Laudator Temporis Acti

Lucian, Philosophies for Sale 13-14 (tr. A.M. Harmon; I changed DEMOCRITEAN to DEMOCRITUS):

BUYER. What is the matter, man? Why are you laughing?

DEMOCRITUS. Dost thou need to ask? Because to me it seemeth that all your affairs are laughable, and yourselves as well.

BUYER. What, are you laughing at us all, and do you think nothing of our affairs?

DEMOCRITUS. Even so; for there is nothing serious in them, but everything is a hollow mockery, drift of atoms, infinitude.

BUYER. No indeed, but you yourself are a hollow mockery in very truth and an infinite ass. Oh, what effrontery! Will you never stop laughing?

ΑΓΟΡΑΣΤΗΣ. τί ταῦτα, ὦ οὗτος; τί γελᾷς;

ΔΗΜΟΚΡΙΤΟΣ. ἐρωτᾷς; ὅτι μοι γελοῖα πάντα δοκέει τὰ πρήγματα ὑμέων καὶ αὐτοὶ ὑμέες.

ΑΓΟΡΑΣΤΗΣ. πῶς λέγεις; καταγελᾷς ἡμῶν ἁπάντων καὶ παρ᾿ οὐδὲν τίθεσαι τὰ ἡμέτερα πράγματα;

ΔΗΜΟΚΡΙΤΟΣ. ὧδε ἔχει· σπουδαῖον γὰρ ἐν αὐτέοισιν οὐδέν, κενεὰ δὲ πάντα καὶ ἀτόμων φορὴ καὶ ἀπειρίη.

ΑΓΟΡΑΣΤΗΣ. οὐ μὲν οὖν, ἀλλὰ σὺ κενὸς ὡς ἀληθῶς καὶ ἄπειρος. ὢ τῆς ὕβρεως, οὐ παύσῃ γελῶν;

Antoine Coypel (1661-1722), Démocrite (Paris, Musée du Louvre, inv. MI 1048):