Lucian, Hermotimus, ed. Karl Jacobitz, 25

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Ἑρμότιμος

ὁρᾷς, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ὡς οὐ μάτην οὐδὲ περὶ 764 μικρῶν κάμνω πολίτης ἐπιθυμῶν γενέσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτω καλῆς καὶ εὐδαίμονος πόλεως;

Λυκῖνος

καὶ γὰρ αὐτός, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε, τῶν αὐτῶν σοι ἐρῶ καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅ τι ἄν μοι πρὸ τούτων εὐξαίμην γενέσθαι. εἰ μὲν οὖν πλησίον ἦν ἡ πόλις καὶ φανερὰ ἰδεῖν ἅπασι, πάλαι ἄν, εὖ ἴσθι, μηδὲν ἐνδοιάσας αὐτὸς ᾔειν ἐς αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπολιτευόμην ἂν ἐκ πολλοῦ, ἐπεὶ δέ, ὡς ὑμεῖς φατε, σύ τε καὶ Ἡσίοδος ὁ ῥαψῳδός, πάνυ πόρρω ἀπῴκισται, ἀνάγκη ζητεῖν ὁδόν τε τὴν ἄγουσαν ἐπʼ αὐτὴν καὶ ἡγεμόνα τὸν ἄριστον. ἢ οὐκ οἴει σὺ χρῆναι οὕτω ποιεῖν;

Ἑρμότιμος

καὶ πῶς ἂν ἄλλως ἔλθοι τις;

Λυκῖνος

οὐκοῦν ὅσον μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ ὑπισχνεῖσθαι καὶ φάσκειν εἰδέναι πολλὴ ἀφθονία τῶν ἡγησομένων· πολλοὶ γὰρ ἕτοιμοι παρεστᾶσιν, αὐτόχθονες ἐκεῖθεν ἕκαστος εἶναι λέγοντες. ὁδός γε μὴν οὐ μία καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ φαίνεται, ἀλλὰ πολλαὶ καὶ διάφοροι καὶ οὐδὲν ἀλλήλαις ὅμοιαι· ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τὰ ἑσπέρια, ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἕω φέρειν ἔοικεν, ἡ δέ τις ἐπὶ τὰς ἄρκτους, καὶ ἄλλη εὐθὺ τῆς μεσημβρίας, 765 καὶ ἡ μὲν διὰ λειμώνων καὶ φυτῶν καὶ σκιᾶς εὔυδρος καὶ ἡδεῖα οὐδὲν ἀντίτυπον ἢ δύσβατον ἔχουσα, ἡ δὲ πετρώδης καὶ τραχεῖα πολὺν ἥλιον καὶ δίψος καὶ κάματον προφαίνουσα· καὶ ὅμως αὗται πᾶσαι πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ἄγειν λέγονται μίαν οὖσαν ἐς τὰ ἐναντιώτατα τελευτῶσαι.

Hermotimus. Lucian. ed. Karl Jacobitz. Leipzig. 1909.

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Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Σκύθης ἢ πρόξενος Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).) — 25 focus

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Ὁρᾷς, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ὡς οὐ μάτην οὐδὲ περὶ μικρῶν κάμων πολίτης ἐπιθυμῶν γενέσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτω καλῆς καὶ εὐδαίμονος πόλεως;

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Καὶ γὰρ αὐτός, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε, τῶν αὐτῶν σοι ἐρῶ καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅ τι ἄν μοι πρὸ τούτων εὐξαίμην γενέσθαι. εἰ μὲν οὖν πλησίον ἦν ἡ πόλις καὶ φανερὰ ἰδεῖν ἅπασι, πάλαι ἄν, εὖ ἴσθι, μηδὲν ἐνδοιάσας αὐτὸς ᾔειν ἐς αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπολιτευόμην ἂν ἐκ πολλοῦ, ἐπεὶ δέ, ὡς ὑμεῖς φατε, σύ τε καὶ Ἡσίοδος ὁ ῥαψῳδός, πάνυ πόρρω ἀπῴκισται, ἀνάγκη ζητεῖν ὁδόν τε τὴν ἄγουσαν ἐπ' αὐτὴν καὶ ἡγεμόνα τὸν ἄριστον. ἢ οὐκ οἴει σὺ χρῆναι οὕτω ποιεῖν;

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Καὶ πῶς ἂν ἄλλως ἔλθοι τις;

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Οὐκοῦν ὅσον μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ ¹ ὑπισχνεῖσθαι καὶ φάσκειν εἰδέναι πολλὴ ἀφθονία τῶν ἡγησομένων. πολλοὶ γὰρ ἕτοιμοι παρεστᾶσιν αὐτόχθονες ἐκεῖθεν ἕκαστος εἶναι λέγοντες. ὁδός γε μὴν οὐ μία καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ φαίνεται ἀλλὰ πολλαὶ καὶ διάφοροι καὶ οὐδὲν ἀλλήλαις ὅμοιαι· ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τὰ ἑσπέρια, ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἕω φέρειν ἔοικεν, ἡ δέ τις ἐπὶ τὰς ἄρκτους, καὶ ἄλλη εὐθὺ τῆς μεσημβρίας, καὶ ἡ μὲν διὰ λειμώνων καὶ φυτῶν καὶ σκιᾶς εὔυδρος καὶ ἡδεῖα οὐδὲν ἀντίτυπον ἢ δύσβατον ἔχουσα, ἡ δὲ πετρώδης καὶ τραχεῖα πολὺν ἥλιον καὶ δίψος καὶ κάματον προφαίνουσα. καὶ ὅμως αὗται πᾶσαι πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ἄγειν λέγονται μίαν οὖσαν ἐς τὰ ἐναντιώτατα τελευτῶσαι.

Translations (2)

The Scythian or Consul Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, translator. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).) — 25 focus

HERMOTIMUS

You see then, Lycinus, that my labour is not in vain or for trifles, if I desire to be myself a citizen of a city so fair and happy.

LYCINUS

Yes, Hermotimus, and I myself am in love with the same things and there is nothing I would pray for more. If the city had been near at hand and visible to everyone, you can be sure that long since, without a moment’s hesitation, I myself should have entered in and been a citizen this long time, but, since, as you say, you and the poet Hesiod, it has been built at a very great distance, we must look for the path that leads there and the best guide to follow. Don’t you agree that we must do this?

HERMOTIMUS

How else could one go there?

LYCINUS

Well, as regards making promises and saying that they know, there are plenty of would-be guides. Many are standing ready, each one saying he is a native of that city. But no one and the same road is to be seen. There are many different ones not at all like each other: one seems to lead to the west, another to the east, another to the north, a fourth straight towards the south; one goes through meadows and gardens and shady spots—a well-watered, pleasant road with nothing to block the way or make hard-going; another is rocky and rough, promising much sun and thirst and exhaustion. Nevertheless all these roads are said to lead to the city, although there is but one city, while they have their ends in the opposite parts of the globe.

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.) — 25 focus

[25]

Hermotimus

There, now; you see I am not wasting my pains on trifles; I yearn to be counted among the citizens of that fair and happy State.

Lycinus

Why, your yearning is mine too; there is nothing I would sooner pray for. If the city had been near at hand and plain for all to see, be assured I would never have doubted, nor needed prompting; I would have gone thither and had my franchise long ago; but as you tell me—you and your bard Hesiod—that it is set exceeding far off, one must find out the way to it, and the best guide. You agree?

Hermotimus

Of course that is the only thing to do.

Lycinus

Now, so far as promises and professions go, there is no lack of guides; there are numbers of them waiting about, all representing themselves as from there. But instead of one single road there seem to be many different and inconsistent ones. North and South, East and West, they go; one leads through meadows and vegetation and shade, and is well watered and pleasant, with never a stumbling-block or inequality; another is rough and rocky, threatening heat and drought and toil. Yet all these are supposed to lead to the one city, though they take such different directions.

Lucian Hermotimus 25

ed. Karl Jacobitz

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Ἑρμότιμος

ὁρᾷς, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ὡς οὐ μάτην οὐδὲ περὶ 764 μικρῶν κάμνω πολίτης ἐπιθυμῶν γενέσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτω καλῆς καὶ εὐδαίμονος πόλεως;

Ἑρμότιμος

καὶ πῶς ἂν ἄλλως ἔλθοι τις;

Current edition Perseus

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Ὁρᾷς, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ὡς οὐ μάτην οὐδὲ περὶ μικρῶν κάμων πολίτης ἐπιθυμῶν γενέσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτω καλῆς καὶ εὐδαίμονος πόλεως;

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Καὶ πῶς ἂν ἄλλως ἔλθοι τις;

HERMOTIMUS

You see then, Lycinus, that my labour is not in vain or for trifles, if I desire to be myself a citizen of a city so fair and happy.

HERMOTIMUS

How else could one go there?

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Ἑρμότιμος ὁρᾷς, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ὡς οὐ μάτην οὐδὲ περὶ 764 μικρῶν κάμνω πολίτης ἐπιθυμῶν γενέσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτω καλῆς καὶ εὐδαίμονος πόλεως;

Ἑρμότιμος καὶ πῶς ἂν ἄλλως ἔλθοι τις;

Current edition Perseus

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ Ὁρᾷς, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ὡς οὐ μάτην οὐδὲ περὶ μικρῶν κάμων πολίτης ἐπιθυμῶν γενέσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτω καλῆς καὶ εὐδαίμονος πόλεως;

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ Καὶ πῶς ἂν ἄλλως ἔλθοι τις;

HERMOTIMUS You see then, Lycinus, that my labour is not in vain or for trifles, if I desire to be myself a citizen of a city so fair and happy.

HERMOTIMUS How else could one go there?

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Stable identifiers

Ἑρμότιμος

ὁρᾷς, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ὡς οὐ μάτην οὐδὲ περὶ 764 μικρῶν κάμνω πολίτης ἐπιθυμῶν γενέσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτω καλῆς καὶ εὐδαίμονος πόλεως;

Ἑρμότιμος

καὶ πῶς ἂν ἄλλως ἔλθοι τις;

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Ὁρᾷς, ὦ Λυκῖνε, ὡς οὐ μάτην οὐδὲ περὶ μικρῶν κάμων πολίτης ἐπιθυμῶν γενέσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτω καλῆς καὶ εὐδαίμονος πόλεως;

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Καὶ πῶς ἂν ἄλλως ἔλθοι τις;

HERMOTIMUS

You see then, Lycinus, that my labour is not in vain or for trifles, if I desire to be myself a citizen of a city so fair and happy.

HERMOTIMUS

How else could one go there?