Chattering Courtesans and Other Sardonic Sketches (Penguin Classics) Book

Lucian exulted in the exposure of absurdity, and was capable of finding a comic angle on almost any subject. This book shows him conversing with his literary enemies, railing against hypocrisy and the vanity of human wealth and power, and taking a wr

A Greek-educated Syrian, Lucian wrote witty pieces that demonstrate a profound skepticism for religion and philosophy and encourage honest living and good sense. "Chattering Courtesans" is a series of short dialogues in which the amusing gossip of "kept women" gives rise to a discussion of more serious subjects such as love, sex, and marriage. Other comic dialogues in this volume show Lucian making fun of fanaticism and mocking pretension, hypocrisy, and the vanity of human wealth and power, while in "Diatribes" he targets a range of subjects, from scandal and money to death, in order to demonstrate the follies of contemporary life. Also included here is Lucian?s most famous work, True Histories, which inspired imaginary voyages, from More?s Utopia to Swift?s Gulliver?s Travels.