Toxaris vel amicitia

Lucian of Samosata

Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translators. New York; Harper Brothers, 1892.

Toxaris I wish you were not on oath, Mnesippos, so that I might be at liberty to disbelieve your story. By your account this Agathokles is a true Scythian in friendship. I hope you are not going to tell of any one else like him.

Mnesippos Then hear about another, Euthydikos of Chalkis. Simylos, the ship-master of Megara, told me the story, swearing that he had seen the thing with his own eyes. He said he was sailing from Italy to Athens early in the autumn, carrying passengers from various places, and among these were Euthydikos and Damon his friend, a Chalkidian like himself. They were of the same age, but Euthydikos was strong and robust, while Damon was pale and feeble and seemed to be just recovering from a long illness. Now, as far as Sicily, Simylos said, the voyage was prosperous, but when they had passed through the strait and come out into the Ionian Sea a great storm fell upon them. It would be useless to give the details-whelming waves and waterspouts and hail-storms and all the horrors of a gale. But when they were just off Zakynthos,

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scudding under bare poles, with cordage dangling overboard to break the force of the sea, Damon grew sea-sick in such a pitching and tossing, and leaned over the side of the ship to vomit. Just then, I suppose, the ship heeled over more violently to that side and the wave receded at the same time. At all events, he fell head foremost into the sea with all his clothes on, poor wretch! which made swimming all the harder. He straightway gave a choking shriek, hardly keeping himself on top of the wave.

When Euthydikos, who happened to have his clothes off in bed, heard it, he threw himself into the sea, got hold of Damon, who had already given upall this could be seen from a distance in the bright moonlight—and swam along with him, helping to keep him above water. Those on the ship were eager to help them and full of pity for their fate, but they could no nothing, running before such a gale. One thing only was possible, and that they did; they threw overboard for them a great number of corks and some puntingpoles, so that they might swim on one of these if they chanced on it; and finally they threw over the companion - ladder bodily, which was a large one. Consider, now, in Heaven's name, what stronger proof of affection a man could give to his friend who had fallen by night into such a wild

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sea than to share his death! Pray, call before your eyes the towering waves, the noise of the broken water, the boiling foam, the night, the despair; then that drowning man, hardly keeping his head above water, stretching out his hands to his comrade, and the comrade leaping to him instantly and swimming with him, fearful lest Damon should perish before him. This is the way to see that in Euthydikos, too, I have described for you no unworthy friend.

Toxaris Were they lost, Mnesippos, or were they saved by some miracle? I am greatly alarmed about them.

Mnesippos Be comforted. They were saved, and they are in Athens at this moment, pursuing philosophy. Simylos could only tell me what he saw that night, that the one fell overboard and the other leaped after him, and that they were swimming together as far as they could be seen in the night. But the sequel I learned from Euthydikos's friends. In the first place, they came upon some of the corks and supported themselves on these, swimming with difficulty; and later, towards daybreak, they saw the companion and swam to it, and, mounted on this, they swam easily the rest of the way to Zakynthos.