The Works of Lucian of Samosata (Vol. 1-4) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. The Literary Legacy: Dialogues, Myths, Satirical Masterpieces and moreBy Lucian of Samosata
Length39h 31m
About this audiobook
The Works of Lucian of Samosata (Vol. 1-4) gathers the dazzling range of Lucian's satirical dialogues, rhetorical exercises, philosophical parodies, fantastic narratives, and social criticism. Written in a polished Attic Greek that self-consciously revives classical models, these pieces stand at the crossroads of the Second Sophistic, Menippean satire, and comic prose fiction. Lucian exposes intellectual vanity, religious credulity, literary pretension, and philosophical hypocrisy with a wit at once urbane, skeptical, and theatrically inventive. Lucian, born in Samosata on the Euphrates in the second century CE, was a Syrian Greek writer whose career as rhetorician, lecturer, and observer of imperial cosmopolitan life shaped his distinctive voice. Moving through the cultural centers of the Roman Empire, he absorbed both Greek literary tradition and the performative culture of public declamation. His outsider's acuity, combined with formidable classical learning, enabled him to mock the very institutions and genres that sustained his fame. This collection is essential for readers interested in ancient satire, the history of skepticism, and the evolution of prose fiction. Lucian rewards both scholarly attention and general curiosity: his works remain startlingly modern in their irony, intellectual independence, and comic dismantling of solemn frauds.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- The Author Biography highlights personal milestones and literary influences that shape the entire body of writing.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics
Length39 hrs 31 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateApr 19, 2024
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
42A Portrait-Study
2Introduction
43Defence of the 'Portrait-Study'
3Author Biography
44Toxaris: A Dialogue of Friendship
4Historical Context
45Zeus Cross-Examined
5Synopsis (Selection)
46Zeus Tragoedus
Show all chaptersShow less
6Volume 1
47The Cock
7Introduction
48Icaromenippus, An Aerial Expedition
8The Vision
49The Double Indictment
9A Literary Prometheus
50The Parasite, A Demonstration That Sponging is a Profession
10Nigrinus
51Anacharsis, A Discussion of Physical Training
11Trial in the Court of Vowels
52Of Mourning
12Timon the Misanthrope
53The Rhetorician's Vade Mecum
13Prometheus on Caucasus
54The Liar
14Dialogues of the Gods
55Dionysus, An Introductory Lecture
15Dialogues of the Sea-Gods
56Heracles, An Introductory Lecture
16Dialogues of the Dead
57Swans and Amber
17Menippus
58The Fly, An Appreciation
18Charon
59Remarks Addressed to an Illiterate Book-Fancier
19Of Sacrifice
60Volume 4
20Sale of Creeds
61Slander, A Warning
21The Fisher
62The Hall
22Voyage to the Lower World
63Patriotism
23Volume 2
64Dipsas, The Thirst-Snake
24The Dependent Scholar
65A Word with Hesiod
25Apology for 'The Dependent Scholar'
66The Ship: Or, The Wishes
26Hermotimus, or the Rival Philosophies
67Dialogues of the Hetaerae
27Herodotus and Aetion
68The Death of Peregrine
28Zeuxis and Antiochus
69The Runaways
29Harmonides
70Saturnalia
30The Scythian
71Cronosolon
31The Way to Write History
72Saturnalian Letters
32The True History
73A Feast of Lapithae
33The Tyrannicide
74Demosthenes An Encomium
34The Disinherited
75The Gods in Council
35Phalaris, I
76The Cynic
36Phalaris, II
77The Purist Purized
37Alexander the Oracle-Monger
78Notes Explanatory of Allusions to Persons, &c.
38Of Pantomime
79Analysis
39Lexiphanes
80Reflection
40Volume 3
81Memorable Quotes
41Life of Demonax
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