1.11

Δόξαν δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ ἔτι πορρωτέρω προελθεῖν, συνελήφθημεν τοῖς Ἱππογύποις παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς καλουμένοις ἀπαντήσαντες. οἱ δὲ Ἱππόγυποι οὗτοί εἰσιν ἄνδρες ἐπὶ γυπῶν μεγάλων ὀχούμενοι καὶ καθάπερ ἵπποις τοῖς ὀρνέοις χρώμενοι· μεγάλοι γὰρ οἱ γῦπες καὶ ὡς ἐπίπαν τρικέφαλοι. μάθοι δ᾽ ἄν τις τὸ μέγεθος αὐτῶν ἐντεῦθεν· νεὼς γὰρ μεγάλης φορτίδος ἱστοῦ ἕκαστον τῶν πτερῶν μακρότερον καὶ παχύτερον φέρουσι. τούτοις οὖν τοῖς Ἱππογύποις προστέτακται περιπετομένοις τὴν γῆν, εἴ τις εὑρεθείη ξένος, ἀνάγειν ὡς τὸν βασιλέα· καὶ δὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς συλλαβόντες ἀνάγουσιν ὡς αὐτόν. ὁ δὲ θεασάμενος καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς στολῆς εἰκάσας, «Ἕλληνες ἆρα,» ἔφη, «ὑμεῖς, ὦ ξένοι;» συμφησάντων δέ, «Πῶς οὖν ἀφίκεσθε,» ἔφη, «τοσοῦτον ἀέρα διελθόντες;» καὶ ἡμεῖς τὸ πᾶν αὐτῷ διηγούμεθα· καὶ ὃς ἀρξάμενος τὸ καθ᾽ αὑτὸν ἡμῖν διεξῄει, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ἄνθρωπος ὢν τοὔνομα Ἐνδυμίων ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμετέρας γῆς καθεύδων ἀναρπασθείη ποτὲ καὶ ἀφικόμενος βασιλεύσειε τῆς χώρας· εἶναι δὲ τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην ἔλεγε τὴν ἡμῖν κάτω φαινομένην σελήνην. ἀλλὰ θαρρεῖν τε παρεκελεύετο καὶ μηδένα κίνδυνον ὑφορᾶσθαι· πάντα γὰρ ἡμῖν παρέσεσθαι ὧν δεόμεθα.

notes

δόξαν: aor. part. acc. sg. neut. of δοκέω, used absolutely, "since it seemed a good idea" (S. 2059 and 2076a).

συνελήφθημεν: aor. pass. of συλλαμβάνω, "we were captured."

ἀπαντήσαντες: aor. part. of ἀπαντάω, "after meeting up with" (+ dat.).

ἵπποις τοῖς ὀρνέοις χρώμενοι: "using the birds as horses" (S. 1509).

ὡς ἐπίπαν: "for the most part."

μάθοι ἄν τις: "someone could learn" (S. 1824; G. 479).

ἱστοῦ: "bigger than the mast of a big commercial ship" (G. 509 and 517; S. 1431).

ἕκαστον τῶν πτερῶν φέρουσι: "they report that each of the feathers..."

τούτοις...προστέτακται: perf. pass. of προστάσσω, used impersonally, "to these it has been assigned that..."

εἴ τις εὑρεθείη ξένος, ἀνάγειν: general condition with apodosis changed to an infinitive in an indirect command after προστέτεκται, "if any stranger were found, to lead." The direct version would have been ἐάν τις εὑρέθῃ ξένος, ἀνάγετε, "if any stranger is found, lead him...."

ὡς: (= εἰς) to (+ acc.)

ἀπὸ τῆς στολῆς εἰκάσας: "surmising from our clothes."

συμφησάντων (sc. ἡμῶν): "with us assenting" (S. 2058 and 2070; G. 589 and 590).

ἀφίκεσθε: aor. of ἀφικνέομαι, "how did you arrive?"

ὅς: “he” (G. 205 and 213; cf. G. 549).

διεξῄει: impf. 3 sg. of διέξειμι (διά + ἐξ + εἶμι), "narrated" (lit. "went through").

Ἐνδυμίων: The mortal Endymion was loved by Selene, the Moon goddess, who sought for him eternal youth (or perpetual sleep).

ὡς...ἀναρπασθείη καὶ βασιλεύσειε: optatives in indir. statement. after the past tense διεξῄει (G. 659; S. 2599 and 2615; cf. S. 1862).

ἀναρπασθείη: aor. pass. 3 sg. of ἀναρπάζω, "that he had been snatched up."

εἶναι...ἔλεγε: "he said that that land was..." λέγω can take the acc. + infin. form of indir. statement (G. 658; S. 2017; cf. S. 2582).

κάτω φαινομένην: "appearing from below."

θαρρεῖν: pres. infin. after παρεκελεύετο, "he urged us to take heart" (S. 1991 and 1996).

ὑφορᾶσθαι...παρέσεσθαι: infinitives in implied indir. statement (S. 2622; cf. S. 1991), "(saying) that no danger should be suspected, that all would be present."

παρέσεσθαι: fut. infin. of πάρειμι.

vocabulary

VERB LIST

πορρωτέρω: further off (comp. of πρόσω, far off)

προέρχομαι: go forward, advance

συλλαμβάνω: capture, apprehand

Ἱππόγυποι, οἱ: the Vulture-cavalry

ἀπαντάω: encounter (+ dat.)

γύψ, γυπός, ὁ: a vulture

ὀχέω: uphold, bear; mid. ride

καθάπερ: just as

ὄρνεον, τό: a bird

ἐπίπαν: on the whole, for the most part

τρικέφαλος, -ον: three-headed

ἐντεῦθεν: from this

φορτίς, -ίδος, ἡ: cargo ship, commercial vessel

ἱστός, ὁ: a mast

πτερόν, τό: feather

παχύς, -εῖα, -ύ: thick, stout

προστάσσω: command, order, assign (a duty)

περιπέτομαι: fly around

ἀνάγω: lead up

θεάομαι: look on, gaze at, view, behold

στολή, ἡ: equipment, clothing

Ἕλληνες, οἱ: the Greeks

σύμφημι: assent, agree

ἀήρ, ἀέρος, ὁ: the air

διέρχομαι: go through

διηγέομαι: explain, set out in detail, describe

διέξερχομαι: narrate

καθεύδω: sleep

ἀναρπάζω: snatch up

βασιλεύω: be king, to rule, reign

κάτω: down, below

σελήνη, ἡ: the moon

θαρσέω: be of good courage, take heart

παρακελεύομαι: order, urge

ὑφοράω: suspect

Suggested Citation