Lucian, Pro imaginibus, Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator), 16

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →

[16]

Lycinus

How I wish I could have spoken in her own presence! that would have been far better; but I must do it by proxy. However, if you will report me to her as well as you did her to me, I will adventure.

Polystratus

Trust me to do justice to the defence; but put it shortly, in mercy to my memory.

Lycinus

So severe an indictment should by rights be met at length; but for your sake I will cut it short. Put these considerations before her from me, then.

Polystratus

No, not that way, please. Make your speech, just as though she were listening, and I will reproduce you to her.

Lycinus

Very well, then. She is here; she has just delivered the oration which you have described to me; it is now counsel’s turn. And yet—I must confide my feelings to you—you have made my undertaking somehow more formidable; you see the beads gather on my brow; my courage goes; I seem to see her there; my situation bewilders me. Yet begin I will; how can I draw back when she is there?

Polystratus

Ah, but her face promises a kindly hearing; see how bright and gracious. Pluck up heart, man, and begin.

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

Current edition Perseus

Defence of the ‘portrait-study’ (English) (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 3. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.)

Editions (1)

Ὑπὲρ τῶν Εἰκόνων Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 4. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 (printing).) — 16 focus

Λυκῖνος

ἀλλὰ ἐκεῖνο ἀνιαρόν, ὦ Πολύστρατε, ὅτι μὴ ἐκείνης παρούσης ποιήσομαι τοὺς λόγους· μακρῷ γὰρ ἂν οὕτως ἄμεινον ἦν. νῦν δὲ ἀνάγκη ἀπʼ ἐντολῆς ἀπολογήσασθαι. ἀλλʼ εἴ μοι τοιοῦτος ἀγγελιαφόρος γένοιο πρὸς αὐτὴν οἷος παρʼ ἐκείνης πρὸς μὲ γεγένησαι, τολμήσω ἀναρρῖψαι τὸν κύβον.

Πολύστρατος

θάρρει, ὦ Λυκῖνε, τούτου γε ἕνεκα, ὡς οὐ φαῦλόν με ὑποκριτὴν ἕξων τῆς ἀπολογίας, πειρώμενος διὰ βραχέων εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἂν μᾶλλον μνημονεύσαιμι.

Λυκῖνος

καὶ μὴν πάνυ μὲν ἔδει μοι μακρῶν τῶν λόγων πρὸς οὕτω σφοδρὰν τὴν κατηγορίαν. ὅμως δὲ σοῦ ἕνεκα ἐπιτεμοῦμαι τὴν ἀπολογίαν. καὶ παρʼ ἐμοῦ τοίνυν τάδε αὐτῇ ἀπάγγελλε.

Πολύστρατος

μηδαμῶς, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ αὐτῆς ἐκείνης παρούσης λέγε τὸν λόγον, εἶτʼ ἐγὼ μιμήσομαί σε πρὸς αὐτήν.

Λυκῖνος

οὐκοῦν ἐπειδήπερ οὕτω σοι δοκεῖ, ὦ Πολύστρατε, ἡ μὲν πάρεστι καὶ προείρηκε δηλαδὴ ἐκεῖνα ὁπόσα σὺ παρʼ αὐτῆς ἀπήγγειλας, ἡμᾶς δὲ χρὴ τῶν δευτέρων λόγων ἐνάρχεσθαι. καίτοι — οὐ γὰρ ὀκνήσω πρὸς σὲ εἰπεῖν ὃ πέπονθα — οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως φοβερώτερόν μοι τὸ πρᾶγμα πεποίηκας, καὶ ὡς ὁρᾷς ἱδρῶ τε ἤδη καὶ δέδοικα καὶ μονονουχὶ καὶ ὁρᾶν αὐτὴν οἴομαι, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα πολλήν μοι τὴν ταραχὴν ἐμπεποίηκεν. ἄρξομαι δʼ ὅμως· οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε ἀναδῦναι ἤδη παρούσης.

Πολύστρατος

καὶ νὴ Δία πολλὴν τὴν εὐμένειαν ἐπιφαίνει τῷ προσώπῳ· φαιδρὰ γὰρ ὡς ὁρᾷς καὶ προσηνής. ὥστε θαρρῶν λέγε τὸν λόγον.

Translations (1)

Essays in Portraiture Defended Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 4. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 (printing).) — 16 focus

[16]

LYCINUS

But it is annoying, Polystratus, that she will not be present when I make my speech. It would be far better if she were. As it stands, I must plead by proxy.¹ But if you are going to be as faithful in carrying my message to her as you have been in carrying hers to me, I shall make bold to cast the die.

POLYSTRATUS

Never fear, Lycinus, as far as that goes! I shan’t be at all bad, you will find, at delivering your plea, if only you try to speak briefly, so that I may be better able to fix it all in memory.

LYCINUS

But I really needed to speak at length in answering so forcible an accusation. Nevertheless, for your sake I shall cut my plea short. Take, then, this message from me to her—

POLYSTRATUS

No, no, Lycinus! Make your speech just as if she herself were present, and then I will do her an imitation of you.

LYCINUS

Well then, since that is the way you want it, Polystratus, she is here and as the first speaker, of course, has said all that you reported as her messenger; and now it is for me to begin my answer. However—for I shall not hesitate to tell you the state of my feelings—somehow or other you have made the thing more terrifying to me. As you see, I am even now in a sweat and a tremble and almost think I really see her, and the affair has begotten great turmoil within me. But I will begin, anyhow, for it isn’t possible to withdraw, with her already here.

POLYSTRATUS

Yes, and she shows great friendliness in her expression, for she is radiant, as you see, and gracious. So get on with your speech boldly.

Lucian Pro imaginibus 16

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

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Lycinus

Polystratus

Lycinus

Polystratus

Lycinus

Polystratus

Current edition Perseus

Πολύστρατος

θάρρει, ὦ Λυκῖνε, τούτου γε ἕνεκα, ὡς οὐ φαῦλόν με ὑποκριτὴν ἕξων τῆς ἀπολογίας, πειρώμενος διὰ βραχέων εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἂν μᾶλλον μνημονεύσαιμι.

Πολύστρατος

μηδαμῶς, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ αὐτῆς ἐκείνης παρούσης λέγε τὸν λόγον, εἶτʼ ἐγὼ μιμήσομαί σε πρὸς αὐτήν.

Πολύστρατος

καὶ νὴ Δία πολλὴν τὴν εὐμένειαν ἐπιφαίνει τῷ προσώπῳ· φαιδρὰ γὰρ ὡς ὁρᾷς καὶ προσηνής. ὥστε θαρρῶν λέγε τὸν λόγον.

LYCINUS

POLYSTRATUS

LYCINUS

POLYSTRATUS

LYCINUS

POLYSTRATUS

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Lycinus

Polystratus

Lycinus

Polystratus

Lycinus

Polystratus

Current edition Perseus

Πολύστρατος θάρρει, ὦ Λυκῖνε, τούτου γε ἕνεκα, ὡς οὐ φαῦλόν με ὑποκριτὴν ἕξων τῆς ἀπολογίας, πειρώμενος διὰ βραχέων εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἂν μᾶλλον μνημονεύσαιμι.

Πολύστρατος μηδαμῶς, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ αὐτῆς ἐκείνης παρούσης λέγε τὸν λόγον, εἶτʼ ἐγὼ μιμήσομαί σε πρὸς αὐτήν.

Πολύστρατος καὶ νὴ Δία πολλὴν τὴν εὐμένειαν ἐπιφαίνει τῷ προσώπῳ· φαιδρὰ γὰρ ὡς ὁρᾷς καὶ προσηνής. ὥστε θαρρῶν λέγε τὸν λόγον.

LYCINUS

POLYSTRATUS

LYCINUS

POLYSTRATUS

LYCINUS

POLYSTRATUS

Stable identifiers

Πολύστρατος

θάρρει, ὦ Λυκῖνε, τούτου γε ἕνεκα, ὡς οὐ φαῦλόν με ὑποκριτὴν ἕξων τῆς ἀπολογίας, πειρώμενος διὰ βραχέων εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἂν μᾶλλον μνημονεύσαιμι.

Πολύστρατος

μηδαμῶς, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ αὐτῆς ἐκείνης παρούσης λέγε τὸν λόγον, εἶτʼ ἐγὼ μιμήσομαί σε πρὸς αὐτήν.

Πολύστρατος

καὶ νὴ Δία πολλὴν τὴν εὐμένειαν ἐπιφαίνει τῷ προσώπῳ· φαιδρὰ γὰρ ὡς ὁρᾷς καὶ προσηνής. ὥστε θαρρῶν λέγε τὸν λόγον.