Lucian, Philopseudes sive incredulus, ed. Austin Morris Harmon, 2

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Φιλοκλῆς

ἦ που κατανενόηκας ἤδη τινὰς τοιούτους, οἷς ἔμφυτος ὁ ἔρως οὗτός ἐστι πρὸς τὸ ψεῦδος;

Τυχιάδης

καὶ μάλα πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι.

Φιλοκλῆς

τί δʼ οὖν ἄλλο ἢ ἄνοιαν χρὴ αἰτίαν εἶναι αὐτοῖς φάναι τοῦ μὴ τἀληθῆ λέγειν, εἴ γε τὸ χείριστον ἀντὶ τοῦ βελτίστου προαιροῦνται;

Τυχιάδης

οὐδὲν οὐδὲ τοῦτο, ὦ Φιλόκλεις·¹ ἐπεὶ πολλοὺς ἂν ἐγώ σοι δείξαιμι συνετοὺς τἄλλα καὶ τὴν γνώμην θαυμαστοὺς οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως ἑαλωκότας τούτῳ τῷ κακῷ καὶ φιλοψευδεῖς ὄντας, ὡς ἀνιᾶσθαί με, εἰ τοιοῦτοι ἄνδρες ἄριστοι τὰ πάντα ὅμως χαίρουσιν αὑτούς τε καὶ τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας ἐξαπατῶντες. ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ τοὺς παλαιοὺς πρὸ ἐμοῦ σὲ χρὴ εἰδέναι, τὸν Ἡρόδοτον καὶ Κτησίαν τὸν Κνίδιον καὶ πρὸ τούτων τοὺς ποιητὰς καὶ τὸν Ὅμηρον αὐτόν, ἀοιδίμους ἄνδρας, ἐγγράφῳ τῷ ψεύσματι κεχρημένους, ὡς μὴ μόνους ἐξαπατᾶν τοὺς τότε ἀκούοντας σφῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρις ἡμῶν διικνεῖσθαι τὸ ψεῦδος ἐκ διαδοχῆς ἐν καλλίστοις ἔπεσι καὶ μέτροις φυλαττόμενον. ἐμοὶ γοῦν πολλάκις αἰδεῖσθαι ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἔπεισιν, ὁπόταν Οὐρανοῦ τομὴν καὶ Προμηθέως δεσμὰ διηγῶνται καὶ Γιγάντων ἐπανάστασιν καὶ τὴν ἐν Ἅιδου πᾶσαν τραγῳδίαν, καὶ ὡς διʼ ἔρωτα ὁ Ζεὺς ταῦρος ἢ κύκνος ἐγένετο καὶ ὡς ἐκ γυναικός τις εἰς ὄρνεον ἢ εἰς ἄρκτον μετέπεσεν, ἔτι δὲ Πηγάσους καὶ Χιμαίρας καὶ Γοργόνας καὶ Κύκλωπας καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, πάνυ ἀλλόκοτα καὶ τεράστια μυθίδια παίδων ψυχὰς κηλεῖν δυνάμενα ἔτι τὴν Μορμὼ καὶ τὴν Λάμιαν δεδιότων.

Philopseudes sive incredulus. Lucian. ed. Austin Morris Harmon. Medford, MA. Perseus 4.0.

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Current edition Perseus

Φιλοψευδὴς ἢ Ἀπιστῶν (Greek) (Lucian, Vol. 3. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1921.)

Translations (2)

The Lover of Lies, or the Doubter Tychiades Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 3. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1921.) — 2 focus

[2]

PHILOCLES

Have you really noted any such men anywhere in whom this passion for lying is ingrained?

TYCHIADES

Yes, there are many such men.

PHILOCLES

What other reason, then, than folly may they be said to have for telling untruths, since they choose the worst course instead of the best? —

TYCHIADES

That too has nothing to do with the case, Philocles, for I could show you many men otherwise sensible and remarkable for their intelligence who have somehow become infected with this plague and are lovers of lying, so that it irks me when such men, excellent in every way, yet delight in deceiving themselves and their associates. Those of olden time should be known to you before I mention them— Herodotus, and Ctesias of Cnidus, and before them the poets, including Homer himself—men of renown, who made use of the written lie, so that they not only deceived those who listened to them then, but transmitted the falsehood from generation to generation even down to us, conserved in the choicest of diction and rhythm. For my part it. often occurs to me to blush for them when they tell of the castration of Uranus, and the fetters of Prometheus, and the revolt of the Giants, and the whole sorry show in Hades, and how Zeus turned into a bull or a swan on account of a loveaffair, and how some woman changed into a bird or a bear; yes, andof Pegasi, Chimaerae, Gorgons, Cyclopes, and so forth—very strange and wonderful fables, fit to enthrall the souls of children who still dread Mormo and Lamia.

The Liar Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 3. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 2 focus

[2]

Philocles

Why, have you ever known any one with such a strong natural turn for lying?

Tychiades

Any number of them.

Philocles

Then I can only say they must be fools, if they really prefer evil to good.

Tychiades

Oh, that is not it. I could point you out plenty of men of first-rate ability, sensible enough in all other respects, who have somehow picked up this vice of romancing. It makes me quite angry.: what satisfaction can there be to men of their good qualities in deceiving themselves and their neighbours? There are instances among the ancients with which you must be more familiar thanI. Look at Herodotus, or Ctesias of Cnidus; or, to go further back, take the poets—Homer himself: here are men of world-wide celebrity, perpetuating their mendacity in black and white; not content with deceiving their hearers, they must send their lies down to posterity, under the protection of the most admirable verse. Many a time I have blushed for them, as I read of the mutilation of Uranus, the fetters of Prometheus, the revolt of the Giants, the torments of Hell; enamoured Zeus taking the shape of bull or swan; women turning into birds and bears; Pegasuses, Chimaeras, Gorgons, Cyclopes, and the rest of it; monstrous medley! fit only to charm the imaginations of children for whom Mormo and Lamia have still their terrors.

Notes on the current edition

Φιλοψευδὴς ἢ Ἀπιστῶν

1. οὐδὲν τοῦτο γ, omitting ὥ Φιλόκλεις.

Lucian Philopseudes sive incredulus 2

ed. Austin Morris Harmon

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Φιλοκλῆς

ἦ που κατανενόηκας ἤδη τινὰς τοιούτους, οἷς ἔμφυτος ὁ ἔρως οὗτός ἐστι πρὸς τὸ ψεῦδος;

Τυχιάδης

καὶ μάλα πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι.

Φιλοκλῆς

τί δʼ οὖν ἄλλο ἢ ἄνοιαν χρὴ αἰτίαν εἶναι αὐτοῖς φάναι τοῦ μὴ τἀληθῆ λέγειν, εἴ γε τὸ χείριστον ἀντὶ τοῦ βελτίστου προαιροῦνται;

Current edition Perseus

PHILOCLES

TYCHIADES

PHILOCLES

TYCHIADES

Philocles

Tychiades

Philocles

Tychiades

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Φιλοκλῆς ἦ που κατανενόηκας ἤδη τινὰς τοιούτους, οἷς ἔμφυτος ὁ ἔρως οὗτός ἐστι πρὸς τὸ ψεῦδος;

Τυχιάδης καὶ μάλα πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι.

Φιλοκλῆς τί δʼ οὖν ἄλλο ἢ ἄνοιαν χρὴ αἰτίαν εἶναι αὐτοῖς φάναι τοῦ μὴ τἀληθῆ λέγειν, εἴ γε τὸ χείριστον ἀντὶ τοῦ βελτίστου προαιροῦνται;

Current edition Perseus

PHILOCLES

TYCHIADES

PHILOCLES

TYCHIADES

Philocles

Tychiades

Philocles

Tychiades

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Φιλοκλῆς

ἦ που κατανενόηκας ἤδη τινὰς τοιούτους, οἷς ἔμφυτος ὁ ἔρως οὗτός ἐστι πρὸς τὸ ψεῦδος;

Τυχιάδης

καὶ μάλα πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι.

Φιλοκλῆς

τί δʼ οὖν ἄλλο ἢ ἄνοιαν χρὴ αἰτίαν εἶναι αὐτοῖς φάναι τοῦ μὴ τἀληθῆ λέγειν, εἴ γε τὸ χείριστον ἀντὶ τοῦ βελτίστου προαιροῦνται;