Lukian von Samosata

The orator and satirist Lucian of Samosata (c. 120 – after 180 AD) left behind a varied body of work (speeches, essays, dialogues, of which some resemble short prose plays, stories), which gives a vivid picture of many facets of Antiquity (mythology and gods; phenomena of contemporary education and religion and their sometimes dubious representatives; ethical and social issues) and which has been widely received since his lifetime. The book aims to present the thematic and literary aspects of this work and to show why Lucian is still worth reading today and can be considered virtually an "ambassador of Antiquity".