Lucian of Samosata, Hermotimus, ed. Kenneth Kilburn, 31

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Τοιαῦτα ἄττα εἰκὸς ἐρεῖν αὐτούς. ἢ τάχ' ἄν τις αὐτῶν καὶ προσέροιτό με, Εἰπέ μοι, λέγων, ὦ Λυκῖνε, εἴ τις Αἰθίοψ μηδεπώποτε ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους ἰδών, οἷοι ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν, διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀποδεδημηκέναι τὸ παράπαν, ἔν τινι συλλόγῳ τῶν Αἰθιόπων διισχυρίζοιτο καὶ λέγοι μηδαμόθι τῆς γῆς ἀνθρώπους εἶναι λευκοὺς ἢ ξανθοὺς μηδὲ ἄλλο τι ἢ μέλανας, ἆρα πιστεύοιτ' ἂν ὑπ' αὐτῶν; ἢ εἴποι τις ἂν πρὸς αὐτὸν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων Αἰθιόπων, Σὺ δὲ δὴ πόθεν ταῦτα, ὦ θρασύτατε, οἶσθα; οὐ γὰρ ἀπεδήμησας παρ' ἡμῶν οὐδαμόσε οὐδὲ εἶδες νὴ Δία τὰ παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὁποῖά ἐστι. φαίην ἂν ἔγωγε δίκαια ἐρωτῆσαι τὸν πρεσβύτην. ἢ πῶς ὦ Ἑρμότιμε, συμβουλεύεις;

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὕτω. δικαιότατα γὰρ ἐπιπλῆξαι δοκεῖ μοι.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Καὶ γὰρ ἔμοιγε, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε. ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο οὐκέτ' οἶδα εἰ ὁμοίως καὶ σοὶ δόξει. ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο πάνυ δοκεῖ.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Τὸ ποῖον;

Hermotimus. Lucian of Samosata. ed. Kenneth Kilburn. Medford, MA. Perseus 5.0.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Ἑρμότιμος ἢ Περὶ Αἱρέσεων Perseus (Lucian. Luciani Samosatensis Opera, Vol. 1. Jacobitz, Karl, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1909.) — 31 focus

Λυκῖνος

τοιαῦτα ἄττα εἰκὸς ἐρεῖν αὐτούς. ἢ τάχʼ ἄν τις αὐτῶν καὶ προσέροιτό με, Εἰπέ μοι, λέγων, ὦ Λυκῖνε, εἰ τις Αἰθίοψ μηδεπώποτε ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους ἰδών, οἷοι ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν, διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀποδεδημηκέναι τὸ παράπιν, ἔν τινι συλλόγῳ τῶν Αἰθιόπων διισχυρίζοιτο καὶ λέγοι μηδαμόθι 772 τῆς γῆς ἀνθρώπους εἶναι λευκοὺς ἢ ξανθοὺς μηδὲ ἄλλο τι ἢ μέλανας, ἆρα πιστεύοιτʼ ἂν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν; ἢ εἴποι τις ἂν πρὸς αὐτὸν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων Αἰθιόπων, Σὺ δὲ δὴ πόθεν ταῦτα, ὦ θρασύτατε, οἶσθα; οὐ γὰρ ἀπεδήμησας παρʼ ἡμῶν οὐδαμόσε οὐδὲ εἶδες νὴ Δία τὰ παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὁποῖά ἐστι. φαίην ἂν ἔγωγε δίκαια ἐρωτῆσαι τὸν πρεσβύτην; ἢ πῶς, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε, συμβουλεύεις;

Ἑρμότιμος

οὕτω· δικαιότατα γὰρ ἐπιπλῆξαι δοκεῖ μοι.

Λυκῖνος

καὶ γὰρ ἔμοιγε, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε. ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο οὐκέτʼ οἶδα εἰ ὁμοίως καὶ σοὶ δόξει· ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ πάνυ δοκεῖ.

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).) — 31 focus

Such or something like it is the argument they would use. Or one of them perhaps would even put an additional question to me: “Tell me this, Lycinus: suppose an Ethiopian, a man who had never seen other men like us, because he had never been abroad at all, should state and assert in some assembly of the Ethiopians that nowhere in the world were there any men white or yellow or of any other colour than black, would he be believed by them? Or would one of the older Ethiopians say to him: ‘Come now, you are very bold. How do you know this? You have never left us to go anywhere else, and indeed you have never seen what things are like among other peoples?’” I for my part would say that the old man had asked a fair question. Or what do you advise, Hermotimus?

HERMOTIMUS

I agree. His rebuke seems to me very just.

LYCINUS

To me as well, Hermotimus. But I do not know that you will similarly agree with what follows. To me this too seems to be very just.

HERMOTIMUS

What?

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.) — 31 focus

[31] Then one of them might proceed to question me like this: Suppose, Lycinus, that an Ethiopian who bad never been abroad in bis life, nor seen other men like us, were to state categorically in an Ethiopian assembly that there did not exist on earth any white or yellow men—nothing but blacks—, would his statement be accepted? or would some Ethiopian elder remark, How do you know, my confident friend? you have never been in foreign parts, nor had any experience of other nations, Shall I tell him the old man’s question was justified? what do you advise, my counsel?

Hermotimus

Say that, certainly; I consider the old man’s rebuke quite reasonable.

Lycinus

So do I. But I am not so sure you will approve what comes next; as for me, I have as little doubt of that as of the other.

Hermotimus

What is it?

Lucian of Samosata Hermotimus 31

ed. Kenneth Kilburn

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ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὕτω. δικαιότατα γὰρ ἐπιπλῆξαι δοκεῖ μοι.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Καὶ γὰρ ἔμοιγε, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε. ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο οὐκέτ' οἶδα εἰ ὁμοίως καὶ σοὶ δόξει. ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο πάνυ δοκεῖ.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Τὸ ποῖον;

Current edition Perseus

Ἑρμότιμος

οὕτω· δικαιότατα γὰρ ἐπιπλῆξαι δοκεῖ μοι.

Λυκῖνος

καὶ γὰρ ἔμοιγε, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε. ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο οὐκέτʼ οἶδα εἰ ὁμοίως καὶ σοὶ δόξει· ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ πάνυ δοκεῖ.

HERMOTIMUS

I agree. His rebuke seems to me very just.

LYCINUS

To me as well, Hermotimus. But I do not know that you will similarly agree with what follows. To me this too seems to be very just.

HERMOTIMUS

What?

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ Οὕτω. δικαιότατα γὰρ ἐπιπλῆξαι δοκεῖ μοι.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ Καὶ γὰρ ἔμοιγε, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε. ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο οὐκέτ' οἶδα εἰ ὁμοίως καὶ σοὶ δόξει. ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο πάνυ δοκεῖ.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ Τὸ ποῖον;

Current edition Perseus

Ἑρμότιμος οὕτω· δικαιότατα γὰρ ἐπιπλῆξαι δοκεῖ μοι.

Λυκῖνος καὶ γὰρ ἔμοιγε, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε. ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο οὐκέτʼ οἶδα εἰ ὁμοίως καὶ σοὶ δόξει· ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ πάνυ δοκεῖ.

HERMOTIMUS I agree. His rebuke seems to me very just.

LYCINUS To me as well, Hermotimus. But I do not know that you will similarly agree with what follows. To me this too seems to be very just.

HERMOTIMUS What?

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Stable identifiers

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Οὕτω. δικαιότατα γὰρ ἐπιπλῆξαι δοκεῖ μοι.

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Καὶ γὰρ ἔμοιγε, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε. ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο οὐκέτ' οἶδα εἰ ὁμοίως καὶ σοὶ δόξει. ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο πάνυ δοκεῖ.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Τὸ ποῖον;

Ἑρμότιμος

οὕτω· δικαιότατα γὰρ ἐπιπλῆξαι δοκεῖ μοι.

Λυκῖνος

καὶ γὰρ ἔμοιγε, ὦ Ἑρμότιμε. ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο οὐκέτʼ οἶδα εἰ ὁμοίως καὶ σοὶ δόξει· ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ πάνυ δοκεῖ.

HERMOTIMUS

I agree. His rebuke seems to me very just.

LYCINUS

To me as well, Hermotimus. But I do not know that you will similarly agree with what follows. To me this too seems to be very just.

HERMOTIMUS

What?