Lucian, De parasito sive artem esse parasiticam, Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator), 60

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[60]

Tychiades

You have stated your case without missing a point, Simon. Do not tell me you were unprepared again; you have been trained in a good school, man. But one thing more I should like to know. There is a nasty sound about the word sponger, don’t you think?

Simon

See whether I have a satisfactory answer to that. Oblige me by giving what you consider the right answers to my questions, Sponging is an old word; what does it really mean?

Tychiades

Getting your dinner at some one else’s expense.

Simon

Dining out, in fact?

Tychiades

Yes.

Simon

And we may call a sponger an out-diner?

Tychiades

The gravamen’s in that; he should dine at home.

De parasito sive artem esse parasiticam. Lucian. Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator). Medford, MA, USA. 2023-08-01.

Current edition Perseus

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

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.) — 60 focus

Τυχιάδης

πάντα μοι δοκεῖς, ὦ Σίμων, διεξελθεῖν ὑστερήσας οὐδὲν τῆς σεαυτοῦ τέχνης, οὐχ ὥσπερ αὐτὸς ἔφασκες, ἀμελέτητος ὤν, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἄν τις ὑπὸ τῶν μεγίστων γεγυμνασμένος. λοιπόν, εἰ μὴ αἴσχιον αὐτὸ τὸ ὄνομά ἐστι τῆς παρασιτικῆς, θέλω μαθεῖν.

Σίμων

ὅρα δὴ τὴν ἀπόκρισιν, ἐάν σοι ἱκανῶς λέγεσθαι δοκῇ, καὶ πειρῶ πάλιν αὐτὸς ἀποκρίνασθαι πρὸς τὸ ἐρωτώμενον ᾗ¹ ἄριστα οἴει. φέρε γάρ, τὸν σῖτον οἱ παλαιοὶ τί καλοῦσι;

Τυχιάδης

τροφήν.

Σίμων

τί δὲ τὸ σιτεῖσθαι, οὐχὶ τὸ ἐσθίειν;

Τυχιάδης

ναί.

Σίμων

οὐκοῦν καθωμολόγηται τὸ παρασιτεῖν ὅτι οὐκ ἄλλο ἐστίν;

Τυχιάδης

τοῦτο γάρ, ὦ Σίμων, ἐστὶν ὃ αἰσχρὸν φαίνεται.

Translations (1)

The Parasite Tychiades Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 3. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1921.) — 60 focus

[60]

TYCHIADES

It seems to me, Simon, that you have treated of everything without being in any degree inadequate to your art. You are not deficient in preparation, as you said you were; on the contrary, you are as thoroughly trained as one could be by the greatest masters. And now I want to know whether the very name of Parasitic is not discreditable.

SIMON

Note my answer and see if you think it is satisfactory, and try on your part to answer my question as you think best. Come, now, what about the noun from which it is derived? To what did the ancients apply it?

TYCHIADES

To food.

SIMON

And what about the simple verb, does it not mean “to eat”?

TYCHIADES

Yes.

SIMON

Then we have admitted, have we not, that to be a parasite is nothing but to eat with someone else?

TYCHIADES

Why, Simon, that is the very thing which seems discreditable!

Lucian De parasito sive artem esse parasiticam 60

Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Tychiades

Simon

Tychiades

Simon

Tychiades

Simon

Tychiades

Current edition Perseus

Τυχιάδης

τροφήν.

Σίμων

τί δὲ τὸ σιτεῖσθαι, οὐχὶ τὸ ἐσθίειν;

Τυχιάδης

ναί.

Σίμων

οὐκοῦν καθωμολόγηται τὸ παρασιτεῖν ὅτι οὐκ ἄλλο ἐστίν;

Τυχιάδης

τοῦτο γάρ, ὦ Σίμων, ἐστὶν ὃ αἰσχρὸν φαίνεται.

TYCHIADES

SIMON

TYCHIADES

SIMON

TYCHIADES

SIMON

TYCHIADES

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Tychiades

Simon

Tychiades

Simon

Tychiades

Simon

Tychiades

Current edition Perseus

Τυχιάδης τροφήν.

Σίμων τί δὲ τὸ σιτεῖσθαι, οὐχὶ τὸ ἐσθίειν;

Τυχιάδης ναί.

Σίμων οὐκοῦν καθωμολόγηται τὸ παρασιτεῖν ὅτι οὐκ ἄλλο ἐστίν;

Τυχιάδης τοῦτο γάρ, ὦ Σίμων, ἐστὶν ὃ αἰσχρὸν φαίνεται.

TYCHIADES

SIMON

TYCHIADES

SIMON

TYCHIADES

SIMON

TYCHIADES

Stable identifiers

Τυχιάδης

τροφήν.

Σίμων

τί δὲ τὸ σιτεῖσθαι, οὐχὶ τὸ ἐσθίειν;

Τυχιάδης

ναί.

Σίμων

οὐκοῦν καθωμολόγηται τὸ παρασιτεῖν ὅτι οὐκ ἄλλο ἐστίν;

Τυχιάδης

τοῦτο γάρ, ὦ Σίμων, ἐστὶν ὃ αἰσχρὸν φαίνεται.