Lucian of Samosata, Piscator, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 51

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FRANKNESS

But look here! I see a great number of fish closely alike in colour, spiny and rough-skinned, harder to grasp than sea-urchins.¹ Shall we need a seine for them?

PHILOSOPHY

But we haven't any. It will be enough if we land only one out of the school. The one that comes to the hook will of course be the boldest of them.

INVESTIGATION

Let down your line, if you want, but first arm it with iron for some distance, so that he may. not saw it off with his teeth after he has swallowed the gold.

FRANKNESS

It is down. Poseidon, grant us a quick catch! Aha! _ they are fighting over the bait; some are nibbling the fig in schools and some have taken firm hold of the gold. Good! A very powerful one is on the hook! Come, let me see whose namesake you say you are. But itis silly of me to try to make a fish talk; these anyhow are certainly dumb! Come, Investigation, tell us whom he has for master.

INVESTIGATION

Chrysippus here.

FRANKNESS

I understand: because there was gold in the name, I take it. Well, Chrysippus, in the name of the Goddess of Wisdom tell us, do you know these fellows, and do you advise them to do as they do?

CHRYSIPPUS

By Zeus, your questions are insulting, Frankness, if you imply that we have anything in common with that sort.

FRANKNESS

Good, Chrysippus: that is handsome of you. He too shall go head first after the rest, as he is.spiny and there is danger that anyone who should try to eat him might get a hole in his gullet.

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.) — 51 focus

Παρρησιάδης¹

ἀλλʼ ἢν ἰδού, πολλούς που τοὺς ἰχθῦς ὁρῶ κατὰ ταὐτὸν ὁμόχροας, ἀκανθώδεις καὶ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν ἐκτετραχυσμένους, ἐχίνων δυσληπτοτέρους. ἦ που σαγήνης ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς δεήσει;

Φιλοσοφία

ἀλλʼ οὐ πάρεστιν. ἱκανὸν εἰ κἂν ἕνα τινὰ ἐκ τῆς ἀγέλης ἀνασπάσαιμεν. ἥξει δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄγκιστρον δηλαδὴ ὃς ἂν αὐτῶν θρασύτατος ᾖ.

Ἔλεγχος

κάθες, εἰ δοκεῖ, σιδηρώσας γε πρότερον ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς ὁρμιᾶς, ὡς μὴ ἀποπρίσῃ τοῖς ὀδοῦσι καταπιὼν τὸ χρυσίον.

Παρρησιάδης

καθῆκα. καὶ σὺ δέ, ὦ Πόσειδον, ταχεῖαν ἐπιτέλει τὴν ἄγραν. βαβαί, μάχονται περὶ τοῦ δελέατος, καὶ οἱ μὲν συνάμα πολλοὶ περιτρώγουσι τὴν ἰσχάδα, οἱ δὲ προσφύντες ἔχονται τοῦ χρυσίου. εὖ ἔχει· περιεπάρη τις μάλα καρτερός. φέρʼ ἴδω τίνος ἐπώνυμον σεαυτὸν εἶναι λέγεις; καίτοι γελοῖός εἰμι ἀναγκάζων ἰχθὺν λαλεῖν· ἄφωνοι γὰρ οὗτοί γε. ἀλλὰ σύ, ὦ Ἔλεγχε, εἰπὲ ὅντινα ἔχει διδάσκαλον αὐτοῦ.

Ἔλεγχος

Χρύσιππον τουτονί.

Παρρησιάδης

μανθάνω· διότι χρυσίον προσῆν, οἶμαι, τῷ ὀνόματι. σὺ δʼ οὖν, Χρύσιππε, πρὸς τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς εἰπέ, οἶσθα τοὺς ἄνδρας ἢ τοιαῦτα παραινεῖς αὐτοῖς ποιεῖν;

Χρύσιππος

νὴ Δίʼ, ὑβριστικὰ ἐρωτᾷς, ὦ Παρρησιάδη, προσήκειν τι ἡμῖν ὑπολαμβάνων τοιούτους ὄντας.

Παρρησιάδης

εὖ γε, ὦ Χρύσιππε, γενναῖος εἶ. οὗτος δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀκανθώδης ἐστί, καὶ δέος μὴ διαπαρῇ τις τὸν λαιμὸν ἐσθίων.

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.) — 51 focus

Parrhesiades

Hullo! I see a whole school of them together, all one colour, and covered with spines and horny scales, as tempting to handle as a hedgehog. We want a net for these; but we have not got one. Well, it will do if we pull up one out of the lot. The boldest of them will no doubt try the hook.

Exposure

You had better sheathe a good bit of the line before you let it down; else he will gorge the gold and then saw the line through.

Parrhesiades

There it goes. Posidon grant me a quick ca...: There now! they are fighting for the bait, a lot of them together nibbling at the figs, and others with their teeth well in the gold. That is right; one soundly hooked. Now let me see, what do you call yourself? and yet how absurd to try and make a fish speak; they are dumb. Exposure, tell us who is his master.

Exposure

Chrysippus.

Parrhesiades

Ah, he must have a master with gold in his name, must he? Chrysippus, tell me seriously, do you know these men? are you responsible for the way they live?

Chrysippus

My dear Parrhesiades, I take it ill that you should suggest any connexion between me and such creatures.

Parrhesiades

Quite right, and like you. Over he goes head first like the others; if one tried to eat him, those spines might stick in one’s throat.

Notes on the current edition

The Dead Come to Life, or the Fisherman

Stoics, then the most numerous school. They themselves were uncouth, and their doctrines spiny.

Lucian of Samosata Piscator 51

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

FRANKNESS

But look here! I see a great number of fish closely alike in colour, spiny and rough-skinned, harder to grasp than sea-urchins.¹ Shall we need a seine for them?

PHILOSOPHY

But we haven't any. It will be enough if we land only one out of the school. The one that comes to the hook will of course be the boldest of them.

INVESTIGATION

Let down your line, if you want, but first arm it with iron for some distance, so that he may. not saw it off with his teeth after he has swallowed the gold.

INVESTIGATION

Chrysippus here.

FRANKNESS

I understand: because there was gold in the name, I take it. Well, Chrysippus, in the name of the Goddess of Wisdom tell us, do you know these fellows, and do you advise them to do as they do?

CHRYSIPPUS

By Zeus, your questions are insulting, Frankness, if you imply that we have anything in common with that sort.

FRANKNESS

Good, Chrysippus: that is handsome of you. He too shall go head first after the rest, as he is.spiny and there is danger that anyone who should try to eat him might get a hole in his gullet.

Current edition Perseus

Φιλοσοφία

ἀλλʼ οὐ πάρεστιν. ἱκανὸν εἰ κἂν ἕνα τινὰ ἐκ τῆς ἀγέλης ἀνασπάσαιμεν. ἥξει δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄγκιστρον δηλαδὴ ὃς ἂν αὐτῶν θρασύτατος ᾖ.

Ἔλεγχος

κάθες, εἰ δοκεῖ, σιδηρώσας γε πρότερον ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς ὁρμιᾶς, ὡς μὴ ἀποπρίσῃ τοῖς ὀδοῦσι καταπιὼν τὸ χρυσίον.

Ἔλεγχος

Χρύσιππον τουτονί.

Χρύσιππος

νὴ Δίʼ, ὑβριστικὰ ἐρωτᾷς, ὦ Παρρησιάδη, προσήκειν τι ἡμῖν ὑπολαμβάνων τοιούτους ὄντας.

Exposure

You had better sheathe a good bit of the line before you let it down; else he will gorge the gold and then saw the line through.

Exposure

Chrysippus.

Parrhesiades

Ah, he must have a master with gold in his name, must he? Chrysippus, tell me seriously, do you know these men? are you responsible for the way they live?

Chrysippus

My dear Parrhesiades, I take it ill that you should suggest any connexion between me and such creatures.

Parrhesiades

Quite right, and like you. Over he goes head first like the others; if one tried to eat him, those spines might stick in one’s throat.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

FRANKNESS But look here! I see a great number of fish closely alike in colour, spiny and rough-skinned, harder to grasp than sea-urchins. 1 Shall we need a seine for them?

PHILOSOPHY But we haven't any. It will be enough if we land only one out of the school. The one that comes to the hook will of course be the boldest of them.

INVESTIGATION Let down your line, if you want, but first arm it with iron for some distance, so that he may. not saw it off with his teeth after he has swallowed the gold.

INVESTIGATION Chrysippus here.

FRANKNESS I understand: because there was gold in the name, I take it. Well, Chrysippus, in the name of the Goddess of Wisdom tell us, do you know these fellows, and do you advise them to do as they do?

CHRYSIPPUS By Zeus, your questions are insulting, Frankness, if you imply that we have anything in common with that sort.

FRANKNESS Good, Chrysippus: that is handsome of you. He too shall go head first after the rest, as he is.spiny and there is danger that anyone who should try to eat him might get a hole in his gullet.

Current edition Perseus

Φιλοσοφία ἀλλʼ οὐ πάρεστιν. ἱκανὸν εἰ κἂν ἕνα τινὰ ἐκ τῆς ἀγέλης ἀνασπάσαιμεν. ἥξει δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄγκιστρον δηλαδὴ ὃς ἂν αὐτῶν θρασύτατος ᾖ.

Ἔλεγχος κάθες, εἰ δοκεῖ, σιδηρώσας γε πρότερον ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς ὁρμιᾶς, ὡς μὴ ἀποπρίσῃ τοῖς ὀδοῦσι καταπιὼν τὸ χρυσίον.

Ἔλεγχος Χρύσιππον τουτονί.

Χρύσιππος νὴ Δίʼ, ὑβριστικὰ ἐρωτᾷς, ὦ Παρρησιάδη, προσήκειν τι ἡμῖν ὑπολαμβάνων τοιούτους ὄντας.

Exposure You had better sheathe a good bit of the line before you let it down; else he will gorge the gold and then saw the line through.

Exposure Chrysippus.

Parrhesiades Ah, he must have a master with gold in his name, must he? Chrysippus, tell me seriously, do you know these men? are you responsible for the way they live?

Chrysippus My dear Parrhesiades, I take it ill that you should suggest any connexion between me and such creatures.

Parrhesiades Quite right, and like you. Over he goes head first like the others; if one tried to eat him, those spines might stick in one’s throat.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

FRANKNESS

But look here! I see a great number of fish closely alike in colour, spiny and rough-skinned, harder to grasp than sea-urchins.¹ Shall we need a seine for them?

PHILOSOPHY

But we haven't any. It will be enough if we land only one out of the school. The one that comes to the hook will of course be the boldest of them.

INVESTIGATION

Let down your line, if you want, but first arm it with iron for some distance, so that he may. not saw it off with his teeth after he has swallowed the gold.

INVESTIGATION

Chrysippus here.

FRANKNESS

I understand: because there was gold in the name, I take it. Well, Chrysippus, in the name of the Goddess of Wisdom tell us, do you know these fellows, and do you advise them to do as they do?

CHRYSIPPUS

By Zeus, your questions are insulting, Frankness, if you imply that we have anything in common with that sort.

FRANKNESS

Good, Chrysippus: that is handsome of you. He too shall go head first after the rest, as he is.spiny and there is danger that anyone who should try to eat him might get a hole in his gullet.

Φιλοσοφία

ἀλλʼ οὐ πάρεστιν. ἱκανὸν εἰ κἂν ἕνα τινὰ ἐκ τῆς ἀγέλης ἀνασπάσαιμεν. ἥξει δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄγκιστρον δηλαδὴ ὃς ἂν αὐτῶν θρασύτατος ᾖ.

Ἔλεγχος

κάθες, εἰ δοκεῖ, σιδηρώσας γε πρότερον ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς ὁρμιᾶς, ὡς μὴ ἀποπρίσῃ τοῖς ὀδοῦσι καταπιὼν τὸ χρυσίον.

Ἔλεγχος

Χρύσιππον τουτονί.

Χρύσιππος

νὴ Δίʼ, ὑβριστικὰ ἐρωτᾷς, ὦ Παρρησιάδη, προσήκειν τι ἡμῖν ὑπολαμβάνων τοιούτους ὄντας.

Exposure

You had better sheathe a good bit of the line before you let it down; else he will gorge the gold and then saw the line through.

Exposure

Chrysippus.

Parrhesiades

Ah, he must have a master with gold in his name, must he? Chrysippus, tell me seriously, do you know these men? are you responsible for the way they live?

Chrysippus

My dear Parrhesiades, I take it ill that you should suggest any connexion between me and such creatures.

Parrhesiades

Quite right, and like you. Over he goes head first like the others; if one tried to eat him, those spines might stick in one’s throat.