καὶ μὴν καὶ ἄλλο θαῦμα ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἐθεασάμην· κάτοπτρον μέγιστον κεῖται ὑπὲρ φρέατος οὐ πάνυ βαθέος. ἂν μὲν οὖν εἰς τὸ φρέαρ καταβῇ τις, ἀκούει πάντων τῶν παρ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ γῇ λεγομένων, ἐὰν δὲ εἰς τὸ κάτοπτρον ἀποβλέψῃ, πάσας μὲν πόλεις, πάντα δὲ ἔθνη ὁρᾷ ὥσπερ ἐφεστὼς ἑκάστοις· τότε καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους ἐγὼ ἐθεασάμην καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν πατρίδα, εἰ δὲ κἀκεῖνοι ἐμὲ ἑώρων, οὐκέτι ἔχω τὸ ἀσφαλὲς εἰπεῖν. ὅστις δὲ ταῦτα μὴ πιστεύει οὕτως ἔχειν, ἄν ποτε καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκεῖσε ἀφίκηται, εἴσεται ὡς ἀληθῆ λέγω.

    ἐθεασάμην: aor. 1 sg. of θεάομαι, "I saw."

    ἂν...καταβῇ τις, ἀκούει: "if anyone goes down...he hears" (S. 2337 and cf. 2295 and 2297; G. 650). ἄν (long alpha) is a contraction of ἐάν and should not be confused with the particle ἄν (short alpha).

    καταβῇ: aor. subj. 3 sg. of καταβαίνω.

    πάντων τῶν παρ᾽ ἡμῖν...λεγομένων: "all the things said among us," (for the case, see S. 1361 and G. 511a).

    ἐὰν...ἀποβλέψῃ...ὁρᾷ:  "if someone looks...he sees," (S. 2337; G. 650).

    ὥσπερ ἐφεστὼς: perf. part. act. nom. sg. of ἐφίστημι, "as if standing near (+ dat.)."

    εἰ δὲ κἀκεῖνοι ἐμὲ ἑώρων: impf. 3 pl. of ὁράω, “and whether those saw me” (κἀκεῖνοι= καὶ ἐκεῖνοι).

    τὸ ἀσφαλὲς εἰπεῖν: "to say for sure" (for neut. adj. as inner object, see G. 536b).

    ὅστις δὲ ταῦτα μὴ πιστεύει οὕτως ἔχειν: "whoever does not believe that these thing are so" (for ἔχω + adv., see S. 1438; for the generic μή, see S. 2705d; for the indefinite antecedent, see S. 2505)

    ἄν...ἀφίκηται, εἴσεται: “if he gets there, he will know," (S. 2323; G. 650).

    ἀφίκηται: aor. subj. of ἀφικνέομαι.

    εἴσεται ὡς: fut. of οἶδα introducing a dependent statement, "he will know that..." (S. 2577 and 2578c).

    VERB LIST

    θαῦμα, -ατος, τό: a wonder, marvel

    βασίλεια, τά: a royal dwelling, palace

    θεάομαι: behold, gaze at

    κάτοπτρον, τό: a mirror

    φρέαρ, φρέατος, τό: a well

    βαθύς, -εῖα, -ύ: deep or high

    καταβαίνω: step down, go down, descend

    ἀποβλέπω: look into

    ἐφίστημι: stand upon or by

    πατρίς, -ίδος, ἡ: fatherland

    ἀσφαλής, -ές: firm, certain, sure

    ἔχω: be able to (+ infin.)

    ἐκεῖσε: thither, to that place

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    Suggested Citation

    Eric Casey, Evan Hayes, and Stephen Nimis, Lucian True History. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2023. ISBN: .
    https://dcc.dickinson.edu/lucian-true/book-1/1-26