Lucian, Hermotimus, Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator), 79

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[79] However, there is another thing I do not think you have observed: Virtue is manifested, of course, in action, in doing what is just and wise and manly; but you—and when I say you, I mean the most advanced philosophers—you do not seek these things and ensue them, but spend the greater part of your life conning over miserable sentences and demonstrations and problems; it is the man who does best at these that you hail a glorious victor. And I believe that is why you admire this experienced old professor of yours: he nonplusses his associates, knows how to put crafty questions and inveigle you into pitfalls; so you pay no attention to the fruit—which consists in action—, but are extremely busy with the husks, and smother each other with the leaves in your debates; come now, Hermotimus, what else are you about from morning to night?

Hermotimus

Nothing; that is what it comes to.

Lycinus

Is it wronging you to say that you hunt the shadow or the snake’s dead slough, and neglect the solid body or the creeping thing itself? You are no better than a man pouring water into a mortar and braying it with an iron pestle; he thinks he is doing a necessary useful job, whereas, let him bray till all ’s blue (excuse the slang), the water is as much water as ever it was.

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.) — 79 focus

Λυκῖνος

ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδʼ ἐκεῖνό πω κατανενόηκας, οἶμαι, ὡς ἡ μὲν ἀρετὴ ἐν ἔργοις δήπου ἐστίν, οἷον ἐν τῷ δίκαια πράττειν καὶ σοφὰ καὶ ἀνδρεῖα, ὑμεῖς δὲ — τὸ δὲ ὑμεῖς ὅταν εἴπω, τοὺς ἄκρους τῶν φιλοσοφούντων φημί — ἀφέντες ταῦτα ζητεῖν καὶ ποιεῖν ῥημάτια δύστηνα μελετᾶτε καὶ συλλογισμοὺς καὶ ἀπορίας καὶ τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ βίου ἐπὶ τούτοις διατρίβετε, καὶ ὃς ἂν κρατῇ ἐν αὐτοῖς, καλλίνικος ὑμῖν δοκεῖ· ἀφʼ ὧν, οἶμαι, καὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον τουτονὶ θαυμάζετε, γέροντα ἄνδρα, ὅτι τοὺς προσομιλοῦντας ἐς ἀπορίαν καθίστησι καὶ οἶδεν 823 ὡς χρὴ ἐρέσθαι καὶ σοφίσασθαι καὶ πανουργῆσαι καὶ ἐς ἄφυκτα ἐμβαλεῖν, καὶ τὸν καρπὸν ἀτεχνῶς ἀφέντες — οὗτος δὲ ἦν περὶ τὰ ἔργα — περὶ τὸν φλοιὸν ἀσχολεῖσθε τὰ φύλλα καταχέοντες ἀλλήλων ἐν ταῖς ὁμιλίαις. ἢ γὰρ ἄλλα ἐστὶν ἃ πράττετε, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε, πάντες ἕωθεν εἰς ἑσπέραν;

Ἑρμότιμος

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα.

Λυκῖνος

ἢ οὖν οὐχὶ καὶ ὀρθῶς τις φαίη τὴν σκιὰν ὑμᾶς θηρεύειν ἐάσαντας τὸ σῶμα ἢ τοῦ ὄφεως τὸ σύφαρ ἀμελήσαντας τοῦ ὁλκοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ ὅμοιον ποιεῖν ὥσπερ εἴ τις ἐς ὅλμον ὕδωρ ἐκχέας ὑπέρῳ σιδηρῷ πτίττοι πράττειν ἀναγκαῖόν τι καὶ προὔργου οἰόμενος, οὐκ εἰδὼς ὅτι ἂν ἀποβάλῃ, φασί, τοὺς ὤμους πτίττων, ὕδωρ ὁμοίως τὸ ὕδωρ μένει;

Σκύθης ἢ πρόξενος Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).) — 79 focus

Ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδ’ ἐκεῖνό πω κατανενόηκας οἶμαι ὡς ἡ μὲν ἀρετὴ ἐν ἔργοις δήπου ἐστίν, οἷον ἐν τῷ δίκαια πράττειν καὶ σοφὰ καὶ ἀνδρεῖα, ὑμεῖς δὲ (τὸ δὲ ὑμεῖς ὅταν εἴπω, τοὺς ἄκρους τῶν φιλοσοφούντων φημί) ἀφέντες ταῦτα ζητεῖν καὶ ποιεῖν ῥημάτια δύστηνα μελετᾶτε καὶ συλλογισμοὺς καὶ ἀπορίας καὶ τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ βίου ἐπὶ τούτοις διατρίβετε, καὶ ὃς ἂν κρατῇ ἐν αὐτοῖς καλλίνικος ὑμῖν δοκεῖ. ἀφ' ὧν οἶμαι καὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον τουτονὶ θαυμάζετε γέροντα ἄνδρα, ὅτι τοὺς προσομιλοῦντας ἐς ἀπορίαν καθίστησιν καὶ οἶδεν ὡς χρὴ ἐρέσθαι καὶ σοφίσασθαι καὶ πανουργῆσαι καὶ ἐς ἄφυκτα ἐμβαλεῖν, καὶ τὸν καρπὸν ἀτεχνῶς ἀφέντες—οὗτος δὲ ἦν περὶ τὰ ἔργα—περὶ τὸν φλοιὸν ἀσχολεῖσθε τὰ φύλλα καταχέοντες ἀλλήλων ἐν ταῖς ὁμιλίαις. ἢ γὰρ ἄλλα ἐστὶν ἃ πράττετε, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε, πάντες ἕωθεν εἰς ἑσπέραν;

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Ἢ οὖν οὐχὶ καὶ ὀρθῶς τις φαίη τὴν σκιὰν ὑμᾶς θηρεύειν ἐάσαντας τὸ σῶμα ἢ τοῦ ὄφεως τὸ σύφαρ ἀμελήσαντας τοῦ ὁλκοῦ; μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ ὅμοιον ποιεῖν ὥσπερ εἴ τις ἐς ὅλμον ὕδωρ ἐκχέας ὑπέρῳ σιδηρῷ πτίττοι ¹ πράττειν ἀναγκαῖόν τι καὶ προὔργου οἰόμενος, οὐκ εἰδὼς ὅτι ἂν ἀποβάλῃ φασὶ τοὺς ὤμους πτίττων, ² ὕδωρ ὁμοίως τὸ ὕδωρ μένει;

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).) — 79 focus

Moreover, you have never realised, I suppose, that virtue lies in action, in acting justly and wisely and bravely. While all of you (by “you” I mean the philosophers at the top) neglect these things, and are studying how to find and compose your wretched texts and syllogisms and problems. You spend most of your lives on this, and whoever wins in this race is your Conquering Hero. That, I fancy, is why you admire this teacher of yours, the old man, because he reduces his pupils to perplexity and knows how to question and quibble and cheat and throw into inextricable confusion. So you just throw away the fruit—which has to do with works—and busy yourselves with the husk, in your discussions throwing the leaves over each other. Isn’t that what you all do, Hermotimus, from dawn till dusk?

HERMOTIMUS

Yes, just that.

LYCINUS

Then wouldn’t it be right to say that you forget the substance and hunt the shadow, or ignore the crawling serpent and hunt the slough? Yes, and that you are like a man pouring water into a mortar and braying it with an iron pestle who thinks that he is doing essential and productive work, not knowing that although you bray your arms off, as they say, water is still water?

Lucian Hermotimus 79

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

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Current edition Perseus

Ἑρμότιμος

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα.

HERMOTIMUS

Yes, just that.

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Current edition Perseus

Ἑρμότιμος οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα.

HERMOTIMUS Yes, just that.

Stable identifiers

Ἑρμότιμος

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα.

HERMOTIMUS

Yes, just that.