Source edition
Lucian, Vol. 1. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1913.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a short oration praising a magnificent public bath designed and built by Hippias, a versatile scholar and architect of the author's time. The author begins by citing historical sages and mechanical engineers who excelled in both theory and practice, positioning Hippias's outstanding talents as their modern equivalent. He then provides a detailed description of the bath built on a steep terrain, outlining the functional layout and luxurious decoration of various rooms, including the changing room and cold and hot baths. He highly praises the sophisticated design of light and heat, as well as ingenious devices such as time-indicators. Finally, the work concludes with the assertion that praising such a wonderful masterpiece and its creator is a natural duty of those who practice eloquence.