Ἄρτι δὲ τοῦ ἀγῶνος συντετελεσμένου ἠγγέλλοντο οἱ ἐν τῷ χώρῳ τῶν ἀσεβῶν κολαζόμενοι ἀπορρήξαντες τὰ δεσμὰ καὶ τῆς φρουρᾶς ἐπικρατήσαντες ἐλαύνειν ἐπὶ τὴν νῆσον· ἡγεῖσθαι δὲ αὐτῶν Φάλαρίν τε τὸν Ἀκραγαντῖνον καὶ Βούσιριν τὸν Αἰγύπτιον καὶ Διομήδη τὸν Θρᾷκα καὶ τοὺς περὶ Σκείρωνα καὶ Πιτυοκάμπτην. ὡς δὲ ταῦτα ἤκουσεν ὁ Ῥαδάμανθυς, ἐκτάσσει τοὺς ἥρωας ἐπὶ τῆς ᾐόνος· ἡγεῖτο δὲ Θησεύς τε καὶ Ἀχιλλεὺς καὶ Αἴας ὁ Τελαμώνιος ἤδη σωφρονῶν· καὶ συμμίξαντες ἐμάχοντο, καὶ ἐνίκησαν οἱ ἥρωες, Ἀχιλλέως τὰ πλεῖστα κατορθώσαντος. ἠρίστευσε δὲ καὶ Σωκράτης ἐπὶ τῷ δεξιῷ ταχθείς, πολὺ μᾶλλον ἢ ὅτε ζῶν ἐπὶ Δηλίῳ ἐμάχετο. προσιόντων γὰρ τεττάρων πολεμίων οὐκ ἔφυγε καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον ἄτρεπτος ἦν· ἐφ᾽ οἷς καὶ ὕστερον ἐξῃρέθη αὐτῷ ἀριστεῖον, καλός τε καὶ μέγας παράδεισος ἐν τῷ προαστείῳ, ἔνθα καὶ συγκαλῶν τοὺς ἑταίρους διελέγετο, Νεκρακαδημίαν τὸν τόπον προσαγορεύσας. 

    News arrives of a jailbreak from the Island of the Damned.

    τοῦ ἀγῶνος συντετελεσμένου: gen. abs. perf. part. of συν-τελέω, “the games hardly finished”

    οἱ...κολαζόμενοι: “those being punished”

    ἀπορρήξαντες: ao. part. of ἀπορρήγνυμι, “having burst out”

    ἐλαύνειν, ἡγεῖσθαι: pr. inf. in ind. st. after ἠγγέλλοντο, “they were reported to be driving,” and “that P. was leading.”  Note the change in construction from nominative to accusative.

    Φάλαρίν τὸν Ἀκραγαντῖνον: Phalaris was tyrant of Acragas from 570-554 and was renowned for his excessive cruelty.  He speaks in his own defense in two rhetorical exercises by Lucian.

    Βούσιριν Αἰγύπτιον: Busiris was a legendary pharoah of Egypt renowned for his xenophobia and cruelty.  Busiris was a popular theme in Greek art and Isocrates wrote a mock encomium about him.

    Διομήδη τὸν Θρᾷκα: Diomedes of Thrace was a legendary king renowned for cruelty, especially for the man-eating horses he kept, which were stolen by Heracles.

    Σκείρωνα καὶ Πιτυοκάμπτην: Sciron and Pityokamptes were infamous robbers killed by Theseus.

    ἐκτάσσει: pr. of ἐκ-τάσσω, “he musters”

    ἤδη σωφρονῶν: “already recovered”

    Ἀχιλλέως κατορθώσαντος: gen. abs., “A. having accomplished”

    ταχθείς: ao. part. pas. of τάσσω, “having been stationed”

    ζῶν ἐπὶ Δηλίῳ ἐμάχετο: Socrates was in the defeated army at Delium in 424.

    προσιόντων...πολεμίων: gen abs., “four enemies attacking”

    προσιόντων: pr. part. of προσ-ἔρχομαι

    οὐκ ἔφυγε: ao. of φεύγω, “he didn᾽t flee”

    ἄτρεπτος: Alcibiades recounts in the Symposium Socrates᾽ composure in battle.

    ἐφ᾽ οἷς: “and for this reason”

    ἐξῃρέθη: ao. pas. of ἐξαιρέω, “was dedicated”

    ἐν τῷ προαστείῳ: “outside the city”

    συγκαλῶν: pr. part. συν-καλέω, “calling together”

    Νεκρακαδημίαν: “Academy of the Dead”

    ἄρτι: just, exactly

    συντελέω: bring to an end, complete, accomplish

    χῶρος, ὁ: a piece of ground, ground, place

    ἀσεβής, -ές: ungodly, godless, unholy, profane

    κολάζω: curtail, dock, prune

    ἀπορρήγνυμι: break off, snap asunder

    δεσμόν, τὸ: anything for binding, fetter

    φρουρά, ἡ: watch, guard

    ἐπικρατέω: rule over

    Αἰγύπτιος, -α, -ον: Egyptian

    Θρᾷξ, Θρᾳκός, ὁ: a Thracian

    ἐκτάσσω: draw out in battle-order

    ἥρως, ὁ: a hero, warrior

    ἠιών: a sea-bank, shore, beach

    Θησεύς, ὁ: Theseus

    Ἀχιλλεύς, ὁ: Achilles

    Αἴας, -αντος, ὁ: Ajax

    σωφρονέω: be sound of mind

    συμμίγνυμι: mix together

    κατορθόω: set upright, erect

    ἀριστεύω: be best or bravest

    Σωκράτης, ὁ: Socrates

    δεξιός, -ά, -όν: on the right hand or side

    Δήλιος, -α, -ον: Delium

    ἄτρεπτος, -ον: unmoved, immutable

    ἐξαιρέω: dedicate

    ἀριστεῖον: the prize of the best and bravest

    παράδεισος, ὁ: a garden, orchard

    προάστειον, ου, τό: a suburb

    συγκαλέω: call to council, convoke, convene

    ἑταῖρος, ὁ: a comrade, companion, mate

    διαλέγομαι: discourse

    προσαγορεύω: address, name

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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-2/2-23