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 by Lucian is a satirical dialogue that sharply exposes the hypocrisy and ridiculous nature of philosophers. The story begins when Philon, having heard rumors of a bloody brawl at a wedding feast held the previous day at Aristaenetus' house, asks Lycinus, who was present, for details. Lycinus narrates how philosophers from various schools, including Stoics, Epicureans, and Platonists, gathered at the banquet, only to immediately clash over seating order and engage in vulgar behavior. The situation escalates through the intrusion of a Cynic, a resentful letter from an uninvited philosopher, and greedy squabbles over the distribution of food, eventually turning verbal disputes into physical violence. In the end, amidst darkness, the hypocritical and disgraceful actions of these self-proclaimed intellectuals are fully exposed, ending the feast in a chaotic brawl reminiscent of the mythical battle of the Lapiths. Readers are left with a comical yet bitter observation of how easily those who preach high morals can lose their reason to greed and vanity.