Lucian of Samosata, Lexiphanes, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 1

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[1]

LYCINUS

Lexiphanes, the glass of fashion, with a book?

LEXIPHANES

Yes, Lycinus; ’tis one of my own productions of this very season,¹ quite recent.

LYCINUS

Why, are you now writing us something indecent?²

LEXIPHANES

No, forsooth, and I did not say indecent. Come, it is full time you learned to apply that word of mine to things newly indited. It would seem that your ears are stopped with wax.

LYCINUS

Excuse me, my friend. Between indecent and recent there is a great dealin common. But tell me, what is the theme of your work?

LEXIPHANES

I am counter-banqueting the son of Aristo in it.

LYCINUS

There are many “Aristos,” but to judge from your “banquet’ I suppose you mean Plato.

LEXIPHANES

You rede me right, but what I said would have been caviare to the general.

LYCINUS

Well then, you must read me a few passages from the book, so that I shan’t miss the feast entirely, I dare say you will properly “wine us with nectar” out of it.³

LEXIPHANES

Suppress Master Irony, then, and make your ears permeable before you give them to me. Avaunt with the obturations of Dame Cypselis!⁴

LYCINUS

Say your say confidently, for no Cypselus nor any Periander⁵ has taken up lodgings in my ears.

LEXIPHANES

Consider withal how I carry myself in the book —whether it has a good entrance, a rich display of good discourse and composure,⁶ and good store of egregious words.

LYCINUS

It is sure to have that, being yours. But do begin now.

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

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Λεξιφάνης Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936 (printing).) — 1 focus

Λυκῖνος

Λεξιφάνης ὁ καλὸς μετὰ βιβλίου;

Λεξιφάνης

νὴ Δίʼ, ὦ Λυκῖνε, γράμμα ἐστὶν τητινόν τι τῶν ἐμῶν κομιδῇ νεοχμόν.

Λυκῖνος

ἤδη γάρ τι καὶ περὶ αὐχμῶν ἡμῖν γράφεις;

Λεξιφάνης

οὐ δῆτα, οὐδὲ αὐχμὸν εἶπον, ἀλλὰ ὥρα σοι τὸ ἀρτιγραφὲς οὕτω καλεῖν. σὺ δὲ κυψελόβυστα ἔοικας ἔχειν τὰ ὦτα.

Λυκῖνος

σύγγνωθι, ὦ ἑταῖρε· πολὺ γὰρ τοῦ αὐχμοῦ τὸ νεοχμὸν μετέχει. ἀλλʼ εἰπέ μοι, τίς ὁ νοῦς τῷ συγγράμματι;

Λεξιφάνης

ἀντισυμποσιάζω τῷ Ἀρίστωνος ἐν αὐτῷ.

Λυκῖνος

πολλοὶ μὲν οἱ Ἀρίστωνες· σὺ δὲ ὅσον ἀπὸ τοῦ συμποσίου τὸν Πλάτωνά μοι ἔδοξας λέγειν.

Λεξιφάνης

ὀρθῶς ἀνέγνως. τὸ δὲ λεγόμενον ὡς ἄλλῳ παντὶ ἀνόητον ἂν ἦν.

Λυκῖνος

οὐκοῦν ὀλίγα μοι αὐτοῦ ἀνάγνωθι τοῦ βιβλίου, ὅπως μὴ παντάπασιν ἀπολειποίμην τῆς ἑστιάσεως· νέκταρος γάρ τινος ἔοικας οἰνοχοήσειν ἡμῖν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ.

Λεξιφάνης

τὸν μὲν εἴρωνα πεδοῖ κατάβαλε· σὺ δὲ εὔπορα ποιήσας τὰ ὦτα ἤδη ἄκουε. ἀπέστω δὲ ἡ ἐπιβύστρα ἡ Κυψελίς.

Λυκῖνος

λέγε θαρρῶν, ὡς ἔμοιγε οὔτε Κύψελός τις οὔτε Περίανδρος ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν κάθηται.

Λεξιφάνης

σκόπει δὴ μεταξύ, ὅπως διαπεραίνομαι, ὦ Λυκῖνε, τὸν λόγον, εἰ εὔαρχός τέ¹ ἐστι καὶ πολλὴν τὴν εὐλογίαν ἐπιδεικνύμενος καὶ εὔλεξις, ἔτι δὲ εὐώνυμος.

Λυκῖνος

ἔοικε τοιοῦτος εἶναι σός γε ὤν. ἀλλʼ ἄρξαι ποτέ.

Translations (1)

Lexiphanes Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 2. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 1 focus

[1]

Lycinus

What, our exquisite with his essay?

Lexiphanes

Ah, Lycinus, ’tis but a fledgeling of mine; ’tis all incondite.

Lycinus

O ho, conduits—that is your subject, is it?

Lexiphanes

You mistake me; I said nothing of conduits; you are behind the times; incondite—’tis the word we use now when a thing lacks the finishing touches. But you are the deaf adder that stoppeth her ears.

Lycinus

I beg your pardon, my dear fellow; but conduit, incondite, you know. Well now, what is the idea of your piece?

Lexiphanes

A symposium, a modest challenge to the son of Ariston.

Lycinus

There are a good many sons of Aristons; but, from the symposium, I presume you mean Plato.

Lexiphanes

You take me; what I said could fit no other.

Lycinus

Well, come, read me a little of it; do not send me away thirsty; I see there is nectar in store.

Lexiphanes

Ironist, avaunt! And now open your ears to my charming; adder me no adders.

Lycinus

Go ahead; I am no Adam, nor Eve either.

Lexiphanes

Have an eye to my conduct of the discourse, whether it be fair in commencement, fair in speech, fair in diction, fair in omenclature.

Lycinus

Oh, we know what to expect from Lexiphanes. But come, begin.

Notes on the current edition

Lexiphanes

With τητινόν cf. τῆτες, ascribed to Pompeianus of Philadelphia in Athenaeus, III, 98 8.

Lucian pretends to confuse νεοχμός (recent, novel) with αὐχμός (drought)—an equivoque quite impossible, I think, to reproduce exactly in English.

Lycinus is quoting a famous mixed metaphor in Homer (Iliad, I, 598 and IV, 3, with the scholia) and implies that he expects Lexiphanes to regale him similarly.

The name Cypselis (Waxy) is coined from cypselé (ear-wax).

Periander comes in because he too was a Cypselid.

For εὔλεξις cf. A Professor of Public Speaking, 17 (IV, p. 157).

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

LYCINUS

LEXIPHANES

LYCINUS

LEXIPHANES

LYCINUS

LEXIPHANES

LYCINUS

LEXIPHANES

LYCINUS

LEXIPHANES

LYCINUS

LEXIPHANES

LYCINUS

Current edition Perseus

Λυκῖνος Λεξιφάνης ὁ καλὸς μετὰ βιβλίου;

Λεξιφάνης νὴ Δίʼ, ὦ Λυκῖνε, γράμμα ἐστὶν τητινόν τι τῶν ἐμῶν κομιδῇ νεοχμόν.

Λυκῖνος ἤδη γάρ τι καὶ περὶ αὐχμῶν ἡμῖν γράφεις;

Λεξιφάνης οὐ δῆτα, οὐδὲ αὐχμὸν εἶπον, ἀλλὰ ὥρα σοι τὸ ἀρτιγραφὲς οὕτω καλεῖν. σὺ δὲ κυψελόβυστα ἔοικας ἔχειν τὰ ὦτα.

Λυκῖνος σύγγνωθι, ὦ ἑταῖρε· πολὺ γὰρ τοῦ αὐχμοῦ τὸ νεοχμὸν μετέχει. ἀλλʼ εἰπέ μοι, τίς ὁ νοῦς τῷ συγγράμματι;

Λεξιφάνης ἀντισυμποσιάζω τῷ Ἀρίστωνος ἐν αὐτῷ.

Λυκῖνος πολλοὶ μὲν οἱ Ἀρίστωνες· σὺ δὲ ὅσον ἀπὸ τοῦ συμποσίου τὸν Πλάτωνά μοι ἔδοξας λέγειν.

Λεξιφάνης ὀρθῶς ἀνέγνως. τὸ δὲ λεγόμενον ὡς ἄλλῳ παντὶ ἀνόητον ἂν ἦν.

Λεξιφάνης τὸν μὲν εἴρωνα πεδοῖ κατάβαλε· σὺ δὲ εὔπορα ποιήσας τὰ ὦτα ἤδη ἄκουε. ἀπέστω δὲ ἡ ἐπιβύστρα ἡ Κυψελίς.

Λυκῖνος λέγε θαρρῶν, ὡς ἔμοιγε οὔτε Κύψελός τις οὔτε Περίανδρος ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν κάθηται.

Λυκῖνος ἔοικε τοιοῦτος εἶναι σός γε ὤν. ἀλλʼ ἄρξαι ποτέ.

Lycinus

Lexiphanes

Lycinus

Lexiphanes

Lycinus

Lexiphanes

Lycinus

Lexiphanes

Lycinus

Lexiphanes

Lycinus

Lexiphanes

Lycinus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Λυκῖνος

Λεξιφάνης ὁ καλὸς μετὰ βιβλίου;

Λεξιφάνης

νὴ Δίʼ, ὦ Λυκῖνε, γράμμα ἐστὶν τητινόν τι τῶν ἐμῶν κομιδῇ νεοχμόν.

Λυκῖνος

ἤδη γάρ τι καὶ περὶ αὐχμῶν ἡμῖν γράφεις;

Λεξιφάνης

οὐ δῆτα, οὐδὲ αὐχμὸν εἶπον, ἀλλὰ ὥρα σοι τὸ ἀρτιγραφὲς οὕτω καλεῖν. σὺ δὲ κυψελόβυστα ἔοικας ἔχειν τὰ ὦτα.

Λυκῖνος

σύγγνωθι, ὦ ἑταῖρε· πολὺ γὰρ τοῦ αὐχμοῦ τὸ νεοχμὸν μετέχει. ἀλλʼ εἰπέ μοι, τίς ὁ νοῦς τῷ συγγράμματι;

Λεξιφάνης

ἀντισυμποσιάζω τῷ Ἀρίστωνος ἐν αὐτῷ.

Λυκῖνος

πολλοὶ μὲν οἱ Ἀρίστωνες· σὺ δὲ ὅσον ἀπὸ τοῦ συμποσίου τὸν Πλάτωνά μοι ἔδοξας λέγειν.

Λεξιφάνης

ὀρθῶς ἀνέγνως. τὸ δὲ λεγόμενον ὡς ἄλλῳ παντὶ ἀνόητον ἂν ἦν.

Λεξιφάνης

τὸν μὲν εἴρωνα πεδοῖ κατάβαλε· σὺ δὲ εὔπορα ποιήσας τὰ ὦτα ἤδη ἄκουε. ἀπέστω δὲ ἡ ἐπιβύστρα ἡ Κυψελίς.

Λυκῖνος

λέγε θαρρῶν, ὡς ἔμοιγε οὔτε Κύψελός τις οὔτε Περίανδρος ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν κάθηται.

Λυκῖνος

ἔοικε τοιοῦτος εἶναι σός γε ὤν. ἀλλʼ ἄρξαι ποτέ.