Source edition
Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936 (printing).
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a satirical dialogue that ridicules the ridiculousness of pedantic writers obsessed with extreme Atticism. The story begins when the narrator, Lycinus, meets the pedantic Lexiphanes, who proudly recites his own work filled with obscure archaic words and bizarre expressions describing a banquet. Unable to tolerate Lexiphanes's excessive and unnatural vocabulary, Lycinus summons the physician Sopolis to cure his linguistic disease. After drinking an emetic prescribed by the physician, Lexiphanes literally vomits up a torrent of bizarre vocabulary and archaic phrases, thereby purifying his speech. In the end, Lycinus advises him to abandon superficial pedantry, relearn the authentic style of classical authors, and value simplicity and elegance. Through humorous critique, the dialogue highlights the absurdity of pseudo-intellectualism and explores the true beauty of language.