ἤδη δὲ πλησίον ἦμεν, καὶ θαυμαστή τις αὔρα περιέπνευσεν ἡμᾶς, ἡδεῖα καὶ εὐώδης, οἵαν φησὶν ὁ συγγραφεὺς Ἡρόδοτος ἀπόζειν τῆς εὐδαίμονος Ἀραβίας. οἷον γὰρ ἀπὸ ῥόδων καὶ ναρκίσσων καὶ ὑακίνθων καὶ κρίνων καὶ ἴων, ἔτι δὲ μυρρίνης καὶ δάφνης καὶ ἀμπελάνθης, τοιοῦτον ἡμῖν τὸ ἡδὺ προσέβαλλεν. ἡσθέντες δὲ τῇ ὀσμῇ καὶ χρηστὰ ἐκ μακρῶν πόνων ἐλπίσαντες κατ᾽ ὀλίγον ἤδη πλησίον τῆς νήσου ἐγινόμεθα. ἔνθα δὴ καὶ καθεωρῶμεν λιμένας τε πολλοὺς περὶ πᾶσαν ἀκλύστους καὶ μεγάλους, ποταμούς τε διαυγεῖς ἐξιέντας ἠρέμα εἰς τὴν θάλατταν, ἔτι δὲ λειμῶνας καὶ ὕλας καὶ ὄρνεα μουσικά, τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ἠϊόνων ᾄδοντα, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κλάδων· ἀήρ τε κοῦφος καὶ εὔπνους περιεκέχυτο τὴν χώραν· καὶ αὖραι δέ τινες ἡδεῖαι πνέουσαι ἠρέμα τὴν ὕλην διεσάλευον, ὥστε καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν κλάδων κινουμένων τερπνὰ καὶ συνεχῆ μέλη ἀπεσυρίζετο, ἐοικότα τοῖς ἐπ᾽ ἐρημίας αὐλήμασι τῶν πλαγίων αὐλῶν. καὶ μὴν καὶ βοὴ σύμμικτος ἠκούετο ἄθρους, οὐ θορυβώδης, ἀλλ᾽ οἵα γένοιτ᾽ ἂν ἐν συμποσίῳ, τῶν μὲν αὐλούντων, τῶν δὲ ἐπᾳδόντων, ἐνίων δὲ κροτούντων πρὸς αὐλὸν ἢ κιθάραν.

    περιέπνευσεν: ao. of περι-πνεύω, “blew upon”

    οἵαν φησὶν: “such as the one Herodotus claims”

    ἀπόζειν: pr. inf. of ἀπο-όζω, “to give a scent from”

    τῆς εὐδαίμονος Ἀραβίας: “blessed Arabia,” the southern part of the peninsula that typically receives more rainfall.

    τοιοῦτον τὸ ἡδὺ: “such was the sweetness”

    ἡσθέντες: ao. pas. part. of ἥδομαι, “being delighted”

    ἐλπίσαντες: ao. part of ἐλπίζω, “hoping”

    πλησίον ἐγινόμεθα: impf. of γίνομαι, “we drew near”

    καθεωρῶμεν: impf. of κατα-ὁράω, “we saw”

    ἐξιέντας: pr. part. of ἐξέρχομαι, “emptying”

    ᾄδοντα: pr. part. nom. pl. n. agreeing with ὄρνεα, “singing”

    περιεκέχυτο: plupf. of περι-χέω, “was poured around”

    πνέουσαι: pr. part. nom. f. pl. of πνέω, “blowing”

    διεσάλευον: impf. of διασαλεύω, “caused to move”

    ὥστε...ἀπεσυρίζετο: result clause, “so that they were whistling”

    ἀπεσυρίζετο: impf. of ἀπο-συρίζω

    τοῖς αὐλήμασι: dat. pl. after ἐοικότα, “like the fluting”

    τῶν πλαγίων αὐλῶν: “transverse-flutes” or “Pan-pipes”

    καὶ μὴν καὶ: “and indeed also”

    ἠκούετο: impf. pas. of ἀκούω

    ἀλλ᾽ οἵα: “but such as”

    γένοιτο ἂν: potential opt. of γίνομαι, “might occur”

    τῶν μὲν...τῶν δὲ...ἐνίων δὲ: gen. abs., “some playing, some singing, others beating time”

    θαυμαστός, -ή, -όν: wondrous, wonderful

    αὔρα, ἡ: air in motion, a breeze

    περιπνέω: breathe round or over

    εὐώδης, -ες: sweet-smelling, fragrant

    συγγραφεύς, -έως, ὁ: an historian

    Ἡρόδοτος, ὁ: Herodotus 

    ἀπόζω: smell of

    εὐδαίμων, -ον: blessed

    Ἀραβία, ἡ: Arabia

    ῥόδον, τό: the rose

    νάρκισσος, ὁ: the narcissus

    ὑάκινθος, ὁ, ἡ: the hyacinth

    κρίνον, ου, τό: a lily

    ἴον: the violet

    μυρρίνη, ἡ: a branch or wreath of myrtle

    δάφνη, ἡ: the laurel

    ἀμπελάνθη, ἡ: flower of the wild vine

    προσβάλλω: strike or dash against

    ἥδομαι: please, delight

    ὀσμή, ἡ: a smell, scent, odour

    χρηστός, -ή, -όν: useful, good of its kind, serviceable

    ἐλπίζω: hope for, look for, expect

    καθοράω: look down over, see

    λιμήν, -ένσς, ὁ: a harbour, haven, creek

    ἄκλυστος, -ον: unwashed by waves

    διαυγής, -ές: transparent

    ἐξίημι: send out, let

    ἠρέμα: stilly, quietly, gently, softly

    λειμών, -ῶνος, ὁ:  a meadow

    ὕλη, ἡ: a forest

    ὄρνεον, τό: bird

    μουσικός, -ή, -όν: of or for music, musical

    ἠιών: a sea-bank, shore, beach

    ἀείδω: sing

    κλάδος, ου: a young slip or shoot broken off

    ἀήρ: the lower air, the air

    κοῦφος, -η, -ον: light, nimble

    εὔπνους: breathing well, sweet-smelling

    περιχέω: pour round or over

    πνέω: blow

    ἠρέμα: stilly, quietly, gently, softly

    διασαλεύω: shake violently

    τερπνός, -ή, -όν: delightsome, delightful, pleasant, agreeable, glad

    συνεχής, -ές: holding together

    ἀποσυρίζω: whistle aloud

    μέλος, -εος, τό: a limb

    ἐρημία, ἡ: a solitude, desert, wilderness

    αὔλημα, -ατος, τό: a piece of music for the flute

    πλάγιος, -ος, -ον: placed sideways, slanting, aslant

    αὐλός, ὁ: flute

    βοή, ἡ: a loud cry, shout

    σύμμικτος, ον: commingled, promiscuous

    ἀθρόος, -α, -ον: in crowds, crowded together

    θορυβώδης, -ες: noisy, uproarious, turbulent

    συμπόσιον, τό: a drinking-party, symposium

    αὐλέω: play on the flute

    ἐπᾴδω: sing to or in accompaniment

    ἔνιοι, -αι, -α: some

    κροτέω: make to rattle

    κιθάρα, ἡ: guitar

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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-2/2-5