Chattering Courtesans and Other Sardonic Sketches
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Described by a later Greek historian as "a man seriously committed to raising a laugh", Lucian exulted in the exposure of absurdity and the puncturing of pretension, and was capable of finding a comic angle on almost any subject. In this selection we see him conversing with his literary enemies, railing against hypocrisy and the vanity of human wealth and power, and taking a wry look at the power of lust and the unsatisfactory nature of deviant sexual practices.
Lucian (AD c.125- c.200) was a Greek writer of prose satires. Many of his works are dialogues where mythological or historical figures are placed in ridiculous situations. He was influential on the later Humanist writers, including Thomas More and Erasmus.
Keith Sidwell is Professor of Latin and Greek at University College Cork. He is co-author of the language textbooks Reading Greek and Reading Latin, and author of Reading Medieval Latin and Lucian: a selection. He has published widely on Greek Tragedy, Greek Comedy, Lucian and his influence, and Medieval and Renaissance Latin literature.