ταῖς μὲν οὖν ἄλλαις οὐ προσέσχομεν, ἧς δὲ ἐπέβημεν, τοιάδε ἦν· κύκλῳ μὲν πᾶσα κρημνώδης καὶ ἀπόξυρος, πέτραις καὶ τράχωσι κατεσκληκυῖα, δένδρον δ᾽ οὐδὲν οὐδὲ ὕδωρ ἐνῆν· ἀνερπύσαντες δὲ ὅμως κατὰ τοὺς κρημνοὺς προῄμεν διά τινος ἀκανθώδους καὶ σκολόπων μεστῆς ἀτραποῦ, πολλὴν ἀμορφίαν τῆς χώρας ἐχούσης. ἐλθόντες δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν εἱρκτὴν καὶ τὸ κολαστήριον, πρῶτα μὲν τὴν φύσιν τοῦ τόπου ἐθαυμάζομεν· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἔδαφος αὐτὸ μαχαίραις καὶ σκόλοψι πάντῃ ἐξηνθήκει, κύκλῳ δὲ ποταμοὶ περιέρρεον, ὁ μὲν βορβόρου, ὁ δὲ δεύτερος αἵματος, ὁ δὲ ἔνδον πυρός, πάνυ μέγας οὗτος καὶ ἀπέρατος, καὶ ἔρρει ὥσπερ ὕδωρ καὶ ἐκυματοῦτο ὥσπερ θάλαττα, καὶ ἰχθῦς δὲ εἶχεν πολλούς, τοὺς μὲν δαλοῖς προσεοικότας, τοὺς δὲ μικροὺς ἄνθραξι πεπυρωμένοις· ἐκάλουν δὲ αὐτοὺς λυχνίσκους. 

    προσέσχομεν: ao. of προσ-ἔχω, “we did not put in”

    ἧς δὲ: rel. pron. gen. s. “but the island on which we landed”

    ἐπέβημεν: ao. of ἐπι-βαίνω, “we landed”

    κατεσκληκυῖα: perf. part. nom. f. s. of κατα-σκλέλλομαι, “hardened”

    ἐνῆν: impf. of ἐν-εἰμι, “there was on it”

    ἀνερπύσαντες: ao. part. of ἀνερπύζω, “having crawled”

    προῄειμεν: impf. of προ-ἔρχομαι, “we approached”

    τῆς χώρας ἐχούσης: gen. abs., “the land having”

    κολαστήριον: “the place of punishment”

    ἐξηνθήκει: plupf. of ἐξ-ἀνθέω, “had bloomed with” + dative

    περιέρρεον: impf. of περι-ρέω, “was flowing around”

    ἔρρει: impf. of ῥέω, “was flowing”

    ἐκυματοῦτο: impf of κυματέω, “undulated”

    εἶχεν: impf. of ἔχω, “it had”

    δαλοῖς: “torches”

    προσεοικότας: perf. part., “very like” + dat.

    ἄνθραξι: dat. pl., “coals”

    πεπυρωμένοις: perf. part. dat. pl. of πυράω, “burning”

    λυχνίσκους: “candlefish”

    προσέχω: bring to shore

    ἐπιβαίνω: go upon

    κρημνώδης, -ες: precipitous

    ἀπόξυρος, -ον: cut sharp off, abrupt

    πέτρα, ἡ: a rock, a ledge or shelf of rock

    τραχύς , -εῖα, -ύ: rough

    κατασκέλλομαι: whither, harden

    δένδρον, τό: a tree 

    ἀνερπύζω: to creep up or upwards

    κρημνός, οῦ: an overhanging bank

    ἀκανθώδης, -ες: full of thorns, thorny

    σκόλοψ, -οπος, ὁ: anything pointed

    μεστός, -ή, -όν: full, filled

    ἀτραπός: a path with no turnings

    ἀμορφία, ἡ: unshapeliness, unsightliness

    εἱρκτή, ἡ: an inclosure, prison

    κολαστήριον, ου, τό: a house of correction

    ἔδαφος, -εος, τό: a bottom, foundation

    μάχαιρα, ἡ: a large knife

    σκόλοψ, -οπος, ὁ: anything pointed

    ἐξανθέω: put out flowers

    περιρρέω: flow round

    βόρβορος, ὁ: mud, mire

    ἔνδον: in, within

    ἀπέρατος, -ον: not to be crossed

    ἔρρω: go slowly, wander about

    κυματόω: cover with waves

    δαλός: a fire-brand, piece of blazing wood

    προσέοικα: be like, resemble

    ἄνθραξ, -ακος, ὁ: charcoal, coal

    πυρόω: burn with fire, burn up

    λυχνίσκος, ὁ: fish

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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-2/2-30