Echoes of Wuruyaaria

[jamesenge]

Still reading Lucian, and came across a great new-to-me Greek verb: ὠρύομαι (oh-ROO-o-mai). It means (and sounds like) “to howl” (as a wolf or dog).

It comes up in conversation between Hermes, who is conducting a party of ghosts to the underworld, and Menippus, the recently dead Cynic (“Doglike”) philosopher. Hermes has been describing how the world above is mourning or celebrating the deaths of Menippus’ fellow travellers, and he goes on to (sort of) put Menippus in his place.

ΕΡΜΗΣ: σὲ δὲ, ὦ Μένιππε, οὐδείς δακρύει, καθ’ ἡσυχίαν δὲ κεῖσαι μόνος.

ΜΕΝΙΠΠΟΣ: Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλ’ ἀκούσῃ τῶν κυνῶν μετ’ ὀλίγον ὠρυομένων οἴκτιστον ἐπ’ ἐμοὶ καὶ τῶν κοράκων τυπτομένων τοῖς πτεροῖς, ὁπόταν συνελθόντες θάπτωσί με.

—Lucian, Dialogues of the Dead 10.12f

HERMES: But no one weeps for you, Menippus. You alone lay down in silence.

MENIPPUS: Not so! In a little bit you’ll hear dogs howling most piteously over me, and ravens beating their wings when they come together to bury me.

Barrias’ “Death of the Pilgrim”

Mirrored from Ambrose & Elsewhere.