Lucian of Samosata, Hermotimus, Kenneth Kilburn (Translator), 51

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HERMOTIMUS

That is not so. You always lord it over us. I don’t know what makes you hate philosophy and mock philosophers.

LYCINUS

What truth is, Hermotimus, you wise men can say better than I—you and your master I mean. For myself I know thus much: truth is not all pleasant to listen to; in estimation it is far outfamed by falsehood. Falsehood presents a fairer face, and is therefore more pleasant, while truth knows no deceit and speaks with freedom to men, and for this they take offence. Look at us: you now take offence with me for discovering the truth of these matters with your help and showing that what you and I are in love with is not easy at all. Suppose you had happened to be in love with a statue and, thinking it to be human, hoped to win it, and suppose I saw it was stone or bronze and told you out of friendship that your love was impossible, you would in that case too think that I was an enemy, because I had not let you be deceived when you hoped for what was monstrous and beyond your reach.

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

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

The Scythian or Consul (English) (Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, translator. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).)

Editions (2)

Ἑρμότιμος ἢ Περὶ Αἱρέσεων Perseus (Lucian. Luciani Samosatensis Opera, Vol. 1. Jacobitz, Karl, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1909.) — 51 focus

Ἑρμότιμος

οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ὑβριστὴς ἀεὶ σύ, καὶ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι παθὼν μισεῖς φιλοσοφίαν καὶ ἐς τοὺς φιλοσοφοῦντας ἀποσκώπτεις.

Λυκῖνος

ὦ Ἑρμότιμε, ἥτις μὲν ἡ ἀλήθειά ἐστιν ὑμεῖς ἂν ἄμεινον εἴποιτε οἱ σοφοί, σύ τε καὶ ὁ διδάσκαλος· ἐγὼ δὲ τό γε τοσοῦτον οἶδα, ὡς οὐ πάνυ ἡδεῖά ἐστιν αὐτὴ τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, ἀλλὰ παρευδοκιμεῖται ὑπὸ τοῦ ψεύδους παρὰ πολύ· εὐπροσωπότερον γὰρ ἐκεῖνο καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἥδιον· ἡ δὲ ἅτε μηδὲν κίβδηλον ἑαυτῇ συνειδυῖα μετὰ παρρησίας διαλέγεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἄχθονται αὐτῇ. ἰδού γέ τοι, καὶ σὺ νῦν ἄχθῃ μοι τἀληθὲς ἐξευρόντι περὶ τούτων μετὰ σοῦ καὶ δηλώσαντι οἵων ἐρῶμεν ἐγώ τε καὶ σύ, ὡς οὐ πάνυ ῥᾳδίων· ὥσπερ εἰ ἀνδριάντος ἐρῶν ἐτύγχανες καὶ ᾤου τεύξεσθαι ὑπολαμβάνων ἄνθρωπον εἶναι, ἐγὼ δὲ κατιδὼν ὡς λίθος ἢ χαλκὸς εἴη ἐμήνυσα πρός σε ὑπʼ εὐνοίας ὅτι ἀδυνάτων ἐρᾷς, καὶ τότε δύσνουν ἐμὲ εἶναι ᾤου ἂν σαυτῷ, διότι σε οὐκ εἴων ἐξαπατᾶσθαι ἀλλόκοτα καὶ ἀνέλπιστα ἐλπίζοντα.

Σκύθης ἢ πρόξενος Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).) — 51 focus

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ὑβριστὴς ἀεὶ σύ, καὶ οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅ τι παθὼν μισεῖς φιλοσοφίαν καὶ ἐς τοὺς φιλοσοφοῦντας ἀποσκώπτεις.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Ὦ Ἑρμότιμε, ἥτις μὲν ἡ ἀλήθειά ἐστιν ὑμεῖς ἂν ἄμεινον εἴποιτε οἱ σοφοί, σύ τε καὶ ὁ διδάσκαλος. ἐγὼ δὲ τό γε τοσοῦτον οἶδα, ὡς οὐ πάνυ ἡδεῖά ἐστιν αὐτὴ τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, ἀλλὰ παρευδοκιμεῖται ὑπὸ τοῦ ψεύδους παρὰ πολύ. εὐπροσωπότερον γὰρ ἐκεῖνο καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἥδιον, ἡ δὲ ἅτε μηδὲν κίβδηλον ἑαυτῇ συνειδυῖα μετὰ παρρησίας διαλέγεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἄχθονται αὐτῇ. ἰδού γέ τοι, καὶ σὺ νῦν ἄχθῃ μοι τἀληθὲς ἐξευρόντι περὶ τούτων μετὰ σοῦ καὶ δηλώσαντι οἵων ἐρῶμεν ἐγώ τε καὶ σύ, ὡς οὐ πάνυ ῥᾳδίων. ὥσπερ εἰ ἀνδριάντος ἐρῶν ἐτύγχανες καὶ ᾤου τεύξεσθαι ὑπολαμβάνων ἄνθρωπον εἶναι, ἐγὼ δὲ κατιδὼν ὡς λίθος ἢ χαλκὸς εἴη ἐμήνυσα πρός σε ὑπ' εὐνοίας ὅτι ἀδυνάτων ἐρᾷς, καὶ τότε δύσνουν ἐμὲ εἶναι ᾤου ἂν σαυτῷ διότι σε οὐκ εἴων ἐξαπατᾶσθαι ἀλλόκοτα καὶ ἀνέλπιστα ἐλπίζοντα.

Translations (1)

Hermotimus, or the Rival Philosophies Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 2. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 51 focus

[51]

Hermotimus

No, no; it is just your way; you want to crow over me; you detest philosophy—I cannot tell why—and poke fun at philosophers.

Lycinus

Hermotimus, I cannot show what truth is, so well as wise people like you and your professor; but one thing I do know. about it, and that is that it is not pleasant to the ear; falsehood is far more esteemed; it is prettier, and therefore pleasanter; while Truth, conscious of its purity, blurts out downright remarks, and offends people. Here is a case of it: even you are offended with me for having discovered (with your assistance) how this matter really stands, and shown that our common object is hard of attainment. Suppose you had been in love with a statue and hoped to win it, under the impression that it was human, and I had realized that it was only bronze or marble, and given you a friendly warning that your passion was hopeless —you might just as well have thought I was your enemy then, because I would not leave you a prey to extravagant and impracticable delusions.

Lucian of Samosata Hermotimus 51

Kenneth Kilburn (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

HERMOTIMUS

That is not so. You always lord it over us. I don’t know what makes you hate philosophy and mock philosophers.

Current edition Perseus

Ἑρμότιμος

οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ὑβριστὴς ἀεὶ σύ, καὶ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι παθὼν μισεῖς φιλοσοφίαν καὶ ἐς τοὺς φιλοσοφοῦντας ἀποσκώπτεις.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ὑβριστὴς ἀεὶ σύ, καὶ οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅ τι παθὼν μισεῖς φιλοσοφίαν καὶ ἐς τοὺς φιλοσοφοῦντας ἀποσκώπτεις.

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

HERMOTIMUS That is not so. You always lord it over us. I don’t know what makes you hate philosophy and mock philosophers.

Current edition Perseus

Ἑρμότιμος οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ὑβριστὴς ἀεὶ σύ, καὶ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι παθὼν μισεῖς φιλοσοφίαν καὶ ἐς τοὺς φιλοσοφοῦντας ἀποσκώπτεις.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ὑβριστὴς ἀεὶ σύ, καὶ οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅ τι παθὼν μισεῖς φιλοσοφίαν καὶ ἐς τοὺς φιλοσοφοῦντας ἀποσκώπτεις.

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Stable identifiers

HERMOTIMUS

That is not so. You always lord it over us. I don’t know what makes you hate philosophy and mock philosophers.

Ἑρμότιμος

οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ὑβριστὴς ἀεὶ σύ, καὶ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι παθὼν μισεῖς φιλοσοφίαν καὶ ἐς τοὺς φιλοσοφοῦντας ἀποσκώπτεις.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ὑβριστὴς ἀεὶ σύ, καὶ οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅ τι παθὼν μισεῖς φιλοσοφίαν καὶ ἐς τοὺς φιλοσοφοῦντας ἀποσκώπτεις.