Source edition
Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This satirical dialogue centers on Timon, an Athenian man who once generously distributed his wealth but was instantly abandoned by everyone upon his ruin, leading him to become a misanthrope. Living in exile and despair in a barren land, Timon’s furious complaints to Zeus about human ingratitude prompt the king of gods to intervene. Zeus orders Hermes and Plutus, the god of wealth, to restore Timon's fortune, and despite his initial vehement refusal, Timon is eventually persuaded to accept and unearths an immense hoard of gold. Now exceptionally rich again, he vows to live in complete isolation, establishing a personal law to shun all human contact. However, hearing of his sudden recovery, a crowd of parasitic former friends and hypocritical philosophers rushes to flatter him once more. The story concludes with Timon relentlessly exposing their greed, physically driving them away with his shovel and stones to defend his self-imposed solitude.