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.

    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”

    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

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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-2/2-13