INTRODUCTION

It is not to be understood that all statements made here are either ascertained facts or universally admitted conjectures. The introduction is intended merely to put those who are not scholars, and probably do not have books of reference at hand, in a position to approach the translation at as little disadvantage as possible. Accordingly, we provide the account that seems most plausible to us, without discussion or reference to authorities. Those who would like a more complete idea of Lucian should read Croiset's Essai sur la vie et les œuvres de Lucien (Essay on the Life and Works of Lucian), on which the first two sections of this introduction are very largely based. The only objections to the book (if they are even objections) are that it is in French and consists of 400 octavo pages. It is, however, eminently readable.

1. LIFE

With the exception of a very small number of statements whose truth is by no means certain, all that we know of Lucian is derived from his own writings. Any reader who prefers to have his facts firsthand rather than secondhand can consequently obtain them by reading certain of his pieces and making the natural deductions from them. Those that contain biographical matter are, in the order corresponding to