Τοσαῦτα εἶπεν, καὶ ἀνασπάσας ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς μαλάχης ῥίζαν ὤρεξέν μοι, ταύτῃ κελεύσας ἐν τοῖς μεγίστοις κινδύνοις προσεύχεσθαι· παρῄνεσε δὲ εἰ καί ποτε ἀφικοίμην ἐς τήνδε τὴν γῆν, μήτε πῦρ μαχαίρᾳ σκαλεύειν μήτε θέρμους ἐσθίειν μήτε παιδὶ ὑπὲρ τὰ ὀκτωκαίδεκα ἔτη πλησιάζειν· τούτων γὰρ ἂν μεμνημένον ἐλπίδας ἔχειν τῆς εἰς τὴν νῆσον ἀφίξεως.
Τότε μὲν οὖν τὰ περὶ τὸν πλοῦν παρεσκευασάμην, καὶ ἐπεὶ καιρὸς ἦν, συνειστιώμην αὐτοῖς. τῇ δὲ ἐπιούσῃ ἐλθὼν πρὸς Ὅμηρον τὸν ποιητὴν ἐδεήθην αὐτοῦ ποιῆσαί μοι δίστιχον ἐπίγραμμα· καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐποίησεν, στήλην βηρύλλου λίθου ἀναστήσας ἐπέγραψα πρὸς τῷ λιμένι. τὸ δὲ ἐπίγραμμα ἦν τοιόνδε·
«Λουκιανὸς τάδε πάντα φίλος μακάρεσσι θεοῖσιν
εἶδέ τε καὶ πάλιν ἦλθε φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν.»
notes
ἀνασπάσας: ao. part. of ἀνασπάω, “having plucked”
ὤρεξέν: ao. of ὀρέγω, “he handed it”
προσεύχεσθαι: pr. inf. after κελεύσας, “bidding me to pray”
παρῄνεσε: ao. of παρα-αἰνέω, “he advised”
εἰ καί ποτε ἀφικοίμην: ao. opt. in a future less vivid condition, “if I were to arrive”
μήτε σκαλεύειν, μήτε ἐσθίειν μήτε πλησιάζειν: pr. infinitives after παρῄνεσε, “not to stir…”
ἂν μεμνημένον ἐλπίδας ἔχειν: a future less vivid condition in implied indirect statement, with ἂν ἔχειν representing the optative of the apodosis (ἂν ἔχοιμι) and the participle μεμνημένον (perf. part. acc. s. modifying the subject of ἔχειν) with conditional force representing the optative of the protasis (εἰ μεμνημενος εἴην), "(saying that) if I were to remember, I would have hope”
ἀφίξεως: gen s. after ἐλπίδας, “hopes of return”
συνειστιώμην: impf. of συν-ἑστιάω, “I joined in feasting”
τῇ δὲ ἐπιούσῃ (sc. ἡμέρᾳ): “on the following day”
ἐλθὼν: ao. part. of ἔρχομαι
ἐδεήθην: ao. pas. of δέομαι, “I begged”
ἀναστήσας: ao. part. trans. of ἀνα-ἵστημι, “setting up”
ἐπέγραψα: ao. of ἐπι-γράφω, “I inscribed”
Λουκιανὸς: the use of Lucian᾽s name conflates the narrator and the author.
μακάρεσσι: epic dat. pl. “the blessed”
εἶδέ τε καὶ ἦλθε: ao. of οἷδα and ἔρχομαι, “he saw and left”
vocabulary
ἀνασπάζω: bid farewell
μαλάχη, ἡ: mallow
ῥίζα, -ης, ἡ: a root
ὀρέγω: reach, stretch, stretch out
προσεύχομαι: offer prayers or vows
παραινέω: exhort, recommend, advise
μάχαιρα, -ης, ἡ: a large knife
σκαλεύω: stir up, hoe
θέρμος, ὁ: a lupine
ἐσθίω: eat
ὀκτωκαίδεκα: eighteen
πλησιάζω: bring near, consort with
ἄφιξις, -εως, ἡ: an arrival
συνεστιάω: entertain in one's house
δέομαι: ask
δίστιχος, -ον: of two verses
ἐπίγραμμα, -ατος, τό: an inscription
στήλη, ἡ: a block of stone
βήρυλλος, ἡ: gem of sea-green color, beryl
ἀνίστημι: make to stand up, raise up
ἐπιγράφω: mark the surface, write on
λιμήν, -ένσς, ὁ: a harbour
μάκαρ, -αρος, ὁ: blessed, happy
γαῖα, ἡ: a land, country