Source edition
Lucian, Vol. 3. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1921.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This satirical prose work exposes the miserable reality hidden behind the glamorous facade of intellectuals and philosophers who take up salaried posts in the households of the wealthy. The narrator, Lucian, addresses his friend Tymocles, who is tempted by such a life, and sharply criticizes the self-deception of those who willingly subject themselves to a gilded yoke under the pretext of escaping poverty. The work vividly details the process of their degradation, starting from the humiliating selection process and oral exams, to the embarrassment and mockery faced during the first formal banquet, and the grueling daily labor as mere ornaments for their Roman masters. Through highly specific and sometimes comical anecdotes, such as a philosopher forced to look after a wealthy mistress's pregnant dog during a journey, the text demonstrates how these individuals lose their freedom and dignity. Ultimately, the narrator depicts their tragic end—dismissed on absurd pretexts without a penny and left in poor health—and concludes with a powerful warning to Tymocles by comparing this submissive life to an allegorical painting full of hidden traps.