Lucian of Samosata De Syria dea 45

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

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De Syria dea. Lucian of Samosata. Austin Morris Harmon (Translator). United States. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

The Goddesse of Surrye (English) (Lucian, Vol. 4. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 (printing).)

Editions (1)
Περὶ τῆς Συρίης Θεοῦ Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 4. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 (printing).) — 45 focus

Notes on the current edition

The Goddesse of Surrye

1.
"At Hierapolis in Syria, in the lake of Venus, they (the fish) obey the spoken commands of the acditui; when called, they come with their golden ornaments; they show affection and let themselves be tickled (adulantes scalpuntur), and they open their mouths for people to put in their hands” (Pliny, Nat. Hist. 32, 17). According to Aelian (Nat. Hist. 12, 2) they swam in regular formation, and had leaders. The pond still exists, but the fish are no more (Cumont, Etudes Syriennes, p. 36 sq.). There were similar ponds at Ascalon, Edessa, and Smyrna: see the interesting inscription from Smyrna in Dittenberger, Sylloge Inscr. Grace.*, No. 584. The custom was transmitted to modern times (Baudissin, Studien, ii, pp. 159 and 165; Hogarth, Jc, p. 189). On the fish tabu in Syria, see Xenophon, Anab. 1, 4, 9; Menander, fragment 544 Kock; Cicero, de Nat. Deor. 3, 39; Diodorus 2, 4, 3; Plutarch, Moral. 170 D, 730D; Ovid, Fasti 2, 461 sqqg.; Athenaeus 4, 157 B; 8, 346 ¢ sqq.; Clement Alex., Protrept. 2, 39, p. 35 e; Hyginus, Fab. 197;. Astron. 2, 30.