4–1
HERACLES
Well, don’t you think everyone is compounded of two parts, soul and body? What then prevents the soul, the part which came from Zeus, from being in heaven, and me, the mortal part, from being with the dead?
DIOGENES
But, most excellent son of Amphitryon, you would be right enough, if you were a body, but in fact you are a bodiless wraith. So it looks as if you’re now making Heracles triple.
DIOGENES
Like this. If there’s one of him in heaven, and one here with us (that’s you the wraith), and there’s his body on Oeta, now dust, he’s now become three. You’d better start thinking what third father you’ll invent for your body.
HERACLES
You’re an impudent quibbler. Who the blazes are you?
DIOGENES
I’m the wraith of Diogenes of Sinope, but Diogenes himself isn’t “among the gods that know not death”, Cf. Homer, Od. XI, 602. no indeed, but in the company of the finest of the ghosts, laughing at Homer and nonsensical stories like this.
5
PHILIP
You can’t deny being my son now, Alexander; you wouldn’t be dead, if you were the son of Ammon.
ALEXANDER
I knew quite well myself, father, that I was the son of Philip, the son of Amyntas, but I accepted the oracle, because I thought it useful for my purposes.
PHILIP
What! Useful to allow yourself to be cheated by the prophets?
ALEXANDER
Not that, but the barbarians were terrified of me, and nobody resisted me any more; they thought they were fighting against a god, so that I conquered them the more easily.
