ταχέως οὖν ἀναστρέψας ἐπὶ τὴν ναῦν - οὐ γὰρ ἐδυνάμην φέρειν τὴν ὄψιν - ἀσπασάμενος τὸν Ναύπλιον ἀπέπλευσα.

      Καὶ μετ᾽ ὀλίγον ἐφαίνετο πλησίον ἡ τῶν ὀνείρων νῆσος, ἀμυδρὰ καὶ ἀσαφὴς ἰδεῖν· εἶχε δὲ καὶ αὐτή τι τοῖς ὀνείροις παραπλήσιον· ὑπεχώρει γὰρ προσιόντων ἡμῶν καὶ ὑπέφευγε καὶ πορρωτέρω ὑπέβαινε. καταλαβόντες δέ ποτε αὐτὴν καὶ εἰσπλεύσαντες εἰς τὸν Ὕπνον λιμένα προσαγορευόμενον πλησίον τῶν πυλῶν τῶν ἐλεφαντίνων, ᾗ τὸ τοῦ Ἀλεκτρυόνος ἱερόν ἐστιν, περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν ἀπεβαίνομεν· παρελθόντες δὲ ἐς τὴν πόλιν πολλοὺς ὀνείρους καὶ ποικίλους ἑωρῶμεν. πρῶτον δὲ βούλομαι περὶ τῆς πόλεως εἰπεῖν, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ ἄλλῳ τινὶ γέγραπται περὶ αὐτῆς, ὃς δὲ καὶ μόνος ἐπεμνήσθη Ὅμηρος, οὐ πάνυ ἀκριβῶς συνέγραψεν.

    They make their way to the Island of Dreams.

    ἀσπασάμενος: ao. part. of ἀσπάζω, “bidding farewell”

    ἀπέπλευσα: ao. 1 s., “I sailed away”

    ἀμυδρὰ καὶ ἀσαφὴς ἰδεῖν: epexegetic inf., “faint and unclear to see”

    ὑπεχώρει: impf. of ὑπο-χορέω, “kept receding”

    προσιόντων ἡμῶν: pr. part. of προσ-ἔρχομαι,  gen. abs., “as we approached”

    καταλαβόντες: ao. part. of καταλαμβάνω, “having overtaken”

    πυλῶν τῶν ἐλεφαντίνων: There are gates of ivory in the underworld of Homer.

    ᾗ: rel. pron. dat. s. f., “where”

    Ἀλεκτρυόνος ἱερόν ἐστιν: “the sanctuary of the rooster,” perhaps referring to the practice of divination using a rooster.

    περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν: “around late afternoon”

    παρελθόντες: ao. part. of παρα-ἔρχομαι, “upon arriving”

    ἑωρῶμεν: impf. of ὁράω, “we saw”

    ἄλλῳ τινι: dat. of agent, “by anyone else”

    γέγραπται: perf. pas. of γράφω, “(nothing) has been written”

    ὃς δὲ καὶ μόνος: “and even he who alone,” i.e, Homer.

    ἐπεμνήσθη: ao. of ἐπι-μιμνήσκομαι, “made mention”

    συνέγραψεν: ao. of συν-γράφω, “he described”

    ταχέως: quickly

    ἀναστρέφω: turn upside down, upset

    ὄψις -εως, ἡ: look, appearance, aspect

    ἀσπάζομαι: bid farewell

    ἀποπλέω: sail away, sail off

    φαίνομαι: seem, appear

    πλήσιος , -α, -ον: near, close to

    ὄνειρος, -ου, ὁ: a dream

    ἀμυδρός, -ά, -όν: indistinct, dim, obscure

    ἀσαφής, -ές: indistinct

    παραπλήσιος, -α, -ον: nearly resembling, such-like

    ὑποχωρέω: go back, retire, recoil

    ὑποφεύγω: flee from under, shun

    πορρωτέρω: further

    ὑποβαίνω: go or stand under

    εἰσπλέω: sail into, enter

    Ὕπνος, ὁ: Hypnos

    λιμήν, -ένος, ὁ: a harbor, haven, creek

    προσαγορεύω: address, call by name

    πύλη: one wing of a pair of double gates

    ἐλεφάντινος, -η, -ον: of ivory, ivory

    δείλη, ἡ: afternoon

    ὄψιος, -α, -ον: late

    ἀποβαίνω: step off, disembark

    παρέρχομαι: go by, pass by

    ποικίλος, -η, -ον: many-colored, spotted

    ἐπιμιμνήσκομαι: remember, think of

    ἀκριβῶς: exactly

    συγγράφω: write or note down

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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-2/2-32