Lucian of Samosata, De saltatione, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 85

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[85] These, my friend, are but a few out of manifold achievements and activities of the dance, and I have given you a glimpse of them in order that you may not be highly displeased with me for viewing them with ardent eyes. If you should care to join me in looking on, I know very well that you will be wholly enthralled and will even catch the dancer-craze. So I shall not need to say to you what Circe said:

Wonder holds me to see that you drained this draught unenchanted.

Odyssey, X, 326. For you will be enchanted, and by Zeus it will not be any donkey’s head or pig’s heart that you will have, but your mind will be more firmly established and you will be so enraptured that you will not give even a tiny bit of the brew to anyone else to drink. Homer says, you know, of the golden wand of Hermes that he “charmeth the eyes of men” with it,

Whomsoever he wishes, and others he wakes that are sleeping.

Odyss., V, 47-48. Really, dancing does just that: it charms the eyes and makes them wide awake, and it rouses the mind to respond to every detail of its performances.

CRATO

Upon my word, Lycinus, I have come to the point of believing you and am all agog, ear and eye alike. Do remember, my friend, when you go to the theatre, to reserve me a seat at your side, in order that you may not be the only one to come back to us wiser!

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

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

The Dance (English) (Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Περὶ Ὀρχήσεως Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936 (printing).) — 85 focus

Λυκῖνος

ταῦτά σοι, ὦ φιλότης, ὀλίγα ἐκ παμπόλλων παρέδειξα ὀρχήσεως ἔργα καὶ ἐπιτηδεύματα, ὡς μὴ πάνυ ἄχθοιό μοι ἐρωτικῶς θεωμένῳ αὐτά. εἰ δὲ βουληθείης κοινωνῆσαί μοι τῆς θέας, εὖ οἶδα ἐγὼ πάνυ ἁλωσόμενόν σε καὶ ὀρχηστομανήσοντά γε προσέτι. ὥστε οὐδὲν δεήσομαι τὸ τῆς Κίρκης ἐκεῖνο πρὸς σὲ εἰπεῖν, τὸ
θαῦμά μʼ ἔχει ὡς οὔτι πιὼν τάδε φάρμακʼ ἐθέλχθης,
θελχθήσῃ γάρ, καὶ μὰ Δίʼ οὐκ ὄνου κεφαλὴν ἢ συὸς καρδίαν ἕξεις, ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν νόος σοι ἐμπεδώτερος ἔσται, σὺ δὲ ὑφʼ ἡδονῆς οὐδὲ ὀλίγον τοῦ κυκεῶνος ἄλλῳ μεταδώσεις πιεῖν. ὅπερ γὰρ ὁ Ὅμηρος περὶ τῆς Ἑρμοῦ ῥάβδου τῆς χρυσῆς λέγει, ὅτι καὶ ἀνδρῶν ὄμματα θέλγει διʼ αὐτῆς
ὧν ἐθέλει, τοὺς δʼ αὖτε καὶ ὑπνώοντας ἐγείρει,
τοῦτο ἀτεχνῶς ὄρχησις ποιεῖ καὶ τὰ ὄμματα θέλγουσα καὶ ἐγρηγορέναι ποιοῦσα καὶ ἐπεγείρουσα τὴν διάνοιαν πρὸς ἕκαστα τῶν δρωμένων.

Κράτων

καὶ μὴν ἤδη ἐγώ, ὦ Λυκῖνε, πείθομαί τέ σοι καὶ ἀναπεπταμένα ἔχω καὶ τὰ ὦτα καὶ τὰ ὄμματα. καὶ μέμνησό γε, ὦ φιλότης, ἐπειδὰν εἰς τὸ θέατρον ἴῃς, κἀμοὶ¹ παρὰ σαυτῷ θέαν καταλαμβάνειν, ὡς μὴ μόνος ἐκεῖθεν σοφώτερος ἡμῖν ἐπανίοις.

Translations (1)

Of Pantomime Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 2. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 85 focus

[85] I hope, my dear Crato, that this cursory description of the Pantomime may mitigate your wrath against its devoted admirer, If you can bring yourself to bear me company to the theatre, you will be captivated; you will run Pantomime-mad. I shall have no occasion to exclaim, with Circe,

Strange, that my drugs have wrought no change in thee!

The change will come; but will not involve an ass’s head, nor a pig’s heart, but only an improved understanding. In your delight at the potion, you will drain it off, and leave not a drop for any one else. Homer says, of the golden wand of Hermes, that with it he

charms the eyes of men,

When so he will, and rouses them that sleep.

So it is with Pantomime. It charms the eyes to wakefulness; and quickens the mental faculties at every turn.

Crato

Enough, Lycinus: behold your convert! My eyes and ears are opened. When next you go to the theatre, remember to take a seat for me next your own. I too would issue from those doors a wiser man.

Lucian of Samosata De saltatione 85

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

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