De saltatione

In general, the dancer should be perfect in every point, so as to be wholly rhythmical, graceful, symmetrical, consistent, unexceptionable, impeccable, not wanting in any way, blent of the highest qualities, keen in his ideas, profound in his culture, and above all, human in his sentiments. In fact, the praise that he gets from the spectators will be consummate when each of those who behold him recognises his own traits, or rather sees in the dancer as in a mirror his very self, with his customary feelings and actions. Then people cannot contain themselves for pleasure, and with one accord they burst into applause, each seeing the reflection of his own soul and recognising himself. Really, that Delphic monition “Know thyself” realises itself in them from the spectacle, and when they go away from the theatre they have learned what they should choose and what avoid, and have been taught what they did not know before.

As in literature, so too in dancing what is generally called “bad taste” comes in when they exceed the due limit of mimicry and put forth greater effort than they should; if something large requires to be shown, they represent it as enormous; if something dainty, they make it extravagantly effeminate, and they carry masculinity to the point of savagery and bestiality.

Something of that sort, I remember, I once saw done by a dancer who until then had been in high esteem, as he was intelligent in every way and truly worth admiring; but by some ill-luck, I know not what, he wrecked his fortunes upon an ugly bit of acting through exaggerated mimicry.[*](Compare with this story that told of Pylades by Macrobius (Sat., II, 7, 16): cum in Hercule furente prodisset et non nullis incessum histrioni convenientem non servare videretur, deposita persona ridentes increpuit μωροί, μαινόμενον ὀρχοῦμαι. hac fabula et sagittas iecit in populum. )_ In presenting Ajax going mad immediately after his defeat, he so overleaped himself that it might well have been thought that instead of feigning madness he was himself insane; for he tore the clothes of one of the men that beat time with the iron shoe,[*](A shoe with heavy sole, originally of wood, but by Lucian’s time of iron (cf. Libanius, pro saltatoribus, 97), called in Greek κρούπεζα, in Latin scrupeda or scabellum, was worn by the flute-player or (as here) by a person specially assigned, the scabellarius, to mark the time for the dancer and the singers. An illustration of a flute-player wearing the scabellum, from a mosaic in the Vatican, will be found in Daremberg et Saglio, Dict. des Ant., s.v. scabellum (Fig. 6142). ) and snatching a flute from one of the accompanists, with a vigorous blow he cracked the crown of Odysseus, who was standing near and exulting in his victory; indeed, if his watch-cap had not offered resistance and borne the brunt of the blow, poor Odysseus would have lost his life through falling in the way of a crazy dancer. The pit, however, all went mad with Ajax, leaping and shouting and flinging up their garments ;

The thing caused some to marvel, some to laugh, and some to suspect that perhaps in consequence of his overdone mimicry he had fallen into the real ailment.

Moreover, the man himself, they say, once he had returned to his sober senses, was so sorry for what he had done that he really became ill through distress and in all truth was given up for mad. Indeed, he himself showed his repentance clearly, for when his supporters asked him to dance Ajax for them once more, begging to be excused, he said to the audience, “For an actor, it is enough to have gone mad once!”[*](The point is that only a philosopher like Chrysippus may go mad more than once. Lucian delights in alluding to the story that Chrysippus took the hellebore treatment three times (True Story, 11, 18; Philosophies for Sale, 23). ) What irked him most was that his antagonist and rival, when cast for Ajax in the same role, enacted his madness so discreetly

These, my friend, are but a few out of manifold achievements and activities of the dance, and I have given you a glimpse of them in order that you may not be highly displeased with me for viewing them with ardent eyes. If you should care to join me in looking on, I know very well that you will be wholly enthralled and will even catch the dancer-craze. So I shall not need to say to you what Circe said:

1. Wonder holds me to see that you drained this draught unenchanted.

1. Whomsoever he wishes, and others he wakes that are sleeping.

CRATO Upon my word, Lycinus, I have come to the point of believing you and am all agog, ear and eye alike. Do remember, my friend, when you go to the theatre, to reserve me a seat at your side, in order that you may not be the only one to come back to us wiser!