Lucian, Saturnalia, Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator), 5

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[5]

Priest

Most kind Titan, such gifts I require not of you. Give me the answer that was my first desire, and then count yourself to have repaid my sacrifice sufficiently; you shall have my receipt in full.

Cronus

Put your question. An answer you shall have, if my knowledge is equal to it.

Priest

First, then, is the common story true? used you to eat the children Rhea bore you? and did she steal away Zeus, and give you a stone to swallow for a baby? did he when he grew to manhood make victorious war upon you and drive you from your kingdom, bind and cast you into Tartarus, you and all the powers that ranged themselves with you?

Cronus

Fellow, were it any but this festive season, when ’tis lawful to be drunken, and slaves have licence to revile their lords, the reward for thy question, for this thy rudeness to a grey-haired aged God, had been the knowledge that wrath is yet permitted me.

Priest

It is not my story, you know, Cronus; it is Homer’s and Hesiod’s; I might say, only I don’t quite like to, that it is the belief of the generality.

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

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (2)

Τὰ πρὸς Κρόνον Perseus (Lucian. Luciani Samosatensis Opera, Vol. 3. Jacobitz, Karl, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1913.) — 5 focus

Ἱερεύς

ἀλλʼ, ὦ Τιτάνων ἄριστε, τῶν μὲν τοιούτων οὐ δέομαι, σὺ δὲ ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνό μοι ἀπόκριναι, ὃ μάλιστα ἐπόθουν εἰδέναι, καὶ μοι ἢν εἴπῃς αὐτό, ἱκανὴν ἔσῃ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν ἀποδεδωκὼς ἀντὶ τῆς θυσίας, καὶ πρὸς τὸ λοιπὸν ἀφίημί σοι τὰ χρέα.

Κρόνος

ἐρώτα μόνον· ἀποκρινοῦμαι γάρ, ἢν εἰδὼς τύχω.

Ἱερεύς

τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐκεῖνο, εἰ ἀληθῆ ταῦτά ἐστιν ἃ περὶ σοῦ ἀκούομεν, ὡς κατήσθιες τὰ γεννώμενα ὑπὸ τῆς Ῥέας, ἐκείνη δὲ ὑφελομένη τὸν Δία λίθον ὑποβαλλομένη ἀντὶ τοῦ βρέφους ἔδωκέ σοι καταπιεῖν, ὁ δὲ εἰς ἡλικίαν ἀφικόμενος ἐξήλασέ σε τῆς ἀρχῆς πολέμῳ κρατήσας, εἶτα ἐς τὸν Τάρταρον φέρων ἐνέβαλε πεδήσας αὐτόν τε καὶ τὸ συμμαχικὸν ἅπαν, ὁπόσον μετὰ σοῦ παρετάττετο.

Κρόνος

εἰ μὴ ἑορτήν, ὦ οὗτος, ἤγομεν καὶ μεθύειν 389 ἐφεῖτο καὶ λοιδορεῖσθαι τοῖς δεσπόταις ἐπʼ ἐξουσίας, ἔγνως ἄν ὡς ὀργίζεσθαι γοῦν ἐφεῖταί μοι, τοιαῦτα ἐρωτήσας, οὐκ αἰδεσθεὶς πολιὸν οὕτω καὶ πρεσβύτην θεόν.

Ἱερεύς

κἀγὼ ταῦτα, ὦ Κρόνε, οὐ παρʼ ἐμαυτοῦ φημι, ἀλλʼ Ἡσίοδος καὶ Ὅμηρος, ὀκνῶ γὰρ λέγειν ὅτι καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ἅπαντες ἄνθρωποι σχεδὸν ταῦτα πεπιστεύκας· περὶ σοῦ.

Τὰ πρὸς Κρόνον Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).) — 5 focus

ΙΕΡΕΥΣ

Ἀλλ’, ὦ Τιτάνων ἄριστε, τῶν μὲν τοιούτων οὐ δέομαι, σὺ δὲ ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖνό μοι ἀπόκριναι, ὃ μάλιστα ἐπόθουν εἰδέναι, καί μοι ἢν εἴπῃς αὐτό, ἱκανὴν ἔσει τὴν ἀμοιβὴν ἀποδεδωκὼς ἀντὶ τῆς θυσίας, καὶ πρὸς τὸ λοιπὸν ἀφίημί σοι τὰ χρέα.

ΚΡΟΝΟΣ

Ἐρώτα μόνον. ἀποκρινοῦμαι γάρ, ἢν εἰδὼς τύχω.

ΙΕΡΕΥΣ

Τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐκεῖνο, εἰ ἀληθῆ ταῦτά ἐστιν ἃ περὶ σοῦ ἀκούομεν, ὡς κατήσθιες τὰ γεννώμενα ὑπὸ τῆς Ῥέας, ἐκείνη δὲ ὑφελομένη τὸν Δία λίθον ὑποβαλλομένη ἀντὶ τοῦ βρέφους ἔδωκέ σοι καταπιεῖν, ὁ δὲ εἰς ἡλικίαν ἀφικόμενος ἐξήλασέ σε τῆς ἀρχῆς πολέμῳ κρατήσας, εἶτα ἐς τὸν Τάρταρον φέρων ἐνέβαλε πεδήσας αὐτόν τε καὶ τὸ συμμαχικὸν ἅπαν, ὁπόσον μετὰ σοῦ παρετάττετο.

ΚΡΟΝΟΣ

Εἰ μὴ ἑορτήν, ὦ οὗτος, ἤγομεν καὶ μεθύειν ἐφεῖτο καὶ λοιδορεῖσθαι ¹ τοῖς δεσπόταις ἐπ’ ἐξουσίας, ἔγνως ἂν ὡς ὀργίζεσθαι γοῦν ἐφεῖταί μοι, τοιαῦτα ἐρωτήσας, οὐκ αἰδεσθεὶς πολιὸν οὕτω καὶ πρεσβύτην θεόν.

ΙΕΡΕΥΣ

Κἀγὼ ταῦτα, ὦ Κρόνε, οὐ παρ’ ἐμαυτοῦ φημι, ἀλλ’ Ἡσίοδος καὶ Ὅμηρος, ὀκνῶ γὰρ λέγειν ὅτι καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ἅπαντες ἄνθρωποι σχεδὸν ταῦτα πεπιστεύκασι περὶ σοῦ.

Translations (1)

A Conversation with Cronus Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, translator. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).) — 5 focus

PRIEST

Why, best of Titans, I need nothing like that. But answer me this—I have longed to know, and if you tell me it will be an adequate return for the sacrifice and I release you from future debts.

CRONUS

Just ask what you want. I shall answer if I happen to know.

PRIEST

This first: whether what we often hear about you is true, that you ate up Rhea’s children, but she put Zeus out of the way, substituting a stone for you to swallow down instead of the child; then, when he grew up, he beat you in war and drove you from the sovereignty; he took you to Tartarus, put fetters on you and all the allies who sided with you, and threw you in.

CRONUS

If it were not festival-time, my man, and if you weren’t allowed to get drunk and cheek your masters with impunity, you would have found out that I’m allowed to be angry at any rate—asking such questions and showing no respect for a grey-haired old god like me!

PRIEST

Now I don’t say this on my own, Cronus. Hesiod and Homer say so; I’m not sure that I should tell you that the rest of mankind too believes pretty much the same about you.

Lucian Saturnalia 5

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

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Priest

Cronus

Priest

Cronus

Priest

Current edition Perseus

Κρόνος

ἐρώτα μόνον· ἀποκρινοῦμαι γάρ, ἢν εἰδὼς τύχω.

ΚΡΟΝΟΣ

Ἐρώτα μόνον. ἀποκρινοῦμαι γάρ, ἢν εἰδὼς τύχω.

PRIEST

Why, best of Titans, I need nothing like that. But answer me this—I have longed to know, and if you tell me it will be an adequate return for the sacrifice and I release you from future debts.

CRONUS

Just ask what you want. I shall answer if I happen to know.

CRONUS

If it were not festival-time, my man, and if you weren’t allowed to get drunk and cheek your masters with impunity, you would have found out that I’m allowed to be angry at any rate—asking such questions and showing no respect for a grey-haired old god like me!

PRIEST

Now I don’t say this on my own, Cronus. Hesiod and Homer say so; I’m not sure that I should tell you that the rest of mankind too believes pretty much the same about you.

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Priest

Cronus

Priest

Cronus

Priest

Current edition Perseus

Κρόνος ἐρώτα μόνον· ἀποκρινοῦμαι γάρ, ἢν εἰδὼς τύχω.

ΚΡΟΝΟΣ Ἐρώτα μόνον. ἀποκρινοῦμαι γάρ, ἢν εἰδὼς τύχω.

PRIEST Why, best of Titans, I need nothing like that. But answer me this—I have longed to know, and if you tell me it will be an adequate return for the sacrifice and I release you from future debts.

CRONUS Just ask what you want. I shall answer if I happen to know.

CRONUS If it were not festival-time, my man, and if you weren’t allowed to get drunk and cheek your masters with impunity, you would have found out that I’m allowed to be angry at any rate—asking such questions and showing no respect for a grey-haired old god like me!

PRIEST Now I don’t say this on my own, Cronus. Hesiod and Homer say so; I’m not sure that I should tell you that the rest of mankind too believes pretty much the same about you.

Stable identifiers

Κρόνος

ἐρώτα μόνον· ἀποκρινοῦμαι γάρ, ἢν εἰδὼς τύχω.

ΚΡΟΝΟΣ

Ἐρώτα μόνον. ἀποκρινοῦμαι γάρ, ἢν εἰδὼς τύχω.

PRIEST

Why, best of Titans, I need nothing like that. But answer me this—I have longed to know, and if you tell me it will be an adequate return for the sacrifice and I release you from future debts.

CRONUS

Just ask what you want. I shall answer if I happen to know.

CRONUS

If it were not festival-time, my man, and if you weren’t allowed to get drunk and cheek your masters with impunity, you would have found out that I’m allowed to be angry at any rate—asking such questions and showing no respect for a grey-haired old god like me!

PRIEST

Now I don’t say this on my own, Cronus. Hesiod and Homer say so; I’m not sure that I should tell you that the rest of mankind too believes pretty much the same about you.