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Mary PAWLOWSKI

Morcana Vol.47, 179,180 85,101

Thomas More's Mis translations of

Lucian's

Cynic, Menippus,

and

Tyrannicide

Mary Pawlowski

Fellow,

Center

for Thomas More

Studies

Thomas More plainly had the ability to render Greek carefully into

latin

.

HO'vvever,

there are some places in More's translations of three

Lucianic texts where his version departs significantly from the Greek

original. This article catalogues and reviews More's

mis

, translations ,

aiming to provide raw data needed to answer this question: are More's

substitutions and adjustments of Lucian's text justifiably an attempt to

render Lucian's text

as

accurately as possible in Latin,

or,

rather, was More

subtly and systematically rewriting Lucian, in some limited way, to make a

point of his own?

Keywords: Lucian, translat ion,

Cynic Menippus Tyrannicide

Thomas More

erait

parfaitement capable dc traduire sans

erreur un

texte

grec

n latin.

Cependant

en certains

endroit

s les

traductions que fit More des

trois

textcs

de Lucien

sont

sens

iblement

differentes du

texte

grec

de depart. Cet article recense et commente

les

erreurs de traduction de

More,

etablissant une

liste de

donnees

qUi devraient permettre

de

repondre a

cette

question:

les

substitutions

et

aju

stem

ents

faits par More

dans

e texte

de

Lucien

sont

ils dus a

un

souci de proposer une traduction

plus precise, au bien More

esHI

plutot en train de n:ecrire Ie

texte

de a ~ o l subtile mais sys tematique,

pour

faire entendre

son

propre

point

de vue

/

Mots des: Lucien traduction

Le

Cynique, Menippe, Tyrannicide

Tomas Mora terua una clara habilidad para convertir cuidadosamente el

Griego en Latin. Sin embargo, en algunos puntos

de

su

tr

aducci6n de tres

textos de luciano, Moro se desvia significativamente del texto griego

original. Este artIculo localiza y evalua estos errores con la intenci6n de

proporcionar los datos que nos permitan responder a

la

pregunta: (Son

la

s

substituciones y reajustes que hace Moro al original un intento de hacer que

el texto de Luciano sea

1

mas fiel posib

le

en Latin?

0,

por

el

contrario,

HB03

2 105 20lO

12:38

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86 Moreal1a Vol.47,

179

-180

Mary PAWLOWSKI

lestaba Moro, sutil y sistematicamente , reescribiendo a Luciano, de forma

particular, para expresar su propio punto de vista?

Palabras clave: Luciano, traducci6n Cinko, Menipo, Tiraniddio

.. .. ..

Thomas More plainly had the ability to render Greek carefully

into Latin. More's Latin translation of Cynicus is

word

-far-word

closer to Lucian's Greek

text

than the English translation by M. D.

Macleod found in the 1967 Loeb edition. The same is true of More's

translation of Menippus, compared to

A.M.

Hammon's 1961 Loeb

translation. (Can More be considered a better translator even than

some of his contemporaries? E. Rummel, comparing More and

Erasmus' translation of T yrannicida, suggests that More's style more

closely imitates the terseness and brevity of Lucian than Erasmus').!

However, there are some places in More's translations of these three

Lucianic texts where his version departs significantly from the

Greek original. More does not use vocabulary

as

consistently

as

Lucian:

for

example, Lucian's repetition and play on

euteleialtelesleuteles in Cynicus is given numerous Latin equivalents by

More; More also substitutes Lucian's consistent use of the phrase hoi

polloi in Cynicus for either alius or

cetera

In other places, More

deviates further from the Greek text than the poverty of Latin

vocabulary (in comparison with Greeks) requires, changing the

meaning and order of Lucian's words and adding his own. The

article

that

follows collects specimens of these types of More's mis-

I

E Rummel, "A Friendly Competition: More's and Erasmus' Translations from

Lucian." ErasmusSludies, vol. 7, 1985 p.49-69 147-153.

Mary PAWLOWSKI

Moreal1a Vol.47,

179

-

180

87

translations." Space limits this study to citations of texts with the

highest frequency of mis -translations "

(i.e.

with at least 5 errors in

the space of 10 lines of the Loeb text of Lucian). Each segment of

relevant text is identified by More's Latin text, followed by his

additions, substitutions, and deletions to Lucian's original. For

comparison, an English transliteration of the Greek and translation

of Lucian's version has been provided where it differs from More's.

Then, below each section

is

the English translation

of

Lucian's

text

(found, incidentally,

n

the Collected Works of Thomas More as a

translation of his Latin but which is actually translations of Lucian

from the Loeb editions), followed by

my

own translation of More's

Latin version of Lucian. This article catalogues and reviews More's

mis -translations", aiming to provide raw data needed to attempt to

answer this question: are More's substitutions and adjustments

of

Lucian's text justifiably an attempt to render Lucian's text as

accurately

as

possible in Latin, or, rather, was More subtly and

systematically rewriting Lucian, in some limited way, to make a

point of his own?

refers to places where More has omitted

text

from

Lucian's original Greek text.

aligned to the

l ft

of

the

page)

l indicates where More makes a significant change to the

Greek original.

aligned to the center-left

of

the page)

rl denotes additions

by

More to the Greek text. aligned to

the center of the page)

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MareallCl

VoIA7

179-180

Mary PAWLOWSKI

I Mis;translations in Lucian s ynic

LVCIANVS.

2

QVID

TV

tandem? barbam qUidem habes,

fs t

comam, tunicam non

habes, nudusque conspiceris, ac sine calceis, delecta

r

nimirum

l

uaga,

inhumanaque ac feralil> uita,

tum

proprio corpore contra quam

faciunt caeteril> semper usus incommode , nunc huc, nunc illuc

circuis, in arido praeterea solo cubans, adeo

[

plurimum etiam

sordium' tritum isthoc pallium referat, alioqui nec ipsum, uel tenui

filo, uel molle uel florulentum.

ll/5

r

l nimirum certainly

l inhumana

ac

ferali

inhuman

and

funerea1

3

;

apanthropon kai theriode inhuman (far from man) and

bestial

l caeteri

the

others; hoi poll i

the many

4

l incommode without

due or proper measure ; tois

enantiois in the opposite manner

More changes the name from Lycinus to Lucian .

3 lnhumana captures apanthropon pretty accurately

=

inhuman, uncivilized. But

jerali

is

a strange choice for theriode. Did More want to emphasize a shade of

meaning in theriode, perhaps deadly , sincejeralis literally means belonging

to

the dead or

to

corpses )? Would More translate bestial with a word that means

funereal/gloomy ? For, he very plainly sticks close to Lucian's text wherever

possible. Two similar Greek adjectives could have been confounded: theriodes

(bestial, the word that is in the Loeb text) and

threnodes

(like a dirge). I don t

think TM, seeing theriodes (bestial), would have translated itjeralis; butjeralis is

a close approximate translation of threnodes. Did More read threnodes, not

theriodes? Feralis

was used

in

post-classical Latin

in

place of the adj.

jerus

(or

j ~ r i n u s cf. 17/38). (A weakness in this study: because of my inexperience and

limited resources, I have assumed throughout that More was writing classical

Latin, with its grammar and its use of vocabulary, to the exclusion of later

developments

in

the Latin language.)

4 Similarly, More translates ton pollon below with alii.

anana

VoIA7,

179

-

180 89

Mary PAWLOWSKI

l plurimum sordium

very filthy;

asen

(aten) nausea,

10

distress (ruin)

1

CW3 159:

LYCINUS.

You

there, why in heaven's name have you the

beard and the long hair,

but

no shirt?

Why do

you expose your body

t

view, and

go

barefooted, adopting by choice this nomadic antisocial and

bestial

life? Why

unlike all others do you abuse your body by ever

inflicting on

it what it

likes least, wandering around and prepared to

sleep anywhere at all on the hard ground, so that your old cloak carries

about a plentiful supply of filth, though

it

was never fine or soft or

gay?

LUCIAN:

You

there,

what

now)

You

have a beard and long hair, you do

not have a shirt, and you are conspicuously bare and

without

sandals,

having chosen a life that is

r

certainly

l

wandering, uncivilized, and

a

funereal'\ and always using your body

improperl/

otherwise than rest

do, you go about this way and tha t, besides sleeping on hard ground, so

much that it makes even that threadbare cloak very filthl, although it

was not otherwise made of fine thread or soft or flowery.

II

Mis-translations

in

Lucian's

Menippus

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90 Mareana

VolA7,179 -180

MaryPAWLOWSKI

MENI.Iuuentameincitauit,atqueaudacia::

r

Quamproiuuentahaud paululumimpotenior.l

PHILO.Siste

0

beate Tragica

l

, &:

abiambis descendenssicpotius

one, simpliciter eloquere, quaenam haec uestis, quae causa tibi

itinerisinfernifuit, quum alioquineque iucunda nequedelectabilis

situia?

MENI.Resdilectegrauisl'lme infernasegitadumbras,Consulerem

manesl l

ut

r

uatis :Tiresiai.

23/20 :tou

nou picon

morethansense

l l quam

pro iuucl1ta haud paululum

impotcnior

since for

youthIwasnotalittletooinsolent

5

l l

beata Tragica

blessed Tragedian /

makahe

tragodon

blessedactingatragedy

25

l l resgrauis

aseriousmatter/chreio necessity

l l

manes shade/

psychei

soul

11

uatis

prophet

:Thebaiou

Theban

ICW3 169-70:MEN!. Youth spurredme, andIhadmorepluck than

sense. PHILO.

My

dearfellow, dostopyourplay-acting;comeoffyour

blank-verse,andtellme inplainlanguagelikemine

what

yourcostume

is,andwhy youhad togo

down

below. Certainlyitis notapleasant

andattractive journey! MENI. Friend, 'twas necessitydrew me below

to thekingdom of Hades, /Theretoobtain,from the spirit ofTheban

Tiresias,counsel.

literal MEN!.Youthspurredme ,andboldness I :rsince for ayouth I

was nota little too insolent.lPHILO. Stop, blessedTragedianll, and

come down from your iambs and say rather more plainly

what

this

5More 'sadditionexplainingaudacia withoutth Greeklou nou pleon?

MaryPAWLOWSKI

Mareal1aVo1.47 179 180 91

costume is, andwhat the cause of this infernal journeywas, since in

generalit isneithera pleasantnorattrac tivejourney? MEN!.Friend,a

seriousmatter'"drewme to theinfernalshades,toconsulttheshade

ll

of

the

r

prophetTiresias.

PHILO.Atquideliras,alioquinonhocpactocaneresapud amicosl l

r

consarcinatisluersibus.MENIP. Nemirerisamice,nuperenimcum

Euripide atque Homero uersatus, nescio quo pacto uersibus sic

impletussum,

ut

numerimihiinos suasponteconfluant.Verumdie

mimquopactoreshumanashiesehabentinterrisl'l?

&:

quidnamin

urbeagitur"'?

23

/

27

'

amicas friends/andras

philous

dearmen

6

11 consarcinatis

stitched-together

7

30

l

res

humanas

in

terris

humanaffairsonearth/

ta

huper

ges

thethingsonearth

32a

l l q id

in

urbe agitur what

isbeingdone

n

thecity?/

ti

poiousin hoi

en

te

po

lei

what

arethoseinthecitydoing?

W3,

170: PHILO. Man, you aresurely out of yourmind, or you

wouldnotrecite verse in

that

way toyour friendsl MENIP. Don'tbe

surprised,my dearfellow. Ihavejust beeninthecompanyofEuripides

andHomer,sothat somehoworotherIhavebecomefilledwithpoetry,

andversescomeunbiddento

my

lips. Buttell

me,

howarethingsgoing

onearth,andwhat aretheydoinginthecity?

literal

But

you

areoutofyourmind,or

you

wouldnot singinthisway

to your friends'" with verses rstitched together. MENIP. Don't be

surprised,friend,forIhavejust beenbusiedwith EuripidesandHomer,

sothatsomehoworotherIhavebeensofilledwith poetry,that verses

Samesubstitutionat27/

8.

'I More adds this becausethe rootof Lucian 's rhapsodeis

is

rhaplein literally "to

stitchtogether."

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92

Moreana

Vol.47, 179 -180

Mary PAWLOWSKI

flow unbidden to

my

lips. But tell me, how are human affairs on earth

ll

,

and what is being done in the

cit ?

quod multo erat istis absurdius, uiram eorum

ll

diligenrer obseruans,

comperi eam cum ipsorum uerbis rpraeceptisquel summopere

pugnare.

Eos

enim qui spernendam censebant pecuniam, auidissime

conspexi colligendis diuitijs inhiare"', de foenore litigantes, pro

mercede docentes. Omnia denique nummorum gratia tolerantes.

i

uero qui gloriam uerbis

ll

aspernabantur, omnem uitae suae rationem

in gloriam referebant.ll. Voluptatem rursus omnes ferme

r

palaml

incessebant. Clanculum uero ad eam solam rlibenter

l

confluebant.

ll

Ergo hac quoque spe frustratus magis adhuc aegre molesteque'" tuli.

Aliquantulum tamen inde memet consolabar, quod una cum multis

:

sapientibus

:

celeberrimis : ruirisl ipse insipiensque essem,

atque uere adhuc ignarus oberrarem. Peruigilanti mihi tandem,

atque hisce de rebus

r

mecum cogitantil, uenit in mentem,

ut

Babylonem profectus magorum aliquem ex Zoroastri discipulis ac

successoribus conuenirem. Audieram siquidem eos inferni porras

carminibus qUibusdam

ac

mysterijs aperire,

:

quem libuerit

l

illuc

tuto deducere, ac rursus inde reducere. Optime ergo me facturum

putaui, si cum horum quopiam de descensu paciscens Tiresiam

Boeotium consulerem

ll

, ab eoque perdiscerem (quippe qui uates

fuerit

:

sapiens) quae uita sit optima, quanque sapientissimus

l

quisquerpotissimum

l

elegerit.

29 20

uitam

corum

the

life of

them 1

tous

autous toutous these

very people

rl praeceptisque and teachings

MoreanaVo1.47,179-180 93

Mary PAWLOWSKI

auidissime

colligendis diuitijs inhiare

very eagerly intent

on collecting riches 1aprix

echomenous

auton holding it

tight

gloriam uerbis glory in words

1

doxan glory

25

llomnem

uitae

suae

rationem

in

gloriam referebant

they

were referring every motive in their life to glory

awes tautes

charin

ta panta kai

prattontas

kai

legontas

doing and saying all things for the sake

of

this

rl palam publicly

rllibenter willingly

confluebant

flocked to

Iprosertemenous

were attached

to

aegre

molesteque vexed and anxious 1 edyscherainon

annoyed, discontented

:

epi

synesei

for knowledge

0

rl uiris men

r

l mecum cogitanti thinking in my mind

quem libuerit

anyone who pleased them 1 hon

an

32

boulontai anyone they wished

consulerem seek the aid

of

1elthonta para come before

35

sapientissimus wisest 1eu

phronon

man

of

sense

rl potissimum above all

3

1

1

CW3 72

: But there was something else, far more unreasonable than

that. I found, upon observing these same people,

that

their practice

directly opposed their preaching. For instance, 1 perceived that those

who recommended scorning money clove to it tooth and nail, bickered

about interest, taught

for

pay, and underwent everything

for

the sake of

money; and that those who were

for

rejecting public opinion aimed at

that

very thing not only in all

that

they did,

but

in all that they said.

Also that while almost all of them inveighed against pleasure, they

privately devoted themselves

to

that alone. Disappointed, therefore , in

http:///reader/full/referebant.llhttp:///reader/full/confluebant.llhttp:///reader/full/confluebant.llhttp:///reader/full/referebant.llhttp:///reader/full/confluebant.ll

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94

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Vol.47, 179 -

180 Mary PAWLOWSKI

this expectation, I was still more uncomfortable t han before, although I

consoled myself somewhat with the thought that if I was still foolish

and

went

about in ignorance of the truth,

at

all events I had the

company of many wise men, widely renowned for intelligence.

So

one

time, while I lay awake over these problems, I resolved

to

go

to

Babylon

and address myself to one of the Magi, the disciples and successors of

Zoroaster, as I had heard that with certain charms and ceremonials they

could open the gates of Hades, taking dow n in safety anyone they would

and gUicl.ing him back again. Consequently I thought best to arrange

with one of these men for

my

going down, and then to call upon Tiresias

of Boeotia and find out from him in his capacity of prophet and sage

what the best life was, the life that a man of sense would choose.

Literal: But far more unteasonable than that: I found, upon observing

them, that their lifeC, completely conflicted with their words

I

and

teachings . For I perceived

that

those who recommended scorning

money, were very eagerly intent on collecting

riches,C,

disputed about

interest, taught for pay; in shon, underwent everything for the sake of

money. But those who rejected glory in

wordsC,

referred every motive in

their life to gloryC, Also almost all of them

I

publicly attacked pleasure,

but secretly they

I

Willingly flocked toc, it alone. Therefore,

cl.isappointed also in this expectation, I was still more vexed and

anxiousC"

although I consoled myself somewhat ,with the thought that I

was foolish together with

many wise and reno'vvned Imen . At last

while I was sleeping and

I

thinking

lover

these things

I

in

my mindl

it

came into

my

mind that I should

go

to Babylon and meet one of the

Magi, from the disciples and successors of Zoroaster, as 1 had heard that

they could open the gates of the Lower world with certain charms and

ceremonies, and could lead down there anyone whom they wished in

safety, and guide him back from there again. Therefore I thought it best

since I was going to do this, if to arrange with one of them about my

descent and to

consultC,

Tiresias

of

Boeotia and find out from him (since

he was a prophet and wise men) what the best life is, and what the

wisest manc' would choose Iabove alll.

Mary PAWLOWSKI

Moreana

Vol.47,179-180 95

Hecaten nocturnam, excelsaml'> que Proserpinam, simulque

polysyllaba quaedam nomina barbara, atque ignota

8

commiscet.

Statim ergo tremere omnia, rimas ex carmine solum ducere, ac

porro Cerberi latratus audiri, iam res plane tristis ac moesta fuit,

Vmbrarum at timuit rex imis sedibus Orcusl'>.

Ac

protinus quidem

linferoruml patebant pleraque, lacus, pyriphlegethon,

ac

Plutonis

regia. Tum per illum descendentes hiatum, Rhadamanthum

propemodum metu reperimus extinctum.

Ac

Cerberus primum

qUidem latrabat commouitque sese. At quum ego lyram celerrime

correptam

Ll

pulsassem, cantu statim sopitus

obdormitl'>,

deinde

posteaquam ad lacum uenimus, tranare fere non licuitl'>. lam enim

onustum erat nauigium, eiulatu certe plenum. Vulnerati quippe

lin ea

l nauigabant omnes, hie femur, ille caput, alius alio quopiam

membro luxatus, usqueadeo, ut mihi

I

certe

l

ex bello quopiam adesse

uiderentur. At optimus Charon quum leonis uideret exuuias, esse me

ratus Herculem recepit, transque uexit libens, tum exeuntibus

quoque nobis monstrauit semitam. Sed quoniam iam eramus in

tenebris, praecedit quidem Mithrobarzanes, ego autem a tergo

continuus illi comes adhaereoC,

3li7b

I > exccdsam

lofty /

epaine

dread

10

I>

Orcus /

Aidoncus

r

1

inferorum of the lower regions

15 L correptam snatched up

I>

sopitus

obdormit soothed

he fell

alseep / ekdethe he

was bewitched

8 polysyllaba barbara ignota

polysyllabic ..foreign

.

.unknown; in different order

from Lucian's:

barbarika

asema

polysyllaba

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Moreana VoL47 179-180

Mary PAWLOWSKI

l tranare licuit

allowed to sail across /

eperaiothemen

we were carried across

rl inea

on

it

20

r

l

certe

certainly

25a

l comes

adhaereo

clung to him as a companion /

heipomen

followed

1

W

3, 173-4: MENI. ..Hecate, queen of the night, and eery

Persephoneia. ith these names he intermingled a number of foreign

sounding, meaningless words of many syllables. In a trice the whole

region b

ega

n to quak

e,

the ground was rent asunder by the incantation,

barking of Cerberus was audible afar off, and things took on a

monstrously gloomy and sullen look.

Aye,

deep down it affrighted the

king of the dead, Aidoneus - for by that time we could see almost

everything - the Lake, and the River of Burning Fire, and the palace of

Pluto. But in spite of

it

all, we

went

down through the chasm, finding

Rhadamanthus almost dead of fright. Cerberus barked a bit, to be sure,

and stirred slightly,

but

when I hastily touched

my

lyre he was at once

bewitched by the music. hen we reached the lake, however, we came

near not getting across, for the ferry was already crowded and full of

groaning. Only wounded men were aboard, one injured in the leg,

another in the head, and so on. They were there:, in my opinion, th rough

some war or other. However, when good old Charon saw the lion-skin

he thought that I was Heracles, so he took

me

in, and not only ferried

me across gladly but pointed out the path for us when we went ashore.

Since we were in the dark, Mithrobarzanes led the way and I followed

after, keeping hold of him ..

Literal: ..Nocturnal Hecate, and loftl Persephone, and he

intermingled together certain foreign sounding and unknovvn words of

many syllables. Immediately then everything quakes, the ground was

drawn with cracks from the incantation, and far off the barking of

Cerbe:rus was heard, and now the affair looked distinctly grim and

ll

sullen. But Orcus the king of the shades deep in his dwelling place

feared. For indeed at once

for

the most part almost all rof the lower

regions ay open, the Lake, the River of Burning Fire, and the palace of

Mary PAWLOWSKI

Moreana Vo

L47 179-180 97

Pluto. Then, climbing down through the chasm, we found

Rhadamanthus almost dead of fright. And Cerberus barked at first a

little certainly and stirred slightly. But when I hastily snatched

Upll my

lyre and touched it, he was soothed and fell asleepll. Then after we came

to the lake, it was almost not permitted for us to sail across

ll

, for the

ferry was already crowded and full of groaning. In fact all the wounded

were sailing ron itl, one injured in the leg, another in the head, and so

on, so much so, that, to

me

, they seemed r certainly to ha

ve

come from

some war. But when very good Charon saw the lion-skin he thought I

was Hercules and received

me

, and not only ferried me across gladly,

but

also showed

us

the path when we went ashore. But since we were

in the dark, Mithrobarzanes led the way and I continuously clung to

him as a companion

ll

behind him.

;

graui Stoicorum testimonio conuictum

l

, Cyrenaeus Aristippus

interueniens - Nam ilium ualde suspiciunt inferi, eiusque

plurimumibi ualet autoritas - ferme iam Chimaerae alligatum

absoluit a poena , asserens illum eruditorum nonnullos olim iuuisse

pecunia. Tum nos a tribunali discedentes, ad supplicij locum

peruenimus. Vbi

0

amice ; multa, ; miseranda audire simul, ac

spectare

r

licuit

l

Nam simul ; flagrorum sonus auditur,

;

eiulatus

ll

hominum in igne flagrantium,

tum

rotae

;

tormenta, catenae

,

Cerberus lacerat, Chimaera dilaniat, crucianturque pariter omnes,

ll

captiui, reges

,

praefecti, pauperes, mendici, diuitesLl,

;

iam

scelerum omnes poenitebat.

35/24 l

graui 5toicorum testimonio by the grave testimony of

the Stoics /

hypo

tes skias

by his shadow

25

r

llicuit

it

was granted

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98

Moreana

Vol.47,

179-180

Mary PAWLOWSKI

30

rowe tormenta

catenae

wheels and torments, chains

1streblai kai kyphones kai

trochoi

racks and pillories and

wheels

1 captiui reges captives, kings 1 basilcis douloi kings,

slaves

pauperes mendici diuites poor, beggars, rich 1penetes

plousioi ptochoi poor, rich, beggars

W

3 175: ... the shadow as witness,

but

Aristippus of Cyrene

appeared - they hold him

n

honour, and he has very great influence

among the people of the lower world - and when Dionysius was within

an ace of being chained up to the Chimera, he got him let off from the

punishment by saying that

many men of letters had found him obliging

in the matter of money. Leaving the court reluctan tly, we came to the

place of punishment, where in all truth, my friend , there were many

pitiful things to hear and to see. The sound of scourges could be heard,

and therewithal the wails of those roasting on the fire; there were racks

and pillories and wheels; Chimera tore and Cerberus ravened. They

were being pUnished all together, kings, slaves, satraps, poor, rich, and

beggars, and all were sorry for their excesses.

Literal: convicted by the grave testimony of the Stoics",

but

Aristippus of Cyrene intervened - for the people of the lower world

hold him in great honor, and he has very great influence there - and

when [DionysiusJ was almost already chained by to the Chimera, he got

him absolved from the pUnishment, asserting

that

many men of letters

had found him obliging in the matter of money. Then, leaving the court,

we came to the place of punishment. And there, friend, there

lit

was

grantedl us to hear and see many pitiful things. For at once the sound

of scourges and the wails of those roasting on the

fire;

then there were

wheels and torments, chains"; Cerberus tore and Chimaera ravened; and

all were being pUnished equally: captives, kings", prefects, poor,

beggars, rich1O and now all were sorry for their crimes.

Mary PAWLOWSKI

Moreal1Q Vol.4

7 179

-

180

99

Optima est, inquit, idiotarum rpriuatorumquel uita, ac

prudentissima1O. Quamobrem ab hac ruanissimal sublimium

consyderatione desistens, mitte principia semper ac fines inquirere,

Est

uafros hosce syllogismos despuens, atque

id

genus omnia nugas

aestimans, hoc solum

in

tota

r

uita

l persequere , u t praesentibus

bene compositis

r

mini me curiosusl nulla re sollicitus,

r

quam

plurimum

potesl hilaris :

uitam

ridensque

traducas.

41/34b

r

1priuatorumque and private

35 prudentissima

most prudent 1 sophronestcros more

wisely

r

1uanissima emptiest

mitte

persequere these are commands, they aren't in

Lucian

r

1in

tota uita

through

your whole life

1ex

hapantos

above all

r

1minime curios us not at all curious

r 1

quam plurimum

potes as much as you

can

:

ta

polla (laughing) at many things

43 /1

1 hilaris

ridensque

cheerful and laughing 1 gelon

laughing

1

CW3

179: The life of the common sort

is

best and most prudent.

You

ill act more wisely if you stop speculating about heavenly bodies and

discussing final causes and first causes, spit your scorn

at

those clever

syllogisms, and counting all that sort of thing nonsense, make it always

your sole object to

put

the present to good use and to hasten on your

way, laughing a great deal and taking nothing seriously.

8/9/2019 Moreana179-180pages85-102

9/9

100 MoreanaVo1 47 , 179-1S0 Mary PAWLOWSKI

Literal: Best, he said, and most prudent

i

, is the life of the common

I

and

privatel. Therefore, ceasing from this most

emptyCi

consideration of

lofty things , stopA searching always for first principles and final causes;

and, spitting out these clever syllogisms, and counting that sort of thing

entirely nonsense, pursue this only throughout your whole life

i

: that,

with the present

put

to good use, you are Inot at all inquisitive

anxious about nothing, and, that you spend your life, cheerful and

laughing Ias much as you can A

III. i s ~ t r a n s l a t i o n s

in Lucian s

Tyrannidde

in

omnibus ilii morem gerebat ', ac denique

sub

illius tyrannide

uiuebat,

CSt

rultroneus

l

filij

cupiditatum

satelles

erat

oAt iuuenis uero

honore aetatis gratia patri cessit, CSt solo imperij nomine abstinuit:

caeterum

re ipsa tyrannidis

caput

ipse fuit. Firmitas quoque ac

tutamentum principatus

ab ilio pendebat, quoniam

CSt quod ex

iniurijs prouenit, solus ipse fruebatur. Ille

erat qui

satellites ducebat,

qui custodias regebat,

qui subditos

feriebat, qui insimatores

terrebat.

9

Ille

erat qui

ephebos rapuit, qui

nuptias

temerauit.'

81

/ 20b '

in omnibus

ilIi

morcm gerebat

played

this

role for him

in

everything /

panta

hyperetei

served [him]

in

everything

r

l

ultroncus voluntarily

D.principatus

principate /

dynasteiai

power, sovereignity

25

28a

' tcmerauit

defiled /

enybrizon mocked

9

More uses the manuscript reading phobol1

Mary PAWLOWSKI

Moreana

VolA7,

179

-

1S0 101

1

CW3

198 : served him in all things, and in a

word

was tyrannised by

him, and was mere minister to his son's desires. The young man

conceded the honour to him by right of age and abstained from the

name of sovereignty,

but

only from that; he was the substance and the

mainspring of the tyralUly. He gave the government its assurance and

security, and he alone reaped the profit of its crimes. It was he who

kept their guardsmen together, who maintained their defences in

strength, who terrorised their subjects and extirpated conspirators; it

was he who plucked lads from their homes, who made a mockery of

marriages

Literal: played this role for him in everything'\ and finally was living

under the tyralUlY of that one, and Ivoluntarilyl was the minister to his

son's desires. But the young man in truth yielded the honor to his father

on account of his age and abstained from the name of the power to rule

only: but for the rest in fact he himself was the head of the tyranny. The

assurance and also the security of the principate' depended upon him,

since he alone reaped the benefit of its crimes. He

it

was who lead their

guardsmen. who ruled their defenses, who terrorised their subjects,

who terrified conspirators. He it was who snatched up youths, who

defiled marriages

i

ibliography

Complete Works

ofThomas More. VoU

Part

1.

Craig

R

Thompson,

ed

New

Haven and London:

Yale

University Press,

1974

-Lucian's Cynicus. M D Macleod, trans. Cambridge: Harvard University

Press,

1967

-Lucian's

Menippus. AM.

Harmon, trans. Cambridge: Harvard University

Press, 1961

-Lucian's Tyrannicide. AH. Hammom, trans. Cambridge: Harvard University

Press, 1936

Mary PAWLOWSKI

marypaw@gmail.com

mailto:marypaw@gmail.commailto:marypaw@gmail.com