Lucian of Samosata, Hermotimus, ed. Kenneth Kilburn, 64

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ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Οὐχ ἱκανὸν εἶναί φησι τὸ πάντα ἰδεῖν καὶ διεξελθεῖν δι’ αὐτῶν, ὡς ἔχειν ἤδη ἑλέσθαι τὸ βέλτιστον, ἀλλ’ ἔτι τοῦ μεγίστου ἐνδεῖν.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Τίνος τούτου;

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Κριτικῆς τινος, ὦ θαυμάσιε, καὶ ἐξεταστικῆς παρασκευῆς καὶ νοῦ ὀξέος καὶ διανοίας ἀκριβοῦς καὶ ἀδεκάστου, οἵαν χρὴ εἶναι τὴν περὶ τῶν τηλικούτων δικάσουσαν, ἢ μάτην ἂν ἅπαντα ἑωραμένα εἴη. ἀποδοτέον οὖν φησι καὶ τῷ τοιούτῳ χρόνον οὐκ ὀλίγον καὶ προθέμενον ἅπαντα εἰς μέσον αἱρεῖσθαι διαμέλλοντα καὶ βραδύνοντα καὶ πολλάκις ἐπισκοποῦντα, μήτε ἡλικίαν τοῦ λέγοντος ἑκάστου μήτε σχῆμα ἢ δόξαν ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ αἰδούμενον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τοὺς Ἀρεοπαγίτας αὐτὸ ποιοῦντα, οἳ ἐν νυκτὶ καὶ σκότῳ δικάζουσιν, ὡς μὴ ἐς τοὺς λέγοντας, ἀλλ’ ἐς τὰ λεγόμενα ἀποβλέποιεν. καὶ τότ' ἤδη ἐξέσται σοι βεβαίως ἑλομένῳ φιλοσοφεῖν.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Μετὰ τὸν βίον φής· ἐκ γὰρ τούτων οὐδενὸς ἀνθρώπων βίος ἐξαρκέσειεν ἂν ὡς ἐπὶ πάντα ἐλθεῖν καὶ ἕκαστον ἀκριβῶς ἐπιδεῖν καὶ ἐπιδόντα κρῖναι καὶ κρίναντα ἑλέσθαι καὶ ἑλόμενον φιλοσοφῆσαι, μόνως γὰρ ἂν ¹ οὕτως εὑρεθῆναι φὴς τἀληθές, ἄλλως δὲ οὔ.

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.) — 64 focus

Λυκῖνος

οὐχ ἱκανὸν εἶναί φησι τὸ πάντα ἰδεῖν καὶ διεξελθεῖν διʼ αὐτῶν, ὡς ἔχειν ἤδη ἑλέσθαι τὸ βέλτιστον, ἀλλʼ ἔτι τοῦ μεγίστου ἐνδεῖν.

Ἑρμότιμος

τίνος τούτου;

Λυκῖνος

κριτικῆς τινος, ὦ θαυμάσιε, καὶ ἐξεταστικῆς παρασκευῆς καὶ νοῦ ὀξέος καὶ διανοίας ἀκριβοῦς καὶ ἀδεκάστου, οἵαν χρὴ εἶναι τὴν περὶ τῶν τηλικούτων δικάσουσαν, ἢ μάτην ἂν ἅπαντα ἑωραμένα εἴη. ἀποδοτέον οὖν φησι καὶ τῷ τοιούτῳ χρόνον οὐκ ὀλίγον καὶ προθέμενον ἅπαντα εἰς μέσον αἱρεῖσθαι διαμέλλοντα καὶ βραδύνοντα καὶ πολλάκις ἐπισκοποῦντα, μήτε ἡλικίαν τοῦ λέγοντος ἑκάστου μήτε σχῆμα ἢ δόξαν ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ αἰδούμενον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τοὺς Ἀρεοπαγίτας αὐτὸ ποιοῦντα, οἳ 806 ἐν νυκτὶ καὶ σκότῳ δικάζουσιν, ὡς μὴ ἐς τοὺς λέγοντας, ἀλλʼ ἐς τὰ λεγόμενα ἀποβλέποιεν· καὶ τότʼ ἤδη ἐξέσται σοι βεβαίως ἑλομένῳ φιλοσοφεῖν.

Ἑρμότιμος

μετὰ τὸν βίον φής· ἐκ γὰρ τούτων οὐδενὸς ἀνθρώπων βίος ἐξαρκέσειεν ἂν ὡς ἐπὶ πάντα ἐλθεῖν καὶ ἕκαστον ἀκριβῶς ἐπιδεῖν καὶ ἐπιδόντα κρῖναι καὶ κρίναντα ἑλέσθαι καὶ ἑλόμενον φιλοσοφῆσαι, μόνως γὰρ δὴ οὕτως εὑρεθῆναι φὴς τἀληθές, ἄλλως δὲ οὔ.

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).) — 64 focus

LYCINUS

It says that to inspect and to investigate everything is not sufficient to give you the power to choose the best. No, the most important thing is still lacking.

HERMOTIMUS

What is that?

LYCINUS

My dear sir, a critical, examining faculty, a quick wit, and a keen and impartial intellect. You must have this to make a judgment on matters of this kind, or you will have looked at everything in vain. The argument says that not a little time is to be allowed in a matter like this and everything put before you; you are not to rush ahead, but go slowly and make frequent inspections before you choose, having no regard for the age of each speaker, nor for his dress, nor for his reputation for wisdom. No, you must imitate the court of the Areopagus, which sits in judgment at night in the dark, so that it has no regard for who is speaking, but only for what is said. Then it is that you will be able to make a sound choice and practise philosophy.

HERMOTIMUS

You mean after death. From what you have said no man would live long enough to study everything and observe accurately every detail, and then, after observation, judge, and, after judging, choose, and after choosing practise philosophy; for this is the only way, you say, in which the truth could be discovered.

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.) — 64 focus

[64]

Lycinus

It says that seeing and going through all philosophies will not suffice, if you want to choose the best of them; the most important qualification is still missing.

Hermotimus

Indeed? Which?

Lycinus

Why (bear with me), a critical investigating faculty, mental acumen, intellectual precision and independence equal to the occasion; without this, the completest inspection will be useless, Reason insists that the owner of it must further be allowed ample time; he will collect the rival candidates together, and make his choice with long, lingering, repeated deliberation; he will give no heed to the candidate’s age, appearance, or repute for wisdom, but perform his functions like the Areopagites, who judge in the darkness of night, so that they must regard not the pleaders, but the pleadings. Then and not till then will you be able to make a sound choice and live a philosopher.

Hermotimus

Live? an after life, then. No mortal span will meet your demands; let me see: go the whole round, examine each with care, on that examination form a judgement, on that judgement make a choice, on that choice be a philosopher; so and no otherwise you say the truth may be found.

Notes on the current edition

Σκύθης ἢ πρόξενος

1. ἂν L. A. Post: δὴ MSS.

Lucian of Samosata Hermotimus 64

ed. Kenneth Kilburn

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ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Οὐχ ἱκανὸν εἶναί φησι τὸ πάντα ἰδεῖν καὶ διεξελθεῖν δι’ αὐτῶν, ὡς ἔχειν ἤδη ἑλέσθαι τὸ βέλτιστον, ἀλλ’ ἔτι τοῦ μεγίστου ἐνδεῖν.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Τίνος τούτου;

Current edition Perseus

Λυκῖνος

οὐχ ἱκανὸν εἶναί φησι τὸ πάντα ἰδεῖν καὶ διεξελθεῖν διʼ αὐτῶν, ὡς ἔχειν ἤδη ἑλέσθαι τὸ βέλτιστον, ἀλλʼ ἔτι τοῦ μεγίστου ἐνδεῖν.

Ἑρμότιμος

τίνος τούτου;

LYCINUS

It says that to inspect and to investigate everything is not sufficient to give you the power to choose the best. No, the most important thing is still lacking.

HERMOTIMUS

What is that?

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ Οὐχ ἱκανὸν εἶναί φησι τὸ πάντα ἰδεῖν καὶ διεξελθεῖν δι’ αὐτῶν, ὡς ἔχειν ἤδη ἑλέσθαι τὸ βέλτιστον, ἀλλ’ ἔτι τοῦ μεγίστου ἐνδεῖν.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ Τίνος τούτου;

Current edition Perseus

Λυκῖνος οὐχ ἱκανὸν εἶναί φησι τὸ πάντα ἰδεῖν καὶ διεξελθεῖν διʼ αὐτῶν, ὡς ἔχειν ἤδη ἑλέσθαι τὸ βέλτιστον, ἀλλʼ ἔτι τοῦ μεγίστου ἐνδεῖν.

Ἑρμότιμος τίνος τούτου;

LYCINUS It says that to inspect and to investigate everything is not sufficient to give you the power to choose the best. No, the most important thing is still lacking.

HERMOTIMUS What is that?

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Lycinus

Hermotimus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ

Οὐχ ἱκανὸν εἶναί φησι τὸ πάντα ἰδεῖν καὶ διεξελθεῖν δι’ αὐτῶν, ὡς ἔχειν ἤδη ἑλέσθαι τὸ βέλτιστον, ἀλλ’ ἔτι τοῦ μεγίστου ἐνδεῖν.

ΕΡΜΟΤΙΜΟΣ

Τίνος τούτου;

Λυκῖνος

οὐχ ἱκανὸν εἶναί φησι τὸ πάντα ἰδεῖν καὶ διεξελθεῖν διʼ αὐτῶν, ὡς ἔχειν ἤδη ἑλέσθαι τὸ βέλτιστον, ἀλλʼ ἔτι τοῦ μεγίστου ἐνδεῖν.

Ἑρμότιμος

τίνος τούτου;

LYCINUS

It says that to inspect and to investigate everything is not sufficient to give you the power to choose the best. No, the most important thing is still lacking.

HERMOTIMUS

What is that?