Lucian, Hermotimus, Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator), 8

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[8] By Heracles (and his death on Oeta), they quit themselves like men, and have their reward, it seems. But there is one thing I should like to know: are they allowed to come down from their elevation sometimes, and have a taste of what they left behind them? or when they have once got up, must they stay there, conversing with Virtue, and smiling at wealth and glory and pleasure?

Hermotimus

The latter, assuredly; more than that, a man once admitted of Virtue’s company will never be subject to wrath or fear or desire any more; no, nor can he feel pain, nor any such sensation.

Lycinus

Well, but—if one might dare to say what one thinks— but no—let me keep a good tongue in my head—it were irreverent to pry into what wise men do.

Hermotimus

Nay, nay; let me know your meaning.

Lycinus

Dear friend, I have not the courage.

Hermotimus

Out with it, my good fellow; we are alone.

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.) — 8 focus

Λυκῖνος

νὴ τὸν Ἡρακλέα, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε, τὸν ἐν Οἴτῃ ἀνδρεῖα καὶ εὐδαίμονα λέγεις περὶ αὐτῶν. πλὴν ἀλλὰ τόδε μοι εἰπέ, καὶ κατέρχονταί ποτε ἐκ τῆς ἄκρας, ἢν ἐθελήσωσι, χρησόμενοι τοῖς κάτω ἃ καταλελοίπασιν, ἢ ἀνάγκη ἅπαξ ἀνελθόντας αὐτοὺς μένειν καὶ συνεῖναι τῇ ἀρετῇ πλούτου καὶ δόξης καὶ ἡδονῶν καταγελῶντας;

Ἑρμότιμος

οὐ μόνον τοῦτο, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ἀλλʼ ὃς ἂν ἀποτελεσθῇ πρὸς ἀρετήν, οὔτε ὀργῇ οὔτε φόβῳ οὔτʼ ἐπιθυμίαις ὁ τοιοῦτος ἂν δουλεύοι, οὐδὲ λυποῖτο, οὐδὲ ὅλως πάθος ἔτι τοιοῦτον πάθοι ἄν.

Λυκῖνος

καὶ μὴν εἴ γέ με δεῖ μηδὲν ὀκνήσαντα εἰπεῖν τἀληθές — ἀλλʼ εὐφημεῖν χρή, οἶμαι, μηδὲ ὅσιον εἶναι ἐξετάζειν τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν σοφῶν γιγνόμενα.

Ἑρμότιμος

μηδαμῶς, ἀλλʼ εἰπὲ ὅ τι καὶ λέγεις.

Λυκῖνος

ὅρα, ὦ ἑταῖρε, ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ πάνυ ὀκνῶ.

Ἑρμότιμος

ἀλλὰ μὴ ὄκνει, ὦ γενναῖε, πρός γε μόνον ἐμὲ λέγων.

Σκύθης ἢ πρόξενος Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).) — 8 focus

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Νὴ τὸν Ἡρακλέα, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε, τὸν ἐν Οἴτῃ ἀνδρεῖα καὶ εὐδαίμονα λέγεις περὶ αὐτῶν. πλὴν ἀλλὰ τόδε μοι εἰπέ, καὶ κατέρχονταί ποτε ἐκ τῆς ἄκρας (ἢν ἐθελήσωσι) χρησόμενοι τοῖς κάτω ἃ καταλελοίπασιν; ἢ ἀνάγκη ἅπαξ ἀνελθόντας αὐτοὺς μένειν καὶ συνεῖναι τῇ ἀρετῇ πλούτου καὶ δόξης καὶ ἡδονῶν καταγελῶντας;

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὐ μόνον τοῦτο, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ἀλλ’ ὃς ἂν ἀποτελεσθῇ πρὸς ἀρετήν οὔτε ὀργῇ οὔτε φόβῳ οὔτ' ἐπιθυμίαις ὁ τοιοῦτος ἂν δουλεύοι ¹ οὐδὲ λυποῖτο οὐδὲ ὅλως πάθος ἔτι τοιοῦτον πάθοι ἄν.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Καὶ μὴν εἴ γέ με δεῖ μηδὲν ὀκνήσαντα εἰπεῖν τἀληθές—ἀλλ’ εὐφημεῖν χρὴ οἶμαι μηδὲ ὅσιον εἶναι ² ἐξετάζειν τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν σοφῶν γιγνόμενα.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Μηδαμῶς, ἀλλ’ εἰπὲ ὅ τι καὶ λέγεις.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Ὅρα, ὦ ἑταῖρε, ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ πάνυ ὀκνῶ.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Ἀλλὰ μὴ ὄκνει, ὦ γενναῖε, πρός γε μόνον ἐμὲ λέγων.

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).) — 8 focus

LYCINUS

By Heracles on Oeta, Hermotimus, you tell a brave and happy tale about them! But tell me this: do they ever come down from their hill-top (if that is their wish), to make use of what they have left down here below? Or must they stay there once they are up and live in Virtue’s company, laughing at wealth and glory and pleasures?

HERMOTIMUS

That is not all, Lycinus. A man who is perfected in Virtue can never be a slave to anger or fear or lusts; he will not know grief and in short he will not experience feelings of this sort any longer.

Lucian Hermotimus 8

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

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Hermotimus

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Current edition Perseus

Λυκῖνος

καὶ μὴν εἴ γέ με δεῖ μηδὲν ὀκνήσαντα εἰπεῖν τἀληθές — ἀλλʼ εὐφημεῖν χρή, οἶμαι, μηδὲ ὅσιον εἶναι ἐξετάζειν τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν σοφῶν γιγνόμενα.

Ἑρμότιμος

μηδαμῶς, ἀλλʼ εἰπὲ ὅ τι καὶ λέγεις.

Λυκῖνος

ὅρα, ὦ ἑταῖρε, ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ πάνυ ὀκνῶ.

Ἑρμότιμος

ἀλλὰ μὴ ὄκνει, ὦ γενναῖε, πρός γε μόνον ἐμὲ λέγων.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Καὶ μὴν εἴ γέ με δεῖ μηδὲν ὀκνήσαντα εἰπεῖν τἀληθές—ἀλλ’ εὐφημεῖν χρὴ οἶμαι μηδὲ ὅσιον εἶναι ² ἐξετάζειν τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν σοφῶν γιγνόμενα.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Μηδαμῶς, ἀλλ’ εἰπὲ ὅ τι καὶ λέγεις.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Ὅρα, ὦ ἑταῖρε, ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ πάνυ ὀκνῶ.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Ἀλλὰ μὴ ὄκνει, ὦ γενναῖε, πρός γε μόνον ἐμὲ λέγων.

HERMOTIMUS

That is not all, Lycinus. A man who is perfected in Virtue can never be a slave to anger or fear or lusts; he will not know grief and in short he will not experience feelings of this sort any longer.

LYCINUS

Well, if I must speak the truth without fear—but I had better keep quiet, I suppose; it would not be pious to question what wise men do.

HERMOTIMUS

Not at all. Please say what you mean.

LYCINUS

Look, friend, how afraid I am!

HERMOTIMUS

Don’t be afraid, good Lycinus. You are speaking to me alone.

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Current edition Perseus

Λυκῖνος καὶ μὴν εἴ γέ με δεῖ μηδὲν ὀκνήσαντα εἰπεῖν τἀληθές — ἀλλʼ εὐφημεῖν χρή, οἶμαι, μηδὲ ὅσιον εἶναι ἐξετάζειν τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν σοφῶν γιγνόμενα.

Ἑρμότιμος μηδαμῶς, ἀλλʼ εἰπὲ ὅ τι καὶ λέγεις.

Λυκῖνος ὅρα, ὦ ἑταῖρε, ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ πάνυ ὀκνῶ.

Ἑρμότιμος ἀλλὰ μὴ ὄκνει, ὦ γενναῖε, πρός γε μόνον ἐμὲ λέγων.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ Καὶ μὴν εἴ γέ με δεῖ μηδὲν ὀκνήσαντα εἰπεῖν τἀληθές—ἀλλ’ εὐφημεῖν χρὴ οἶμαι μηδὲ ὅσιον εἶναι 2 ἐξετάζειν τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν σοφῶν γιγνόμενα.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ Μηδαμῶς, ἀλλ’ εἰπὲ ὅ τι καὶ λέγεις.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ Ὅρα, ὦ ἑταῖρε, ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ πάνυ ὀκνῶ.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ Ἀλλὰ μὴ ὄκνει, ὦ γενναῖε, πρός γε μόνον ἐμὲ λέγων.

HERMOTIMUS That is not all, Lycinus. A man who is perfected in Virtue can never be a slave to anger or fear or lusts; he will not know grief and in short he will not experience feelings of this sort any longer.

LYCINUS Well, if I must speak the truth without fear—but I had better keep quiet, I suppose; it would not be pious to question what wise men do.

HERMOTIMUS Not at all. Please say what you mean.

LYCINUS Look, friend, how afraid I am!

HERMOTIMUS Don’t be afraid, good Lycinus. You are speaking to me alone.

Stable identifiers

Λυκῖνος

καὶ μὴν εἴ γέ με δεῖ μηδὲν ὀκνήσαντα εἰπεῖν τἀληθές — ἀλλʼ εὐφημεῖν χρή, οἶμαι, μηδὲ ὅσιον εἶναι ἐξετάζειν τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν σοφῶν γιγνόμενα.

Ἑρμότιμος

μηδαμῶς, ἀλλʼ εἰπὲ ὅ τι καὶ λέγεις.

Λυκῖνος

ὅρα, ὦ ἑταῖρε, ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ πάνυ ὀκνῶ.

Ἑρμότιμος

ἀλλὰ μὴ ὄκνει, ὦ γενναῖε, πρός γε μόνον ἐμὲ λέγων.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Καὶ μὴν εἴ γέ με δεῖ μηδὲν ὀκνήσαντα εἰπεῖν τἀληθές—ἀλλ’ εὐφημεῖν χρὴ οἶμαι μηδὲ ὅσιον εἶναι ² ἐξετάζειν τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν σοφῶν γιγνόμενα.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Μηδαμῶς, ἀλλ’ εἰπὲ ὅ τι καὶ λέγεις.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Ὅρα, ὦ ἑταῖρε, ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ πάνυ ὀκνῶ.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Ἀλλὰ μὴ ὄκνει, ὦ γενναῖε, πρός γε μόνον ἐμὲ λέγων.

HERMOTIMUS

That is not all, Lycinus. A man who is perfected in Virtue can never be a slave to anger or fear or lusts; he will not know grief and in short he will not experience feelings of this sort any longer.

LYCINUS

Well, if I must speak the truth without fear—but I had better keep quiet, I suppose; it would not be pious to question what wise men do.

HERMOTIMUS

Not at all. Please say what you mean.

LYCINUS

Look, friend, how afraid I am!

HERMOTIMUS

Don’t be afraid, good Lycinus. You are speaking to me alone.