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XIV. Philip, King of Macedon, ridicules his son Alexan-

der's absurd arrogance in claiming to be the son of

Ammon, and calls in question the greatness of his

military achievements. Alexander defends him-

self.

XV. Antilochus, the son of Nestor (one of the Greek heroes

who fell during the siege of Ilium), remonstrates

with his friend Achilleus for having given utterance

to the words put into his mouth by the poet of the

Odyssey-that he would rather be a slave on earth

than king in Hades-shows him the uselessness of

regrets in the under-world, and, at the same time,

attempts to console him with the reflection that he

is far from being alone in his fate. Achilleus

takes the admonition of his friend in good part,

but refuses to be comforted

XVI. Diogenes, the Cynic, expresses his astonishment to

Herakles at seeing the son of Zeus in Hades, like

the rest. That hero pretends that his actual self

is in heaven, while it is his eidolon, or phantom,

which is among the dead

XVII. Menippus derides the fable and fate of Tantalus

XVIII. Menippus desires Hermes to point out to him the

beautiful women and handsome men celebrated by

the poets. Hermes shows him the ghosts of the

most famous of them, and, in particular, that of

Helene. Menippus cynically expresses his aston-

ishment that a bare skull should have caused a

great war, and the deaths of so many thousands

XIX. Protesilaus, one of the victims of the Trojan War,

seeks to avenge himself by an assault on Helene-

Eakus, gatekeeper and one of the high court of

justice in Hades, reminds him that it is Menelaus,

the commander-in-chief of the Achæan army against

Ilium, who is the proper object of his vengeance.

Menelaus shifts the responsibility to the shoulders

of Paris. Paris lays the blame upon Eros. Æakus

decides that Protesilaus has only himself to blame

for preferring military glory to a young and beau-

tiful wife; but concedes to Protesilaus that the

blame, in the last resort, lies with the Fates

XX. Eakus, at the especial request of Menippus, intro-

duces him to the ghosts of the most celebrated

potentates of antiquity, when the Cynic avails

himself of his opportunity for ridicule and derision.

Menippus is next introduced to the most famous

philosophers, whom he treats with not much

greater consideration. The dialogue concludes with

an interview with Socrates, whose foibles, real or

pretended, are made the subject of satire

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