Trips to the Moon - Lucian
The dreams themselves are of different kinds, some long, beautiful,
and pleasant, others little and ugly; there are likewise some golden
ones, others poor and mean; some winged and of an immense size,
others tricked out as it were for pomps and ceremonies, for gods and
kings; some we met with that we had seen at home; these came up to
and saluted us as their old acquaintance, whilst others putting us
first to sleep, treated us most magnificently, and promised that
they would make us kings and noblemen: some carried us into our own
country, showed us our friends and relations, and brought us back
again the same day. Thirty days and nights we remained in this
place, being most luxuriously feasted, and fast asleep all the time,
when we were suddenly awaked by a violent clap of thunder, and
immediately ran to our ship, put in our stores, and set sail. In
three days we reached the island of Ogygia. Before we landed, I
broke open the letter, and read the contents, which were as follows:
ULYSSES TO CALYPSO.
"This comes to inform you, that after my departure from your coasts
in the vessel which you were so kind as to provide me with, I was
shipwrecked, and saved with the greatest difficulty by Leucothea,
who conveyed me to the country of the Phaeacians, and from thence I
got home; where I found a number of suitors about my wife, revelling
there at my expense. I destroyed every one of them, and was
afterwards slain myself by Telegonus, a son whom I had by Circe. I
still lament the pleasures which I left behind at Ogygia, and the
immortality which you promised me; if I can ever find an
opportunity, I will certainly make my escape from hence, and come to
you."
This was the whole of the epistle except, that at the end of it he
recommended us to her protection.
On our landing, at a little distance from the sea, I found the cave,
as described by Homer, and in it Calypso, spinning; she took the
letter, put it in her bosom, and wept; then invited us to sit down,
and treated us magnificently. She then asked us several questions
about Ulysses, and inquired whether Penelope was handsome and as
chaste as Ulysses had reported her to be. We answered her in such a
manner as we thought would please her best; and then returning to
our ship, slept on board close to the shore.
In the morning, a brisk gale springing up, we set sail. For two
days we were tossed about in a storm; the third drove us on the
pirates of Colocynthos. These are a kind of savages from the
neighbouring islands, who commit depredations on all that sail that
way. They have large ships made out of gourds, six cubits long;
when the fruit is dry, they hollow and work it into this shape,
using reeds for masts, and making their sails out of the leaves of
the plant. They joined the crews of two ships and attacked us,
wounding many of us with cucumber seeds, which they threw instead of
stones. After fighting some time without any material advantage on
either side, about noon we saw just behind them some of the
Caryonautae, {141a} whom we found to be avowed enemies to the
Colocynthites, {141b} who, on their coming up, immediately quitted
us, and fell upon them. We hoisted our sail, and got off, leaving
them to fight it out by themselves; the Caryonautae were most
probably the conquerors, as they were more in number, for they had
five ships, which besides were stronger and better built than those
of the enemy, being made of the shells of nuts cut in two, and
hollowed, every half-nut being fifty paces long. As soon as we got
out of their sight, we took care of our wounded men, and from that
time were obliged to be always armed and prepared in case of sudden
attack. We had too much reason to fear, for scarce was the sun set
when we saw about twenty men from a desert island advancing towards
us, each on the back of a large dolphin. These were pirates also:
the dolphins carried them very safely, and seemed pleased with their
burden, neighing like horses. When they came up, they stood at a
little distance, and threw dried cuttle-fish and crabs'-eyes at us;
but we, in return, attacking them with our darts and arrows, many of
them were wounded; and, unable to stand it any longer, they
retreated to the island.
In the middle of the night, the sea being quite calm, we
unfortunately struck upon a halcyon's nest, of an immense size,
being about sixty stadia in circumference; the halcyon was sitting
upon it, and was herself not much less; as she flew off, she was
very near oversetting our ship with the wind of her wings, and, as
she went, made a most hideous groaning. As soon as it was day we
took a view of the nest, which was like a great ship, and built of
trees; in it were five hundred eggs, each of them longer than a
hogshead of Chios. We could hear the young ones croaking within;
so, with a hatchet we broke one of the eggs, and took the chicken
out unfledged; it was bigger than twenty vultures put together.
When we were got about two hundred stadia from the nest, we met with
some surprising prodigies. A cheniscus came, and sitting on the
prow of our ship, clapped his wings and made a noise. Our pilot
Scintharus had been bald for many years, when on a sudden his hair
came again. But what was still more wonderful, the mast of our ship
sprouted out, sent forth several branches, and bore fruit at the top
of it, large figs, and grapes not quite ripe. We were greatly
astonished, as you may suppose, and prayed most devoutly to the gods
to avert the evil which was portended.
We had not gone above five hundred stadia farther before we saw an
immensely large and thick wood of pines and cypresses; we took it
for a tract of land, but it was all a deep sea, planted with trees
that had no root, which stood, however, unmoved, upright, and, as it
were, swimming in it. Approaching near to it, we began to consider
what we could do best. There was no sailing between the trees,
which were close together, nor did we know how to get back. I got
upon one of the highest of them, to see how far they reached, and
perceived that they continued for about fifty stadia or more, and
beyond that it was all sea again; we resolved therefore to drag the
ship up to the top boughs, which were very thick, and so convey it
along, which, by fixing a great rope to it, with no little toil and
difficulty, we performed; got it up, spread our sails, and were
driven on by the wind. It put me in mind of that verse of
Antimachus the poet, where he says--
"The ship sailed smoothly through the sylvan sea."
We at length got over the wood, and, letting our ship down in the
same manner, fell into smooth clear water, till we came to a horrid
precipice, hollow and deep, resembling the cavity made by an
earthquake. We furled our sails, or should soon have been swallowed
up in it. Stooping forward, and looking down, we beheld a gulf of
at least a thousand stadia deep, a most dreadful and amazing sight,
for the sea as it were was split in two. Looking towards our right
hand, however, we saw a small bridge of water that joined the two
seas, and flowed from one into the other; we got the ship in here,
and with great labour rowed her over, which we never expected.
From thence we passed into a smooth and calm sea, wherein was a
small island with a good landing place, and which was inhabited by
the Bucephali: a savage race of men, with bulls' heads and horns,
as they paint the minotaur. As soon as we got on shore we went in
search of water and provision, for we had none left; water we found
soon, but nothing else; we heard, indeed, a kind of lowing at a
distance, and expected to find a herd of oxen, but, advancing a
little farther, perceived that it came from the men. As soon as
they saw us, they ran after and took two of our companions; the rest
of us got back to the ship as fast as we could. We then got our
arms, and, determined to revenge our friends, attacked them as they
were dividing the flesh of our poor companions: they were soon
thrown into confusion and totally routed; we slew about fifty of
them, and took two prisoners, whom we returned with. All this time
we could get no provision. Some were for putting the captives to
death, but not approving of this, I kept them bound till the enemy
should send ambassadors to redeem them, which they did; for we soon
heard them lowing in a melancholy tone, and most humbly beseeching
us to release their friends. The ransom agreed on was a quantity of
cheeses, dried fish, and onions, together with four stags, each
having three feet, two behind and one before. In consideration of
this, we released the prisoners, stayed one day there, and set sail.
We soon observed the fish swimming and the birds flying round about
us, with other signs of our being near the land; and in a very
little time after saw some men in the sea, who made use of a very
uncommon method of sailing, being themselves both ships and
passengers. I will tell you how they did it; they laid themselves
all along in the water, they fastened to their middle a sail, and
holding the lower part of the rope in their hands, were carried
along by the wind. Others we saw, sitting on large casks, driving
two dolphins who were yoked together, and drew the carriage after
them: these did not run away from, nor attempt to do us any injury;
but rode round about us without fear, observing our vessel with
great attention, and seeming greatly astonished at it.
It was now almost dark, when we came in sight of a small island
inhabited by women, as we imagined, for such they appeared to us,
being all young and handsome, with long garments reaching to their
feet. The island was called Cabalusa, and the city Hydamardia.
{147a} I stopped a little, for my mind misgave me, and looking
round, saw several bones and skulls of men on the ground; to make a
noise, call my companions together, and take up arms, I thought
would be imprudent. I pulled out my mallow, {147b} therefore, and
prayed most devoutly that I might escape the present evil; and a
little time afterwards, as one of the strangers was helping us to
something, I perceived, instead of a woman's foot, the hoof of an
ass. Upon this I drew my sword, seized on and bound her, and
insisted on her telling me the truth with regard to everything about
them. She informed me, much against her will, that she and the rest
of the inhabitants were women belonging to the sea, that they were
called Onoscileas, {148} and that they lived upon travellers who
came that way. "We make them drunk," said she, "and when they are
asleep, make an end of them." As soon as she had told me this, I
left her bound there, and getting upon the house, called out to my
companions, brought them together, showed them the bones, and led
them in to her; when on a sudden she dissolved away into water, and
disappeared. I dipped my sword into it by way of experiment, and
the water turned into blood.
We proceeded immediately to our vessel and departed. At break of
day we had a view of that continent which we suppose lies directly
opposite to our own. Here, after performing our religious rites,
and putting up our prayers, we consulted together about what was to
be done next. Some were of opinion that, after making a little
descent on the coast, we should turn back again; others were for
leaving the ship there, and marching up into the heart of the
country, to explore the inhabitants. Whilst we were thus disputing
a violent storm arose, and driving our ship towards the land, split
it in pieces. We picked up our arms, and what little things we
could lay hold on, and with difficulty swam ashore.
Such were the adventures which befell us during our voyage, at sea,
in the islands, in the air, in the whale, amongst the heroes, in the
land of dreams, and lastly, amongst the Bucephali, and the
Onoscileae. What we met with on the other side of the world, shall
be related in the ensuing books. {149}
ICARO-MENIPPUS. A DIALOGUE.
This Dialogue, which is also called by the commentators [Greek], or,
"Above the Clouds," has a great deal of easy wit and humour in it,
without the least degree of stiffness or obscurity; it is equally
severe on the gods and philosophers; and paints, in the warmest
colours, the glaring absurdity of the whole pagan system.
MENIPPUS AND A FRIEND.
MENIPPUS.
Three thousand stadia {153} from the earth to the moon, my first
resting-place; from thence up to the sun about five hundred
parasangas; and from the sun to the highest heaven, and the palace
of Jupiter, as far as a swift eagle could fly in a day.
FRIEND.
What are you muttering to yourself, Menippus, talking about the
stars, and pretending to measure distances? As I walk behind you, I
hear of nothing but suns and moons, parasangas, stations, and I know
not what.
MENIPPUS.
Marvel not, my friend, if I utter things aerial and sublime; for I
am recounting the wonders of my late journey.
FRIEND.
What! tracing your road by the stars, as the Phoenicians {154} do!
MENIPPUS.
Not so, by Jove! I have been amongst the stars themselves.
FRIEND.
You must have had a long dream, indeed, to travel so many leagues in
it.
MENIPPUS.
It is no dream, I assure you; I am just arrived from Jupiter.
FRIEND.
How say you? Menippus let down from heaven?
MENIPPUS.
Even so: this moment come from thence, where I have seen and heard
things most strange and miraculous. If you doubt the truth of them,
the happier shall I be to have seen what is past belief.
FRIEND.
How is it possible, most heavenly and divine Menippus, that a mere
mortal, like me, should dispute the veracity of one who has been
carried above the clouds: one, to speak in the language of Homer,
of the inhabitants {155} of heaven? But inform me, I beseech you,
which way you got up, and how you procured so many ladders; for, by
your appearance, I should not take you for another Phrygian boy,
{156} to be carried up by an eagle, and made a cup-bearer of.
MENIPPUS.
You are an old scoffer, I know, and therefore I am not surprised
that an account of things above the comprehensions of the vulgar
should appear like a fable to you; but, let me tell you, I wanted no
ladders, nor an eagle's beak, to transport me thither, for I had
wings of my own.
FRIEND.
This was beyond Daedalus himself, to be metamorphosed thus into a
hawk, or jay, and we know nothing of it.
MENIPPUS.
You are not far from the mark, my friend; for my wings were a kind
of Daedalian contrivance.
FRIEND.
Thou art a bold rogue indeed, and meant no doubt, if you had chanced
to fall into any part of the ocean, to have called it, as Icarus
{157a} did, by your own name, and styled it the Menippean Sea.
MENIPPUS.
Not so; his wings were glued on with wax, and when the sun melted
it, could not escape falling; but mine had no wax in them.
FRIEND.
Indeed! now shall I quickly know the truth of this affair.
MENIPPUS.
You shall: I took, you must know, a very large eagle {157b} and a
vulture also, one of the strongest I could get, and cut off their
wings; but, if you have leisure, I will tell you the whole
expedition from beginning to end.
FRIEND.
Pray do, for I long to hear it: by Jove the Friendly, I entreat
thee, keep me no longer in suspense, for I am hung by the ears.
MENIPPUS.
Listen, then, for I would by no means baulk an inquisitive friend,
especially one who is nailed by the ears, as you are. Finding, on a
close examination, that everything here below, such as riches,
honours, empire, and dominion, were all ridiculous and absurd, of no
real value or estimation, considering them, withal, as so many
obstacles to the study of things more worthy of contemplation, I
looked up towards nobler objects, and meditated on the great
universe before me; doubts immediately arose concerning what
philosophers call the world; nor could I discover how it came into
existence, its creator, the beginning or the end of it. When I
descended to its several parts, I was still more in the dark: I
beheld the stars, scattered as it were by the hand of chance, over
the heavens; I saw the sun, and wished to know what it was; above
all, the nature of the Moon appeared to me most wonderful and
extraordinary; the diversity of its forms pointed out some hidden
cause which I could not account for; the lightning also, which
pierces through everything, the impetuous thunder, the rain, hail,
and snow, {159} all raised my admiration, and seemed inexplicable to
human reason. In this situation of mind, the best thing I thought
which I could possibly do was to consult the philosophers; they, I
made no doubt, were acquainted with the truth, and could impart it
to me. Selecting, therefore, the best of them, as well as I could
judge from the paleness and severity of their countenances, and the
length of their beards (for they seemed all to be high-speaking and
heavenly-minded men), into the hands of these I entirely resigned
myself, and partly by ready money, partly by the promise of more,
when they had made me completely wise, I engaged them to teach me
the perfect knowledge of the universe, and how to talk on sublime
subjects; but so far were they from removing my ignorance, that they
only threw me into greater doubt and uncertainty, by puzzling me
with atoms, vacuums, beginnings, ends, ideas, forms, and so forth:
and the worst of all was, that though none agreed with the rest in
what they advanced, but were all of contrary opinions, yet did every
one of them expect that I should implicitly embrace his tenets, and
subscribe to his doctrine.
FRIEND.
It is astonishing that such wise men should disagree, and, with
regard to the same things, should not all be of the same opinion.
MENIPPUS.
You will laugh, my friend, when I shall tell you of their pride and
impudence in the relation of extraordinary events; to think that
men, who creep upon this earth, and are not a whit wiser, or can see
farther than ourselves, some of them old, blind, and lazy, should
pretend to know the limits and extent of heaven, measure the sun's
circuit, and walk above the moon; that they should tell us the size
and form of the stars, as if they were just come down from them;
that those who scarcely know how many furlongs it is from Athens to
Megara, should inform you exactly how many cubits distance the sun
is from the moon, should mark out the height of the air, and the
depth of the sea, describe circles, from squares upon triangles,
make spheres, and determine the length and breadth of heaven itself:
is it not to the last degree impudent and audacious? When they talk
of things thus obscure and unintelligible, not merely to offer their
opinions as conjectures, but boldly to urge and insist upon them:
to do everything but swear, that the sun {161} is a mass of liquid
fire, that the moon is inhabited, that the stars drink water, and
that the sun draws up the moisture from the sea, as with a well-
rope, and distributes his draught over the whole creation? How
little they agree upon any one thing, and what a variety of tenets
they embrace, is but too evident; for first, with regard to the
world, their opinions are totally different; some affirm that it
hath neither beginning nor end; some, whom I cannot but admire,
point out to us the manner of its construction, and the maker of it,
a supreme deity, whom they worship as creator of the universe; but
they have not told us whence he came, nor where he exists; neither,
before the formation of this world, can we have any idea of time or
place.
FRIEND.
These are, indeed, bold and presumptuous diviners.
MENIPPUS.
But what would you say, my dear friend, were you to hear them
disputing, concerning ideal {162} and incorporeal substances, and
talking about finite and infinite? for this is a principal matter of
contention between them; some confining all things within certain
limits, others prescribing none. Some assert that there are many
worlds, {163a} and laugh at those who affirm there is but one;
whilst another, {163b} no man of peace, gravely assures us that war
is the original parent of all things. Need I mention to you their
strange opinions concerning the deities? One says, that number
{163c} is a god; others swear by dogs, {164} geese, and plane-trees.
Some give the rule of everything to one god alone, and take away all
power from the rest, a scarcity of deities which I could not well
brook; others more liberal, increased the number of gods, and gave
to each his separate province and employment, calling one the first,
and allotting to others the second or third rank of divinity. Some
held that gods were incorporeal, and without form; others supposed
them to have bodies. It was by no means universally acknowledged
that the gods took cognisance of human affairs; some there were who
exempted them from all care and solicitude, as we exonerate our old
men from business and trouble; bringing them in like so many mute
attendants on the stage. There are some too, who go beyond all
this, and deny that there are any gods at all, but assert that the
world is left without any guide or master.
I could not tell how to refuse my assent to these high-sounding and
long-bearded gentlemen, and yet could find no argument amongst them
all, that had not been refuted by some or other of them; often was I
on the point of giving credit to one, when, as Homer says,
"To other thoughts,
My heart inclined." {165a}
The only way, therefore, to put an end to all my doubts, was, I
thought, to make a bird of myself, and fly up to heaven. This my
own eager desires represented as probable, and the fable-writer
AEsop {165b} confirmed it, who carries up, not only his eagles, but
his beetles, and camels thither. To make wings for myself was
impossible, but to fit those of a vulture and an eagle to my body,
might, I imagined, answer the same purpose. I resolved, therefore,
to try the experiment, and cut off the right wing of one, and the
left of the other; bound them on with thongs, and at the extremities
made loops for my hands; then, raising myself by degrees, just
skimmed above the ground, like the geese. When, finding my project
succeed, I made a bold push, got upon the Acropolis {166a} and from
thence slid down to the theatre. Having got so far without danger
or difficulty, I began to meditate greater things, and setting off
from Parnethes or Hymettus {166b} flew to Geranea, {166c} and from
thence to the top of the tower at Corinth; from thence over Pholoe
{166d} and Erymanthus quite to Taygetus. And now, resolving to
strike a bold stroke, as I was already become a high flyer, and
perfect in my art, I no longer confined myself to chicken flights,
but getting upon Olympus, and taking a little light provision with
me, I made the best of my way directly towards heaven. The extreme
height which I soared to brought on a giddiness at first, but this
soon went off; and when I got as far the Moon, having left a number
of clouds behind me, I found a weariness, particularly in my vulture
wing. I halted, therefore, to rest myself a little, and looking
down from thence upon the earth, like Homer's Jupiter, beheld the
places--
"Where the brave Mycians prove their martial force,
And hardy Thracians tame the savage horse;
Then India, Persia, and all-conquering Greece." {167}
which gave me wonderful pleasure and satisfaction.
FRIEND.
Let me have an exact account of all your travels, I beseech you,
omit not the least particular, but give me your observations upon
everything; I expect to hear a great deal about the form and figure
of the earth, and how it all appeared to you from such an eminence.
MENIPPUS.
And so you shall; ascend, therefore, in imagination with me to the
Moon, and consider the situation and appearance of the earth from
thence: suppose it to seem, as it did to me, much less than the
moon, insomuch, that when I first looked down, I could not find the
high mountains, and the great sea; and, if it had not been for the
Rhodian Colossus, {168} and the tower of Pharos, should not have
known where the earth stood. At length, however, by the reflection
of the sunbeams, the ocean appeared, and showed me the land, when,
keeping my eyes fixed upon it, I beheld clearly and distinctly
everything that was doing upon earth, not only whole nations and
cities, but all the inhabitants of them, whether waging war,
cultivating their fields, trying causes, or anything else; their
women, animals, everything, in short, was before me.
FRIEND.
Most improbable, all this, and contradictory; you told me but just
before, that the earth was so little by its great distance, that you
could scarce find it, and, if it had not been for the Colossus, it
would not have appeared at all; and now, on a sudden, like another
Lynceus, you can spy out men, trees, animals, nay, I suppose, even a
flea's nest, if you chose it.
MENIPPUS.
I thank you for putting me in mind of what I had forgot to mention.
When I beheld the earth, but could not distinguish the objects upon
it, on account of the immense distance, I was horribly vexed at it,
and ready to cry, when, on a sudden, Empedocles {169} the
philosopher stood behind me, all over ashes, as black as a coal, and
dreadfully scorched: when I saw him, I must own I was frightened,
and took him for some demon of the moon; but he came up to me, and
cried out, "Menippus, don't be afraid,