Lucian of Samosata, Toxaris vel amicitia, Emily James Smith (Translator), 56

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[56]

Mnesippos

Very tragical and romance-like. But may the Sword and the Wind, by whom you swore, have mercy on me; for I do not think a man would be much to blame if he should disbelieve your tales.

Toxaris

Beware, my friend, lest your doubt be envy. Doubt as you will, you will not keep me from telling other such deeds of Scythians that I know of.

Mnesippos

Only not at great length, my dear fellow, nor using such unbridled words. You abused my silence to run up and down through Scythia and Machlyëne, and off to the Bosporos and back again.

Toxaris

I must obey your commands even in this, and speak briefly lest you weary of following me about with your ears.

Toxaris vel amicitia. Lucian of Samosata. Emily James Smith (Translator). Medford, MA. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Toxaris; Or, Friendship (English) (Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York: Harper Brothers, 1892.)

Editions (1)

Τόξαρις ἢ Φιλία Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936 (printing).) — 56 focus

Μνήσιππος

πάνυ τραγικά, ὦ Τόξαρι, καὶ μύθοις ὅμοια· καὶ ἵλεως μὲν ὁ Ἀκινάκης καὶ ὁ Ἄνεμος εἶεν, οὓς ὤμοσας· εἰ δʼ οὖν¹ τις ἀπιστοίη αὐτοῖς, οὐ πάνυ μεμπτὸς εἶναι δόξειεν ἄν.

Τόξαρις

ἀλλʼ ὅρα, ὦ γενναῖε, μὴ φθόνος ὑμῶν ἡ ἀπιστία ᾖ. πλὴν οὐκ ἐμὲ ἀποτρέψεις ἀπιστῶν καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα εἰπεῖν ἃ οἶδα ὑπὸ Σκυθῶν γενόμενα.

Μνήσιππος

μὴ μακρὰ μόνον, ὦ ἄριστε, μηδὲ οὕτως ἀφέτοις χρώμενος τοῖς λόγοις· ὡς νῦν γε, ἄνω καὶ κάτω τὴν Σκυθίαν καὶ τὴν Μαχλυανὴν² διαθέων καὶ εἰς τὸν Βόσπορον ἀπιών, εἶτʼ ἐπανιών, πάνυ μου κατεχρήσω τῇ σιωπῇ.

Τόξαρις

πειστέον καὶ ταῦτά σοι νομοθετοῦντι καὶ διὰ βραχέων λεκτέον, μὴ καὶ κάμῃς ἡμῖν τῇ ἀκοῇ συμπερινοστῶν.

Translations (2)

Toxaris, or Friendship Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936 (printing).) — 56 focus

[56]

MNESIPPUS

They are very dramatic, Toxaris, and quite like fables. May Glaive and Wind, by whom you swore, be good to me, but really, if one were to disbelieve them, one would not seem very open to criticism.

TOXARIS

But see to it, my gallant adversary, that your disbelief is not jealousy! Nevertheless, I am not the man to let your disbelieving me deter me from telling you other such deeds that I know to have been done by Scythians.

MNESIPPUS

Only don’t let them be too protracted, my excellent friend, and don’t use such an unembarrassed flow of speech; for as it is, by running hither and thither through Scythia and Machlyene, and by going off to Bosporus and then coming back again, you have taken very liberal advantage of my silence.

TOXARIS

In this too I must obey your dictates; I must speak briefly so that I shall not have you getting completely tired out by following me all about with your attention.

Toxaris: a Dialogue of Friendship Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 3. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 56 focus

[56]

Mnesippus

Truly deeds of high emprise; quite a legendary look about them. With Wind’s and Scimetar’s good leave, I think a man might be excused for doubting their truth.

Toxaris

Now, honestly, Mnesippus, does not that doubt look a little like envy? However, doubt if you will: that shall not deter me from relating other Scythian exploits of the same kind which have happened within my experience.

Mnesippus

Brevity, friend, is all I ask. Your story is apt to run away with you. Up hill and down dale you go, through Scythia and Machlyene, off again to Bosphorus, then back to Scythia, till my taciturnity is exhausted.

Toxaris

Iam schooled. Brevity you shall have; I will not run you off your ears this time.

Lucian of Samosata Toxaris vel amicitia 56

Emily James Smith (Translator)

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Mnesippos

Toxaris

Mnesippos

Toxaris

Current edition Perseus

Τόξαρις

ἀλλʼ ὅρα, ὦ γενναῖε, μὴ φθόνος ὑμῶν ἡ ἀπιστία ᾖ. πλὴν οὐκ ἐμὲ ἀποτρέψεις ἀπιστῶν καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα εἰπεῖν ἃ οἶδα ὑπὸ Σκυθῶν γενόμενα.

Τόξαρις

πειστέον καὶ ταῦτά σοι νομοθετοῦντι καὶ διὰ βραχέων λεκτέον, μὴ καὶ κάμῃς ἡμῖν τῇ ἀκοῇ συμπερινοστῶν.

MNESIPPUS

TOXARIS

MNESIPPUS

TOXARIS

Mnesippus

Toxaris

Mnesippus

Toxaris

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Mnesippos

Toxaris

Mnesippos

Toxaris

Current edition Perseus

Τόξαρις ἀλλʼ ὅρα, ὦ γενναῖε, μὴ φθόνος ὑμῶν ἡ ἀπιστία ᾖ. πλὴν οὐκ ἐμὲ ἀποτρέψεις ἀπιστῶν καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα εἰπεῖν ἃ οἶδα ὑπὸ Σκυθῶν γενόμενα.

Τόξαρις πειστέον καὶ ταῦτά σοι νομοθετοῦντι καὶ διὰ βραχέων λεκτέον, μὴ καὶ κάμῃς ἡμῖν τῇ ἀκοῇ συμπερινοστῶν.

MNESIPPUS

TOXARIS

MNESIPPUS

TOXARIS

Mnesippus

Toxaris

Mnesippus

Toxaris

Stable identifiers

Τόξαρις

ἀλλʼ ὅρα, ὦ γενναῖε, μὴ φθόνος ὑμῶν ἡ ἀπιστία ᾖ. πλὴν οὐκ ἐμὲ ἀποτρέψεις ἀπιστῶν καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα εἰπεῖν ἃ οἶδα ὑπὸ Σκυθῶν γενόμενα.

Τόξαρις

πειστέον καὶ ταῦτά σοι νομοθετοῦντι καὶ διὰ βραχέων λεκτέον, μὴ καὶ κάμῃς ἡμῖν τῇ ἀκοῇ συμπερινοστῶν.