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 work is a comical dialogue featuring four friends—Lycinus, Timolaus, Samippus, and Adeimantus—as they walk back to Athens after visiting a giant Egyptian grain ship at the port of Piraeus. When they discover that Adeimantus has fallen behind because he was lost in a daydream about owning the colossal ship, they decide to pass the time by playing a game where each person takes turns sharing their greatest wish from the gods. Adeimantus wishes for boundless wealth and a life of ultimate luxury; Samippus fantasizes about leading a vast army to conquer Persia and becoming a powerful king; and Timolaus desires immortality and rings that bestow supernatural powers. Throughout the journey, the realistic Lycinus continuously refutes their extravagant fantasies, pointing out the inherent anxieties of wealth and power, as well as the inescapable human limitations of disease and death. As they finally reach Athens, their fleeting delusions vanish, and Lycinus laughs off his friends' folly, warning them of the emptiness that remains after waking from such empty daydreams.