Λουκιανός - Άπαντα, Τόμος Δεύτερος by of Samosata Lucian

(12 User reviews)   3345
By Timothy Koch Posted on May 7, 2026
In Category - Great Books
Lucian, of Samosata, 120-180 Lucian, of Samosata, 120-180
Greek
Okay, let’s pretend you’re hanging out in ancient Greece, and somehow you get invited to a dinner party. But the host is a ghost. And the food is... weird. That’s basically what Lucian serves up in Volume Two of his complete works. I’m not gonna lie, this guy from way back in the 2nd century is like the original snarky satirist. He just *loves* making fun of religion, philosophers who talk too much but do nothing, and all those crazy myths that people took way too seriously. This tome collects thirty-five of his wildest dialogues and essays. One minute, Diogenes is lecturing a piece of fish. The next, stiffs over in Hades are suing each other over taxes owed. You'll also meet Zeus freaking out because philosophers are dragging his name through the mud. But get ready: the ancient Greeks didn't have trigger warnings. One sketch, *The Boy and the Prostitute*, still makes me wince. Still, 1800 years later, his humor feels dangerously close to today’s internet fights. If you think you know classical lit, you haven’t met Lucian. This isn’t dusty philosophy—it’s the dad joke of deadpan, wrapped in ancient Roman clothes.
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The Story

There’s actually no single story here—more like a bunch of fast, funny plays you can read in one sitting. Think of *Volume Two* as Lucian's greatest hits of smart-aleck rants. One especially wild bit is called ''The True History''. Except his ''true history'' is a total lie: this satirist convinces his audience he actually sailed to the moon, got dragged to hell by Hercules and even toured the inside of a giant, talking sperm whale. Another standalone piece is ''Sale of Creeds Ups Town'' (I’m paraphrasing the Greek subwoofers). Zeus is broke, so he sells positions like ''The Underworld Hermes Assistant'' to specters. I’m literally laughing on the train reading it—a lawyer hagglings over the soul of Euphrontians No-Cushion. You get crazy charlatans named Sacerdotus turned into tables & busts. Each piece offers not story continuity but Lucian dragging stupidity through every possible pothole.

Why You Should Read It

Maybe you think '2nd century lit = boring philosophy.' Nope. Here’s the wild part: when Lucian insults an oracle named Alexander, it reads just like modern call-out posts. Also, this guy shreds book best-setters like contemporary tweeters digging into media nit-picks. Plus, I missed real laughs

Final Verdict

Lucian swaps boring for startling. Where would sketches re. Gwynne/Doyle fake rage ring in today ssc of snark volume r maybe readers missing Ouegenese standing for two-minute plays for sci-fi to? Me surprised myself by dog-earing bits after 5 th refreshment. Get drunk—oops; sober-read these if you love high intellect spookies or you delight in watching ‘experts caught asleep naked’. Three planets recommend tight?”.



⚖️ No Rights Reserved

This title is part of the public domain archive. It is available for public use and education.

Jessica White
7 months ago

A sophisticated analysis that fills a gap in the literature.

George Hernandez
9 months ago

This was exactly the kind of deep dive I was searching for, the evidence-based approach makes it a very credible source of information. The price-to-value ratio here is simply unbeatable.

James Moore
1 month ago

This is now a staple reference in my professional collection.

Susan Miller
4 months ago

Having explored several resources on this, I find that the argument presented in the middle section is particularly compelling. It’s hard to find this much value in a single source these days.

Nancy White
3 months ago

It effectively synthesizes complex ideas into a coherent whole.

4.5
4.5 out of 5 (12 User reviews )

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