Lucian of Samosata, Necyomantia, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 8

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[8] He himself put on a magician’s gown very like the Median dress, and speedily costumed me in these things which you see—the cap, the lion’s skin, and the lyre besides; and he urged me, if anyone should ask my name, not to say Menippus, but Heracles or Odysseus or Orpheus.

FRIEND

What was his object in that, Menippus? I do not understand the reason either for the costume or for the names.

MENIPPUS

Why, that, at any rate, is obvious and not at all shrouded in mystery. Since they had been before us in going down to Hades alive, he thought that if he should make me look like them, I might easily slip by the frontier-guard of Aeacus and go in unhindered as something of an old acquaintance; for thanks to my costume they would speed me along on my journey just as they do in the plays.¹

Necyomantia. Lucian of Samosata. Austin Morris Harmon (Translator). United States. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Menippus, or the Descent Into Hades (English) (Lucian, Vol. 4. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Μένιππος ἢ Νεκυομαντεία Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 4. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 (printing).) — 8 focus

Μένιππος

αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν μαγικήν τινα ἐνέδυ στολὴν τὰ πολλὰ ἐοικυῖαν τῇ Μηδικῇ, ἐμὲ δὲ τουτοισὶ φέρων ἐνεσκεύασε, τῷ πίλῳ καὶ τῇ λεοντῇ καὶ προσέτι τῇ λύρᾳ, καὶ παρεκελεύσατο, ἤν τις ἔρηταί με τοὔνομα, Μένιππον μὴ λέγειν, Ἡρακλέα δὲ ἢ Ὀδυσσέα ἢ Ὀρφέα.

Φίλος

ὡς δὴ τί τοῦτο, ὦ Μένιππε; οὐ γὰρ συνίημι τὴν αἰτίαν οὔτε τοῦ σχήματος οὔτε τῶν ὀνομάτων.

Μένιππος

καὶ μὴν πρόδηλόν γε τοῦτο καὶ οὐ παντελῶς ἀπόρρητον· ἐπεὶ γὰρ οὗτοι πρὸ ἡμῶν ζῶντες εἰς Ἅιδου κατεληλύθεσαν, ἡγεῖτο, εἴ με ἀπεικάσειεν αὐτοῖς, ῥᾳδίως ἂν τὴν τοῦ Αἰακοῦ φρουρὰν διαλαθεῖν καὶ ἀκωλύτως ἂν παρελθεῖν ἅτε συνηθέστερον, τραγικῶς μάλα παραπεμπόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ σχήματος.

Translations (1)

Menippus Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 1. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 8 focus

[8] He himself put on a magic robe, Median in character, and fetched and gave me the cap, lion’s skin, and lyre which you see, telling me if I were asked my name not to say Menippus, but Heracles, Odysseus, or Orpheus.

Philonides

What was that for? I see no reason either for the getup or for the choice of names,

Menippus

Oh, obvious enough; there is no mystery in that. He thought that as these three had gone down alive to Hades before us, I might easily elude Aeacus’s guard by borrowing their appearance, and be passed as an habitué; there is good warrant in the theatre for the efficiency of disguise.

Notes on the current edition

Menippus, or the Descent Into Hades

There were many comedies with this motive. The only one extant is the Frogs of Aristophanes, where Dionysus descends in the costume of Heracles.

Lucian of Samosata Necyomantia 8

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

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FRIEND

MENIPPUS

Current edition Perseus

Φίλος

ὡς δὴ τί τοῦτο, ὦ Μένιππε; οὐ γὰρ συνίημι τὴν αἰτίαν οὔτε τοῦ σχήματος οὔτε τῶν ὀνομάτων.

Philonides

Menippus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

FRIEND

MENIPPUS

Current edition Perseus

Φίλος ὡς δὴ τί τοῦτο, ὦ Μένιππε; οὐ γὰρ συνίημι τὴν αἰτίαν οὔτε τοῦ σχήματος οὔτε τῶν ὀνομάτων.

Philonides

Menippus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Φίλος

ὡς δὴ τί τοῦτο, ὦ Μένιππε; οὐ γὰρ συνίημι τὴν αἰτίαν οὔτε τοῦ σχήματος οὔτε τῶν ὀνομάτων.