οὔπω γοῦν ἐδεδύκει ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ ἀπό τινος ἐρήμου νήσου προσήλαυνον ἡμῖν ὅσον εἴκοσι ἄνδρες ἐπὶ δελφίνων μεγάλων ὀχούμενοι, λῃσταὶ καὶ οὗτοι· καὶ οἱ δελφῖνες αὐτοὺς ἔφερον ἀσφαλῶς, καὶ ἀναπηδῶντες ἐχρεμέτιζον ὥσπερ ἵπποι. ἐπεὶ δὲ πλησίον ἦσαν, διαστάντες οἱ μὲν ἔνθεν, οἱ δὲ ἔνθεν ἔβαλλον ἡμᾶς σηπίαις ξηραῖς καὶ ὀφθαλμοῖς καρκίνων. τοξευόντων δὲ ἡμῶν καὶ ἀκοντιζόντων οὐκέτι ὑπέμενον, ἀλλὰ τρωθέντες οἱ πολλοὶ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὴν νῆσον κατέφυγον.

    ἐδεδύκει: plupl. of δύω, “had set”

    προσήλαυνον: impf. of προσ-ἐλαύνω, “they drove toward us”

    ὅσον εἴκοσι: “about twenty”

    λῃσταὶ καὶ οὗτοι: “these were pirates too”

    ἀναπηδῶντες: ao. part. of ἀνα-πηδάω, “having lept up”

    διαστάντες: ao. part. intrans. of δια-ἵστημι, “dividing themselves”

    ἔβαλλον: impf. “they were casting” 

    σηπίαις ξηραῖς καὶ ὀφθαλμοῖς: dat. of means, “with dry cuttlefish and the eyes of crabs”

    τοξευόντων δὲ ἡμῶν καὶ ἀκοντιζόντων: gen. abs., “when we started firing”

    τρωθέντες: ao. part. pas. of τρωματίζω, “having been wounded”

    κατέφυγον: ao. of κατα-φεύγω, “they fled”

    οὔπω: not yet

    γοῦν: at least then, at any rate, any way

    δύω: sink into

    ἐρήμος, -ον: deserted

    προσελαύνω: drive to

    δελφίς, -ῖνος, ὁ: a dolphin

    ὀχέω: uphold, sustain

    λῃστής, -οῦ, ὁ: a robber, plunderer

    ἀσφαλής, -ές: not liable to fall, steadfast, firm

    ἀναπηδάω: leap up, start up

    χρεμετίζω: neigh, whinny

    πλήσιος , -α, -ον: near, close to

    διίστημι: set apart, separate

    ἔνθεν: on the one side

    σηπία, ἡ: the cuttle-fish

    ξηρός, -ά, -όν: dry

    καρκίνος, ὁ: a crab

    τοξεύω: shoot with the bow

    ἀκοντίζω: hurl a javelin

    ὑπομένω: stay behind, survive

    τιτρώσκω: wound

    καταφεύγω: flee for refuge

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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-2/2-39