Lucian of Samosata, Toxaris vel amicitia, Emily James Smith (Translator), 63

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[63]

Toxaris

You are right; let us do so.

Mnesippos

But we need no blood, Toxaris, and no sword to cement our friendship. For this present talk of ours and our striving for like things will be more sure than that cup of which you drink, since to my mind such matters need not compulsion but good-will.

Toxaris

I approve. Let us be friends and hosts from this moment, you to me here in Greece, and I to you if you should ever come to Scythia.

Mnesippos

I assure you I would cheerfully go farther yet to find such friends as your words prove you to be, Toxaris.

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).) — 63 focus

Τόξαρις

εὖ λέγεις· καὶ οὕτω ποιῶμεν.

Μνήσιππος

ἀλλὰ μήτε αἵματος, ὦ Τόξαρι, μήτε ἀκινάκου δεώμεθα τὴν φιλίαν ἡμῖν βεβαιώσοντος· ὁ γὰρ λόγος ὁ παρὼν καὶ τὸ τῶν ὁμοίων ὀρέγεσθαι πολὺ πιστότερα τῆς κύλικος ἐκείνης ἣν πίνετε, ἐπεὶ τά γε τοιαῦτα οὐκ ἀνάγκης ἀλλὰ γνώμης δεῖσθαί μοι δοκεῖ.

Τόξαρις

ἐπαινῶ ταῦτα, καὶ ἤδη ὦμεν φίλοι καὶ ξένοι, ἐμοὶ μὲν σὺ ἐνταῦθα ἐπὶ τῆς Ἑλλάδος, ἐγὼ δὲ σοὶ εἴ ποτε ἐς τὴν Σκυθίαν ἀφίκοιο.

Μνήσιππος

καὶ μήν, εὖ ἴσθι, οὐκ ἂν ὀκνήσαιμι καὶ ἔτι πορρωτέρω ἐλθεῖν, εἰ μέλλω τοιούτοις φίλοις ἐντεύξεσθαι οἷος σύ, ὦ Τόξαρι, διεφάνης ἡμῖν ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων.

Translations (2)

Toxaris, or Friendship Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936 (printing).) — 63 focus

[63]

TOXARIS

Good! let us do so.

MNESIPPUS

But let us not feel the need of blood, Toxaris, or any sword to confirm our friendship. This conversation of ours just now and the similarity of our ideals are far more dependable sureties than that cup which your people drink, since achievements like these require resolution rather than compulsion, it seems to me.

TOXARIS

I approve all this; so let us now be friends and each the other’s host, you mine here in Hellas and I yours if ever you should come to Scythia.

MNESIPPUS

Truly you may be very sure that I shall not hesitate to go even farther if I am to meet such friends as you, Toxaris, have clearly shown me that you are, by what you have said.

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.) — 63 focus

[63]

Toxaris

Done with you, then.

Mnesippus

And, Toxaris,—we will dispense with the blood-andscimetar ceremony. Our present conversation, and the similarity of our aims, are a much better security than that sanguinary cup of yours. Friendship, as I take it, should be voluntary, not compulsory.

Toxaris

Well said. From this day, I am your friend, you mine; I your guest here in Greece, you mine if ever you come to Scythia.

Mnesippus

Scythia! I would go further than Scythia, to meet with such friends as Toxaris’s narratives have shown him to be.

Lucian of Samosata Toxaris vel amicitia 63

Emily James Smith (Translator)

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Toxaris

Mnesippos

Toxaris

Mnesippos

Current edition Perseus

Τόξαρις

εὖ λέγεις· καὶ οὕτω ποιῶμεν.

Τόξαρις

ἐπαινῶ ταῦτα, καὶ ἤδη ὦμεν φίλοι καὶ ξένοι, ἐμοὶ μὲν σὺ ἐνταῦθα ἐπὶ τῆς Ἑλλάδος, ἐγὼ δὲ σοὶ εἴ ποτε ἐς τὴν Σκυθίαν ἀφίκοιο.

TOXARIS

MNESIPPUS

TOXARIS

MNESIPPUS

Toxaris

Mnesippus

Toxaris

Mnesippus

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Toxaris

Mnesippos

Toxaris

Mnesippos

Current edition Perseus

Τόξαρις εὖ λέγεις· καὶ οὕτω ποιῶμεν.

Τόξαρις ἐπαινῶ ταῦτα, καὶ ἤδη ὦμεν φίλοι καὶ ξένοι, ἐμοὶ μὲν σὺ ἐνταῦθα ἐπὶ τῆς Ἑλλάδος, ἐγὼ δὲ σοὶ εἴ ποτε ἐς τὴν Σκυθίαν ἀφίκοιο.

TOXARIS

MNESIPPUS

TOXARIS

MNESIPPUS

Toxaris

Mnesippus

Toxaris

Mnesippus

Stable identifiers

Τόξαρις

εὖ λέγεις· καὶ οὕτω ποιῶμεν.

Τόξαρις

ἐπαινῶ ταῦτα, καὶ ἤδη ὦμεν φίλοι καὶ ξένοι, ἐμοὶ μὲν σὺ ἐνταῦθα ἐπὶ τῆς Ἑλλάδος, ἐγὼ δὲ σοὶ εἴ ποτε ἐς τὴν Σκυθίαν ἀφίκοιο.