Furthermore, she enjoined it upon me to tell you
this. “I hear many say (whether it is true or not,
you men know Women did not attend the Olympic games. ) that even at the Olympic games
the victors are not allowed to set up statues greater
than life-size, but the Hellanodicae take care that
not one of them shall exceed the truth, and the
scrutiny of the statues is more strict than the examination of the athletes. So be on your guard for
fear we incur the imputation of falsifying in the
matter of height, and then the Hellanodicae overturn our statue.”
 
That is what she said; and now it is for you,
Lycinus, to see how you can refurbish the book




 

and do away with everything of that sort; do not
offend against Heaven! Really, she took it very
ill, shuddered as it was read, and besought the
goddesses to be merciful to her. It is excusable,
too, that she should feel as a woman naturally
would. Indeed, if the truth must out, I myself
had somewhat the same opinion. To be sure, when
I heard it first I did not see a single fault in what
you had written, but now that she has pointed them
out, I myself begin to think as she does about it.
My experience in this matter has been just about
like that of us all when we look at things. If we
see. them too close, under our very eyes, we can
distinguish nothing accurately, but if we stand off
and look at them from the right distance, all the
points come out clearly, those that are good and
also those that are not.
 
Truly, to liken a female human being to Aphrodite and to Hera, what else is it but outright
cheapening of the goddesses? In such matters the
less is not made greater by the comparison, but
rather the greater is lessened by being dragged
down to the lower level. If two people were walking together, one of whom was very tall and the
other quite humble in stature, and it should be
needful to equalize them so that the one would not
tower above the other, this could not be accomplished
by the shorter through stretching himself, however
much he were to raise himself on tiptoe. No, if
they are to look alike in size, the latter will stoop
and make himself appear shorter. Just so in such
comparisons; it is not so true that a man becomes

 

greater if he is likened to a god, as that the divine
is inevitably minimized by being forced down to
match what is defective. If it were for lack of
earthly objects of comparison that one let one’s
speech range to those in Heaven, one would be less
open to the charge of acting impiously therein.
But in your case, though you had so many examples
of fair women at command, you made bold to liken
her to Aphrodite and Hera without any need.
 
Do away, then, with all this that is excessive and
invidious, Lycinus—that sort of thing is not in
keeping with your character, for you have not as a
rule been ready and quick to praise. Now, however, you have somehow changed all at once and
are lavish with it; you who were so niggardly before
have become a spendthrift in compliments! Do not
be ashamed, either, to reshape the essay after it has
been put into circulation. Even Phidias, they say,
did that when he made the Zeus for the people of
Elis! The chryselephantine statue at Olympia. He stood behind the door when he first
unveiled and exhibited his work, and listened to
those who criticized or commended any part. One
would criticize the nose as too thick, another the
face as too long, and so it went. Then, when the
spectators had left, Phidias locked himself up once
more, and corrected and reshaped the statue to suit
the opinion of the majority; for he did not think
that the advice of so many folk was trivial, but that
always of necessity the many could see better than
the one, even if that one were Phidias. The story, which is patently apocryphal, occurs nowhere else. Lucian may have heard it from a guide at Olympia. For a similar story regarding Apelles, see Pliny, Nat. Hist. 35, 84-85. 



 

That is what she told me to tell you, and what I
myself recommend as your friend and well-wisher.
 LYCINUS 
Polystratus, what an orator you have been all
along without my knowing it! You have delivered
such a long speech and such a weighty indictment
of my essay that you have not left me even a hope
of defence now. But see here! you have not dealt
fairly, the two of you, and especially you, in that
you have condemned the book without a hearing,
since its counsel was not in court. It is easy, I
take it, to win if you run alone, as the saying goes.
So it is no wonder that I was defeated when no
water was measured out for me and no chance to
defend myself offered. Indeed—and this is the
most extraordinary part of it all—you were judges
as well as plaintiffs!
Well, what is your wish? Shall I rest content
with the decision and hold my peace? Or, like the
poet of Himera, Stesichorus, who after having maligned Helen, recanted in a palinode (the first), saying that Helen never went to Troy: it was but a wraith! Fable said that he recanted because Helen had struck him blind, and that afterwards he recovered his eyesight. shall I compose a palinode? Or
will you give me an opportunity to plead my case on
appeal?
 POLYSTRATUS 
Yes, indeed, if you have any just plea to offer;
for it is not among opponents in court, as you say,
but among friends that you will make your defence.
For my part, I am even ready to associate myself
with you as joint defendant in the case.