Lucian's Science Fiction Novel True Histories: Interpretation and Commentary

270 Pages·1998·10.361 MB·English

by  Aristoula Georgiadou

LUCIAN'S SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL
TRUE HISTORIES
MNEMOSYNE
BIBLIOTHECA CLASSICA BATAVA
COLLEGERUNT
J.M. BREMER • L. F. JANSSEN • H. PINKSTER
H. W. PLEKET • C.J. RUIJGH • P.H. SCHRIJVERS
BIBLIOTHECAE FASCICULOS EDENDOS CURAVIT
C.J. RUIJGH, KLASSIEK SEMINARIUM, OUDE TURFMARKT 129, AMSTERDAM
SUPPLEMENfUM CENfESIMUM SEPTUAGESIMUM NONUM
ARISTOULA GEORGIADOU
AND
DAVID H.J. LARMOUR
LUCIAN'S SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL
TRUE HISTORIES
LUCIAN'S
SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL
TRUE HISTORIES
INTERPRETATION AND COMMENTARY
BY
ARISTOULA GEORGIADOU
ANb
DAVID H.J. LARMOUR
BRILL
LEIDEN · BOSTON · KOLN
1998
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Georgiadou, Aristoula.
Lucian's science fiction novel, True histories : interpretation
and commentary / by Aristoula Georgiadou and David HJ.Larmour.
p. cm. - (Mnemosyne, bibliotheca classica Batava.
Supplementum, ISSN 0 169-8958 ; l 79)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 9004106677 (cloth : alk. paper)
l. Lucian, of Samosata. Vera historia. 2. Truthfulness and
falsehood in literature. 3. Science fiction-History and criticism.
4. Latin fiction-History and criticism. 5. Philosophy, Ancient, in
literature. I. Larmour, David H.J. (David Henry James), 1959-
11. Title. III. Series.
PA4230.V483G46 1998
883'.0l-dc2l 98-11432
CIP
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaumahme
[Mnemosyne/ Supplementum]
Mnemosyne : bibliotheca classica Batava. Supplementum. - Leiden ;
Boston ; Koln : Brill
Friiher Schriftenreihe
Teilw. u.d.T.: Mnemosyne / Supplements
Reihe Supplementum zu: Mnemosyne
179. Georgiadou, Aristoula: Lucian's science fiction novel True
histories. - 1998
Georgiadou, Aristoula:
Lucian's science fiction novel True histories : interpretation and
commentary I by Aristoula Georgiadou and David H.J. Larmour. -
Leiden ; Boston ; Kain : Brill, 1998
(Mnemosyne : Supplementum ; 179)
ISBN 90-04-10667-7
ISSN 0 169-8958
ISBN 90 04 10667 7
© Copyright 1998 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any TT1£ans, el.ectronic,
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Fees are subject to change.
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
To
Anabella Joanna Nefe/,e and Stratis Betty and David S. Larmour

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . . .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. ..
ix
Abbreviations .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. . . .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. . . XI
Introduction . .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. . 1
I. Truth and Falsehood .......................................................... 1
1. Lucian ............................................................................ 1
2. Dio and Celsus .............................................................. 3
II. Allegory and the Journey for Knowledge ........................ 5
1. Homer and the Allegorical Tradition .......................... 5
2. Numenius of Apamea .................................................... 10
3. Journeys for Knowledge ................................................ 13
III. Parody and Allusion . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . . .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. . .. .. . 22
1. Poetry .............................................................................. 23
2. Historiography and Story-telling .................................. 28
3. Philosophy ...................................................................... 40
IV. The Verae Historiae, Satire and Science Fiction ................ 44
Commentary .............................................................................. 49
1. A Trip to the Moon ............................................................ 51
2. Inside the Whale .................................................................. 156
3. The Land of the Dead ........................................................ 178
Bibliography ................................................................................ 233
General Index .. ................................... .... .. ................................. 24 7
Index of Greek Words ................................................................ 253

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We wish to thank the following individuals who offered valuable
assistance, comments, suggestions or encouragement to one or both
of us as we were writing this commentary: Barry Baldwin, Jacques
Bompaire, Peder Christiansen, Stratis Gallopoulos, Bernhard Huss,
Howard Jacobson, Richard Janko, Robert Johansen, Alexander
Kosenina, Matthew Macleod, Gerard O'Daly, David Sansone, Russell
Shone, Valeria Simoncini, John Thomas, Angeliki Tzanetou, Patrick
Wynne, Roberto Zamboni and the anonymous reviewer of the man
uscript; Julian Deahl and Job Lisman, editors of Brill, for including
Lucian's "True Histories" in the Mnemosyne Supplement; also Gera
van Bedaf for her editorial assistance.
We are grateful for the use of facilities in the Department of Classics
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We also owe a
special debt of gratitude to Mary Ellen Fryer for her technical and
secretarial assistance and to Mardell O'Brien and Bruce Swann in
the Classics Library for facilitating our research there.
We would also like to express our gratitude to Penn State University
for Aristoula Georgiadou's Leave of Absence and Research Fellowship
(RGSO) and to the Stratis Gallopoulos research foundation for its
long-term financial and emotional commitment to this project; to
Texas Tech University for David Larmour's Faculty Development
Leave and research funding for this project; and to University College
and the Institute of Classical Studies of London University for grant
ing him access to their libraries.
Aristoula Georgiadou
David HJ. Larmour