Lucian, De saltatione, ed. Austin Morris Harmon, 76

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Λυκῖνος

ἐθέλω γοῦν σοι καὶ δήμου τινὸς οὐ φαύλου τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπισημαίνεσθαι βοὰς εἰπεῖν· οἱ γὰρ Ἀντιοχεῖς, εὐφυεστάτη πόλις καὶ ὄρχησιν μάλιστα πρεσβεύουσα, οὕτως ἐπιτηρεῖ τῶν λεγομένων καὶ τῶν γιγνομένων ἕκαστα, ὡς μηδένα μηδὲν αὐτῶν διαλανθάνειν. μικροῦ μὲν γὰρ ὀρχηστοῦ εἰσελθόντος καὶ τὸν Ἕκτορα ὀρχουμένου μιᾷ φωνῇ πάντες ἀνεβόησαν, ὦ¹ Ἀστυάναξ, Ἕκτωρ δὲ ποῦ; ἄλλοτε δέ ποτε μηκίστου τινὸς ὑπὲρ τὸ μέτριον ὀρχεῖσθαι τὸν Καπανέα ἐπιχειροῦντος καὶ προσβάλλειν τοῖς Θηβαίων τείχεσιν, ὑπέρβηθι, ἔφησαν, τὸ τεῖχος, οὐδέν σοι δεῖ κλίμακος. καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ παχέος δὲ καὶ πιμελοῦς ὀρχηστοῦ πηδᾶν μεγάλα πειρωμένου, δεόμεθα, ἔφασαν, φεῖσαι² τῆς θυμέλης. τὸ δὲ ἐναντίον τῷ πάνυ λεπτῷ ἐπεβόησαν, καλῶς ἔχε, ὡς νοσοῦντι. τούτων οὐ τοῦ γελοίου ἕνεκα ἐπεμνήσθην,³ ἀλλʼ ὡς ἴδῃς ὅτι καὶ δῆμοι ὅλοι μεγάλην σπουδὴν ἐποιήσαντο ἐπὶ τῇ ὀρχηστικῇ, ὡς ῥυθμίζειν τὰ καλὰ καὶ τὰ αἰσχρὰ αὐτῆς δύνασθαι.

De saltatione. Lucian. ed. Austin Morris Harmon. Medford, MA. Perseus 4.0.

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

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (2)

The Dance Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936 (printing).) — 76 focus

[76] To illustrate, I should like to tell you about the cat-calls of a certain populace that is not slow to mark such points. The people of Antioch, a very talented city which especially honours the dance, keep such an eye upon everything that is done and said that nothing ever escapes a man of them. When a diminutive dancer made his entrance and began to play Hector, they all cried out in a single voice, “Ho there, Astyanax! where is Hector?” On another occasion, when a man who was extremely tall undertook to dance Capaneus and assault the walls of Thebes, “Step over the wall,” they said, “you have no need of a ladder!” And in the case of the plump and heavy dancer who tried to make great leaps, they said, “We beg you, spare the stage!’ On the other hand, to one who was very thin they called out: “Good health to you,” as if he were ill. It is not for the joke’s sake that I have mentioned these comments, but to let you see that entire peoples have taken a great interest in the art of dancing, so that they could regulate its good and bad points.

Of Pantomime Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 2. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 76 focus

[76] Let me quote you certain comments of the people of Antioch, who have a happy knack in expressing their views on such subjects. They are a most intelligent people, and devoted to Pantomime; each individual is all eyes and ears for the performance; not a word, not a gesture escapes them. Well, when a small man came on in the character of Hector, they cried out with one voice: ‘Here is Astyanax; and where is Hector?’ On another occasion, an exceedingly tall man was taking the part of Capaneus scaling the walls of Thebes; ‘Step over’ suggested the audience; ‘you need no ladder.’ The well-meant activity of a fat and heavy dancer was met with earnest entreaties to ‘spare the platform’; while a thin performer was recommended to ‘take care of his health.’ I mention these criticisms, not on account of their humorous character, but as an illustration of the profound interest that whole cities have sometimes taken in Pantomime, and of their ability to discern its merits and demerits.

Notes on the current edition

Περὶ Ὀρχήσεως

1. ὦ Harmon: ὧς MSS. σὺ Fritzsche, ὅδ’ Bekker.

2. φεῖσαι ΓΩ: φεῖσθαι E, πεφεῖσθαι NA.

3. ὑπεμνήσθην ΓΕ.

Lucian De saltatione 76

ed. Austin Morris Harmon

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