Falsafa

Comma for either/or — dharma, courage. Spelling forgiving — corage finds courage.

    The Atlas·Figures

    Proteus

    mythological figure · 7 works · 8 mentions · 18 anchored passages

    Proteus the Egyptian · father · old man dwelling in this tomb · some Proteus · the old man of the sea

    in the texts

    HelenClassical · Greek

    Former king of Egypt and Pharos, now dead; his tomb serves as Helen's place of refuge, and his death has left his son Theoklymenos to pursue her.

    his son rules the land.
    helen
    Proteus lives here, the land is Egypt.
    helen
    Well, as long as Proteus saw this light of the sun, I was safe from marriage;
    helen

    OrationsImperial · Greek

    Shape-shifting sea-god used as a simile for the man who disguises his nature.

    and then, in the manner of some Proteus, changing and altering himself, finds a way to utter a voice neither of a man nor of a woman nor of any other animal, imitating a foul and androgynous creature, nor like a harlot who does this very thing harlotting, but as though uttering the very sound of the most shameful work and the most licentious act, and that too by day, when the sun is conspicuous, with many present.
    oration 33

    The HistoriesClassical · Greek

    King of Memphis after Pheros, before whom the Trojan prince Alexandrus is brought and judged for violating guest-friendship with Menelaus; Proteus keeps Helen safe until the rightful husband arrives.

    Proteus sent back this message:
    chapter 2
    Then Proteus asked him where he had got Helen;
    chapter 2
    Menelaus then went to Egypt and up the river to Memphis;
    chapter 2

    OdysseyClassical · Greek

    Shape-shifting sea god, Poseidon's head man, who must be captured before he will reveal the truth about Menelaos's voyage and the other Achaeans' fates.

    Then we rushed upon him with a shout and seized him;
    chapter 4
    "Thus spoke Proteus, and I was broken hearted as I heard him.
    chapter 4
    "‘The third man,’ he answered, ‘is Odysseus who dwells in Ithaca.
    chapter 4

    EuthydemusClassical · Greek

    Mythical shape-shifting sea-god of Egypt, invoked as a simile for the sophist brothers' habit of slipping out of a serious answer through verbal tricks.

    Only they are unwilling to give us a display of it in real earnest, but treat us to jugglers’ tricks in the style of Proteus the Egyptian adept.
    euthydemus

    EuthyphroClassical · Greek

    Shape-shifting sea god of myth, invoked by Socrates as an image for Euthyphro's slipperiness in argument.

    for you know, if anyone does, and like Proteus, you must be held until you speak.
    euthyphro

    RepublicClassical · Greek

    A shape-shifting sea-god figure invoked as an example of the kind of transformation-falsehood poets must not tell.

    Nor must anyone tell falsehoods about Proteus and Thetis, nor in any tragedy or in other poems bring in Hera disguised as a priestess collecting alms for the life-giving sons of Inachus, the Argive stream.
    chapter 2