Οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ἦσαν οἱ ἀξιολογώτατοι τῶν παρόντων. τιμῶσι δὲ μάλιστα τὸν Ἀχιλλέα καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον Θησέα. περὶ δὲ συνουσίας καὶ ἀφροδισίων οὕτω φρονοῦσιν· μίσγονται μὲν ἀναφανδὸν πάντων ὁρώντων καὶ γυναιξὶ καὶ ἄρρεσι, καὶ οὐδαμῶς τοῦτο αὐτοῖς αἰσχρὸν δοκεῖ· μόνος δὲ Σωκράτης διώμνυτο ἦ μὴν καθαρῶς πλησιάζειν τοῖς νέοις· καὶ μέντοι πάντες αὐτοῦ ἐπιορκεῖν κατεγίνωσκον· πολλάκις γοῦν ὁ μὲν Ὑάκινθος ἢ ὁ Νάρκισσος ὠμολόγουν, ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἠρνεῖτο. αἱ δὲ γυναῖκές εἰσι πᾶσι κοιναὶ καὶ οὐδεὶς φθονεῖ τῷ πλησίον, ἀλλ᾽ εἰσὶ περὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα Πλατωνικώτατοι· καὶ οἱ παῖδες δὲ παρέχουσι τοῖς βουλομένοις οὐδὲν ἀντιλέγοντες.

    περὶ δὲ συνουσίας καὶ ἀφροδισίων: “with regard to sex”

    ἀναφανδὸν: adv., “openly”

    πάντων ὁρώντων: gen abs., “with everyone looking”

    διώμνυτο: impf. of δια-ὄμνυμι, “he swore”

    ἦ μὴν: prefacing a strong oath, “verily”

    πλησιάζειν: inf. ind. st. after διώμνυτο, “that he approached”

    καὶ μέντοι: “and of course”

    κατεγίνωσκον: impf. of κατα-γινώσκω, “recognized”

    πολλάκις γοῦν: “many times, in fact”

    ἠρνεῖτο: impf. of ἀρνέομαι: “he kept on denying”

    τῷ πλησίον: “his neighbor”

    Πλατωνικώτατοι: “very Platonic.” In the Republic, Plato recommended having wives in common.

    τοῖς βουλομένοις: “to whomever wishes”

    ἀξιόλογος, -ον: worthy of mention, noteworthy

    Ἀχιλλεύς: Achilles

    Θησεύς, ὁ: Theseus

    συνουσία, ἡ: a being with, intercourse

    ἀφροδίσιος: belonging to Aphrodite, sex

    ἀναφανδόν: visibly, openly

    ἄρσην, ὁ: male

    οὐδαμῶς: in no wise

    Σωκράτης, ὁ: Socrates

    διόμνυμι: swear solemnly, declare on oath that

    καθαρός: clear of dirt, clean, spotless, unsoiled

    πλησιάζω: bring near

    ἐπιορκέω: swear falsely, forswear oneself

    καταγινώσκω: remark, discover

    Ὑάκινθος, ὁ: Hyacinthus

    ἀρνέομαι: deny, disown

    φθονέω: bear ill-will or malice, be envious or jealous

    Πλατωνικός: of Plato

    ἀντιλέγω: speak against, contradict

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    Suggested Citation

    Eric Casey, Evan Hayes, and Stephen Nimis, Lucian True History. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2023. ISBN: .
    https://dcc.dickinson.edu/lucian-true/book-2/2-19