Source edition
Lucian, Vol. 6. Kilburn, Kenneth, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959 (unrenewed copyright).
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This rhetorical work is an apology in which the author defends his decision to accept a court appointment despite having previously written a treatise, "On Salaried Posts in Great Houses," which sharply criticized intellectuals who sell their services to wealthy patrons. At the beginning, the author adopts the persona of his friend Sabinus, imagining a stinging critique of his own hypocrisy through various parables, historical anecdotes, and theatrical metaphors. In response, the author rejects superficial excuses such as fate or poverty to justify his apparent inconsistency. Instead, he draws a sharp distinction between the servility of a private dependent and the noble service of a public official working under the emperor for the common good. Concluding his defense, he reveals the details of his important administrative post in Egypt, arguing that all who serve society, including the emperor, receive compensation, thereby proudly asserting his integrity against his friend's prejudice.