ἡ δὲ χώρα πᾶσι μὲν ἄνθεσιν, πᾶσι δὲ φυτοῖς ἡμέροις τε καὶ σκιεροῖς τέθληλεν· αἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄμπελοι δωδεκάφοροί εἰσιν καὶ κατὰ μῆνα ἕκαστον καρποφοροῦσιν· τὰς δὲ ῥοιὰς καὶ τὰς μηλέας καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ὀπώραν ἔλεγον εἶναι τρισκαιδεκάφορον· ἑνὸς γὰρ μηνὸς τοῦ παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς Μινῴου δὶς καρποφορεῖν· ἀντὶ δὲ πυροῦ οἱ στάχυες ἄρτον ἕτοιμον ἐπ᾽ ἄκρων φύουσιν ὥσπερ μύκητας. πηγαὶ δὲ περὶ τὴν πόλιν ὕδατος μὲν πέντε καὶ ἑξήκοντα καὶ τριακόσιαι, μέλιτος δὲ ἄλλαι τοσαῦται, μύρου δὲ πεντακόσιαι, μικρότεραι μέντοι αὗται, καὶ ποταμοὶ γάλακτος ἑπτὰ καὶ οἴνου ὀκτώ.
notes
καὶ μέντοι: “and what᾽s more”
ἡμέροις τε καὶ σκιεροῖς: “both cultivated and shady.” There is a pun here as though ἡμέροις means “sunny.”
τέθληλεν: perf. of θάλλω, “teems”
ἔλεγον εἶναι τρισκαιδεκάφορον: “were said to bear fruit 13 times a year”
τοῦ παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς Μινῴου: “the month called Minoan among them”
δὶς καρποφορεῖν: inf. continues ind. st., “to bear fruit twice”
ὥσπερ μύκητας: “like mushrooms”
vocabulary
ἄνθος, ὁ: a blossom, flower
φυτόν, τό: that which has grown, a plant, tree
ἥμερος: tame, tamed, reclaimed
σκιερός, -ά, -όν: shady, giving shade
θάλλω: swell, teem
ἄμπελος, ἡ: clasping tendrils
δωδεκάφορος, -ον: bearing fruit 12 times a year
μείς, μήνος, ὁ: a month
καρποφορέω: bear fruit
ῥοιά, ἡ: mulberry
μηλέα, ἡ: an apple-tree
ὀπώρα, ἡ: late summer
Μινώιος: of Minos
πυρός, ὁ: wheat
στάχυς, -υος, ὁ: an ear of corn
ἄρτος, ὁ: a cake or loaf of wheat-bread
ἑτοῖμος, -ον: at hand, ready, prepared
ἄκρον, -ον, τό: the highest or furthest point
μύκης, -ητος, ὁ: a mushroom
πηγή, ἡ: running waters, streams
ἑξήκοντα: sixty
τριακόσιοι, -αι, -α: three hundred
μέλι, -ιτος, τό: honey
μύρον, ου, τό: unguent, balsam
πεντακόσιοι, -αι: five hundred
γάλα, τό: milk
οἶνος, ὁ: wine