More than two millennia ago, a tale of epic space battles, distant planets, and bizarre aliens captivated an ancient Greek audience. This narrative, far removed from modern science fiction blockbusters, hails from the 2nd century AD. It marks the earliest known science fiction book. This remarkable work, *A True Story*, was penned by the brilliant satirist, Lucian of Samosata. The video above introduces you to this incredible proto-sci-fi masterpiece.
Lucian created a universe of wonder and absurdity. His story pre-dates Jules Verne and H.G. Wells by many centuries. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the origins of imaginative literature. This post delves deeper into Lucian’s genius. We will explore his influence and the lasting legacy of his ancient space opera.
Lucian of Samosata: The Ancient World’s Premier Satirist
Lucian of Samosata was a highly popular writer. He lived in the 2nd century Roman Empire. His main purpose was to entertain and provoke. He often used exaggerated humor in his works.
Lucian delighted audiences with over-the-top stories. He used satire to ridicule many aspects of his time. Superstitions, religions, and even political figures were fair game. His unique voice resonated widely then.
More than 80 of his stories survive today. This attests to his enduring popularity. Lucian’s primary readership was the educated upper class of Greece. They appreciated his witty, referential humor. Modern readers might find some of his works confusing. This is due to the passage of almost 2,000 years. His specific cultural targets are often lost on us.
Lucian’s Literary Targets: Travelogues and Debates
The Roman Empire featured two incredibly popular literary genres. These were the travelogue and the debate. Lucian held a deep disdain for both of them.
Travelogues were a mix of guidebooks and journals. Men journeyed to distant lands. They published their findings upon returning home. These reports often became sensationalist. Writers embellished their discoveries greatly. They published outright lies as facts. This helped them stay relevant.
Debates involved written arguments. Highly respected public figures participated. They bickered over philosophical or political ideas. Lucian found these debates long-winded. He felt they were too highbrow. Often, they focused on trivial or unknowable matters.
Lucian saw an opportunity here. He decided to parody these popular forms. He created a satire that combined both genres. His main character travels to outer space. He meets fantastic, sermonizing deities. This was his brilliant twist.
“Truthfully, I Lie”: The Genius of *A True Story*
Lucian’s masterpiece, *A True Story*, begins uniquely. He openly declares the entire book as fiction. This would have shocked his ancient readership. Travelogues always claimed to be factual. Lucian boldly admitted his lies upfront.
He criticized his contemporaries sharply. These writers fabricated larger-than-life stories. They sold these to a “stupid readership.” Lucian refused to name them directly. He assured readers his targets would become clear.
He laughably admitted his own lack of noteworthy experiences. He confessed he couldn’t “beat them.” Therefore, he decided to “join them.” He would lie to sell books. Yet, he would be nobler than competitors. His open admission was his virtue.
“I confidently pronounce that truthfully, I lie,” he wrote. “I write of matters which I neither saw nor suffered, nor heard by reports from people that I made up… Let no man, therefore, in any case believe these words.” This meta-fictional approach was revolutionary. It laid bare the artifice of storytelling. This preface alone makes *A True Story* a landmark.
The Start of an Unbelievable Voyage
The story begins with Lucian’s made-up journey. He gathers a crew of 50 men. They embark on a large wooden ship. Their departure point is the Pillars of Hercules. Today, we know this as the Strait of Gibraltar. They sought to explore the world’s end.
A fair wind propels them. They head for the Western Ocean. Provisions for a long journey fill the ship. An expert pilot guides their way. After a day and a night, a huge tempest strikes. The storm rages for 79 days. On day 80, it finally clears.
They spot a nearby island. A party of 20 men ventures out. They find a bronze slab. This indicated Hercules and Dionysus had visited. Massive footprints offered further proof. Then, a river of wine appears. Fish from this river intoxicate them.
They follow the river upstream. Large grapevines emerge. These trees are shaped like women. They speak Greek and invite kisses. Two lust-sick voyagers embrace the trees. They are ensnared and transformed. Lucian’s party wisely retreats. They quickly leave the island.
Imagine if modern travel bloggers admitted their exaggerations so brazenly! Lucian’s honesty within his fiction served as biting commentary. He exposed the sensationalism of his era. He highlighted the gullibility of consumers. This remains relevant even today.
An Epic Space Battle and Lunar Encounters
By noon, the island disappears. A great whirlwind catches the ship. The entire vessel is pulled skyward. It is thrust into outer space. The crew raises sails, catching “wind.” They then sail through space for seven days. On day eight, they arrive at the moon.
The moon is full of cities. Lucian’s ship is stopped by Hippogryphs. These are vulture-dragons. Men ride on the backs of massive birds. They act as a lunar police force. They arrest Lucian’s party. They are brought before King Endymion.
King Endymion is a human. Luckily, he speaks Greek. He welcomes his guests warmly. He promises them care during their stay. The moon kingdom is at war. They fight the Sun Kingdom fiercely.
King Endymion had planned to colonize Venus. The rival King Phaethon intervened. He sent his own ant-dragons first. Now, the two kingdoms fight for Venus. Endymion asks Lucian and his men for help. With nothing better to do, they agree. They receive armor and giant vultures for flight.
The Galactic Armies Assemble
The next day, a massive battle commences. One hundred thousand moon soldiers join the fight. Almost a million galactic allies bolster their forces. They face the Sun army in an epic space battle. The infantry is truly unique:
- Grass-plumes: Large birds covered in grass, with lettuce wings.
- Vulture-dragons: Mounted by the moon police force.
- Archers: Riding atop elephant-sized fleas.
King Endymion commissions island-sized spiders. They weave a massive web in space. This forms a makeshift battlefield. One spider is named Owlett, son of Fairweather. This specific detail highlights Lucian’s satirical style. It likely mocked a common literary trope of the time. Perhaps it referenced a popular figure or hated author.
King Phaethon’s Sun army is equally bizarre. Their ranks include:
- Dragons: Riding atop 200-foot-long ants.
- Massive mosquitoes: Another aerial unit.
- Men: Flinging poison radishes.
- Men: Wielding asparagus spears and mushroom shields.
- Puppy-corns: Representatives of the dog star, on winged acorns.
Lucian details the Sun army’s poor management. Slingers from the Milky Way failed to show up. Cloud-centaurs arrived only after the battle ended. Phaethon, enraged, sent a firestorm to the slingers’ homeworld. This random detail satirized travelogues. They often added specific, irrelevant facts. This made their fabricated stories seem more legitimate.
The Moon Kingdom achieves a glorious victory. Many enemy soldiers are captured alive. Many others are slain in battle. So much blood flows. The clouds turn red. It looked like a setting sun.
Peace and Lunar Life
Lucian and two companions are later captured. Enemy cloud-centaurs take them prisoner. They are transported to the sun. There, they meet Phaethon face-to-face. Phaethon plans to build a cloud wall. This would separate the sun from the moon. King Endymion takes pity on his kingdom. He sends a peace offering. After two days of deliberation, a treaty is made.
The Sunites agree to tear down the wall. They release their prisoners of war. The Moonites agree to leave the stars unconquered. Both kingdoms pledge mutual aid. Each year, Endymion pays tribute. This is 10,000 gallons of dew. Both share a joint colony on Venus. The absurdity of these terms underscores Lucian’s humor. Imagine treaties negotiated like this today!
Lucian and his friends return to the moon. They receive a hero’s welcome. Endymion wants them to stay. He offers his son’s hand in marriage. Lucian states, “There are no women on the moon.” He declines the offer gracefully. He requests his ship and crew return to Earth.
During a week-long stay, Endymion entertains them. Lucian describes moonite life:
- Not born of women, but of men.
- Up to 25, each is a wife; thereafter, a husband.
- Children are carried in the calf of the leg.
- Flying frogs are plucked from the air and eaten fried.
- All are single-toed.
- Honey is their snot.
- Milk replaces sweat.
- Bellies serve as pockets.
- Clothes are made of glass.
- Eyes are removable.
- Ears are made of leaves.
An interesting piece of technology exists. A huge glass plane hangs over a shallow well. Entering it telegraphs Earth events. Lucian spies on his family through the glass. He writes, “If you think that I am lying, go there yourself, and you will see that I am telling the truth.” This line almost certainly mocks a contemporary. It highlights the pervasive deceit of travelogue writers.
Beyond the Moon: More Wonders and Horrors
After seven days, Lucian and his men leave the moon. Endymion provides armor and a royal guard. They sail to Lamp Town. This city is literally inhabited by sentient, floating lamps. Each lamp bears a human’s name. They report on their assigned humans nightly. A magistrate oversees these reports. A late lamp has its flame snuffed out forever. Lucian finds his lamp, asking about his family.
They then pass Cloud-Cuckoo-Town. Strong winds prevent a stop. Four days later, they reach a drop-off point. The ship is lowered back to Earth. The ocean is pleasant for two days. On day three, giant sea monsters attack. A whale, 187.5 miles long, swallows the ship whole. The men believe this is their end. Yet, they find themselves alive inside the whale.
Inside the whale, an entire world exists. Forests, animals, and civilizations thrive there. They meet other swallowed seamen. Lucian recounts histories of six fish-people kingdoms. These kingdoms are also at war. Lucian and his crew are drawn into this conflict. They survive there for almost two years. One day, the whale opens its mouth. A mountain range is visible outside. Tired of the endless belly wars, they plan escape.
They set the forests ablaze. They wait 13 days. The whale slowly dies from within. Dead at last, they use beams. They open a small crack in its mouth. They then sail out to freedom.
The Island of the Blessed and a Famous Cliffhanger
Their adventures do not end there. They embark on a 30-day frozen ice adventure. A hunting expedition follows on a desert island. They voyage through the Sea of Milk. They discover an Island made of Cheese. They encounter cork-feet, who walk on water. Finally, they reach the Island of the Blessed. This central city is an afterlife kingdom. It is made of gold. Its walls are emerald.
Lucian visits veterans of the Trojan War. He witnesses celestial court cases. He meets Pythagoras and Homer. Other philosophical and political figures are present. They gossip about Socrates and Diogenes. Lucian notes, “Plato was not there. It was said that he was living in an imaginary city under the constitution and laws that he himself wrote.” This line offers biting literary criticism. It’s a witty jab at Plato’s idealism.
Sons of Greek gods participate in contests. Wrestling matches, foot races, and even war take place. After six months, a rebellion breaks out. It involves an extramarital affair. Officials determine Lucian must leave. He weeps, not wanting to depart. The demigod Rhadamanthus assures him of return. He even shows Lucian a reserved chair. Rhadamanthus guides him to the harbor. He points out six great islands in the distance. “When you have sailed by these,” he says. “You will finally come to the great continent opposite the one which your people inhabit.” He continues, “Then at last, after you have had many adventures and have traveled through all sorts of countries and lived among unfriendly men…in course of time, you will reach your homeland.”
Rhadamanthus gives Lucian a marshmallow plant. He instructs him to pray to it in trouble. The rest of the book recounts horrors. Many men die sailing between the six islands. A violent storm breaks out. The ship is wrecked. The men explore terrors awaiting them. Lucian then famously closes *A True Story* with a cliffhanger. “What happened on that island, I shall tell you in the next book.”
In one surviving copy, a scholar wrote a note. “This is Lucian’s greatest lie of all,” it read. Lucian of Samosata never wrote a sequel. This final act solidified his satirical genius. It mocks the endless series and unfulfilled promises of his literary rivals. It showcases Lucian’s brilliant meta-commentary one last time. His work remains a foundational text. It shows the ancient roots of science fiction and satire. *A True Story* truly stands as a pioneering work.
Unearthing Answers from the Unwritten Epic
What is Lucian of Samosata’s “A True Story”?
It is a 2nd-century AD Greek satire that is considered the earliest known science fiction book. It tells an absurd tale of space travel, alien encounters, and imaginative worlds.
Who was Lucian of Samosata?
Lucian was a popular writer and brilliant satirist from the 2nd century Roman Empire. He used exaggerated humor and over-the-top stories to entertain audiences and ridicule aspects of his society.
Why is “A True Story” considered a “proto-science fiction” work?
It’s considered proto-science fiction because it features elements like journeys to the moon, space battles, and encounters with aliens centuries before modern science fiction developed.
What was unusual about how Lucian started “A True Story”?
Lucian began the book by openly declaring that everything in it was a lie, which was revolutionary for his time. This was a direct jab at other writers who pretended their fabricated travel stories were true.