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home:texts_and_library:essays:alexander [2021/01/21 21:24] – [50] frankhome:texts_and_library:essays:alexander [2021/01/24 20:08] (current) – [Introductions] frank
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 Though this is not the most humorous or witty essay, it is perhaps one of the most entertaining pieces of Lucian. It contains an exact and probably true account of a most extraordinary character who figured in his time - the fraud Alexander. It makes one wonder what type of frauds and impostures Lucian was exposed to in the 2nd Century AD. Of all of Lucian's works, Alexander provides the reader with an idea of what sort of person Lucian considered to be spreading lies and obfuscation. Throughout the centuries, there have been glaring frauds and impostures even in the most supposed "enlightened" times.((Select Dialogues: Of Lucian, Translated from the Greek by Thomas Franklin, D.D. The Sungraphein, by G. W. Vernon, Esq. William M’Kenzie, 1792.))\\ Though this is not the most humorous or witty essay, it is perhaps one of the most entertaining pieces of Lucian. It contains an exact and probably true account of a most extraordinary character who figured in his time - the fraud Alexander. It makes one wonder what type of frauds and impostures Lucian was exposed to in the 2nd Century AD. Of all of Lucian's works, Alexander provides the reader with an idea of what sort of person Lucian considered to be spreading lies and obfuscation. Throughout the centuries, there have been glaring frauds and impostures even in the most supposed "enlightened" times.((Select Dialogues: Of Lucian, Translated from the Greek by Thomas Franklin, D.D. The Sungraphein, by G. W. Vernon, Esq. William M’Kenzie, 1792.))\\
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 +{{:home:texts_and_library:essays:pasted:20190707-211524.png|The Snake of Glycon; used to con unsuspecting audiences by Alexander}}
  
 This account of one of the most crafty, most audacious, and most successful theurgical imposters that ever was, is in certain regards the most important and instructive of all of Lucian's writings. Alexander of Abonoteichos, with whom we are brought acquainted in it, was a real virtuoso in his art. He possessed several requisite talents. He produced great effects from small means. None of his fellow-labourers have come under my observation, who had so nicely calculated, how far a man may trust to human absurdity, and understood how to derive so much advantage from the weak side of the great mass. Striking resemblances render this extraordinary man and his history doubly interesting at the present day. The consideration of what he with such slender means brought effect, should naturally lead us to the thought of what Alexander in our times with the incomparably greater resources now at his command, might perform. But what sort of Paphlagonians must they be, who, warned by such an example, still suffer themselves to be duped?((Tooke, W., et al. Lucian of Samosata. from the Greek with the Comments and Illustrations of Wieland and Others by William Tooke. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1820.)) This account of one of the most crafty, most audacious, and most successful theurgical imposters that ever was, is in certain regards the most important and instructive of all of Lucian's writings. Alexander of Abonoteichos, with whom we are brought acquainted in it, was a real virtuoso in his art. He possessed several requisite talents. He produced great effects from small means. None of his fellow-labourers have come under my observation, who had so nicely calculated, how far a man may trust to human absurdity, and understood how to derive so much advantage from the weak side of the great mass. Striking resemblances render this extraordinary man and his history doubly interesting at the present day. The consideration of what he with such slender means brought effect, should naturally lead us to the thought of what Alexander in our times with the incomparably greater resources now at his command, might perform. But what sort of Paphlagonians must they be, who, warned by such an example, still suffer themselves to be duped?((Tooke, W., et al. Lucian of Samosata. from the Greek with the Comments and Illustrations of Wieland and Others by William Tooke. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1820.))
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 > [4] Augean stable | The Fifth Labour of Heracles was to clean the Augean stables, which contained the single greatest number of cattle in the region and was never cleaned until Heracles finished the labour. One estimate was that the stables had not been cleaned for 30 years. > [4] Augean stable | The Fifth Labour of Heracles was to clean the Augean stables, which contained the single greatest number of cattle in the region and was never cleaned until Heracles finished the labour. One estimate was that the stables had not been cleaned for 30 years.
  
-{{:home:texts_and_library:essays:pasted:20190707-211524.png|The Snake of Glycon; used to con unsuspecting audiences by Alexander}}+
  
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 Another time I did up the same question — What was Homer’s birthplace?[2]— in two packets given in under different names. My servant misled him by saying when asked what he came for, a cure for lung trouble; so the answer to one packet was: Another time I did up the same question — What was Homer’s birthplace?[2]— in two packets given in under different names. My servant misled him by saying when asked what he came for, a cure for lung trouble; so the answer to one packet was:
  
-//With cytmis[3] I command thee to anoint,\\+//With cytmis[3] I command you to anoint,\\
 And fair Latona's dew[4] —// And fair Latona's dew[4] —//
  
 As for the other packet, he got the information that the sender was inquiring whether the land or the sea route to Italy was preferable. So he answered, without much reference to Homer: As for the other packet, he got the information that the sender was inquiring whether the land or the sea route to Italy was preferable. So he answered, without much reference to Homer:
  
-//Fare not by sea; land-travel meets thy need.//+//Fare not by sea; land-travel meets your need.//
  
 > [1] Malach Attis was different from Sabardalachus | Here Lucian does not sufficiently explain the fact, so as to make it intelligible to his readers. Some servant sent to Alexander had probably posed this question to him, viz. Were Malach Attis and Sabardalachus, two obscure kings of some distant region, one and the same person? Alexander mistaking this question for Lucian's gives the reader this answer, which by the bye, does not prove that he frequently sent answers to one question, which properly belonged to another. A circumstance that might happen to any man in the hurry of business, just the same mistake is made with regard to his question about Homer.((Select Dialogues: Of Lucian, Translated from the Greek by Thomas Franklin, D.D. The Sungraphein, by G. W. Vernon, Esq. William M’Kenzie, 1792.)) > [1] Malach Attis was different from Sabardalachus | Here Lucian does not sufficiently explain the fact, so as to make it intelligible to his readers. Some servant sent to Alexander had probably posed this question to him, viz. Were Malach Attis and Sabardalachus, two obscure kings of some distant region, one and the same person? Alexander mistaking this question for Lucian's gives the reader this answer, which by the bye, does not prove that he frequently sent answers to one question, which properly belonged to another. A circumstance that might happen to any man in the hurry of business, just the same mistake is made with regard to his question about Homer.((Select Dialogues: Of Lucian, Translated from the Greek by Thomas Franklin, D.D. The Sungraphein, by G. W. Vernon, Esq. William M’Kenzie, 1792.))
home/texts_and_library/essays/alexander.1611285886.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021/01/21 21:24 by frank
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