Freethought & Rationalism Archive

countjulian · 10-29-2006, 07:50 AM

Thanks much, Ben. Michael made a follow up post with more of the passages and the relevant Greek text.

http://laudatortemporisacti.blogspot...ter-again.html

Quote:

Lucian, A True Story 2.4 (tr. H.W. Fowler and F.G. Fowler):

After spending five days there we started again with a gentle breeze and a rippling sea. A few days later, when we had emerged from the milk into blue salt water, we saw numbers of men walking on the sea [ἐπὶ τοῦ πελάγους διαθέοντας]; they were like ourselves in shape and stature, with the one exception of the feet, which were of cork; whence, no doubt, their name of Corksoles [Φελλόποδες]. It struck us as curious that they did not sink in, but travelled quite comfortably clear of the water. Some of them came up and hailed us in Greek, saying that they were making their way to their native land of Cork. They ran alongside for some distance, and then turned off and went their own way, wishing us a pleasant voyage. A little further we saw several islands; close to us on the left was Cork, our friends' destination, consisting of a city founded on a vast round cork; at a greater distance, and a little to the right, were five others of considerable size and high out of the water, with great flames rising from them.

Lucian, The Lover of Lies 13 (tr. H.W. Fowler and F.G. Fowler):

'Ah, you will have your joke,' Cleodemus put in; 'I was an unbeliever myself once -- worse than you; in fact I considered it absolutely impossible to give credit to such things. I held out for a long time, but all my scruples were overcome the first time I saw the Flying Stranger; a Hyperborean, he was; I have his own word for it. There was no more to be said after that: there was he travelling through the air in broad daylight, walking on the water [ἐφ᾽ ὕδατος βαδίζοντα], or strolling through fire, perfectly at his ease!' 'What,' I exclaimed,' you saw this Hyperborean actually flying and walking on water [ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος βεβηκότα]?' 'I did; he wore brogues [καρβατίνας], as the Hyperboreans usually do.'

Solo · 10-29-2006, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WishboneDawn

Perseus and Hermes wore winged shoes...

Daedalus/Icarus wore wings. So...? Mythical levitation is known to all cultures around the world. It originates neurologically in vestibular para- or ab-normal states, which all humans experience in one form or another. Themes like hydropatesis, ascensions, flying carpets, seven-mile shoes, are readily transportable between cultures, and their borrowing signifies only that they seem apt common metaphors to describe an element in complex, dream-like mind states. Beam me up, Scotty !

Jiri

Chili · 10-29-2006, 09:20 AM

It seems to me that walking on water is easier than walking knee deep through stone which was a common practice then and still is today by the looks of it.

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10-29-2006, 09:20 AM	#13
Chili Banned Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Alberta Posts: 11,885	It seems to me that walking on water is easier than walking knee deep through stone which was a common practice then and still is today by the looks of it.

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