2012:croesus
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====== Croesus ====== | ====== Croesus ====== | ||
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+ | ==== Authored by Frank Redmond, 2012 ==== | ||
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**Croesus Receiving Tribute from a Lydian Peasant**\\ | **Croesus Receiving Tribute from a Lydian Peasant**\\ | ||
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Croesus, the ancient king of the Lydians, has had a fascinating afterlife. He is the first main character to appear in Herodotus and many of his anecdotes of Croesus are memorable. The conversation with Solon comes to mind. Croesus also had afterlife in the works of Lucian. See the quote above. \\ | Croesus, the ancient king of the Lydians, has had a fascinating afterlife. He is the first main character to appear in Herodotus and many of his anecdotes of Croesus are memorable. The conversation with Solon comes to mind. Croesus also had afterlife in the works of Lucian. See the quote above. \\ | ||
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As such, I think it will be interesting to trace Croesus' | As such, I think it will be interesting to trace Croesus' | ||
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Then the seal is taken off, the string cut, the parchment opened, and my new owner’s name made known. It is a relation, or a parasite, or perhaps a domestic minion, whose value lay in his vices and his smooth cheeks; he has continued to supply his master with all sorts of unnatural pleasures beyond the years which might excuse such service, and now the fine fellow is richly rewarded. But whoever it is, he snatches me up, parchment included, and is off with me in a flash; he used to be called Pyrrhias or Dromo or Tibius, but now he is Megacles, Megabyzus, or Protarchus; off he goes, leaving the disappointed ones staring at each other in very genuine mourning-over the fine fish which has jumped out of the landing-net after swallowing their good bait.\\ | Then the seal is taken off, the string cut, the parchment opened, and my new owner’s name made known. It is a relation, or a parasite, or perhaps a domestic minion, whose value lay in his vices and his smooth cheeks; he has continued to supply his master with all sorts of unnatural pleasures beyond the years which might excuse such service, and now the fine fellow is richly rewarded. But whoever it is, he snatches me up, parchment included, and is off with me in a flash; he used to be called Pyrrhias or Dromo or Tibius, but now he is Megacles, Megabyzus, or Protarchus; off he goes, leaving the disappointed ones staring at each other in very genuine mourning-over the fine fish which has jumped out of the landing-net after swallowing their good bait.\\ | ||
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- | The fellow who has pounced on me has neither taste nor feeling; the sight of fetters still gives him a start; crack a whip in his neighbourhood, | + | The fellow who has pounced on me has neither taste nor feeling; the sight of fetters still gives him a start; crack a whip in his neighbourhood, |
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- | '' | + | Tim . Come, spade, show your mettle; stick to it; invite Thesaurus to step up from his retreat.... O God of Wonders! O mystic priests! O lucky Hermes! whence this flood of gold? Sure, ’tis all a dream; methinks ’twill be ashes when I wake. And yet — coined gold, ruddy and heavy, a feast of delight!\\ |
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O gold, the fairest gift to mortal eyes! be it night, or be it day, Thou dost outshine all else like living fire.\\ | O gold, the fairest gift to mortal eyes! be it night, or be it day, Thou dost outshine all else like living fire.\\ | ||
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Be the name he loves Misanthropus, | Be the name he loves Misanthropus, | ||
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- | All the same, I would give a good deal to have the fact of my enormous wealth generally known; they would all be fit to hang themselves over it.... Why, what is this? Well, that is quick work. Here they come running from every point of the compass, all dusty and panting; they have smelt out the gold somehow or other. Now, shall I get on top of this knoll, keep up a galling fire of stones from my point of vantage, and get rid of them that way? Or shall I make an exception to my law by parleying with them for once? contempt might hit harder than stones. Yes, I think that is better; I will stay where I am, and receive them. Let us see, who is this in front? Ah, Gnathonides the flatterer; when I asked an alms of him the other day, he offered me a halter; many a cask of my wine has he made a beast of himself over. I congratulate him on his speed; first come, first served.'' | + | All the same, I would give a good deal to have the fact of my enormous wealth generally known; they would all be fit to hang themselves over it.... Why, what is this? Well, that is quick work. Here they come running from every point of the compass, all dusty and panting; they have smelt out the gold somehow or other. Now, shall I get on top of this knoll, keep up a galling fire of stones from my point of vantage, and get rid of them that way? Or shall I make an exception to my law by parleying with them for once? contempt might hit harder than stones. Yes, I think that is better; I will stay where I am, and receive them. Let us see, who is this in front? Ah, Gnathonides the flatterer; when I asked an alms of him the other day, he offered me a halter; many a cask of my wine has he made a beast of himself over. I congratulate him on his speed; first come, first served.'' |
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- | Before Pluto: **Croesus**, | + | < |
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- | **Cr** . Pluto, we can stand this snarling Cynic no longer in our neighbourhood; either you must transfer him to other quarters, or we are going to migrate.\\ | + | **Cr** . Pluto, we can stand this snarling Cynic no longer in our neighborhood; either you must transfer him to other quarters, or we are going to migrate.\\ |
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Pl . Why, what harm does he do to your ghostly community? | Pl . Why, what harm does he do to your ghostly community? | ||
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Menippus. Aeacus. Various Shades\\ | Menippus. Aeacus. Various Shades\\ | ||
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Ch . And whereabouts is **Croesus**? | Ch . And whereabouts is **Croesus**? | ||
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Cr . You are always having a stab at my wealth. It is all envy!\\ | Cr . You are always having a stab at my wealth. It is all envy!\\ | ||
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- | Her . This blunt sincerity is not to the Lydian’s taste. Things are come to a strange pass, he thinks, if a poor man is to hold up his head, and speak his mind in this frank manner! He will remember Solon presently, when the time comes for Cyrus to conduct him in chains to the pyre. I heard Clotho, the other day, reading over the various dooms. Among other things, **Croesus** was to be led captive by Cyrus, and Cyrus to be murdered by the queen of the Massagetae. There she is: that Scythian woman, riding on a white horse; do you see?'' | + | Her . This blunt sincerity is not to the Lydian’s taste. Things are come to a strange pass, he thinks, if a poor man is to hold up his head, and speak his mind in this frank manner! He will remember Solon presently, when the time comes for Cyrus to conduct him in chains to the pyre. I heard Clotho, the other day, reading over the various dooms. Among other things, **Croesus** was to be led captive by Cyrus, and Cyrus to be murdered by the queen of the Massagetae. There she is: that Scythian woman, riding on a white horse; do you see?</ |
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- | I have been guessing how you are likely to have expressed yourself upon reading my essay about dependants. I feel pretty sure you read it all and had a laugh over it; but it is your running and general comment in words that I am trying to piece on to it. If I am any good at divination, this is the sort of thing: To think that a man can set down such a scathing indictment of the life, and then forget it all, get hold of the other end of the stick, and plunge headlong into such manifest conspicuous slavery! Take Midas, **Croesus**, | + | I have been guessing how you are likely to have expressed yourself upon reading my essay about dependants. I feel pretty sure you read it all and had a laugh over it; but it is your running and general comment in words that I am trying to piece on to it. If I am any good at divination, this is the sort of thing: To think that a man can set down such a scathing indictment of the life, and then forget it all, get hold of the other end of the stick, and plunge headlong into such manifest conspicuous slavery! Take Midas, **Croesus**, |
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The corn-stalks brake not ‘neath his airy tread.\\ | The corn-stalks brake not ‘neath his airy tread.\\ | ||
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Zeus on Olympus dwells in such a home,\\ | Zeus on Olympus dwells in such a home,\\ | ||
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- | we shall be told. But your flatterer would use that line about the swineherd’s hovel, if he saw a chance of getting anything out of the swineherd. Demetrius Poliorcetes had a flatterer called Cynaethus who, when he was gravelled for lack of matter, found some in a cough that troubled his patron — he cleared his throat so musically!'' | + | we shall be told. But your flatterer would use that line about the swineherd’s hovel, if he saw a chance of getting anything out of the swineherd. Demetrius Poliorcetes had a flatterer called Cynaethus who, when he was gravelled for lack of matter, found some in a cough that troubled his patron — he cleared his throat so musically!</ |
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Seek not for offspring in the Gods’ despite; Beget a child, and thou begett’st thy slayer.\\ | Seek not for offspring in the Gods’ despite; Beget a child, and thou begett’st thy slayer.\\ | ||
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Was not this advice superfluous, | Was not this advice superfluous, | ||
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- | Zeus . Apollo was angry with **Croesus**. When **Croesus** boiled that lamb and tortoise together in the cauldron, he was making trial of Apollo.'' | + | Zeus . Apollo was angry with **Croesus**. When **Croesus** boiled that lamb and tortoise together in the cauldron, he was making trial of Apollo.</ |
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2012/croesus.1329361305.txt.gz · Last modified: 2014/01/14 22:46 (external edit)