and on the next day, while he was
transacting some business in the square, I took the
pestle, dressed it up in the same way, said the
syllables over it, and told it to carry water. When
it had filled and brought in the jar, I said, ‘Stop!
don’t carry any more water: be a pestle again!’ But
it would not obey me now: it kept straight on
carrying until it filled the house with water for us by
pouring it in! At my wit’s end over the thing, for
I feared that Pancrates might come back and be
angry, as was indeed the case, I took an axe and cut
the pestle in two; but each part took a jar and began
to carry water, with the result that instead of one
servant I had now two. Meanwhile Pancrates
appeared on the scene, and comprehending what
had happened, turned them into wood again, just as
they were before the spell, and then for his own
part left me to my own devices without warning,
taking himself off out of sight somewhere.” 
“Then you still know how to turn the pestle into
a man?” said Deinomachus. “Yes,’ said he:
“only half way, however, for I cannot bring it back
to its original form if it once becomes a water-


 

carrier, but we shall be obliged to let the house be
flooded with the water that is poured in!”
 
“Will you never stop telling such buncombe, old
men as you are?” said I. “If you will not, at
least for the sake of these lads put your amazing
and fearful tales off to some other time, so that they
may not be filled up with terrors and strange
figments before we realise it. You ought to be easy
with them and not accustom them to hear things
like this which will abide with them and annoy them
their lives long and will make them afraid of every
sound by filling them with all sorts of superstition.”
 
“Thank you,’ said Eucrates, “for putting me in
‘mind of superstition by mentioning it. What is
your opinion, Tychiades, about that sort of thing—
I mean oracles, prophecies, outcries of men under
divine possession, voices heard from inner shrines, or
verses uttered by a maiden who foretells the future?
Of course you doubt that sort of thing also? For
my own part, I say nothing of the fact that I have a
holy ring with an image of Apollo Pythius engraved
on the seal, and that this Apollo speaks to me:
you might think that I was bragging about myself
beyond belief. I should like, however, to tell you
all what I heard from Amphilochus in Mallus, A famous shrine in Cilicia. “After the death of his father Amphiaraus and his disappearance at Thebes, he (Amphilochus) was exiled from his own country and went to Cilicia, where he fared quite well, for he, like his father, foretold the future to the Cilicians and neceived two obols for each oracle.” — Alexander 19. when
the hero conversed with me in broad day and
advised me about my affairs, and what I myself saw,
and then in due order what I saw at Pergamon and .
what I heard at Patara.


 
 
“When I was on my way home from Egypt I
heard that this shrine in Mallus was very famous and
very trathful, and that it responded clearly, answering word for word whatever one wrote in his tablet
and turned over to the prophet. So I thought that it
would be well to give the oracle a trial in passing and
ask the god for some advice about the future—”

 
While Eucrates was still saying these words, since
I could see how the business would turn out and that
the cock-and-bull story about oracles upon which he
was embarking would not be short, I left him sailing
from Egypt to Mallus, not choosing to oppose everyone all alone: I was aware, too, that they were put
out at my being there to criticise their lies. “I am
going away,” I said, “to look up Leontichus, for I
want to speak to him about something. As for you,
since you do not think that human experiences afford
you a sufficient field, go ahead and call in the gods
themselves to help you out in your romancing.”
With that I went out. They were glad to have a
free hand, and continued, of course, to feast and to
gorge themselves with lies. 
There you have it, Philocles! After hearing all
that at the house of Eucrates I am going about like
a man who has drunk sweet must, with a swollen
belly, craving an emetic. I should be glad if I
could anywhere buy at a high price a dose of forgetfulness, so that the memory of what I heard may not
stay with me and work me some harm. In fact, I
think I see apparitions and spirits and Hecates!

 
 PHILOCLES 
Your story has had the same enjoyable effect upon
me, Tychiades. They say, you know, that not only
those who are bitten by mad dogs go mad and fear
water, but if a man who has been bitten bites anyone
else, his bite has the same effect as the dog’s, and the
other man has the same fears. It is likely, therefore,
that having been bitten yourself by a multitude of
lies in the house of Eucrates, you have passed the bite
on to me; you have filled my soul so full of spirits!
 TYCHIADES 
Well, never mind; my dear fellow; we have a
powerful antidote to such poisons in truth and in
sound reason brought to bear everywhere. As long
as we make use of this, none of these empty, foolish
lies will disturb our peace.