Icaromenippus

MENIPPUS Ir was three thousand furlongs, then, from the earth to the moon, my first stage; and from there up to the sun perhaps five hundred leagues; and from the sun to Heaven itself and the citadel of Zeus would be also a day’s ascent for an eagle travelling light.

FRIEND In the name of the Liberal Arts, Menippus, why are you playing astronomer and surveyor on the quiet like that? For a long time I have been following you about and listening to your outlandish talk about suns and moons and even those outworn topics, stages and leagues.

MENIPPUS Don’t be surprised, my friend, if my talk seems to you to be.up in the air and flighty; I am just figuring up the total length of my recent journey.

FRIEND So you did like the Phoenicians, old chap, and guessed your way by the stars ¢

MENIPPUS No indeed, I made my journey right among the stars,

FRIEND Great Heracles! That's a long dream you are talking of, if you actually lost yourself and slept for leagues and leagues !

MENIPPUS Dream, man! Do you think I’m telling you a dream? [am just back from a visit to Zeus.

FRIEND What’s that you say? Menippus here from Heaven, dropt from the clouds ?

MENIPPUS Here I an, I tell you, just come back to-day from the very presence of your great Zeus himself, and I have seen and heard wonderful things. If you don’t believe me, I am overjoyed precisely because my good luck is beyond belief,

FRIEND Why, my divine Menippus, my Olympian Menippus, how can a mortal groundling like myself disbelieve a sky-man—in fact, to use the words of Homer, a son of Heaven?[*](Iliad 5, 373 ; 898.) But tell ine, please, how you were carried aloft, and where you got so long a ladder ; for as far as looks go you are too little like the lad of Phrygia for us to suppose that, like hii, you were snatched up by the eagle to become a cupbearer.[*](The reference is to the story of Ganymede.)

MENIPPUS You have clearly been making fun of me this long time, and it is no wonder you think that my strange story is like a fairy-tale. However, I had no need of your ladder; for my ascent, nor yet to become the eagle’s pet, for I had wings of my own.

FRIEND You have improved on Daedalus, by what you say, if over and above all else, you have turned from a man to a hawk or a crow without our knowing it.

MENIPPUS Your guess is well-aimed, my friend, and hits the bull’s-eye ; for I myself constructed wings, patterned after Daedalus’ clever invention.