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«Ἢν δὲ καὶ κατορθώσω,» ἔφη, «τὸν πόλεμον ὃν ἐκφέρω νῦν πρὸς τοὺς τὸν ἥλιον κατοικοῦντας, ἁπάντων εὐδαιμονέστατα παρ᾽ ἐμοὶ καταβιώσεσθε.» καὶ ἡμεῖς ἠρόμεθα τίνες εἶεν οἱ πολέμιοι καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς διαφορᾶς· «Ὁ δὲ Φαέθων,» φησίν, «ὁ τῶν ἐν τῷ ἡλίῳ κατοικούντων βασιλεύς - οἰκεῖται γὰρ δὴ κἀκεῖνος ὥσπερ καὶ ἡ σελήνη - πολὺν ἤδη πρὸς ἡμᾶς πολεμεῖ χρόνον. ἤρξατο δὲ ἐξ αἰτίας τοιαύτης· τῶν ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τῇ ἐμῇ ποτε τοὺς ἀπορωτάτους συναγαγὼν ἐβουλήθην ἀποικίαν ἐς τὸν Ἑωσφόρον στεῖλαι, ὄντα ἔρημον καὶ ὑπὸ μηδενὸς κατοικούμενον· ὁ τοίνυν Φαέθων φθονήσας ἐκώλυσε τὴν ἀποικίαν κατὰ μέσον τὸν πόρον ἀπαντήσας ἐπὶ τῶν Ἱππομυρμήκων. τότε μὲν οὖν νικηθέντες - οὐ γὰρ ἦμεν ἀντίπαλοι τῇ παρασκευῇ - ἀνεχωρήσαμεν· νῦν δὲ βούλομαι αὖθις ἐξενεγκεῖν τὸν πόλεμον καὶ ἀποστεῖλαι τὴν ἀποικίαν. ἢν οὖν ἐθέλητε, κοινωνήσατέ μοι τοῦ στόλου, γῦπας δὲ ὑμῖν ἐγὼ παρέξω τῶν βασιλικῶν ἕνα ἑκάστῳ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ὅπλισιν· αὔριον δὲ ποιησόμεθα τὴν ἔξοδον.» «Οὕτως,» ἔφην ἐγώ, «γιγνέσθω, ἐπειδή σοι δοκεῖ.»

    ἢν (=ἐάν) κατορθώσω (aor. subj.):  “If I succeed....” (S. 2323).

    καταβιώσεσθε: fut. of καταβιόω, “you will live out your life.”

    ἠρόμεθα τίνες εἶεν οἱ πολέμιοι: "we asked who the enemy were" (S. 2677). 

    οἰκεῖται: pres. pass. “is inhabited.”

    τῶν ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τῇ ἐμῆ: “of those in my realm" (for the ability of the definite article to make a word or phrase substantival, see S. 1153c; for the case of τῶν, see S. 1306 and 1315).

    ὄντα ἔρημον: modifying Ἑωσφόρον, “since it was empty.”

    φθονήσας: aor. part., “since he was jealous.”

    ἀπαντήσας: aor. part., “by opposing.”

    ἐπὶ τῶν Ἱππομυρμήκων: “at the head of his Horse-ants”

    νικηθέντες: aor. pass. part. of νικάω, “having been beaten”

    ἀνεχωρήσαμεν: aor. of ἀναχωρέω, “we retreated.”

    ἐξενεγκεῖν: aor. infin. of ἑκφέρω, “to carry out.”

    ἢν ἐθέλητε: “if you wish...” (S. 2323).

    κοινωνήσατέ: aor. imper. “join my expedition.”

    παρέξω: fut. of παρέχω, “I will provide.”

    γῦπας...τῶν βασιλικῶν ἕνα ἑκάστῳ: “vultures...one of the royal ones for each (of us).”

    οὕτως γιγνέσθω: 3 sg. imperative, “let it be so.”

    ἐπειδή σοι δοκεῖ: “since it seems good to you.”

    VERB LIST

    κατορθόω: succeed, carry out successfully

    ἐκφέρω: bring forth; begin (a war)

    κατοικέω: dwell in 

    εὐδαίμων, -ον: blessed, fortunate

    καταβιόω: live out one's life

    κατοικέω: dwell in

    σελήνη, ἡ: the moon

    ἄπορος, -ον: poor, indigent, without resources

    συνάγω: bring together

    ἀποικία, ἡ: a settlement, colony

    Ἑωσφόρος, ὁ: Morning Star

    στέλλω: dispatch, send

    ἔρημος, ον: empty, deserted; devoid of

    Φαέθων, ὁ: Phaethon

    φθονέω: be jealous of, envy

    πόρος, ὁ: a way, passage

    ἀπαντάω: to oppose

    Ἱππομύρμηκες, οἱ: the Horse-ants

    ἀντίπαλος, -ον: evenly matched

    παρασκευή, ἡ: preparation

    ἀναχωρέω: go back

    ἀποστέλλω: send out

    ἀποικία, ἡ: a settlement, colony

    κοινωνέω: participate in, have a share of (+ gen.)

    στόλος, ὁ: a mission

    γύψ, γυπός, ὁ: a vulture

    βασιλικός, -ή, -όν: royal, kingly

    ὅπλισις, -εως, ἡ: an equipment, arming

    αὔριον: tomorrow

    ἔξοδος, ἡ: a departure, foray

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