«A Traveler’s True Tale», by Lucian and Alfred J. Church

The following is the book A Traveller’s True Tale published (1879) by Alfred John Church (1829-1912). More information.

1. Lucian Starts on a Journey and Is Carried a Long Way
2. The Battle and the Treaty
3. Of the Moon Folk and Their Manners and Customs
4. Lucian Comes to Lantern City
5. Lucian and His Men Are Swallowed Up
6. Lucian Defeats His Neighbors
7. The Battle of the Islands
8. Lucian Escapes From the Beast and Comes to the Sea of Milk and Cheese Island
9. The Travellers Meet the Cork-Foot Folk and Come to the Island of the Blessed
10. The Island of the Blessed
11. The Inhabitants of the Island of the Blessed
12. Lucian Talks With Homer; Games Are Celebrated in the Island
13. The Island Is Invaded; The Flight of the Fair Helen
14. Lucian Bids Farewell to King Rhadamanthus and Departs; He Visits the Abode of the Wicked
15. The Island of Dreams; Lucian Visits Calypso
16. Lucian Sees the Pumpkin Pirates and Other Strange Creatures and Things
17. The Ocean Forest; The Ox-Headed People and Other Marvels

Preface

I have here rendered into English, allowing myself some liberty of change, the Vera Historia of Lucian. I hoped that readers, old and young, might find entertainment in its fanciful and humorous extravagances. Some, too, I thought, might be interested in seeing the original from which more than one famous writer in later times have borrowed.

I gladly express my obligations to Mr. C. S. Jerram, in whose excellent edition (the Clarendon Press, 1879) I made my first acquaintance with the Vera Historia, from whose annotations I have received much help, and some of whose ingenious equivalents for Lucian’s strange coinage of words I have borrowed.

A[lfred John] C[hurch]

Retford,
Nov. 8, 1879.

Source of the text, etc.

The scanned book is available on Google Books. I at LatinFromScratch.com have proofread, edited, etc., the OCR version. Minor changes have been made, but, in general, every spelling, word, sentence, paragraph, etc., is as in the original (however, most changes are about having more paragraphs for a more effortless reading experience, and occasionally some old-fashioned spellings such as to-morrow → tomorrow).

This is a translation published (1879) by Alfred John Church (1829-1912). The original Greek text is by Lucian of Samosata (c. 125-180). Please refer to Church’s preface for some more information.

Buy a copy!

Now, you can also buy it for Kindle or in paperback!

Soon!