Προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου ἐνέστη ὁ ἀγὼν ὁ παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς, τὰ Θανατούσια. ἠγωνοθέτει δὲ Ἀχιλλεὺς τὸ πέμπτον καὶ Θησεὺς τὸ ἕβδομον. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλα μακρὸν ἂν εἴη λέγειν· τὰ δὲ κεφάλαια τῶν πραχθέντων διηγήσομαι. πάλην μὲν ἐνίκησεν Κάρανος ὁ ἀφ᾽ Ἡρακλέους Ὀδυσσέα περὶ τοῦ στεφάνου καταγωνισάμενος· πυγμὴ δὲ ἴση ἐγένετο Ἀρείου τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου, ὃς ἐν Κορίνθῳ τέθαπται, καὶ Ἐπειοῦ ἀλλήλοις συνελθόντων. παγκρατίου δὲ οὐ τίθεται ἆθλα παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς. τὸν μέντοι δρόμον οὐκέτι μέμνημαι ὅστις ἐνίκησεν. ποιητῶν δὲ τῇ μὲν ἀληθείᾳ παρὰ πολὺ ἐκράτει Ὅμηρος, ἐνίκησεν δὲ ὅμως Ἡσίοδος. τὰ δὲ ἆθλα ἦν ἅπασι στέφανος πλακεὶς ἐκ πτερῶν ταωνείων.

    προιόντος...χρόνου: gen. abs. “as time was advancing”

    ἐνέστη: ao. intrans. of ἐν-ἵστημι, “began” 

    τὰ Θανατούσια: “the Dead Games”

    τὸ πέμπτον...τὸ ἕβδομον: “for the fifth time, for the seventh time”

    ἠγωνοθέτει: impf. of ἀγωνοθετέω, “officiated”

    ἂν εἴη λέγειν: pot. opt., “it would be long to say”

    πραχθέντων: ao. part. pas. of πράσσω, “what was done”

    πάλην μὲν: “in wrestling”

    Κάρανος: an uncertain reading, an uncertain reference

    καταγωνισάμενος: perf. part. of κατα-ἀγονίζω, “bested”

    πυγμὴ δὲ ἴση ἐγένετο: “in boxing there was a tie”

    τέθαπται: perf. of θάπτω, “is buried”

    Ἀρείου...καὶ Ἐπειου συνελθόντων: gen. abs., “meeting each other.”  This Arius is unknown, but an Epeius boxed in the funeral games of the Iliad and the funeral games of Achilles, in the latter case fighting to a draw.

    οὐ τίθεται ἆθλα: “prizes are not awarded.”  Note that a neuter plural subject regularly takes a singular verb.

    τὸν μέντοι δρόμον: “as for the footrace”

    μέμνημαι: perf. of μιμνήσκω, “I remember”

    Ὅμηρος...Ἡσίοδος:  a legendary contest between Homer and Hesiod was won by Hesiod.

    πλακεὶς: ao. part. pas. nom. s. of πλέκω, “woven”

    προςέρχομαι: advance

    ἐνίστημι: put, set, place in

    ἀγωνοθετέω: direct the games, exhibit them

    Θησεύς, ὁ: Theseus

    κεφάλαιος: main, most important

    διηγέομαι: set out in detail, describe in full

    πάλη, ἡ: wrestling

    Ἡρακλέης, ὁ: Heracles

    στέφανος, ὁ: that which surrounds, garland

    καταγωνίζομαι: struggle against, prevail against, conquer

    πυγμή, ἡ: a fist, boxing

    Αἰγύπτιος, -α, -ον: Egyptian

    Κόρινθος, ὁ: Corinth

    θάπτω: bury

    συνέρχομαι: some together

    παγκράτιον, τό: a complete contest, wrestling and boxing

    ἆθλον, τό: the prize of contest

    δρόμος, ὁ: a course, running, race

    μιμνήσκομαι: remember

    στέφανος, ὁ: that which surrounds, garland

    πλέκω: plait, twine, twist, weave, braid

    πτερόν, τό: feathers

    ταώνειος, -ον: of a peacock

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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-2/2-22