Ἤδη δὲ μηνῶν ἓξ διεληλυθότων περὶ μεσοῦντα τὸν ἕβδομον νεώτερα συνίστατο πράγματα· Κινύρας ὁ τοῦ Σκινθάρου παῖς, μέγας ὢν καὶ καλός, ἤρα πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον τῆς Ἑλένης, καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ οὐκ ἀφανὴς ἦν ἐπιμανῶς ἀγαπῶσα τὸν νεανίσκον· πολλάκις γοῦν καὶ διένευον ἀλλήλοις ἐν τῷ συμποσίῳ καὶ προὔπινον καὶ μόνοι ἐξανιστάμενοι ἐπλανῶντο περὶ τὴν ὕλην. καὶ δή ποτε ὑπ᾽ ἔρωτος καὶ ἀμηχανίας ἐβουλεύσατο ὁ Κινύρας ἁρπάσας τὴν Ἑλένην - ἐδόκει δὲ κἀκείνῃ ταῦτα - οἴχεσθαι ἀπιόντας ἔς τινα τῶν ἐπικειμένων νήσων, ἤτοι ἐς τὴν Φελλὼ ἢ ἐς τὴν Τυρόεσσαν. συνωμότας δὲ πάλαι προσειλήφεσαν τρεῖς τῶν ἑταίρων τῶν ἐμῶν τοὺς θρασυτάτους. τῷ μέντοι πατρὶ οὐκ ἐμήνυσε ταῦτα· ἠπίστατο γὰρ ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ κωλυθησόμενος. ὡς δὲ ἐδόκει αὐτοῖς, ἐτέλουν τὴν ἐπιβουλήν. καὶ ἐπειδὴ νὺξ ἐγένετο - ἐγὼ μὲν οὐ παρήμην· ἐτύγχανον γὰρ ἐν τῷ συμποσίῳ κοιμώμενος - οἱ δὲ λαθόντες τοὺς ἄλλους ἀναλαβόντες τὴν Ἑλένην ὑπὸ σπουδῆς ἀνήχθησαν.
notes
Cinyras, the son of Scintharus, elopes with Helen.
μηνῶν ἓξ διεληλυθότων: perf. part. of δια-ἐρχομαι, gen. abs. “6 months having passed”
συνίστατο: impf. of συν-ἵστημι, “arose”
νεώτερα...πράγματα: “revolution”
ἤρα: impf. of ἐράω, “was in love with”
πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον: acc. of duration of time
οὐκ ἀφανὴς: “obviously”
ἀγαπῶσα: ao. part. nom. f. of ἀγαπάω, “loving”
πολλάκις γοῦν καὶ: “indeed several times they even winked”
διένευον: impf. of δια-νεύω
προὔπινον: impf. of προ-πίνω, “they toasted”
ἐξανιστάμενοι: pr. part. of ἐξ-ἀνα-ἵστημι, “getting up and leaving”
ἐπλανῶντο: impf. of πλανάω, “they wandered”
καὶ δή ποτε: “moreover, once”
ἁρπάσας: ao. part. of ἁρπάζω, “having taken her off”
κἀκείνῃ: “also to her”
οἴχεσθαι: pr. inf. after ἐβουλεύσατο, “plotted to go”
ἀπιόντας: pr. part. of ἀπο-ἔρχομαι, “departing”
ἤτοι...ἠ: “either...or”
προσειλήφεσαν: plupf. of προσ-λαμβάνω, “they had taken along”
τοὺς θρασυτάτους: “the most reckless ones”
τῷ μέντοι πατρὶ: “to his father, of course”
ἐμήνυσε: ao. of μηνύω, “he disclosed”
κωλυθησόμενος: fut. part. pas. ind. st. after ἠπίστατο, “that he would be prevented”
οὐ παρήμην: impf. of παρα-εἰμι, “I was not present”
ἐτύγχανον...κοιμώμενος: “I happened to be sleeping”
λαθόντες τοὺς ἄλλους: ao. part. of λανθάνω, “escaping the notice of the others”
ἀναλαβόντες: ao. part. of ἀνα-λαμβάνω, “having carried off”
ἀνήχθησαν: ao. pas. of ἀνα-ἄγω, “they put to sea”
ἀνεγρόμενος: ao. part. of ἀνα-ἐγείρομαι, “having awoken”
vocabulary
μείς, μήνος, ὁ: a month
διέρχομαι: go through, pass through
μεσόω: form the middle, be in or at the middle
νεώτερος, -α, -ον: younger
συνίστημι: set together, combine, associate, unite, band together
ἐράω: love, be in love with
ἀφανής, -ές: unseen, invisible, viewless
ἐπιμανῶς: madly
ἀγαπάω: treat with affection, caress, love, be fond of
νεανίσκος: a youth
συμπόσιον, τό: a drinking-party, symposium
διανεύω: nod, beckon
προπίνω: drink before
ἐξανίστημι: raise up, make one rise
πλανάω: make to wander, lead wandering about
ὕλη, ἡ: a forest
ἔρως, -ωτος, ὁ: love
ἀμηχανία, ἡ: want of means, helplessness, impotence
ἁρπάζω: snatch away, carry off
οἴχομαι: be gone, have gone
ἐπίκειμαι: be laid upon, nearby
ἤτοι: now surely, truly, verily
Φελλώ, οῦς, ἡ: Cork-land
Τυρόεσσα, ἡ: Cheese-land
συνωμότης, -ου, ὁ: a fellow-conspirator, confederate
πάλαι: long ago, in olden time
προσλαμβάνω: take or receive besides, get over and above
ἑταῖρος, ὁ: a comrade, companion, mate
θρασύς, -εῖα, -ύ: bold, spirited, courageous, confident
μηνύω: disclose what is secret, reveal, betray
ἐπίσταμαι: know
τελέω: complete, fulfill, accomplish
ἐπιβουλή, ἡ: a plan
συμπόσιον, τό: a drinking-party, symposium
κοιμάω: put to sleep
ἀναλαμβάνω: take up, take into one's hands
σπουδή, ἡ: haste, speed
ἀνάγω: lead up
μεσονύκτιος, -ον: of or at midnight
ἀνεγείρω: wake up, rouse