This paper examines a number of aspects of Bakhtin's treatment of Lucian of Samosata (115/125 CE-190 CE)

a Menippean satirist writing during the period of the Second Sophistic. In a similar way to the Roman satirist Varro

Lucian represents an exemplar of the various qualities of menippea

which include a focus on philosophical concerns through a literary lens

the use of literary bricolage

and a multi-planar view of the universe. And like Varro

Lucian provided Bakhtin with the raw material that facilitated a connection between literary theory and an analysis of language. Bakhtin positions Lucian within a long and distinguished Classical tradition of Menippean satire. In addition

the study of Menippean allowed Bakhtin to interweave the traditions of Graeco-Roman

Mediaeval and Renaissance literature with the Russian literary tradition (specifically Dostoevsky) which occurred much closer in time to the ‘zone of contact’ between author and reader. Bakhtin's close focus on the topics of Menippean and Lucian post-date 1929.However

there are indications in Volume 3 of his Collected works that an interest in Lucian is developing. This is confirmed in Volume 5 by ‘Satira’[1940] and in Volume 4-I by ‘Menippova satira ...’[1944]. These texts reference Lucian and the published results of this focus are seen in Bakhtin's works of the 1960s. This focus stresses the serio-comic (spoudogeloion)

juxtaposition or bricolage (syncrisis)

and contestation (anacrisis). There appear to be a number of structural and stylistic connections between Bakhtin's analysis of Lucian's work and Bakhtin's own theory of language. This paper connects Bakhtin's literary theory and his analysis of language: through a review of his theory of heteroglossia and its relationship with parody. Lucian's menippea is characterised by burlesque

an extension of parody and travesty in Bakhtin's literary-theoretical framework. Independently

yet complementary to these two meta-genres

Bakhtin's theory of heteroglossia has clear connections to Lucian's bricolage.