Lucian of Samosata, Vitarum auctio, Emily James Smith (Translator), 17

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Buyer

You are right, it was my mistake. But what is your manner of life?

Sokrates

I live by myself in a sort of state that I fashioned with a foreign form of government, and I enact my own laws.

Buyer

I should like to hear one of your principles.

Sokrates

Well, this is the most important: my decision about women. No woman is assigned to one man alone, but to every one who wishes her in marriage. Have you, then, abrogated the laws about marriage?

Buyer

What!

Sokrates

Dear me, yes, and all such petty formalities. Beauty shall be the reward of the bravest-those who have accomplished some brilliant feat of daring.

Vitarum auctio. Lucian of Samosata. Emily James Smith (Translator). Medford, MA. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Βίων Πρᾶσις Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 17 focus

Ἀγοράστης

Εὖ λέγεις, ἐγὼ δὲ διημάρτανον. ἀλλὰ τίνα βιοῖς τὸν τρόπον;

Σωκράτης

οἰκῶ μὲν ἐμαυτῷ τινα πόλιν ἀναπλάσας, χρῶμαι δὲ πολιτείᾳ ξένῃ καὶ νόμους νομίζω τοὺς ἐμούς.

Ἀγοράστης

ἓν ἐβουλόμην ἀκοῦσαι τῶν δογμάτων.

Σωκράτης

ἄκουε δὴ τὸ μέγιστον, ὃ περὶ τῶν γυναικῶν μοι δοκεῖ· μηδεμίαν αὐτῶν μηδενὸς εἶναι μόνου, παντὶ δὲ μετεῖναι τῷ βουλομένῳ τοῦ γάμου.

Ἀγοράστης

τοῦτο φής, ἀνῃρῆσθαι τοὺς περὶ μοιχείας νόμους;

Σωκράτης

νὴ Δία, καὶ ἁπλῶς γε πᾶσαν τὴν περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μικρολογίαν.

Ἀγοράστης

τί δὲ περὶ τῶν ἐν ὥρᾳ παίδων σοι δοκεῖ;

Σωκράτης

καὶ οὗτοι ἔσονται τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἆθλον φιλῆσαι λαμπρόν τι καὶ νεανικὸν ἐργασαμένοις.

Translations (2)

Philosophies for Sale Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 17 focus

BUYER

Quite right; I was entirely mistaken. But what is your manner of life?

ACADEMIC

I dwell in a city that I created for myself, using an imported constitution and enacting statutes of my own.¹

BUYER

I should like to hear one of your enactments.

ACADEMIC

Let me tell you the most important one, the view that I hold about wives; it is that none of thei shall belong solely to any one man, but that everyone who so desires may share the rights of the husband.

BUYER

You mean by this that you have abolished the laws against adultery?

ACADEMIC

Yes, and in a word, all this pettiness about such matters.

BUYER

What is your attitude as to pretty boys?

ACADEMIC

Their kisses shall be a guerdon for the bravest after they have done some splendid, reckless deed.

Sale of Creeds Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 1. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 17 focus

Lucian of Samosata Vitarum auctio 17

Emily James Smith (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Buyer

You are right, it was my mistake. But what is your manner of life?

Sokrates

I live by myself in a sort of state that I fashioned with a foreign form of government, and I enact my own laws.

Buyer

I should like to hear one of your principles.

Sokrates

Well, this is the most important: my decision about women. No woman is assigned to one man alone, but to every one who wishes her in marriage. Have you, then, abrogated the laws about marriage?

Buyer

What!

Sokrates

Dear me, yes, and all such petty formalities. Beauty shall be the reward of the bravest-those who have accomplished some brilliant feat of daring.

Current edition Perseus

Ἀγοράστης

Εὖ λέγεις, ἐγὼ δὲ διημάρτανον. ἀλλὰ τίνα βιοῖς τὸν τρόπον;

Σωκράτης

οἰκῶ μὲν ἐμαυτῷ τινα πόλιν ἀναπλάσας, χρῶμαι δὲ πολιτείᾳ ξένῃ καὶ νόμους νομίζω τοὺς ἐμούς.

Ἀγοράστης

ἓν ἐβουλόμην ἀκοῦσαι τῶν δογμάτων.

Σωκράτης

ἄκουε δὴ τὸ μέγιστον, ὃ περὶ τῶν γυναικῶν μοι δοκεῖ· μηδεμίαν αὐτῶν μηδενὸς εἶναι μόνου, παντὶ δὲ μετεῖναι τῷ βουλομένῳ τοῦ γάμου.

Ἀγοράστης

τοῦτο φής, ἀνῃρῆσθαι τοὺς περὶ μοιχείας νόμους;

Σωκράτης

νὴ Δία, καὶ ἁπλῶς γε πᾶσαν τὴν περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μικρολογίαν.

Ἀγοράστης

τί δὲ περὶ τῶν ἐν ὥρᾳ παίδων σοι δοκεῖ;

Σωκράτης

καὶ οὗτοι ἔσονται τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἆθλον φιλῆσαι λαμπρόν τι καὶ νεανικὸν ἐργασαμένοις.

BUYER

Quite right; I was entirely mistaken. But what is your manner of life?

ACADEMIC

I dwell in a city that I created for myself, using an imported constitution and enacting statutes of my own.¹

BUYER

I should like to hear one of your enactments.

ACADEMIC

Let me tell you the most important one, the view that I hold about wives; it is that none of thei shall belong solely to any one man, but that everyone who so desires may share the rights of the husband.

BUYER

You mean by this that you have abolished the laws against adultery?

ACADEMIC

Yes, and in a word, all this pettiness about such matters.

BUYER

What is your attitude as to pretty boys?

ACADEMIC

Their kisses shall be a guerdon for the bravest after they have done some splendid, reckless deed.

Fifth Dealer

Quite so. My mistake. Now what is your manner of life?

Socrates

I live in a city of my own building; I make my own laws, and have a novel constitution of my own.

Fifth Dealer

I should like to hear some of your statutes.

Socrates

You shall hear the greatest of them all. No woman shall be restricted to one husband. Every man who likes is her husband.

Fifth Dealer

What! Then the laws of adultery are clean swept away?

Socrates

I should think they were! and a world of hair-splitting with them.

Fifth Dealer

And what do you do with the handsome boys?

Socrates

‘Their kisses are the reward of merit, of noble and spirited actions.

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Buyer You are right, it was my mistake. But what is your manner of life?

Sokrates I live by myself in a sort of state that I fashioned with a foreign form of government, and I enact my own laws.

Buyer I should like to hear one of your principles.

Sokrates Well, this is the most important: my decision about women. No woman is assigned to one man alone, but to every one who wishes her in marriage. Have you, then, abrogated the laws about marriage?

Buyer What!

Sokrates Dear me, yes, and all such petty formalities. Beauty shall be the reward of the bravest-those who have accomplished some brilliant feat of daring.

Current edition Perseus

Ἀγοράστης Εὖ λέγεις, ἐγὼ δὲ διημάρτανον. ἀλλὰ τίνα βιοῖς τὸν τρόπον;

Σωκράτης οἰκῶ μὲν ἐμαυτῷ τινα πόλιν ἀναπλάσας, χρῶμαι δὲ πολιτείᾳ ξένῃ καὶ νόμους νομίζω τοὺς ἐμούς.

Ἀγοράστης ἓν ἐβουλόμην ἀκοῦσαι τῶν δογμάτων.

Σωκράτης ἄκουε δὴ τὸ μέγιστον, ὃ περὶ τῶν γυναικῶν μοι δοκεῖ· μηδεμίαν αὐτῶν μηδενὸς εἶναι μόνου, παντὶ δὲ μετεῖναι τῷ βουλομένῳ τοῦ γάμου.

Ἀγοράστης τοῦτο φής, ἀνῃρῆσθαι τοὺς περὶ μοιχείας νόμους;

Σωκράτης νὴ Δία, καὶ ἁπλῶς γε πᾶσαν τὴν περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μικρολογίαν.

Ἀγοράστης τί δὲ περὶ τῶν ἐν ὥρᾳ παίδων σοι δοκεῖ;

Σωκράτης καὶ οὗτοι ἔσονται τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἆθλον φιλῆσαι λαμπρόν τι καὶ νεανικὸν ἐργασαμένοις.

BUYER Quite right; I was entirely mistaken. But what is your manner of life?

ACADEMIC I dwell in a city that I created for myself, using an imported constitution and enacting statutes of my own. 1

BUYER I should like to hear one of your enactments.

ACADEMIC Let me tell you the most important one, the view that I hold about wives; it is that none of thei shall belong solely to any one man, but that everyone who so desires may share the rights of the husband.

BUYER You mean by this that you have abolished the laws against adultery?

ACADEMIC Yes, and in a word, all this pettiness about such matters.

BUYER What is your attitude as to pretty boys?

ACADEMIC Their kisses shall be a guerdon for the bravest after they have done some splendid, reckless deed.

Fifth Dealer Quite so. My mistake. Now what is your manner of life?

Socrates I live in a city of my own building; I make my own laws, and have a novel constitution of my own.

Fifth Dealer I should like to hear some of your statutes.

Socrates You shall hear the greatest of them all. No woman shall be restricted to one husband. Every man who likes is her husband.

Fifth Dealer What! Then the laws of adultery are clean swept away?

Socrates I should think they were! and a world of hair-splitting with them.

Fifth Dealer And what do you do with the handsome boys?

Socrates ‘Their kisses are the reward of merit, of noble and spirited actions.

Stable identifiers

Buyer

You are right, it was my mistake. But what is your manner of life?

Sokrates

I live by myself in a sort of state that I fashioned with a foreign form of government, and I enact my own laws.

Buyer

I should like to hear one of your principles.

Sokrates

Well, this is the most important: my decision about women. No woman is assigned to one man alone, but to every one who wishes her in marriage. Have you, then, abrogated the laws about marriage?

Buyer

What!

Sokrates

Dear me, yes, and all such petty formalities. Beauty shall be the reward of the bravest-those who have accomplished some brilliant feat of daring.

Ἀγοράστης

Εὖ λέγεις, ἐγὼ δὲ διημάρτανον. ἀλλὰ τίνα βιοῖς τὸν τρόπον;

Σωκράτης

οἰκῶ μὲν ἐμαυτῷ τινα πόλιν ἀναπλάσας, χρῶμαι δὲ πολιτείᾳ ξένῃ καὶ νόμους νομίζω τοὺς ἐμούς.

Ἀγοράστης

ἓν ἐβουλόμην ἀκοῦσαι τῶν δογμάτων.

Σωκράτης

ἄκουε δὴ τὸ μέγιστον, ὃ περὶ τῶν γυναικῶν μοι δοκεῖ· μηδεμίαν αὐτῶν μηδενὸς εἶναι μόνου, παντὶ δὲ μετεῖναι τῷ βουλομένῳ τοῦ γάμου.

Ἀγοράστης

τοῦτο φής, ἀνῃρῆσθαι τοὺς περὶ μοιχείας νόμους;

Σωκράτης

νὴ Δία, καὶ ἁπλῶς γε πᾶσαν τὴν περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μικρολογίαν.

Ἀγοράστης

τί δὲ περὶ τῶν ἐν ὥρᾳ παίδων σοι δοκεῖ;

Σωκράτης

καὶ οὗτοι ἔσονται τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἆθλον φιλῆσαι λαμπρόν τι καὶ νεανικὸν ἐργασαμένοις.

BUYER

Quite right; I was entirely mistaken. But what is your manner of life?

ACADEMIC

I dwell in a city that I created for myself, using an imported constitution and enacting statutes of my own.¹

BUYER

I should like to hear one of your enactments.

ACADEMIC

Let me tell you the most important one, the view that I hold about wives; it is that none of thei shall belong solely to any one man, but that everyone who so desires may share the rights of the husband.

BUYER

You mean by this that you have abolished the laws against adultery?

ACADEMIC

Yes, and in a word, all this pettiness about such matters.

BUYER

What is your attitude as to pretty boys?

ACADEMIC

Their kisses shall be a guerdon for the bravest after they have done some splendid, reckless deed.

Fifth Dealer

Quite so. My mistake. Now what is your manner of life?

Socrates

I live in a city of my own building; I make my own laws, and have a novel constitution of my own.

Fifth Dealer

I should like to hear some of your statutes.

Socrates

You shall hear the greatest of them all. No woman shall be restricted to one husband. Every man who likes is her husband.

Fifth Dealer

What! Then the laws of adultery are clean swept away?

Socrates

I should think they were! and a world of hair-splitting with them.

Fifth Dealer

And what do you do with the handsome boys?

Socrates

‘Their kisses are the reward of merit, of noble and spirited actions.