Social Commentaries
Book XI, 410
Translated by W. R. Paton (1916–18) · From The Greek Anthology (Loeb, vol. IV, 1918)
We saw at supper the great wisdom of the Cynic, that bearded beggar with the staff. To begin with he abstained from pulse and radishes, saying that virtue should not be the belly’s slave. But when he saw before his eyes a snow-white sow’s womb with sharp sauce, a dish that soon stole away his prudent mind, he asked for some unexpectedly, and really started eating, saying that a sow’s womb does no harm to virtue.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Lucian. “Book XI, 410.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/lucian/24/.
Chicago
Lucian. “Book XI, 410.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/lucian/24/.
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