Lucian of Samosata, De parasito sive artem esse parasiticam, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 8

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[8]

SIMON

Again, Parasitic is not the same sort of thing as beauty and strength, so as to be considered a gift,. like them, rather than an art.¹

TYCHIADES

You are right.

SIMON

But on the other hand, it is not want of art; for want of art never achieves anything for its possessor.² For example, if you should put yourself in command of a ship at sea in a storm without knowing how to steer, should you come safely through?

TYCHIADES

Not by any means.

SIMON

How about a man who should take horses in hand without knowing how to drive?

TYCHIADES

He would not come through, either.

SIMON

Why, pray, except because he does not possess the art by which he would be able to save himself?

TYCHIADES

To be sure.

SIMON

Then the parasite would not be saved by Parasitic if it were want of art? TY CHIADES True.

SIMON

Then it is art that saves him, and not want of art?

TYCHIADES

Quite so.

SIMON

Then Parasitic is an art?

TYCHIADES

It is, apparently.

SIMON

I assure you I know of many instances when good helmsmen have been wrecked and expert drivers thrown from their seats, and some had _ broken bones, while others were completely done for; but nobody can cite any such mishap in the case of a parasite. Then if Parasitic is not want of art and not a gift, but a complex of knowledges exercised in combination, evidently we have reached an agreement to-day that it is an art.

De parasito sive artem esse parasiticam. Lucian of Samosata. Austin Morris Harmon (Translator). United States. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

The Parasite Tychiades (English) (Lucian, Vol. 3. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1921.)

Editions (1)

Περὶ τοῦ Παρασίτου ὅτι Τέχνη ἡ Παρασιτική Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 3. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1921.) — 8 focus

Σίμων

καὶ μὴν οὐδὲ τοιοῦτόν τί ἐστιν ἡ παρασιτικὴ ὁποῖον τὸ κάλλος καὶ ἡ ἰσχύς, ὥστε τέχνην μὲν μὴ δοκεῖν αὐτήν, δύναμιν δέ τινα τοιαύτην.

Τυχιάδης

ἀληθῆ λέγεις.

Σίμων

ἀλλὰ μέντοι οὐδὲ ἀτεχνία ἐστίν· ἡ γὰρ ἀτεχνία οὐδέποτε οὐδὲν κατορθοῖ τῷ κεκτημένῳ. φέρε γάρ, εἰ ἐπιτρέψειας¹ σὺ σεαυτῷ ναῦν ἐν θαλάττῃ καὶ χειμῶνι μὴ ἐπιστάμενος κυβερνᾶν, σωθείης ἄν;²

<Τυχιάδης>

<οὐδαμῶς.>

<Σίμων>

<τί δʼ, εἰ ἵππους ἐπιτραφθείη τις μὴ ἐπιστάμενος ἠνιοχεῖν;>

Τυχιάδης

οὐδʼ οὗτος.

Σίμων

τί δή ποτε, ἢ τῷ μὴ ἔχειν τέχνην, διʼ ἧς δυνήσεται σώζειν ἑαυτόν;

Τυχιάδης

καὶ μάλα.

Σίμων

οὐκοῦν καὶ παράσιτος ὑπὸ τῆς παρασιτικῆς, εἴπερ ἦν ἀτεχνία, οὐκ ἂν ἐσώζετο;

Τυχιάδης

ναί.

Σίμων

οὐκοῦν τέχνῃ σώζεται, ἀτεχνίᾳ δὲ οὔ;

Τυχιάδης

πάνυ μὲν οὖν.

Σίμων

τέχνη ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ παρασιτική.

Τυχιάδης

τέχνη, ὡς ἔοικεν.

Σίμων

καὶ μὴν κυβερνήτας μὲν ἀγαθοὺς ναυαγίᾳ περιπεσόντας³ καὶ ἡνιόχους τεχνίτας ἐκπεσόντας τῶν δίφρων οἶδα ἐγὼ πολλάκις, καὶ τοὺς μὲν συντριβέντας, τοὺς δὲ καὶ πάμπαν διαφθαρέντας, παρασίτου δὲ ναυάγιον οὐδὲ εἷς ἔχοι τοιοῦτον εἰπεῖν.

οὐκοῦν εἰ μήτε ἀτεχνία ἐστὶν ἡ παρασιτικὴ μήτε δύναμις, σύστημα δέ τι ἐκ καταλήψεων γεγυμνασμένων, τέχνη δῆλον ὅτι διωμολόγηται ἡμῖν σήμερον.

Translations (1)

The Parasite: a Demonstration that Sponging is a Profession Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 3. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 8 focus

[8]

Simon

Moreover, sponging is not to be classed with beauty and strength, and so called a quality instead of an art?

Tychiades

No.

Simon

And, in the sphere of art, it does not denote the negative condition, of unskilfulness. ‘That never brings its owner prosperity. Take an instance: if a man who did not understand navigation took charge of a ship in a stormy sea, would he be safe?

Tychiades

Not he.

Simon

Why, now? Because he wants the art which would enable him to save his life?

Tychiades

Exactly.

Simon

It follows that, if sponging was the negative of art, the sponger would not save his life by its means?

Tychiades

Yes.

Simon

A man is saved by art, not by the absence of it?

Tychiades

Quite so.

Simon

So sponging is an art?

Tychiades

Apparently.

Simon

Let me add that I have often known even good navigators and skilful drivers come to grief, resulting with the latter in bruises and with the former in death; but no one will tell you of a sponger who ever made shipwreck. Very well, then, sponging is neither the negative of art, nor is it a quality; but it is a body of perceptions regularly employed. So it emerges from the present discussion an art.

Notes on the current edition

The Parasite Tychiades

Again a thrust at Rhetoric, which some considered “vis tantum”; cf. Quintilian 2, 15, 2.

Rhetoric is a want of art: cf. § 27, and Quint. 2, 15, 2.

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SIMON

TYCHIADES

SIMON

TYCHIADES

SIMON

TYCHIADES

SIMON

TYCHIADES

SIMON

SIMON

TYCHIADES

SIMON

TYCHIADES

SIMON

Current edition Perseus

Σίμων καὶ μὴν οὐδὲ τοιοῦτόν τί ἐστιν ἡ παρασιτικὴ ὁποῖον τὸ κάλλος καὶ ἡ ἰσχύς, ὥστε τέχνην μὲν μὴ δοκεῖν αὐτήν, δύναμιν δέ τινα τοιαύτην.

Τυχιάδης ἀληθῆ λέγεις.

<Τυχιάδης> <οὐδαμῶς.>

<Σίμων> <τί δʼ, εἰ ἵππους ἐπιτραφθείη τις μὴ ἐπιστάμενος ἠνιοχεῖν;>

Τυχιάδης οὐδʼ οὗτος.

Σίμων τί δή ποτε, ἢ τῷ μὴ ἔχειν τέχνην, διʼ ἧς δυνήσεται σώζειν ἑαυτόν;

Τυχιάδης καὶ μάλα.

Σίμων οὐκοῦν καὶ παράσιτος ὑπὸ τῆς παρασιτικῆς, εἴπερ ἦν ἀτεχνία, οὐκ ἂν ἐσώζετο;

Τυχιάδης ναί.

Σίμων οὐκοῦν τέχνῃ σώζεται, ἀτεχνίᾳ δὲ οὔ;

Τυχιάδης πάνυ μὲν οὖν.

Σίμων τέχνη ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ παρασιτική.

Τυχιάδης τέχνη, ὡς ἔοικεν.

Simon

Tychiades

Simon

Tychiades

Simon

Tychiades

Simon

Tychiades

Simon

Tychiades

Simon

Tychiades

Simon

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Σίμων

καὶ μὴν οὐδὲ τοιοῦτόν τί ἐστιν ἡ παρασιτικὴ ὁποῖον τὸ κάλλος καὶ ἡ ἰσχύς, ὥστε τέχνην μὲν μὴ δοκεῖν αὐτήν, δύναμιν δέ τινα τοιαύτην.

Τυχιάδης

ἀληθῆ λέγεις.

<Τυχιάδης>

<οὐδαμῶς.>

<Σίμων>

<τί δʼ, εἰ ἵππους ἐπιτραφθείη τις μὴ ἐπιστάμενος ἠνιοχεῖν;>

Τυχιάδης

οὐδʼ οὗτος.

Σίμων

τί δή ποτε, ἢ τῷ μὴ ἔχειν τέχνην, διʼ ἧς δυνήσεται σώζειν ἑαυτόν;

Τυχιάδης

καὶ μάλα.

Σίμων

οὐκοῦν καὶ παράσιτος ὑπὸ τῆς παρασιτικῆς, εἴπερ ἦν ἀτεχνία, οὐκ ἂν ἐσώζετο;

Τυχιάδης

ναί.

Σίμων

οὐκοῦν τέχνῃ σώζεται, ἀτεχνίᾳ δὲ οὔ;

Τυχιάδης

πάνυ μὲν οὖν.

Σίμων

τέχνη ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ παρασιτική.

Τυχιάδης

τέχνη, ὡς ἔοικεν.