Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/831

LUCIANUS, tonic dialogue with comedy ; in other words, a combination of Plato and Aristophanes. In the Bis Accusatus, § 33, we have a still more complete account of his style, where Dialogue personified accuses Lucian of stripping him of his tragic mask, and substituting a comic and satyric one ; of intro- ducing scurrilous jokes, and the iambic licence; and of mixing him up with Eupolis, Aristophanes, and Menippus, the most snarling of the ancient cynics. These dialogues, which form the great bulk of his works, are of very various degrees of merit, and are treated in the greatest possible variety of style, from seriousness down to the broadest humour and buffoonery. Their subjects and tendency, too, vary considerably ; for whilst some, as it has been said, are employed in attack- ing the heathen philosophy and religion, others are mere pictures of manners without any polemic drift. For the sake of convenience, we may first consider those which are more exclusively directed against the heathen mythology ; next, those which attack the ancient philosophy ; and lastly, those in which both the preceding objects are combined, or which, having no such tendency, are mere satires on the manners of the day and the follies and vices natural to mankind. In the first class may be placed npo^7j0ei5s ^ KavKaaos, Prometheus seu Caucasus, which is pro- perly a dialogue of the gods, and to which it forms a very fitting introduction, as it opens up the re- lationship between gods and men, and puts Zeus completely in the wrong for crucifying Prometheus. Though a good dialogue, it is in the grave style, and has little of Lucian 's characteristic humoui'. The @foov AiaAoyoi, Deorum Dialogic twenty-six in number, consist of short dramatic narratives of some of the most popular incidents in the heathen mythology. The reader, however, is generally left to draw his own conclusions from the story, the author only taking care to put it in the most absurd point of view. Hence, perhaps, we may conclude that, like some of Lucian's more serious dialogues, they were among his earlier attempts, before he had summoned hardihood enough to venture on those more open and scurrilous attacks Avhich he afterwards made. Of the same class, but inferior in point of execution, are the fifteen dia- logues of the Dei Afurini, 'EuaKioi Aidhoyot. In the last, that of Zephyr and Notus, the beautiful and graphic description of the rape of Europa is worthy of remark, which, as Hemsterhuis observes, was probably taken from some picture. In the Zeus 'EAe7xo^6i'os, Jupiter Confuiatus, a bolder style of attack is adopted ; and the cynic proves to Zeus's face, that every thing being under the domi- nion of fate, he has no power whatever. As this dialogue shows Zeus's want of power, so the Zeus rpay^os, Jupiter Tragoediis, strikes at his very existence, and that of the other deities. The sub- ject is a dispute at Athens between Timocles, a Stoic, and iJaniis, an Epicurean, respecting the being of the gods. Anxious as to its result, Zeus summons all the deities to- hear the arguments. Hermes first calls the golden ones, then the silver, and so forth ; not according to the beauty of their workmanship, but the richness of their materials. On meeting, a squabble takes place about precedence, which is with some difficulty J quelled. Timocles then goes through his argu- ments for the existence of the gods, which Damis refutes and ridicules. At this result, Zeus becomes VOL. II, LUCIANUS. 817 dejected ; but Hermes consoles him with the re- flection that though some few may be convinced by Damis, the great mass of the Greeks, and all the barbarians, will ever be of a contrary opinion. The abuse of the stoic on finding himself worsted is highly natural. Much of the same tendency is the Sidiu fKKKrtarla, Deorum Concilium, which is in fact a dialogue of the gods. Momus complains of the rabble which has been introduced into heaven, not only mere mortals, but barbarians, and even apes and other beasts. In this class may also be enumerated the To irpbs Kpovou, Saturnalia, which contains a laugh at the ancient fable of Cronos. In the second class of Dialogues, namely, those in which the ancient philosophy is the more imme- diate object of attack, may be placed the following : BiW irpacns {Vitarum Audio). In this humorous piece the heads of the different sects are put up to sale, Hermes being the auctioneer. Pythagoras fetches ten minae. Diogenes, with his rags and cynicism, goes for two obols — he may be useful as a house-dog, Aristippus is too fine a gentleman for any body to venture on. Democritus and Heraclitus are likewise unsaleable. Socrates, with whom Lucian seems to confound the Platonic phi- losophy, after being well ridiculed and abused, is bought by Dion of Syracuse for the large sum of two talents. Epicui-us fetches two minae. Chry- sippus, the stoic, who gives some extraordinary specimens of his logic, and for whom there is a great competition, is knocked down for twelve minae. A peripatetic, a double person (exoteric and esoteric) with his physical knowledge, brings twenty minae. Pyrrho, the sceptic, comes last, who, after having been disposed of, and in the hands of the buyer, is still in doubt whether he has been sold or not. From the conclusion, it ap- peals that Lucian intended to include in another auction the lives of other members of the com- munity ; but this piece is either lost, or was never executed. The 'AAieus ^ 'AvaSiovvTes, Fiscator seu Reviviscentes, is a sort of apology for the pre- ceding piece, and may be reckoned among Lucian's best dialogues. The philosophers are represented as having obtained a day's life for the purpose of taking vengeance upon Lucian, who in some degree makes the amende honorable by confessing that he has borrowed the chief beauties of his writings from them. He begs not to be condemned without a trial ; and it is agreed that Philosophy herself shall be the judge ; but Lucian expresses his fears that he shall never be able to find her abode, having been so often misdirected. On their waj', however, they meet Philosophy, who is astonished to see so many of her chief professors again alive, and is sur- prised they should be angry at her being abused, when she has already endured so much from Comedy. It is with great difficulty that Lucian discovers Truth among her retinue, the allegorical description of which personage is very good. Lu- cian, indeed, excels in that kind of writing. The philosophers now open their case against him. He is charged with taking Dialogue out of their hands, and with persuading Menippus to side with him, the only philosopher who does not appear among his accusers. This may afford another answer to those who would make Lucian an Epicurean. Under the name of Pan-hesiades, Lucian advocates his own cause ; and having gained it, becomes, in turn, accuser. The philosophers of the age aie summoned to the Acropolis, in the name of Virtne, 3q