Ἐπεὶ δὲ πλέοντες ἀπείχομεν τῆς καλιᾶς ὅσον σταδίους διακοσίους, τέρατα ἡμῖν μεγάλα καὶ θαυμαστὰ ἐπεσήμανεν· ὅ τε γὰρ ἐν τῇ πρύμνῃ χηνίσκος ἄφνω ἐπτερύξατο καὶ ἀνεβόησεν, καὶ ὁ κυβερνήτης ὁ Σκίνθαρος φαλακρὸς ἤδη ὢν ἀνεκόμησεν, καὶ τὸ πάντων δὴ παραδοξότατον, ὁ γὰρ ἱστὸς τῆς νεὼς ἐξεβλάστησεν καὶ κλάδους ἀνέφυσεν καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ἄκρῳ ἐκαρποφόρησεν, ὁ δὲ καρπὸς ἦν σῦκα καὶ σταφυλὴ μέλαινα, οὔπω πέπειρος. ταῦτα ἰδόντες ὡς εἰκὸς ἐταράχθημεν καὶ ηὐχόμεθα τοῖς θεοῖς διὰ τὸ ἀλλόκοτον τοῦ φαντάσματος.
notes
ἀπείχομεν: impf. of ἀπο-ἔχω, “we were away from”
ἐπεσήμανεν: ao. 3 s. of ἐπι-σημαίνω, “were manifested”
χηνίσκος: lit. “gooseneck,” the rounded-up end of the boat
ἐπτερύξατο: ao. of πτερύσσω, “sprouted feathers”
ἀνεβόησεν: ao. of ἀνα-βοάω, “cackled”
ἀνεκόμησεν: ao. of ἀνα-κομέω, “grew long hair”
ἐξεβλάστησεν: ao. of ἐκ-βλαστάνω, “budded”
ἀνέφυσεν: ao. of ἀνα-φύω, “sprouted”
ἐκαρποφόρησεν: ao. of καρποφορέω, “bore fruit.” This recalls a famous incident from the Homeric Hymn to Hermes.
ἰδόντες: ao. part. of ὁράω, “seeing”
ὡς εἰκὸς: “as you would expect”
ἐταράχθημεν: ao. pas. of ταράττω, “we were disturbed”
ηὐχόμεθα: impf. of εὔχομαι, “we prayed”
vocabulary
ἀπέχω: to keep off or be away from
καλιά, ἡ: a wooden dwelling, hut, nest
διακόσιοι, -αι, -α: two hundred
τέρας, -αος, τό: a sign, wonder, marvel
θαυμαστός, -ή, -όν: wondrous, wonderful, marvelous
ἐπισημαίνω: to set a mark upon
πρύμνα, ἡ: a stern, poop
χηνίσκος, ὁ: a ship's stern turned up like a goose's neck
ἄφνω: suddenly, unawares
πτερύσσομαι: to clap the wings
ἀναβοάω: to shout aloud, utter a loud cry
κυβερνήτης, -ου, ὁ: a steersman, helmsman, pilot
φαλακρός, -ά, -όν: baldheaded, bald
ἱστός, ὁ: anything set upright, mast
ἐκβλαστάνω: to sprout out
κλάδος, ου: a young slip or shoot broken off
ἀναφύω: to grow, produce
ἄκρον, -ον, τό: the highest or furthest point
καρποφορέω: to bear fruit
καρπός, ὁ: fruit
σῦκον, τό: a fig
σταφυλή, ἡ: a bunch of grapes
μέλας: black, swart
πέπειρος, -ον: ripe
ταράσσω: to stir, stir up trouble
εὔχομαι: to pray, offer prayers
ἀλλόκοτος, -ον: strange, monstrous
φάντασμα, -ατος, τό: phantasm