Alexander the Oracle-Monger - An account of the fraudulent prophet Alexander of Abonoteichus.

A Literary Prometheus - Lucian's defence of his own literary style.

Apology for 'The Dependent Scholar' - Literary reply to 'The Dependent Scholar'.

A Slip of the Tongue in Salutation - Lucian analyses a slip of the tongue he made when greeting his patron.

Life of Demonax - A biography of the philosopher Demonax. It is not known whether he really existed or whether he is Lucian's creation.

Dionysus, an Introductory Lecture - A short essay about the god Dionysus and his journey to India.

Dipsas, the Thirst-Snake - A description of the dipsas or thirst-snake.

Harmonides - An anecdote about the flute-player Harmonides.

Heracles, an Introductory Lecture - A short essay on the Gaulish god Ogmios, who Lucian associates with the Greek Heracles.

Of Mourning - A diatribe on mourning from a Cynic perspective.

Of Sacrifice - A short diatribe on sacrifices from a Cynic perspective.

Patriotism - A highly conventional rhetorical piece in praise of patriotism.

Phalaris, I - A paradoxical defence of the notorious tyrant Phalaris.

Phalaris, II - The second part of Phalaris.

Remarks Addressed to an Illiterate Book-Fancier - A diatribe against a Syrian book-collector.

Slander, a Warning - An essay against believing slander too readily. Lucian's description of a painting by Apelles in this work influenced many later artists, including Botticelli.

Swans and Amber - The author visits the River Eridanos and is disappointed to find it has neither swans nor amber (as in the myth of Phaeton).

The Death of Peregrine - An account of the death of the Cynic philosopher Peregrinus Proteus who committed suicide by cremating himself on a funeral pyre at the Olympic Games in 165 AD.

The Dependent Scholar - A Hogarthian sketch of the life led by educated Greeks who attached themselves to the households of great Roman lords - and ladies.

The Disinherited - Another fictitious declamation, this time about a disowned son.

The Fly, an Appreciation - A paradoxical encomium of the insect of the title.

The Hall - A description of a magnificent building.

The Rhetorician's Vade Mecum - A satire on contemporary oratory.

The Scythian - The story of the Scythian Toxaris and his visit to Athens. This short work was possibly intended as an introduction to Toxaris or Friendship.

The Syrian Goddess - A description of the cult of the goddess Atargatis. Written in Ionic Greek in emulation of Herodotus.

The True History - One of Lucian's most famous works. A parody of travellers' tales. The narrator and his companions set out on a voyage and are lifted up by a giant waterspout and deposited on the Moon. There they find themselves embroiled in a full-scale war between the king of the Moon and the king of the Sun. On returning to Earth, the adventurers become trapped in a giant whale. The narrator and his companions escape from the whale, reach a sea of milk, an island of cheese and the isle of the blessed, where a whole host of heroes and literary figures are to be found.

The Tyrannicide - A declamation on a fictitious subject. The speaker had planned to assassinate a tyrant but was only able to kill his son instead. On hearing the news of his son's death, the tyrant committed suicide. The speaker now claims he is owed a reward as a tyrannicide.

The Vision - Lucian tells how a vision inspired him to abandon a career in sculpture for one in literature.

The Way to Write History - Lucian's criticism of contemporary historians.

Trial in the Court of Vowels - The consonant sigma sues the consonant tau for stealing words from him. The case is heard by a jury of the seven vowels.

Zeuxis and Antiochus - Anecdotes about the painter Zeuxis and the Seleucid king Antiochus I Soter. It contains a description of a painting of a centaur by Zeuxis.