Abstract: The subject of this research is the problem of anthropocentrism in the dialogues of the “Small Moral Works” of the Italian author and philologist Giacomo Leopardi, in comparison with the satirical works of the Greek writer Lucian. Special attention is also given to the character of influence exerted by Lucian upon Leopardi, as well as authors living in different countries throughout different historical periods (Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle, Henry Fielding, Matteo Maria Boiardo, Leon Battista Alberti, Christoph Martin Wieland, and others). The author demonstrates the difference between the characters of Lucian’s satire and satire of his successors, pointing out the general human problematic of the works of the Greek writer. The novelty of this research consists in reference to the sparsely studied topic of the influence of Lucian’s works upon Leopardi, who not only uses Lucian’s characters, but also enters into a dialogue with the Greek author, analyzing his criticism of humanity. The main conclusion of the conducted research lies in the determined connection between Leopardi and Lucian, consisting in the fact that both authors perceive humanity outside of time, as metaphysical phenomena in the universe.