ὡς δὲ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐψαύσαμεν, θαυμασίως ὑπερηδόμεθα καὶ ὑπερεχαίρομεν καὶ πᾶσαν ἐκ τῶν παρόντων εὐφροσύνην ἐποιούμεθα καὶ ἀπορρίψαντες ἐνηχόμεθα· καὶ γὰρ ἔτυχε γαλήνη οὖσα καὶ εὐσταθοῦν τὸ πέλαγος.

      Ἔοικε δὲ ἀρχὴ κακῶν μειζόνων γίνεσθαι πολλάκις ἡ πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον μεταβολή· καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς δύο μόνας ἡμέρας ἐν εὐδίᾳ πλεύσαντες, τῆς τρίτης ὑποφαινούσης πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα τὸν ἥλιον ἄφνω ὁρῶμεν θηρία καὶ κήτη πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα, ἓν δὲ μέγιστον ἁπάντων ὅσον σταδίων χιλίων καὶ πεντακοσίων τὸ μέγεθος· ἐπῄει δὲ κεχηνὸς καὶ πρὸ πολλοῦ ταράττον τὴν θάλατταν ἀφρῷ τε περικλυζόμενον καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐκφαῖνον πολὺ τῶν παρ᾽ ἡμῖν φαλλῶν ὑψηλοτέρους, ὀξεῖς δὲ πάντας ὥσπερ σκόλοπας καὶ λευκοὺς ὥσπερ ἐλεφαντίνους. ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν τὸ ὕστατον ἀλλήλους προσειπόντες καὶ περιβαλόντες ἐμένομεν· τὸ δὲ ἤδη παρῆν καὶ ἀναρροφῆσαν ἡμᾶς αὐτῇ νηῒ κατέπιεν. οὐ μέντοι ἔφθη συναράξαι τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν ἀραιωμάτων ἡ ναῦς ἐς τὸ ἔσω διεξέπεσεν. 

    ὡς...ἐψαύσαμεν: aor. 1 pl. of ψαύω, “when we touched (+ gen.)” (S. 1345).

    πᾶσαν...εὐφροσύνην ἐποιούμεθα: "we made ourselves merry."

    ἔτυχε γαλήνη οὖσα: "it was calm." On τυγχάνω + suppl. part. without the usual idea of chance, see S. 2096c. Similarly, take ἔτυχε with καὶ εὐσταθοῦν τὸ πέλαγος: "and the sea was tranquil."

    ἔοικε δὲ ἀρχὴ...γίνεσθαι ἡ πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον μεταβολή: “a change for the better seems to be the beginning...” In a predicate nominative construction, the predicate noun has no definite article while the subject usually does (S. 1150; G. 551g).

    δύο μόνας ἡμέρας: "for only two days," (G. 538; S. 1580 and 1582).

    τῆς τρίτης (sc. ἡμέρας) ὑποφαινούσης: "when the third day was just breaking," (S. 2058 and 2070; G. 589 and 590).

    πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα τὸν ἥλιον: "near sunrise" (lit. "towards the rising sun").

    κήτη πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα: "many other sea-monsters," (S. 2879).

    ὅσον σταδίων χιλίων καὶ πεντακοσίων τὸ μέγεθος: "about fifteen hundred stades in length," (μέγεθος, S. 1600 and 1601b).

    ἐπῄει: "he attacked," ἔπειμι (εἶμι) is used here as the impf. of ἐπέρχομαι. 

    κεχηνός: perf. part. nom. sg. neut. of χάσκω, "with mouth wide open."

    πρὸ πολλοῦ: "far before" (of space here but it can also be used of time).

    ταράττον, ἐκφαῖνον: pres. neut. nom. participles agreeing with the approaching sea-monster (κῆτος). 

    πολὺ...ὑψηλοτέρους: "much larger" (S. 1609).

    τὸ ὕστατον ἀλλήλους προσειπόντες: "having said our goodbyes" (lit. "having addressed each other for the last time").

    περιβαλόντες: aor. part. of περιβάλλω, “having embraced.”

    τὸ δὲ ἤδη παρῆν: impf. 3. sg. of πάρειμι, "and it was immediately present" (on the use of the article, see S. 1112 and 1120).

    ἀναρροφῆσαν: aor. part. sg. neut. of ἀναρροφέω, "with a gulp."

    αὐτῇ ν­ηΐ: "ship and all" (S. 1525).

    ἡμᾶς...κατέπιεν: aor. 3 sg. of καταπίνω, "swallowed us down."

    οὐ ἔφθη: aor. 3 sg. of φθάνω, with συναράξαι, "it just missed crushing (us)," literally, "it did not manage to crush (us)." See Jerram ad loc. where he explains οὐ ἔφθη as "was not quick enough to (+ infin.)." The verb does not appear often with an infinitive.

    συναράξαι: aor. infin. of συναράσσω.

    τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν: "with its teeth" (S. 1507).

    διεξέπεσεν: aor. 3 sg. of διεκπίπτω, "fell through."

     

    VERB LIST

    ψαύω: touch (+ gen.)

    θαυμασίως: wonderfully

    ὑπερήδομαι: be overjoyed

    ὑπερχαίρω: rejoice exceedingly

    παρόντα, τά: the present circumstances

    εὐφροσύνη, ἡ: merriment, good cheer

    ἀπορρίπτω: throw oneself down, leap off

    νήχομαι: swim

    γαλήνη, ἡ: still, calm

    εὐσταθέω: be steady, favorable

    πέλαγος, -ους, τό: the sea

    μεταβολή, ἡ: a change

    εὐδία, ἡ: fair weather

    ὑποφαίνω: (of the day) gradually break, just begin to break

    ἀνίσχω: lift up, rise

    ἄφνω: suddenly, unawares

    θηρίον, τό: a wild creature

    κῆτος, -ους, τό: a sea-monster

    χίλιοι, -αι, -α: a thousand

    πεντακόσιοι, -αι, -α: five hundred

    χάσκω: have one's mouth open, gape

    ταράττω: stir, stir up

    ἀφρός, ὁ: foam

    περικλύζομαι: be washed all around

    ὀδούς, όντος, ὁ: a tooth

    ἐκφαίνω: to show, reveal

    φαλλός, ὁ: phallus

    ὑψηλός, -ή, -όν: high, lofty, tall

    σκόλοψ, -οπος, ὁ: a pointed object, stake

    λευκός, -ή, -όν: bright, shining, white

    ἐλεφάντινος, -η, -ον: ivory

    ὕστατος, -η, -ον: last, final

    προσεῖπον: address, speak to (used as aorist of προσφωνέω)

    περιβάλλω: throw around, embrace

    καταπίνω: swallow down

    ἀναρροφέω:  gulp down

    φθάνω: manage to (+ infin.)

    συναράσσω: dash in pieces, crush

    ὀδών, όντος, ὁ: a tooth

    ἀραίωμα: interstice, crevice, crack

    ἔσω: to the interior

    διεκπίπτω: slip through, into

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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-1/1-30