Source edition
Lucian, Vol. 4. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 (printing).
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a dialogue between Lycinus and Polystratus, who collaborate to construct a verbal "portrait" of a woman of incomparable beauty named Panthea. Initially, Lycinus recounts his encounter with this extraordinary woman and proposes to describe her physical perfection by combining the finest features from the masterpieces of ancient sculptors. To complement this, they incorporate the colors of great painters and the poetic expressions of Homer, creating an ideal visual portrait. The dialogue then shifts to her inner qualities, as Polystratus emphasizes that true beauty resides in the soul. They proceed to depict her intellect, voice, and moral virtues by drawing parallels with historical and legendary women such as Aspasia and Sappho. Ultimately, the two interlocutors agree to merge the portraits of body and soul into a single, enduring written monument.