Lucian of Samosata, Saturnalia, Kenneth Kilburn (Translator), 39

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[39] It’s this sort of thing that makes us determine not to let them in the house again, for our own safety’s sake. But if they were to make an agreement with you to be moderate in their demands, as they now say they are, and refrain from bad behaviour during banquets, then let them join us and dine with us, and good luck to them! Furthermore we shall send some of our clothing, as you direct, and spend as much gold as we can as well, and altogether we shan’t be found wanting in anything. And let them in their turn cease to be artful in their dealings with us and be friends instead of toadies and spongers. You will find no fault in us if they will do what they ought.

Saturnalia. Lucian of Samosata. Kenneth Kilburn (Translator). Medford, MA. Perseus 5.0.

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Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

A Conversation with Cronus (English) (Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, translator. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).)

Editions (2)

Τὰ πρὸς Κρόνον Perseus (Lucian. Luciani Samosatensis Opera, Vol. 3. Jacobitz, Karl, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1913.) — 39 focus

[39] ταῦτʼ ἐστὶ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, ὑφʼ ὧν ἡμεῖς ἐβουλευσάμεθα πρὸς τὸ λοιπὸν ἀσφαλείας τῆς ἡμετέρας ἕνεκεν μηκέτι ἐπιβατὸν αὐτοῖς ποιεῖν τὴν οἰκίαν. εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ σοῦ συνθοῖντο μετρίων δεήσεσθαι, ὥσπερ νῦν φασι, μηδὲν δὲ ὑβριστικὸν ἐν τοῖς συμποσίοις ὥσπερ νῦν φασι, μηδὲν δὲ ὑβριστικὸν ἐν τοῖς συμποσίοις ἐργάσεσθαι, κοινωνούντων ἡμῖν καὶ συνδειπνούντων τύχῃ τῇ ἀγαθῇ. καὶ τῶν ἱματίων, ὡς σὺ κελεύεις, πέμψομεν καὶ τοῦ χρυσίου ὁπόσον οἷόν τε καὶ προσδαπανήσομεν, καὶ ὅλως οὐδὲν ἐλλείψομεν· καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ ἀφέμενοι τοῦ κατὰ τέχνην ὁμιλεῖν ἡμῖν φίλοι ἀντὶ κολάκων καὶ παρασίτων ἔστωσαν. ὡς ἡμᾶς γε οὐδὲν ἂν αἰτιάσαιο κἀκείνων τὰ δέοντα ποιεῖν ἐθελόντων.

Τὰ πρὸς Κρόνον Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).) — 39 focus

[39] Ταῦτ’ ἐστὶ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, ὑφ’ ὧν ἡμεῖς ἐβουλευσάμεθα πρὸς τὸ λοιπὸν ἀσφαλείας τῆς ἡμετέρας ἕνεκεν μηκέτι ἐπιβατὸν αὐτοῖς ποιεῖν τὴν οἰκίαν. εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ σοῦ συνθοῖντο μετρίων δεήσεσθαι, ὥσπερ νῦν φασι, μηδὲν δὲ ὑβριστικὸν ἐν τοῖς συμποσίοις ἐργάσεσθαι, κοινωνούντων ἡμῖν καὶ συνδειπνούντων τύχῃ τῇ ἀγαθῇ. καὶ τῶν ἱματίων, ὡς σὺ κελεύεις, πέμψομεν καὶ τοῦ χρυσίου ὁπόσον οἷόν τε καὶ προσδαπανήσομεν, καὶ ὅλως οὐδὲν ἐλλείψομεν. καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ ἀφέμενοι τοῦ κατὰ τέχνην ὁμιλεῖν ἡμῖν φίλοι ἀντὶ κολάκων καὶ παρασίτων ἔστωσαν. ὡς ἡμᾶς γε οὐδὲν ἂν αἰτιάσαιο κἀκείνων τὰ δέοντα ποιεῖν ἐθελόντων.

Translations (1)

Saturnalia Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 4. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 39 focus

[39] For these among other reasons we determined to protect ourselves by giving them the entrée no longer. But if they engage under your guarantee to make only the moderate demands they now profess, and to abstain from outraging their hosts’ feelings, what is ours shall be theirs; we shall be only too glad of their company. We will comply with your suggestions about the clothes and, as far as may be, about the gold, and in fact will do our duty. We ask them on their side to give up trading on our hospitality, and to be our friends instead of our toadies and parasites. If only they will behave themselves, you shall have no reason to complain of us.

Lucian of Samosata Saturnalia 39

Kenneth Kilburn (Translator)

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