles.

Second Dealer

Then why no lion’s-skin? You have the orthodox club.

Diogenes

My cloak is my lion’s-skin. Like Heracles, I live in a state of warfare, and my enemy is Pleasure; but unlike him I am a volunteer. My purpose is to purify humanity.

Second Dealer

A noble purpose. Now what do I understand to be your strong subject?. What is your profession?

Diogenes

The liberation of humanity, and the treatment of the” passions, In short, I am the prophet of Truth and Candour.

Ἀγοράστης

τὸ πρῶτον, ὦ βέλτιστε, ποδαπὸς εἶ;

Διογένης

παντοδαπός.

Ἀγοράστης

πῶς λέγεις;

Διογένης

τοῦ κόσμου πολίτην ὁρᾷς.

Ἀγοράστης

ζηλοῖς δὲ δὴ τίνα;

Διογένης

τὸν Ἡρακλέα.

Ἀγοράστης

τί οὖν οὐχὶ καὶ λεοντῆν ἀμπέχῃ; τὸ μὲν γὰρ ξύλον ἔοικας αὐτῷ.

Διογένης

τουτί μοι λεοντῆ, τὸ τριβώνιον. στρατεύομαι δὲ ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος ἐπὶ τὰς ἡδονάς, οὐ κελευστός, ἀλλὰ ἑκούσιος, ἐκκαθᾶραι τὸν βίον προαιρούμενος.

Ἀγοράστης

εὖ γε τῆς προαιρέσεως. ἀλλὰ τί μάλιστα εἰδέναι σε φῶμεν; ἢ τίνα τὴν τέχνην ἔχεις;

Διογένης

ἐλευθερωτής εἰμι τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἰατρὸς τῶν παθῶν· τὸ δὲ ὅλον ἀληθείας καὶ παρρησίας προφήτης εἶναι βούλομαι.

BUYER

First of all, my friend, where are you from?

CYNIC

Everywhere.

BUYER

What do you mean?

CYNIC

You see in me a citizen of the world.

BUYER

Whom do you take for your pattern?

CYNIC

Heracles.

BUYER

Then why don’t you wear a lion’s skin? For as to the cudgel, you are like him in that.

CYNIC

This short cloak is my lion-skin; and I am a soldier like him, fighting against pleasures, no conscript but a volunteer, purposing to make life clean.

BUYER

A fine purpose! But what do you know best, and what is your business?

CYNIC

I am a liberator of men and a physician to their ills; in short I desire to be an interpreter of truth and free speech.

Buyer

In the first place, my friend, where are you from?

Diogones

Everywhere.

Buyer

What do you mean?

Diogones

You see before you a citizen of the world.

Buyer

And who is your model?

Diogones

Herakles.

Buyer

Then why don't you wear the lion-skin, too? You are like him as far as the club goes.

Diogones

This is my lion-skin, my threadbare coat. Like him, I make war on pleasures; not under orders, but of my own will, deliberately choosing to purify life.

Buyer

A noble choice! But just what are we to understand that you know? What art are you master of?

Diogones

I am the liberator of mankind and the physician of their passions; but, above all, I wish to be the prophet of truth and free speech.