The Therianthropic Narrative Between Philosophy and Parody Lucian of Samosata’s The Dream or the Cock

Lucian of Samosata’s The Dream or the Cock is a dialogue of the serio ludere, in which the therianthropic tale (between a cobbler who believes that gold brings happiness and a cockerel who has been reincarnated as many characters, including Pythagoras) serves not only as a philosophical demonstration and therapy, but also as a parody of serious subjects such as reincarnation - thus highlighting its epistemological, anthropological and ethical dimensions.