''The Lover of Lies'', also known as ''The Doubter'' or ''Philopseudes'' ( el, Φιλοψευδὴς ἢ Ἀπιστῶν), is a

frame story A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (co ...

written by the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

satirist

Lucian of Samosata Lucian of Samosata, '; la, Lucianus Samosatensis ( 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer who is best known for his characteristic tongue-in-cheek style, with which he frequently ridiculed superstiti ...

. It is written in the Attic dialect of

ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...

. It is primarily a work of

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming o ...

making fun of people who believe in the

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

. The book contains the earliest known version of the story of "

The Sorcerer's Apprentice "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (german: "Der Zauberlehrling", link=no, italic=no) is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written in 1797. The poem is a ballad in 14 stanzas. Story The poem begins as an old sorcerer departs his workshop, leaving ...

".George Luck "Witches and Sorcerers in Classical Literature", p. 141, ''Witchcraft and Magic in Europe: Ancient Greece And Rome'' edited by Bengt Ankarloo and Stuart Clark

Summary

The dialogue begins with a young man named Tychiades asking his friend Philokles why most people are so fond of lies. After a brief discussion, Tychiades goes on to narrate an occasion when he went to visit an elderly friend named Eukrates hoping to meet his other friend Leontichos. At Eukrates's house, he encounters a large group of guests who have recently gathered together due to Eukrates suddenly falling ill. When Tychiades remarks that the

folk remedies Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

the other guests are suggesting to help Eukrates get better will not work, they all laugh at him. They then try to persuade him to believe in various superstitions by telling him stories, which grow increasingly ridiculous as the conversation goes on.

References

External links

''The Lover of Lies''
English translation by H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler
''A Concise History of Ghosts and Famous Accounts in Literature''
Lucian of Samosata is referenced in this article on ghost stories and famous accounts in literature 2nd-century novels Ancient Greek novels Frame stories Satirical works Works by Lucian {{philos-novel-stub

Summary

See also

References

External links