Lucian, Hermotimus, Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator), 65

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[65]

Lycinus

I hardly dare tell you—even that is not exhaustive; I am afraid, after all, the solid basis we thought we had found was imaginary. You know how fishermen often let down their nets, feel a weight, and pull them up expecting a great haul; when they have got them up with much toil, behold, a stone, or an old pot full of sand. I fear our catch is one of those.

Hermotimus

I don’t know what this particular net may be; your nets are all round me, anyhow.

Lycinus

Well, try and get through; providentially, you are as good a swimmer as can be. Now, this is it: granted that we go all round experimenting, and get it done at last, too, I do not believe we shall have solved the elementary question, whether any of them has the much-desired; perhaps they are all wrong together.

Hermotimus

Oh, come now! not one of them right either?

Lycinus

I cannot tell. Do you think it impossible they may all be deluded, and the truth be something which none of them has yet found?

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

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (2)

Ἑρμότιμος ἢ Περὶ Αἱρέσεων Perseus (Lucian. Luciani Samosatensis Opera, Vol. 1. Jacobitz, Karl, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1909.) — 65 focus

Λυκῖνος

ὀκνῶ γάρ σοι εἰπεῖν, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε, ὅτι οὐδὲ τοῦτό πω ἱκανόν, ἀλλʼ ἔτι μοι δοκοῦμεν λεληθέναι ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς οἰόμενοι μέν τι εὑρηκέναι βέβαιον, εὑρόντες δὲ οὐδέν, ὥσπερ οἱ ἁλιεύοντες πολλάκις καθέντες τὰ δίκτυα καὶ βάρους τινὸς αἰσθόμενοι ἀνέλκουσιν ἰχθῦς παμπόλλους γε περιβεβληκέναι ἐλπίζοντες, εἶτα ἐπειδὰν κάμωσιν ἀνασπῶντες, ἢ λίθος τις ἀναφαίνεται αὐτοῖς ἢ κεράμιον ψάμμῳ σεσαγμένον. σκόπει μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς τι τοιοῦτον ἀνεσπάκαμεν.

Ἑρμότιμος

οὐ μανθάνω τί σοι τὰ δίκτυα ταῦτα βούλεται· ατεχνῶς γάρ με περιβάλλεις αὐτοῖς.

Λυκῖνος

οὐκοῦν πειρῶ διεκδῦναι· σὺν θεῷ γὰρ οἶσθα νεῖν, εἰ καί τις ἄλλος· ἐγὼ γὰρ κἂν ἐφʼ ἅπαντας ἔλθωμεν πειρώμενοι καὶ τοῦτο ἐργασώμεθά ποτε, οὐδέπω οὐδὲ τοῦτο δῆλον ἔσεσθαι νομίζω, εἴ τις ἐξ αὐτῶν ἔχει τὸ ζητούμενον ἢ πάντες ὁμοίως ἀγνοοῦσι.

Ἑρμότιμος

τί φής; οὐδὲ τούτων τις πάντως ἔχει; 807

Λυκῖνος

ἄδηλον. ἤ σοι ἀδύνατον δοκεῖ ἅπαντας ψεύδεσθαι, τὸ δʼ ἀληθὲς ἄλλο τι εἶναι πρὸς μηδενὸς αὐτῶν πω εὑρημένον;

Σκύθης ἢ πρόξενος Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).) — 65 focus

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Ὀκνῶ γάρ σοι εἰπεῖν, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε, ὅτι οὐδὲ τοῦτό πω ἱκανόν, ἀλλ’ ἔτι μοι δοκοῦμεν λεληθέναι ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς οἰόμενοι μέν τι εὑρηκέναι βέβαιον, εὑρόντες δὲ οὐδέν, ὥσπερ οἱ ἁλιεύοντες πολλάκις καθέντες τὰ δίκτυα καὶ βάρους τινὸς αἰσθόμενοι ἀνέλκουσιν ἰχθῦς παμπόλλους γε περιβεβληκέναι ἐλπίζοντες, εἶτα ἐπειδὰν κάμωσιν ἀνασπῶντες, ἢ λίθος τις ἀναφαίνεται αὐτοῖς ἢ κεράμιον ψάμμῳ σεσαγμένον. σκόπει μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς τι τοιοῦτον ἀνεσπάκαμεν.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὐ μανθάνω τί σοι τὰ δίκτυα ταῦτα βούλεται· ἀτεχνῶς γὰρ με περιβάλλεις αὐτοῖς.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Οὐκοῦν πειρῶ διεκδῦναι· σὺν θεῷ γὰρ οἶσθα νεῖν, εἰ καί τις ἄλλος· ἐγὼ γὰρ κἂν ἐφ' ἅπαντας ἔλθωμεν πειρώμενοι καὶ τοῦτο ἐργασώμεθά ποτε, οὐδέπω οὐδὲ τοῦτο δῆλον ἔσεσθαι νομίζω, εἴ τις ἐξ αὐτῶν ἔχει τὸ ζητούμενον ἢ πάντες ὁμοίως ἀγνοοῦσιν.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Τί φής; οὐδὲ τούτων τις πάντως ἔχει;

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Ἄδηλον. ἤ σοι ἀδύνατον δοκεῖ ἅπαντας ψεύδεσθαι, τὸ δ’ ἀληθὲς ἄλλο τι εἶναι πρὸς μηδενὸς αὐτῶν πω εὑρημένον;

Translations (1)

The Scythian or Consul Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, translator. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).) — 65 focus

LYCINUS

I hesitate to tell you, Hermotimus, that even this is not enough. No, I think we deceived ourselves when we thought we had found safety: we have found no safety at all. We are like fishermen who often when they have let down their nets feel something heavy, and so haul in expecting a huge catch of fish; then when they are tired with their pulling they see a stone or a jar packed with sand. I am afraid we have hauled up something like that.

HERMOTIMUS

I don’t know what these nets of yours mean: you have certainly caught me in them.

LYCINUS

Then try to get out. If anybody knows how to swim, you do—thanks to god’s help. Now, even if we go round all the sects making our tests, and eventually complete our enquiry, I don’t think it will even yet be certain whether any one of them has what we are looking for, or whether all alike are ignorant of it.

HERMOTIMUS

What do you mean? Not one of them?

LYCINUS

It is debatable. Do you think it impossible that all are wrong, and that the truth may be something different, something which none of them has yet found?

Lucian Hermotimus 65

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

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Current edition Perseus

Ἑρμότιμος

οὐ μανθάνω τί σοι τὰ δίκτυα ταῦτα βούλεται· ατεχνῶς γάρ με περιβάλλεις αὐτοῖς.

Ἑρμότιμος

τί φής; οὐδὲ τούτων τις πάντως ἔχει; 807

Λυκῖνος

ἄδηλον. ἤ σοι ἀδύνατον δοκεῖ ἅπαντας ψεύδεσθαι, τὸ δʼ ἀληθὲς ἄλλο τι εἶναι πρὸς μηδενὸς αὐτῶν πω εὑρημένον;

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὐ μανθάνω τί σοι τὰ δίκτυα ταῦτα βούλεται· ἀτεχνῶς γὰρ με περιβάλλεις αὐτοῖς.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Τί φής; οὐδὲ τούτων τις πάντως ἔχει;

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Ἄδηλον. ἤ σοι ἀδύνατον δοκεῖ ἅπαντας ψεύδεσθαι, τὸ δ’ ἀληθὲς ἄλλο τι εἶναι πρὸς μηδενὸς αὐτῶν πω εὑρημένον;

HERMOTIMUS

I don’t know what these nets of yours mean: you have certainly caught me in them.

HERMOTIMUS

What do you mean? Not one of them?

LYCINUS

It is debatable. Do you think it impossible that all are wrong, and that the truth may be something different, something which none of them has yet found?

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Current edition Perseus

Ἑρμότιμος οὐ μανθάνω τί σοι τὰ δίκτυα ταῦτα βούλεται· ατεχνῶς γάρ με περιβάλλεις αὐτοῖς.

Ἑρμότιμος τί φής; οὐδὲ τούτων τις πάντως ἔχει; 807

Λυκῖνος ἄδηλον. ἤ σοι ἀδύνατον δοκεῖ ἅπαντας ψεύδεσθαι, τὸ δʼ ἀληθὲς ἄλλο τι εἶναι πρὸς μηδενὸς αὐτῶν πω εὑρημένον;

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ Οὐ μανθάνω τί σοι τὰ δίκτυα ταῦτα βούλεται· ἀτεχνῶς γὰρ με περιβάλλεις αὐτοῖς.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ Τί φής; οὐδὲ τούτων τις πάντως ἔχει;

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ Ἄδηλον. ἤ σοι ἀδύνατον δοκεῖ ἅπαντας ψεύδεσθαι, τὸ δ’ ἀληθὲς ἄλλο τι εἶναι πρὸς μηδενὸς αὐτῶν πω εὑρημένον;

HERMOTIMUS I don’t know what these nets of yours mean: you have certainly caught me in them.

HERMOTIMUS What do you mean? Not one of them?

LYCINUS It is debatable. Do you think it impossible that all are wrong, and that the truth may be something different, something which none of them has yet found?

Stable identifiers

Ἑρμότιμος

οὐ μανθάνω τί σοι τὰ δίκτυα ταῦτα βούλεται· ατεχνῶς γάρ με περιβάλλεις αὐτοῖς.

Ἑρμότιμος

τί φής; οὐδὲ τούτων τις πάντως ἔχει; 807

Λυκῖνος

ἄδηλον. ἤ σοι ἀδύνατον δοκεῖ ἅπαντας ψεύδεσθαι, τὸ δʼ ἀληθὲς ἄλλο τι εἶναι πρὸς μηδενὸς αὐτῶν πω εὑρημένον;

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὐ μανθάνω τί σοι τὰ δίκτυα ταῦτα βούλεται· ἀτεχνῶς γὰρ με περιβάλλεις αὐτοῖς.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Τί φής; οὐδὲ τούτων τις πάντως ἔχει;

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Ἄδηλον. ἤ σοι ἀδύνατον δοκεῖ ἅπαντας ψεύδεσθαι, τὸ δ’ ἀληθὲς ἄλλο τι εἶναι πρὸς μηδενὸς αὐτῶν πω εὑρημένον;

HERMOTIMUS

I don’t know what these nets of yours mean: you have certainly caught me in them.

HERMOTIMUS

What do you mean? Not one of them?

LYCINUS

It is debatable. Do you think it impossible that all are wrong, and that the truth may be something different, something which none of them has yet found?