Lucian, Lexiphanes, Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator), 20

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[20]

Sopolis

What is the matter with him, Lycinus?

Lycinus

Why, this is the matter; don’t you hear? He leaves us his contemporaries, and goes a thousand years off to talk to us, which he does by aid of these tongue-gymnastics and extraordinary compounds—prides himself upon it, too, asif it were a great thing to disguise yourself, and mutilate the conversational currency.

Sopolis

Well, to be sure, this is a serious case; we must do all we can for him. Providentially, here is an emetic I had just mixed for a bilious patient; here, Lexiphanes, drink it off; the other man can wait; let us purge you of this vocal derangement, and get you a clean bill of health. Come along, down with it; you will feel much easier.

Lexiphanes

I know not what you would be at, you and Lycinus, with your drenches; I fear me you are more like to end than mend my speech.

Lycinus

Drink, quick; it will make a man of you in thought and word.

Lexiphanes

Well, if I must. Lord, what is this? How it rumbles! I must have swallowed a ventriloquist.

Lexiphanes. Lucian. Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator). Medford, MA, USA. 2023-08-01.

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Λεξιφάνης Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936 (printing).) — 20 focus

Σώπολις

τί δὲ νοσεῖ, ὦ Λυκῖνε, Λεξιφάνης;

Λυκῖνος

αὐτὰ ταῦτα, ὦ Σώπολι. οὐκ ἀκούεις οἷα φθέγγεται; καὶ ἡμᾶς τοὺς νῦν προσομιλοῦντας καταλιπὼν πρὸ χιλίων ἐτῶν ἡμῖν διαλέγεται διαστρέφων τὴν γλῶτταν καὶ ταυτὶ τὰ ἀλλόκοτα συντιθεὶς καὶ σπουδὴν ποιούμενος ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς, ὡς δή τι μέγα ὄν, εἴ τι ξενίζοι καὶ τὸ καθεστηκὸς νόμισμα τῆς φωνῆς παρακόπτοι.

Σώπολις

μὰ Δίʼ οὐ μικράν τινα λέγεις τὴν νόσον, ὦ Λυκῖνε. βοηθητέα γοῦν τῷ ἀνδρὶ πάσῃ μηχανῇ καὶ — κατὰ θεὸν γὰρ τῶν χολώντων¹ τινι φάρμακον τουτὶ κερασάμενος ἀπῄειν, ὡς πιὼν ἐμέσειε — φέρε πρῶτος αὐτὸς πῖθι, ὦ Λεξίφανες, ὡς ὑγιὴς ἡμῖν καὶ καθαρὸς γένοιο, τῆς τοιαύτης τῶν λόγων ἀτοπίας κενωθείς. ἀλλὰ πείσθητί μοι καὶ πῖθι καὶ ῥᾴων ἔσῃ.

Λεξιφάνης

οὐκ οἶδʼ ὃ καὶ δράσετέ με, ὦ Σώπολι, σύ τε καὶ Λυκῖνος, πιπίσκοντες τουτουὶ τοῦ φαρμάκου. δέδοικα γοῦν μὴ πῶμα² γένοιτό μοι τοῦτο τῶν λόγων τὸ πόμα.

Λυκῖνος

πῖθι καὶ μὴ μέλλε, ὡς ἀνθρώπινα ἤδη φρονοίης καὶ λέγοις.

Λεξιφάνης

ἰδοὺ πείθομαι καὶ πίομαι. φεῦ, τί τοῦτο; πολὺς ὁ βορβορυγμός. ἐγγαστρίμυθόν τινα ἔοικα πεπωκέναι.

Translations (1)

Lexiphanes Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936 (printing).) — 20 focus

[20]

SOPOLIS

What ails him, Lycinus?

LYCINUS

Just that, Sopolis! Can’t you hear how he talks? Abandoning us, who converse with him now, he talks to us from a thousand years ago, distorting his language, making these preposterous combinations, and taking himself very seriously in the matter, as if it were a great thing for him to use an alien idiom and debase the established currency of speech.

SOPOLIS

By Zeus, it is no trivial disorder you tell of, Lycinus. The man must be helped by all means. As good luck would have it, I came away with this medicine, made up for an insane person, so that by taking it he might throw off his bile. Come, you be the first to take it, Lexiphanes, that we may have you cured and cleansed, once you have rid yourself of such impossible language. Do obey me and take it, and you will feel better.

LEXIPHANES

I don’t know what you and Lycinus mean to do to me, Sopolis, plying me with this drench. Indeed, I fear your draught may chill my vocabulary.

LYCINUS

Drink without delay, that at last you may be human in thought and speech.

LEXIPHANES

There, I obey and drink. Oh me, what is this? The bombilation is vast! I would seem to have swallowed a familiar spirit.¹

Lucian Lexiphanes 20

Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Sopolis

Lycinus

Sopolis

Lexiphanes

Lycinus

Lexiphanes

Current edition Perseus

Σώπολις

τί δὲ νοσεῖ, ὦ Λυκῖνε, Λεξιφάνης;

Λεξιφάνης

οὐκ οἶδʼ ὃ καὶ δράσετέ με, ὦ Σώπολι, σύ τε καὶ Λυκῖνος, πιπίσκοντες τουτουὶ τοῦ φαρμάκου. δέδοικα γοῦν μὴ πῶμα² γένοιτό μοι τοῦτο τῶν λόγων τὸ πόμα.

Λυκῖνος

πῖθι καὶ μὴ μέλλε, ὡς ἀνθρώπινα ἤδη φρονοίης καὶ λέγοις.

Λεξιφάνης

ἰδοὺ πείθομαι καὶ πίομαι. φεῦ, τί τοῦτο; πολὺς ὁ βορβορυγμός. ἐγγαστρίμυθόν τινα ἔοικα πεπωκέναι.

SOPOLIS

LYCINUS

SOPOLIS

LEXIPHANES

LYCINUS

LEXIPHANES

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Sopolis

Lycinus

Sopolis

Lexiphanes

Lycinus

Lexiphanes

Current edition Perseus

Σώπολις τί δὲ νοσεῖ, ὦ Λυκῖνε, Λεξιφάνης;

Λεξιφάνης οὐκ οἶδʼ ὃ καὶ δράσετέ με, ὦ Σώπολι, σύ τε καὶ Λυκῖνος, πιπίσκοντες τουτουὶ τοῦ φαρμάκου. δέδοικα γοῦν μὴ πῶμα 2 γένοιτό μοι τοῦτο τῶν λόγων τὸ πόμα.

Λυκῖνος πῖθι καὶ μὴ μέλλε, ὡς ἀνθρώπινα ἤδη φρονοίης καὶ λέγοις.

Λεξιφάνης ἰδοὺ πείθομαι καὶ πίομαι. φεῦ, τί τοῦτο; πολὺς ὁ βορβορυγμός. ἐγγαστρίμυθόν τινα ἔοικα πεπωκέναι.

SOPOLIS

LYCINUS

SOPOLIS

LEXIPHANES

LYCINUS

LEXIPHANES

Stable identifiers

Σώπολις

τί δὲ νοσεῖ, ὦ Λυκῖνε, Λεξιφάνης;

Λυκῖνος

πῖθι καὶ μὴ μέλλε, ὡς ἀνθρώπινα ἤδη φρονοίης καὶ λέγοις.

Λεξιφάνης

ἰδοὺ πείθομαι καὶ πίομαι. φεῦ, τί τοῦτο; πολὺς ὁ βορβορυγμός. ἐγγαστρίμυθόν τινα ἔοικα πεπωκέναι.