Lucian, Pro imaginibus, ed. Austin Morris Harmon, 15

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Λυκῖνος

Πολύστρατε, οἷος ὢν ῥήτωρ ἐλελήθεις με. ῥῆσιν γοῦν οὕτω μακρὰν καὶ κατηγορίαν¹ τοσαύτην ἐξενήνοχας κατὰ τοῦ συγγράμματος, ὥστε μηδὲ ἐλπίδα μοι ἀπολογίας ἔτι καταλείπεσθαι. πλὴν ἀλλὰ ἐκεῖνό γε οὐ δικαστικὸν ἐποιήσατε, καὶ μάλιστα σύ, ἐρήμην καταδιαιτήσας τοῦ βιβλίου μὴ παρόντος αὐτῷ τοῦ συνηγόρου. ῥᾷστον δέ, οἶμαι, τοῦτό ἐστιν κατὰ τὴν παροιμίαν, μόνον θέοντα κρατεῖν. ὥστε οὐδὲν θαυμαστόν, εἰ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἑάλωμεν οὔτε ὕδατος ἡμῖν ἐκχυθέντος οὔτε ἀπολογίας ἀποδοθείσης. μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦτο πάντων ἀτοπώτατον, οἱ αὐτοὶ κατήγοροι καὶ δικασταὶ ἦτε.

πότερα δʼ οὖν ἐθέλεις; ἀγαπήσας τοῖς ἐγνωσμένοις ἡσυχίαν ἄγω, ἢ κατὰ τὸν Ἱμεραῖον ποιητὴν παλινῳδίαν τινὰ συγγράφω, ἢ δώσετέ μοι ἐφέσιμον ἀγωνίσασθαι τὴν δίκην;

Πολύστρατος

νὴ Δίʼ, ἤνπερ ἔχῃς τι δίκαιον εἰπεῖν· οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἀντιδίκοις, ὡς σὺ φής, ἀλλʼ ἐν φίλοις ποιήσῃ τὴν ἀπολογίαν. ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ συνεξετάζεσθαί σοι ἕτοιμος ἐπὶ τῆς δίκης.

Pro imaginibus. Lucian. ed. Austin Morris Harmon. Medford, MA. Perseus 4.0.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities; Harvard Library Arcadia Fund; Google Digital Humanities Awards Program.

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (2)

Essays in Portraiture Defended Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 4. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 (printing).) — 15 focus

[15]

LYCINUS

Polystratus, what an orator you have been all along without my knowing it! You have delivered such a long speech and such a weighty indictment of my essay that you have not left me even a hope of defence now. But see here! you have not dealt fairly, the two of you, and especially you, in that you have condemned the book without a hearing, since its counsel was not in court. It is easy, I take it, to win if you run alone, as the saying goes. So it is no wonder that I was defeated when no water was measured out for me and no chance to defend myself offered. Indeed—and this is the most extraordinary part of it all—you were judges as well as plaintiffs! Well, what is your wish? Shall I rest content with the decision and hold my peace? Or, like the poet of Himera,¹ shall I compose a palinode? Or will you give me an opportunity to plead my case on appeal?

POLYSTRATUS

Yes, indeed, if you have any just plea to offer; for it is not among opponents in court, as you say, but among friends that you will make your defence. For my part, I am even ready to associate myself with you as joint defendant in the case.

Defence of the ‘portrait-study’ Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 3. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 15 focus

[15]

Lycinus

Why, Polystratus, I never knew what an orator you were. After that eloquent close-packed indictment of my booklet, I almost despair of the defence. You and she were not quite judicial, though; you less than she, in condemning the accused when its counsel was not in court. It is always easy to win a walk-over, you know; so no wonder we were convicted, not being allowed to speak or given the ear of the court. But, still more monstrous, you were accusers and jury at once. Well, what am I to do? accept the verdict and hold my tongue? pen a palinode like Stesichorus? or will you grant an appeal?

Polystratus

Surely, if you have anything to say for yourself. For you will be heard not by opponents, as you say, but by friends. Indeed, my place is with you in the dock.

Notes on the current edition

Ὑπὲρ τῶν Εἰκόνων

1. τοσαύτην vulg.: ταύτην MSS.

Lucian Pro imaginibus 15

ed. Austin Morris Harmon