Lucian, Anacharsis, Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator), 36

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →

[36]

Anacharsis

Ah, I cannot get hold of all that, Solon; it is too subtle for me—wants exact thought and keen intelligence. But I wish you would tell me—at the Olympic, Isthmian, Pythian, and other Games, attended, you tell me, by crowds to see your youth contend, why do you have no martial events? Instead, you put them in a conspicuous place and exhibit them kicking and cuffing one another, and when they win give them apples or wild olive. Now your reason for that would be worth hearing.

Solon

Well, we think it will increase their keenness for exercise to see the champions at it honoured and proclaimed by name among the assembled Greeks. It is the thought of having to strip before such a crowd that makes them take pains with their condition; they do not want to be a shameful spectacle, so each does his best to deserve success. And the prizes, as I said before, are not small things—to be applauded by the spectators, to be the mark of all eyes and fingers as the best of one’s contemporaries. Accordingly, numbers of spectators, not too old for training, depart with a passion thus engendered for toilsome excellence. Ah, Anacharsis, if the love of fair fame were to be wiped out of our lives, what good would remain? who would care to do a glorious deed? But as things are you may form your conclusions from what you see. These who are so keen for victory when they have no weapons and only a sprig of wild olive or an apple to contend for, how would they behave in martial array, with country and wives and children and altars at stake?

Anacharsis. Lucian. Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator). Medford, MA, USA. 2023-08-01.

Current edition Perseus

Anacharsis, a Discussion of Physical Training (English) (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 3. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.)

Editions (1)

Ἀνάχαρσις ἢ Περὶ Γυμνασίων Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 4. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 (printing).) — 36 focus

Ἀνάχαρσις

ταυτὶ μέν,¹ ὦ Σόλων, οὐ πάνυ συνίημι· λεπτότερα γὰρ ἢ κατʼ ἐμὲ εἴρηκας, ἀκριβοῦς τινος φροντίδος καὶ διανοίας ὀξὺ δεδορκυίας δεόμενα. ἐκεῖνο δέ μοι πάντως εἰπέ, τίνος ἕνεκα οὐχὶ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι τοῖς Ὀλυμπίασι καὶ Ἰσθμοῖ καὶ Πυθοῖ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὁπότε πολλοί, ὡς φής, συνίασιν ὀψόμενοι τοὺς νέους² ἀγωνιζομένους, οὐδέποτε ἐν ὅπλοις ποιεῖσθε τὴν ἅμιλλαν, ἀλλὰ γυμνοὺς εἰς τὸ μέσον παραγαγόντες λακτιζομένους καὶ παιομένους ἐπιδείκνυτε καὶ νικήσασι μῆλα καὶ κότινον δίδοτε; ἄξιον γὰρ εἰδέναι τοῦτό γε, οὗτινος ἕνεκα οὕτω ποιεῖτε.

Σόλων

ἡγούμεθα γάρ, ὦ Ἀνάχαρσι, τὴν εἰς τὰ γυμνάσια προθυμίαν οὕτως ἂν πλείω ἐγγενέσθαι αὐτοῖς, εἰ τοὺς ἀριστεύοντας ἐν τούτοις ἴδοιεν τιμωμένους καὶ ἀνακηρυττομένους ἐν μέσοις τοῖς Ἕλλησι. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὡς εἰς τοσούτους ἀποδυσόμενοι εὐεξίας τε ἐπιμελοῦνται, ὡς μὴ αἰσχύνοιντο γυμνωθέντες, καὶ ἀξιονικότατον ἕκαστος αὑτὸν ἀπεργάζεται. καὶ τὰ ἆθλα, ὥσπερ ἔμπροσθεν εἶπον, οὐ μικρά, ὁ ἔπαινος ὁ παρὰ τῶν θεατῶν καὶ τὸ ἐπισημότατον γενέσθαι καὶ δείκνυσθαι τῷ δακτύλῳ ἄριστον εἶναι τῶν καθʼ αὑτὸν δοκοῦντα. τοιγάρτοι πολλοὶ τῶν θεατῶν, οἷς καθʼ ἡλικίαν ἔτι ἄσκησις, ἀπίασιν οὐ μετρίως ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων ἀρετῆς καὶ πόνων ἐρασθέντες. ὡς εἴ γέ τις, ὦ Ἀνάχαρσι, τὸν τῆς εὐκλείας ἔρωτα ἐκβάλοι ἐκ τοῦ βίου, τί ἂν ἔτι ἀγαθὸν ἡμῖν γένοιτο, ἢ τίς ἄν τι λαμπρὸν ἐργάσασθαι ἐπιθυμήσειεν; νῦν δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων εἰκάζειν παρέχοιεν ἄν σοι, ὁποῖοι ἐν πολέμοις ὑπὲρ πατρίδος καὶ παίδων καὶ γυναικῶν καὶ ἱερῶν γένοιντʼ ἂν ὅπλα ἔχοντες οἱ κοτίνου πέρι καὶ μήλων γυμνοὶ τοσαύτην προθυμίαν εἰς τὸ νικᾶν εἰσφερόμενοι.

Translations (1)

Anacharsis, or Athletics Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 4. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 (printing).) — 36 focus

[36]

ANACHARSIS

I do not understand this at all, Solon; what you have said is too subtle for me, requiring keen intellect and penetrating discernment. But do by all means tell me why it is that in the Olympic and Isthmian and Pythian and the other games, where many, you say, come together to see the young men competing, you never match them under arms but bring them out naked and show them receiving kicks and blows, and when they have won you give them apples and parsley. It is worth while to know why you do so

SOLON

We think, Anacharsis, that their zeal for the athletic exercises will be increased if they see those who excel in them receiving honours and having their names proclaimed before the assembled Greeks. For this reason, expecting to appear unclothed before so many people, they try to attain good physical condition so that they may not be ashamed of themselves when they are stripped, and each makes himself as fit to win as he can. Furthermore, the prizes, as I said before, are not trivial—to be praised by the spectators, to become a man of mark, and to be pointed at with the finger as the best of one’s class. Therefore many of the spectators, who are still young enough for training, go away immoderately in love with manfulness and hard work as a result of all this. Really, Anacharsis, if the love of fame should be banished out of the world, what new blessing should we ever acquire, or who would want to do any glorious deed? But as things are, even from these contests they give you an opportunity to infer what they would be in war, defending country, children, wives, and fanes with weapons and armour, when contending naked for parsley and apples they bring into it so much zeal for victory.

Lucian Anacharsis 36

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