Lucian of Samosata, Piscator, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 19

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PHILOSOPHY

Let us go up, then. But tell me, what is your name?

FRANKNESS

Mine? Frankness, son of Truthful, son of Renowned Investigator.

PHILOSOPHY

And your country?

FRANKNESS

I am a Syrian, Philosophy, from the banks of the Euphrates. But what of that? I know that some of my opponents here are just as foreign-born as I: but in their manners and culture they are not like men of Soli or Cyprus or Babylon or Stageira.¹ Yet as far as you are concerned it would make no difference even if a man’s speech were foreign, if only his way of thinking were manifestly right and just.

Piscator. Lucian of Samosata. Austin Morris Harmon (Translator). United States. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

The Dead Come to Life, or the Fisherman (English) (Lucian, Vol. 3. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1921.)

Editions (1)

Ἀναβιοῦντες ἢ Ἁλιεύς Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 3. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1921.) — 19 focus

Φιλοσοφία

ἀνίωμεν οὖν. ἀλλὰ εἰπέ μοι σύ, τί σοι τοὔνομα;

Παρρησιάδης

ἐμοί; Παρρησιάδης Ἀληθίωνος τοῦ Ἐλεγξικλέους.

Φιλοσοφία

πατρὶς δέ;

Παρρησιάδης

Σύρος, ὦ Φιλοσοφία, τῶν Ἐπευφρατιδίων. ἀλλὰ τί τοῦτο; καὶ γὰρ τούτων τινὰς οἶδα τῶν ἀντιδίκων μου οὐχ ἧττον ἐμοῦ βαρβάρους τὸ γένος· ὁ τρόπος δὲ καὶ ἡ παιδεία οὐ κατὰ Σολέας ἢ Κυπρίους ἢ Βαβυλωνίους ἢ Σταγειρίτας. καίτοι πρός γε σὲ οὐδὲν ἂν ἔλαττον γένοιτο οὐδʼ εἰ τὴν φωνὴν βάρβαρος εἴη τις, εἴπερ ἡ γνώμη ὀρθὴ καὶ δικαία φαίνοιτο οὖσα.

Translations (1)

The Fisher Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 1. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 19 focus

Philosophy

Prisoner, your name?

Lucian

Parrhesiades, son of Alethion, son of Elenxicles.¹

Philosophy

And your country?

Lucian

I am a Syrian from the Euphrates, my lady. But is the question relevant? Some of my accusers I know to be as much barbarians by blood as myself; but character and culture do not vary as a man comes from Soli or Cyprus, Babylon or Stagira. However, even one who could not talk Greek would be none the worse in your eyes, so long as his sentiments were right and just.

Philosophy

True, the question was unnecessary. But what is your profession? that at least is essential.

Notes on the current edition

The Dead Come to Life, or the Fisherman

Although they were born there: Chrysippus in Soli, Aristotle in Stageira. No philosopher. mentioned: by name in this piece came from Cyprus or from Babylon, and these allusions are not clear. Perhaps Lucian has in mind Zeno of Citium and Poseidonius of Seleucia on the Tigris.

Lucian of Samosata Piscator 19

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

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PHILOSOPHY

Let us go up, then. But tell me, what is your name?

FRANKNESS

Mine? Frankness, son of Truthful, son of Renowned Investigator.

PHILOSOPHY

And your country?

Current edition Perseus

Φιλοσοφία

ἀνίωμεν οὖν. ἀλλὰ εἰπέ μοι σύ, τί σοι τοὔνομα;

Παρρησιάδης

ἐμοί; Παρρησιάδης Ἀληθίωνος τοῦ Ἐλεγξικλέους.

Φιλοσοφία

πατρὶς δέ;

Philosophy

Prisoner, your name?

Lucian

Parrhesiades, son of Alethion, son of Elenxicles.¹

Philosophy

And your country?

Philosophy

True, the question was unnecessary. But what is your profession? that at least is essential.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

PHILOSOPHY Let us go up, then. But tell me, what is your name?

FRANKNESS Mine? Frankness, son of Truthful, son of Renowned Investigator.

PHILOSOPHY And your country?

Current edition Perseus

Φιλοσοφία ἀνίωμεν οὖν. ἀλλὰ εἰπέ μοι σύ, τί σοι τοὔνομα;

Παρρησιάδης ἐμοί; Παρρησιάδης Ἀληθίωνος τοῦ Ἐλεγξικλέους.

Φιλοσοφία πατρὶς δέ;

Philosophy Prisoner, your name?

Lucian Parrhesiades, son of Alethion, son of Elenxicles. 1

Philosophy And your country?

Philosophy True, the question was unnecessary. But what is your profession? that at least is essential.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

PHILOSOPHY

Let us go up, then. But tell me, what is your name?

FRANKNESS

Mine? Frankness, son of Truthful, son of Renowned Investigator.

PHILOSOPHY

And your country?

Φιλοσοφία

ἀνίωμεν οὖν. ἀλλὰ εἰπέ μοι σύ, τί σοι τοὔνομα;

Παρρησιάδης

ἐμοί; Παρρησιάδης Ἀληθίωνος τοῦ Ἐλεγξικλέους.

Φιλοσοφία

πατρὶς δέ;

Philosophy

Prisoner, your name?

Lucian

Parrhesiades, son of Alethion, son of Elenxicles.¹

Philosophy

And your country?

Philosophy

True, the question was unnecessary. But what is your profession? that at least is essential.