Excerpta Quædam ex Luciani Samosatensis Operibus
by Lucian of Samosata
| Excerpta Quaedam ex Luciani Samosatensis Operibus | ||
 at the College of William & Mary. |
||
| Author | Lucian of Samosata | |
| Edition | Precise edition unknown | |
| Desc. | 8vo | |
Lucian (125-180 CE) was a well-known ancient Greek rhetorician and satirist. As a child, Lucian was apprenticed to his uncle to begin a career as a sculptor.[1] Their relationship was strained, and Lucian eventually left his home and his apprenticeship.[2] He acquired a Greek literary education in western Asia Minor and applied it towards a career as a public speaker when he eventually returned to Greece.[3]
Though a successful rhetorician, Lucian became disenchanted with his career and gave up public speaking to write critical and satirical essays. These essays catapulted Lucian into fame and continue to serve as the basis for his lasting legacy.[4]
Lucian satirized a wide variety of topics; He particularly favored satirizing the fantastical tales that were common during the era in which he lived. He even mocked the incredulous journey that the protagonist Odysseus experienced in Homer’s Odyssey.[5] Lucian was also highly critical of the intellectual institutions of his time, and frequently satirized the hypocrisy of philosophers.[6] Not even the Greek gods were safe from Lucian’s mockery, and he repeatedly satirized the popular stories of the gods dealings with mortals.[7]
