ἑπτὰ δὲ ἡμέρας καὶ τὰς ἴσας νύκτας ἀεροδρομήσαντες, ὀγδόῃ καθορῶμεν γῆν τινα μεγάλην ἐν τῷ ἀέρι καθάπερ νῆσον, λαμπρὰν καὶ σφαιροειδῆ καὶ φωτὶ μεγάλῳ καταλαμπομένην· προσενεχθέντες δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ ὁρμισάμενοι ἀπέβημεν, ἐπισκοποῦντες δὲ τὴν χώραν εὑρίσκομεν οἰκουμένην τε καὶ γεωργουμένην. ἡμέρας μὲν οὖν οὐδὲν αὐτόθεν καθεωρῶμεν, νυκτὸς δὲ ἐπιγενομένης ἐφαίνοντο ἡμῖν καὶ ἄλλαι πολλαὶ νῆσοι πλησίον, αἱ μὲν μείζους, αἱ δὲ μικρότεραι, πυρὶ τὴν χροιὰν προσεοικυῖαι, καὶ ἄλλη δέ τις γῆ κάτω, καὶ πόλεις ἐν αὑτῇ καὶ ποταμοὺς ἔχουσα καὶ πελάγη καὶ ὕλας καὶ ὄρη. ταύτην οὖν τὴν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς οἰκουμένην εἰκάζομεν.

    They land on the Moon.

    καθορῶμεν: “we spot,” historical present (S. 1883).

    καταλαμπομένην: pres. part., "all lit up."

    προσενεχθέντες: aor. pass. part. of προσφέρω, "having approached."

    εὑρίσκομεν οἰκουμένην τε καὶ γεωργουμένην: indir. statement, "we discover that (the island) is inhabited and being farmed." 

    ἡμέρας μὲν...νυκτὸς δε ἐπιγενομένης: gen. of time within which, "by day...as night came on."

    καθεωρῶμεν: imperf. 1 pl. of καθοράω, "we saw."

    τὴν χρόαν: "in color" (S. 1600 and 1601b).

    προσεοικυῖαι: perf. part. nom. pl. f., “resembling.”

    γῆ κάτω: “another land below.”

    ταύτην...εἰκάζομεν: "we surmised that this was the world inhabited by us."

    VERB LIST

    ἀεροδρομέω: to traverse the air

    ὄγδοος, -η, -ον: eighth

    καθοράω: to catch sight of

    σφαιροειδής, -ές: spherical

    καταλάμπω: to shine

    προσφέρομαι: (Pass.) to be borne to, to approach, to go towards (+ dat.)

    ὁρμίζω: to moor, anchor

    ἐπισκοπέω: to look at, inspect

    οἰκουμένος: inhabited 

    γεωργέω: to farm

    αὐτόθεν: from the very spot

    ἐπιγίνομαι: come into being, happen

    πλησίον: (Adv.) nearby, near

    φαίνομαι: to appear

    μείζων, ον: greater

    μικρότερος, -α, -ον: smaller

    χροιά, ἡ: color

    προσέοικα: to resemble

    κάτω: below

    πέλαγος, -εος, τό: a sea 

    ὕλη, ἡ: a forest, woodland

    εἰκάζω: infer, conjecture, reckon

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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-1/1-10