home:texts_and_library:essays:the-true-history
Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
Both sides previous revisionPrevious revisionNext revision | Previous revision | ||
home:texts_and_library:essays:the-true-history [2019/07/08 22:48] – [Introduction] frank | home:texts_and_library:essays:the-true-history [2019/07/08 22:51] (current) – [Section 41] frank | ||
---|---|---|---|
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
- | True History Decrypted | + | ====== |
Full text and commentary of Lucian’s //True History// | Full text and commentary of Lucian’s //True History// | ||
- | ====== Contents | + | ===== Contents ===== |
- | **True History Decrypted: Full text and Commentary of Lucian’s**// | + | * **True History Decrypted: Full text and Commentary of Lucian’s**// |
- | Edited by Frank Redmond | + | |
- | Notes by Frank Redmond | + | |
- | //True History// text translated by H.W. and F.G. Fowler | + | |
- | First Edition (1.0), 2013 | + | |
- | Second Edition (2.0), 2015 | + | |
- | Second Edition Updated (2.2), 2016 | + | |
- | Mênin Web and Print Publishing | + | |
- | http:// | + | |
- | Chicago, Illinois, United States of America | + | |
- | ====== Introduction | + | ===== Introduction ===== |
One of the translators of Lucian, Thomas Francklin, bemoaned in his introduction to //True History//, “We cannot but lament that the humour of many of the references has been lost to us; therefore, Lucian’s //True History// cannot be half as pleasurable as when it was first written, but there are enough remaining allusions which we understand to secure it from being unrelatable.” This work, //True History Decrypted//, | One of the translators of Lucian, Thomas Francklin, bemoaned in his introduction to //True History//, “We cannot but lament that the humour of many of the references has been lost to us; therefore, Lucian’s //True History// cannot be half as pleasurable as when it was first written, but there are enough remaining allusions which we understand to secure it from being unrelatable.” This work, //True History Decrypted//, | ||
Line 397: | Line 397: | ||
[1] Here Lucian gives a very fair mockery of descriptions of naval engagements such as that in Thucydides at Naupactus 2.83-92 or the sea-fight in the harbor of Sicily 7.70-71. | [1] Here Lucian gives a very fair mockery of descriptions of naval engagements such as that in Thucydides at Naupactus 2.83-92 or the sea-fight in the harbor of Sicily 7.70-71. | ||
- | [2] Huge captive squids | Aelian, //Varia Historia//, Chapter 1, described the habits of the polypus (squid) and its mode of lying in wait for and catching its prey: “Of the Polypus. The Polypusses are so ravenous that they devour all they light on; so that many times they abstain not even from one another. The lesser taken by the greater, and falling into his stronger nets, (which are usually called the hairs or grasps of the Fish) becometh his prey. They also betray Fishes in this manner; lurking under the Rocks they change themselves to their color, and seem to be all one with the Rock itself. When therefore the Fishes swim to the Rocks, and so to the Polypus, they entangle them in their nets, or grasps.”(( | + | [2] Huge captive squids | Aelian, //Varia Historia//, Chapter 1, described the habits of the polypus (squid) and its mode of lying in wait for and catching its prey: “Of the Polypus. The Polypusses are so ravenous that they devour all they light on; so that many times they abstain not even from one another. The lesser taken by the greater, and falling into his stronger nets, (which are usually called the hairs or grasps of the Fish) becometh his prey. They also betray Fishes in this manner; lurking under the Rocks they change themselves to their color, and seem to be all one with the Rock itself. When therefore the Fishes swim to the Rocks, and so to the Polypus, they entangle them in their nets, or grasps.”((Aelian, |
)) Pliny, //Natural History// 9.29, mentions an enormous one with feelers thirty feet long, which is doubtless and exaggeration of fact as it appears from the actual size of an octopus.(( **Pliny, , Philemon Holland, and Adam Islip.**// | )) Pliny, //Natural History// 9.29, mentions an enormous one with feelers thirty feet long, which is doubtless and exaggeration of fact as it appears from the actual size of an octopus.(( **Pliny, , Philemon Holland, and Adam Islip.**// | ||
)) See endnote for detail. | )) See endnote for detail. | ||
Line 568: | Line 568: | ||
**During the meal there is music and song [1]. In the latter kind, Homer’s verse is the favorite; he is himself a member of the festal company, reclining next above Odysseus [2]. The choirs are of boys and girls, conducted and led by Eunomus the Locrian [3], Arion of Lesbos [4], Anacreon [5] and Stesichorus [6]; this last had made his peace with Helen, and I saw him there. When these have finished, a second choir succeeds, of swans [7] and swallows and nightingales; | **During the meal there is music and song [1]. In the latter kind, Homer’s verse is the favorite; he is himself a member of the festal company, reclining next above Odysseus [2]. The choirs are of boys and girls, conducted and led by Eunomus the Locrian [3], Arion of Lesbos [4], Anacreon [5] and Stesichorus [6]; this last had made his peace with Helen, and I saw him there. When these have finished, a second choir succeeds, of swans [7] and swallows and nightingales; | ||
- | [1] Epic poetry was performed by a bard, like Demodocus in the // | + | [1] Epic poetry was performed by a bard, like Demodocus in the // |
)) | )) | ||
Line 645: | Line 645: | ||
[4] Lais the Courtesan | The celebrated courtesan of Corinth who had real life relations with Aristippus for whom Lucian substitutes Diogenes, the founder of the Cynic School which held opposing beliefs to Aristippus. | [4] Lais the Courtesan | The celebrated courtesan of Corinth who had real life relations with Aristippus for whom Lucian substitutes Diogenes, the founder of the Cynic School which held opposing beliefs to Aristippus. | ||
- | [5] Steep hill of Virtue | A reference to Hesiod //Works and Days// 286-292: “To you, foolish Perses, I will speak good sense. Badness can be got easily and in shoals; the road to her is smooth, and she lives very near us. But between us and Goodness [Virtue] the gods have placed the sweat of our brows; long and steep is the path that leads to her, and it is rough at the first; but when a man has reached the top, then is she easy to reach, though before that she was hard.”(( | + | [5] Steep hill of Virtue | A reference to Hesiod //Works and Days// 286-292: “To you, foolish Perses, I will speak good sense. Badness can be got easily and in shoals; the road to her is smooth, and she lives very near us. But between us and Goodness [Virtue] the gods have placed the sweat of our brows; long and steep is the path that leads to her, and it is rough at the first; but when a man has reached the top, then is she easy to reach, though before that she was hard.”((Hesiod, |
)) | )) | ||
Line 724: | Line 724: | ||
[5] Scyron | Scyron and Pityocamptes were two famous robbers who used to seize on travelers and commit the most horrid cruelties on them. | [5] Scyron | Scyron and Pityocamptes were two famous robbers who used to seize on travelers and commit the most horrid cruelties on them. | ||
- | [6] At Delium | Socrates fought at the Battle of Delium, 424 BC, and, when the Athenians were routed and fled in disorder, he retreated quietly and steadily, calmingly surveying friends and foes. On this occasion his superior courage was shown by not retreating at all. Plato // | + | [6] At Delium | Socrates fought at the Battle of Delium, 424 BC, and, when the Athenians were routed and fled in disorder, he retreated quietly and steadily, calmingly surveying friends and foes. On this occasion his superior courage was shown by not retreating at all. Plato // |
)) | )) | ||
home/texts_and_library/essays/the-true-history.1562644129.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019/07/08 22:48 by frank