Lucian of Samosata · c. AD 125-after 180

Dialogues of the Dead

Name: Dialogues of the Dead
Author: Lucian of Samosata

Νεκρικοὶ διάλογοι

Ancient Sources / Lucian of Samosata / Dialogues of the Dead

Thirty dialogues of the underworld, in which Diogenes and Menippus the Cynic, Charon, Hermes, Pluto and Minos meet the shades of kings, heroes, philosophers and misers. The Fowlers have all thirty, and the dialogue numbers are those of the Greek text.

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Text: Greek original with English translation, 8 passages, about 13900 words in English.
Translator: H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler (1905)
Edition: Karl Jacobitz (ed.), Luciani Samosatensis Opera, Leipzig: Teubner, 1909 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus)
Cite as: Lucian of Samosata, Dialogues of the Dead 1.1 (by dialogue, section (Macleod numbering))

Contents · 8 passages

1.1–5.2A message for Menippus; Charon's fare; the Cynic's neighbours; Cerberus; the beauties1678 words
6.1–10.2A tour of Hades; Tantalus; Chiron; Tiresias; the oracles1964 words
11.1–14.2Heracles' phantom; Philip and Alexander; Diogenes and Alexander; Charon's accounts2136 words
15.1–19.4Old men who outlive their heirs1896 words
20.1–13Charon's leaky boat1328 words
21.1–24.3Moerichus and Aristeas; the road down; Agamemnon and Ajax; Minos and Sostratus2165 words
25.1–27.2Alexander, Hannibal and Scipio before Minos; Achilles; Protesilaus and Helen1792 words
28.1–30.2Protesilaus and Pluto; Mausolus; Nireus and Thersites975 words

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English translation by H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler (1905). Original text: Karl Jacobitz (ed.), Luciani Samosatensis Opera, Leipzig: Teubner, 1909 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library, Greek text); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.

Dialogues of the Dead

Contents · 8 passages

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