Menippus: a truly living ghost in Lucian’s Necromancy

Abstract

The cynic philosopher Menippus is a standard character in Lucian’s works. In Menippus or Necromancy, Lucian tells the story of the philosopher’s katabasis which he undertakes to consult the seer Tiresias about true wisdom and the best way to lead one’s life. Menippus has been unable to solve the question of the meaning of human life from the precepts of the different philosophical schools and the conduct of the philosophers themselves, who are often the butt of Lucian’s criticism. Menippus narrates this voyage after his return to Earth. The philosopher has not died but has become a ghostly apparition to men still alive. The message that he brings with him from the world of the dead is none other than an exaltation of common sense and the value of humour as a universal pattern of behaviour for an authentic life. The aim of this chapter is to analyse some of the formal resources and themes that Lucian uses to achieve his goal through parody and, at the same time, to highlight his ability to create surprising narrative frameworks in which the contents of his writings always acquire a new perspective.