(1) λέγεται ὅτι καὶ οὗτος ὁ Γλαῦκος πόαν ποτὲ φαγὼν ἀθάνατος ἐγένετο καὶ νῦν ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ οἰκεῖ. (2) τὸ δὲ τῇ πόᾳ ταύτῃ Γλαῦκον μόνον ἐντυχεῖν λίαν ἐστὶν εὔηθες, τό τε ἄνθρωπον ἐν θαλάσσῃ ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν χερσαίων ζῆν, ὁπότε οὔτε ποτάμιόν τι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, οὔτε τὸ ἀνάπαλιν ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ τὰ θαλάσσια ζῆν δύναται. (3) μάταιος οὖν ὁ λόγος. (4) ἔχει δὲ τὸ ἀληθὲς οὕτως. (5) Γλαῦκος ἦν ἀνὴρ ἁλιεὺς Ἀνθηδόνιος τὸ γένος· ἦν δὲ κολυμβητής, ἐν τούτῳ διαφέρων τῶν ἄλλων. (6) κολυμβῶν δὲ ἐν τῷ λιμένι, ὁρώντων αὐτὸν τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ διακολυμβήσας εἴς τινα τόπον καὶ μὴ ὀφθεὶς τοῖς οἰκείοις ἡμέρας ἱκανάς, διακολυμβήσας πάλιν, ὤφθη αὐτοῖς· πυνθανομένων δὲ “ποῦ διέτριψας τὰς τοσαύτας ἡμέρας;” ἔφη “ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ.” (7) καὶ συγκλείων εἰς ἔλυτρον ἰχθῦς, ὁπότε χειμὼν γένοιτο καὶ μηδεὶς τῶν ἄλλων ἁλιέων ἰχθῦς δύναιτο λαβεῖν, ἐπυνθάνετο τῶν πολιτῶν τίνας δὴ βούλοιντο τῶν ἰχθύων ἀποκομισθῆναι αὐτοῖς, καὶ κομίζων οὓς ἂν ἤθελον, Γλαῦκος θαλάσσιος ἐκλήθη, ὥσπερ νῦν εἴ τις ἐν ὄρει οἰκῶν καὶ ὢν ἀγαθὸς θηρευτὴς ὄρειος ἄνθρωπος καλοῖτο. (8) οὕτω καὶ ὁ Γλαῦκος τὰ πλεῖστα ἐν θαλάσσῃ διατρίβων Γλαῦκος θαλάσσιος ἐκλήθη. (9) καὶ περιτυχὼν θηρίῳ θαλασσίῳ ἀπώλετο· μὴ ἐξελθόντα δὲ ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐμύθευσαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι ὡς ἐν θαλάσσῃ οἰκοῦντα κἀκεῖ τοῦ λοιποῦ διάγοντα.
notes
According to myth, Glaucus (whose name means “gray” in Greek) was originally a mortal fisherman who lived by the sea. One day he noticed that when he placed his catch on a particular spot of grass, the fish came back to life and jumped back into the ocean. After Glaucus himself tasted this grass, he leapt into the water and became an immortal sea god with a changed appearance that included long, flowing hair and a fishtail.
For a fuller version of the myth, see Ovid, Metamorphoses 13.898–14.69. Additional details and stories about Glaucus can be found in Athenaeus, Deipnosophists 7.296a–297c.
1
λέγεται: “it is said.”
καὶ οὗτος ὁ Γλαῦκος: adverbial καί, “This Glaucus too.”
2
τὸ δὲ τῇ πόᾳ ταύτῃ Γλαῦκον μόνον ἐντυχεῖν: τὸ ... ἐντυχεῖν is an articular infinitive, “(the idea that) Glaucus alone came upon this grass.”
Γλαῦκον μόνον: accusative subject, appearing as usual between the article and the articular infinitive.
εὔηθες: neut. sing., agreeing with the articular infinitive construction above.
τό τε ἄνθρωπον … ζῆν: another articular infinitive; supply the phrase λίαν ἐστὶν εὔηθες again to complete the thought.
ἄνθρωπον … ἢ ἄλλο τι: accusative subject, appearing as usual between the article and the articular infinitive.
3
οὖν: the particle marks a change of topic. Here, it is a change from the description of the myth to the description of the historical deed.
4
ἔχει … οὕτως: “is as follows” (LSJ ἔχω B.II.2).
5
τὸ γένος: accusative of respect, “(Anthedonian) by birth.”
διαφέρων τῶν ἄλλων: “excelling all others” (LSJ διαφέρω III.4).
6
ὁρώντων αὐτὸν τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως: genitive absolute.
τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως: “the (people) from the city.”
μὴ ὀφθεὶς: ptc. sing. aor. pass. masc. nom. > ὁράω.
ἡμέρας ἱκανάς: “for many days,” an idiomatic expression.
πυνθανομένων δὲ: genitive absolute; the implied subject is τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως: “and when the (people) from the city asked.”
ἔφη: subject is Glaucus.
7
ἰχθῦς: acc. pl.
ὁπότε χειμὼν γένοιτο: the iterative optative (without ἄν) in a past time temporal clause refers to a habitual/repeated action “whenever there was a storm.”
ἐπυνθάνετο … τίνας δὴ βούλοιντο τῶν ἰχθύων: optative verb in an indirect question: “He used to ask … what fish they wanted.”
αὐτοῖς: refers to the citizens.
οὓς ἂν ἤθελον: the word ἂν suggests that P. is unconcerned about the types of fish, “whichever they happen to want.”
ὥσπερ νῦν εἴ: = ὥσπερ νῦν (S. 2480a).
τις: subject of καλοῖτο. For the use of the optative, see S. 2478.
ὄρειος ἄνθρωπος καλοῖτο: “might be called a ‘mountain man’.”
9
μὴ ἐξελθόντα: modifies Glaucus: “after he did not return.”
ἐμύθευσαν … ὡς: “(they) told the story that (he was).”
κἀκεῖ: καὶ ἐκεῖ.
τοῦ λοιποῦ: “for the rest of time.”
vocabulary
1
Γλαῦκος –ου, ὁ Glaucus
πόα –ας, ἡ grass
ἐσθίω, ἔδομαι, ἔφαγον, ἐδήδοκα, ἐδήδεσμαι, ἠδέσθην to eat
ἀθάνατος –η –ον immortal
2
ἐντυγχάνω, ἐντεύξομαι, ἐνέτυχον, ἐντετύχηκα, —, — to meet, encounter (+ dat.)
λίαν, adv. very, exceedingly
εὐήθης –ες naïve
χερσαῖος –α –ον of or from the land
ὁπότε, conj whenever
ποτάμιος –α –ον of or from a river
ἀνάπαλιν, adv. conversely
θαλάσσιος –α –ον of or from the sea
3
μάταιος –α –ον foolish, stupid
5
ἁλιεὺς –έως, ὁ fisherman
Ἀνθηδόνιος –α –ον from Anthedon, in Boeotia
κολυμβητής –οῦ, ὁ diver
6
κολυμβάω, contr. to swim, dive
λιμήν –ένος, ὁ harbor
διακολυμβάω, contr. to dive and swim across (submerged)
διατρίβω, διατρίψω, διέτριψα, διατέτριφα, διατέτριμμαι, διετρίφθην/διετρίβην to spend (time)
7
συγκλείω to enclose, shut in
ἔλυτρον –ου, τό tank for fish
ἰχθύς –ύος, ὁ fish
χειμών –ῶνος, ὁ storm
πολίτης –ου, ὁ citizen
ἀποκομίζω to carry back
θηρευτής –οῦ, ὁ hunter
ὄρειος –α –ον of or from the mountains
9
περιτυγχάνω, περιτεύξομαι, περιέτυχον, περιτετύχηκα, —, — to happen to encounter, meet
θηρίον –ου, τό wild animal, beast
ἐξέρχομαι, ἐξελεύσομαι, ἐξῆλθα/ἐξῆλθον, ἐξελήλυθα, —, — to go out
μυθεύω, —, ἐμύθευσα, μεμύθευκα, μεμύθευμαι, ἐμυθεύθην to tell a tale
διάγω, διάξω, διήγαγον, διῆχα, διῆγμαι, διήχθην to spend (time)