2.12

ἐσθῆτι δὲ χρῶνται ἀραχνίοις λεπτοῖς, πορφυροῖς. αὐτοὶ δὲ σώματα μὲν οὐκ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀναφεῖς καὶ ἄσαρκοί εἰσιν, μορφὴν δὲ καὶ ἰδέαν μόνην ἐμφαίνουσιν, καὶ ἀσώματοι ὄντες ὅμως συνεστᾶσιν καὶ κινοῦνται καὶ φρονοῦσι καὶ φωνὴν ἀφιᾶσιν, καὶ ὅλως ἔοικε γυμνή τις ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτῶν περιπολεῖν τὴν τοῦ σώματος ὁμοιότητα περικειμένη· εἰ γοῦν μὴ ἅψαιτό τις, οὐκ ἂν ἐξελέγξειε μὴ εἶναι σῶμα τὸ ὁρώμενον· εἰσὶ γὰρ ὥσπερ σκιαὶ ὀρθαί, οὐ μέλαιναι. γηράσκει δὲ οὐδείς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἧς ἂν ἡλικίας ἔλθῃ παραμένει. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ νὺξ παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς γίνεται, οὐδὲ ἡμέρα πάνυ λαμπρά· καθάπερ δὲ τὸ λυκαυγὲς ἤδη πρὸς ἕω, μηδέπω ἀνατείλαντος ἡλίου, τοιοῦτο φῶς ἐπέχει τὴν γῆν. καὶ μέντοι καὶ ὥραν μίαν ἴσασιν τοῦ ἔτους· αἰεὶ γὰρ παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἔαρ ἐστὶ καὶ εἷς ἄνεμος πνεῖ παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς ὁ ζέφυρος.

    αὐτοὶ δὲ: “as for themselves”

    ἀναφεῖς: nom. pl. masc. (ἀν-ἁφη), “untouchable”

    ἐμφαίνουσιν: “they manifest”

    καὶ ἀσώματοι ὄντες ὅμως: concessive, “and although being bodiless, still....”

    συνεστᾶσιν: perf. of συν-ἵστημι, “they subsist”

    φωνὴν ἀφιᾶσιν: pr. of ἀφ-ἵημι, “they speak”

    καὶ ὅλως: “and generally”

    τὴν...ὁμοιότητα: “the resemblance”

    περικειμένη: pr. part. nom. s. modifying ψυχὴ, “having put about itself”

    εἰ μὴ ἅψαιτό τις: future less vivid cond., “unless someone were to touch”

    ἅψαιτό: ao. opt. of ἅπτω

    ἐξελέγξειε: ao. opt. of ἐξελέγχω, “he would not refute”

    μὴ εἶναι: ind. st. after ἐξελέγξειε, “that what they were seeing was not a body”

    ἐφ᾽ ἧς ἂν ἡλικίας ἔλθῃ  (ao. subj.): indefinite temporal clause “at whatever age he arrives”

    οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ: “there is not even”

    τὸ λυκαυγὲς: “the grey twilight”

    μηδέπω ἀνατείλαντος ἡλίου: gen. abs., “sun not yet risen”

    ἀνατείλαντος: ao. part. of ἀνατέλλω

    ἴσασιν: pr. 3 pl. of οἶδα, “they know”

    ἐσθής, -ῆτος, ἡ: dress, clothing

    ἀράχνιον, τό: a spider's web

    λεπτός, -ή, -όν: fine

    πορφύρεος: purple

    ἀναφής, -ές: not to be touched, impalpable

    ἄσαρκος, -ον: without flesh, lean

    μορφή, ἡ: shape

    ἰδέα, ἡ: form

    ἐμφαίνω: exhibit

    ἀσώματος, -ον: incorporeal

    συνίστημι: subsist

    ἀφίημι: send forth, discharge

    ὅλως: wholely

    γυμνός, -ή, -όν: naked, unclad

    περιπολέω: go around or about

    ὁμοιότης, -ητος, ἡ: likeness, resemblance

    περίκειμαι: lie round about

    γοῦν: at any rate, any way

    ἅπτω: touch

    ἐξελέγχω: refute

    σκιά, -ᾶς, ἡ: a shadow

    μέλας: black

    γηράσκω: grow old, become old

    ἡλικία, ἡ: time of life, age

    παραμένω: stay beside or near, stand by

    λυκαυγής, -ές: of or at twilight

    μηδέπω: nor as yet, not as yet

    ἀνατέλλω: make to rise up or to grow up

    ἐπιχέω: pour over

    ὥρα, ἡ: period, season

    αἰεί: always, for ever

    ἔαρ, τό: spring

    ἄνεμος, ὁ: wind

    πνέω: blow

    Ζέφυρος, ὁ: Zephyrus, the west wind

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