§2.4Μείναντες δὲ ἡμέρας ἐν τῇ νήσῳ πέντε, τῇ ἕκτῃ ἐξωρμήσαμεν, αὔρας μέν τινος παραπεμπούσης, λειοκύμονος δὲ οὔσης τῆς θαλάττης·
And having remained five days on the island, on the sixth we set out, a certain breeze escorting us, and the sea being smooth-waved.
ὀγδόῃ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ πλέοντες οὐκέτι διὰ τοῦ γάλακτος, ἀλλʼ ἤδη ἐν ἁλμυρῷ καὶ κυανέῳ ὕδατι, καθορῶμεν ἀνθρώπους πολλοὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ πελάγους διαθέοντας, ἅπαντα ἡμῖν προσεοικότας, καὶ τὰ σώματα καὶ τὰ μεγέθη, πλὴν τῶν ποδῶν μόνων· ταῦτα γὰρ φέλλινα εἶχον, ἀφʼ οὗ δή, οἶμαι, καὶ ἐκαλοῦντο Φελλόποδες.
On the eighth day, sailing no longer through the milk, but now in salty and dark-blue water, we descried many men running about upon the sea, resembling us in all things, both in their bodies and sizes, except only their feet; for these they had of cork, from which indeed, I suppose, they were also called Cork-footers.
ἐθαυμάσαμεν οὖν ἰδόντες οὐ βαπτιζομένους, ἀλλὰ ὑπερέχοντας τῶν κυμάτων καὶ ἀδεῶς ὁδοιποροῦντας.
We wondered, therefore, seeing them not being submerged, but standing above the waves and walking without fear.
οἱ δὲ καὶ προσῄεσαν καὶ ἠσπάζοντο ἡμᾶς Ἑλληνικῇ φωνῇ· ἔλεγον δὲ καὶ εἰς Φελλὼ τὴν αὑτῶν πατρίδα ἐπείγεσθαι.
And they both approached and greeted us in the Greek tongue; and they said they were hastening to Cork, their own fatherland.
μέχρι μὲν οὖν τινος συνωδοιπόρουν ἡμῖν παραθέοντες, εἶτα ἀποτραπόμενοι τῆς ὁδοῦ ἐβάδιζον εὔπλοιαν ἡμῖν ἐπευξάμενοι.
So for some time they ran alongside and journeyed with us, then turning away from the path they went on, wishing us a good voyage.
μετʼ ὀλίγον δὲ πολλαὶ νῆσοι ἐφαίνοντο, πλησίον μὲν ἐξ ἀριστερῶν ἡ Φελλώ, ἐς ἣν ἐκεῖνοι ἔσπευδον, πόλις ἐπὶ μεγάλου καὶ στρογγύλου φελλοῦ κατοικουμένη· πόρρωθεν δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον ἐν δεξιᾷ πέντε μέγισται καὶ ὑψηλόταται, καὶ πῦρ πολὺ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ἀνεκαίετο,
And after a little while many islands appeared; near on the left was Cork, to which they were hastening, a city inhabited upon a large and round cork; and far off and more on the right were five very large and very high islands, and much fire was being kindled from them.
§2.5κατὰ δὲ τὴν πρῷραν μία πλατεῖα καὶ ταπεινή, σταδίους ἀπέχουσα οὐκ ἐλάττους πεντακοσίων.
And right ahead was one flat and low island, distant not less than five hundred stadia.
ἤδη δὲ πλησίον ἦμεν, καὶ θαυμαστή τις αὔρα περιέπνευσεν ἡμᾶς, ἡδεῖα καὶ εὐώδης, οἵαν φησὶν ὁ συγγραφεὺς Ἡρόδοτος ἀπόζειν τῆς εὐδαίμονος Ἀραβίας.
And already we were near, and a certain wonderful breeze blew around us, sweet and fragrant, such as the historian Herodotus says smells from Happy Arabia.
οἷον γὰρ ἀπὸ ῥόδων καὶ ναρκίσσων καὶ ὑακίνθων καὶ κρίνων καὶ ἴων, ἔτι δὲ μυρρίνης καὶ δάφνης καὶ ἀμπελάνθης, τοιοῦτον ἡμῖν τὸ ἡδὺ προσέβαλλεν.
For as if from roses and narcissi and hyacinths and lilies and violets, and further of myrtle and laurel and vine-blossom, such a sweet scent struck us.
ἡσθέντες δὲ τῇ ὀσμῇ καὶ χρηστὰ ἐκ μακρῶν πόνων ἐλπίσαντες κατʼ ὀλίγον ἤδη πλησίον τῆς νήσου ἐγινόμεθα.
Being pleased with the odor and hoping for good things after long labors, we gradually came near the island.
ἔνθα δὴ καὶ καθεωρῶμεν λιμένας τε πολλοὺς περὶ πᾶσαν ἀκλύστους καὶ μεγάλους, ποταμούς τε διαυγεῖς ἐξιέντας ἠρέμα εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ἔτι δὲ λειμῶνας καὶ ὕλας καὶ ὄρνεα μουσικά, τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ᾐόνων ᾄδοντα, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κλάδων· ἀήρ τε κοῦφος καὶ εὔπνους περιεκέχυτο τὴν χώραν· καὶ αὖραι δέ τινες ἡδεῖαι πνέουσαι ἠρέμα τὴν ὕλην διεσάλευον, ὥστε καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν κλάδων κινουμένων τερπνὰ καὶ συνεχῆ μέλη ἀπεσυρίζετο, ἐοικότα τοῖς ἐπʼ ἐρημίας αὐλήμασι τῶν πλαγίων αὐλῶν.
There indeed we also descried many harbors, wave-free and large all around, and clear rivers flowing out gently into the sea, and further, meadows and woods and musical birds, some singing upon the shores, and many also upon the branches; and a light and pleasant air was poured around the land; and certain sweet breezes blowing gently shook the wood, so that from the moving branches delightful and continuous melodies were piped out, resembling the pipings of transverse flutes in a desert.
καὶ μὴν καὶ βοὴ σύμμικτος ἠκούετο ἄθρους, οὐ θορυβώδης, ἀλλʼ οἵα γένοιτʼ ἂν ἐν συμποσίῳ, τῶν μὲν αὐλούντων, τῶν δὲ ἐπᾳδόντων, ἐνίων δὲ κροτούντων πρὸς αὐλὸν ἢ κιθάραν.
And indeed a mingled voice was heard all together, not tumultuous, but such as might arise in a symposium, some piping, others singing along, and some clapping to the flute or cithara.
§2.6τούτοις ἅπασι κηλούμενοι κατήχθημεν, ὁρμίσαντες δὲ τὴν ναῦν ἀπεβαίνομεν, τὸν Σκίνθαρον ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ δύο τῶν ἑταίρων ἀπολιπόντες.
Charmed by all these things, we put in, and having moored the ship we disembarked, leaving Scintharus and two of the companions in her.
προιόντες δὲ διὰ λειμῶνος εὐανθοῦς ἐντυγχάνομεν τοῖς φρουροῖς καὶ περιπόλοις, οἱ δὲ δήσαντες ἡμᾶς ῥοδίνοις στεφάνοις — οὗτος γὰρ μέγιστος παρʼ αὐτοῖς δεσμός ἐστιν — ἀνῆγον ὡς τὸν ἄρχοντα, παρʼ ὧν δὴ καὶ καθʼ ὁδὸν ἠκούσαμεν ὡς ἡ μὲν νῆσος εἴη τῶν Μακάρων προσαγορευομένη, ἄρχοι δὲ ὁ Κρὴς Ῥαδάμανθυς.
And proceeding through a flowery meadow we met with the guards and patrols, and they, having bound us with rose garlands—for this is the greatest bond among them—led us up to the ruler, from whom indeed we also heard along the way that the island was called that of the Blessed, and the Cretan Rhadamanthys ruled it.
καὶ δὴ ἀναχθέντες ὡς αὐτὸν ἐν τάξει τῶν δικαζομένων ἔστημεν τέταρτοι.
And indeed, having been led up to him, we stood fourth in the order of those to be judged.
§2.7ἦν δὲ ἡ μὲν πρώτη δίκη περὶ Αἴαντος τοῦ Τελαμῶνος, εἴτε χρὴ αὐτὸν συνεῖναι τοῖς ἥρωσιν εἴτε καὶ μή· κατηγορεῖτο δὲ αὐτοῦ ὅτι μεμήνοι καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἀπεκτόνοι.
And the first lawsuit was concerning Ajax, the son of Telamon, whether it was necessary for him to associate with the heroes or not; and he was accused because he had been mad and had killed himself.
τέλος δὲ πολλῶν ῥηθέντων ἔγνω ὁ Ῥαδάμανθυς, νῦν μὲν αὐτὸν πιόμενον τοῦ ἐλλεβόρου παραδοθῆναι Ἱπποκράτει τῷ Κῴῳ ἰατρῷ, ὕστερον δὲ σωφρονήσαντα μετέχειν τοῦ συμποσίου.
At last, after many things had been said, Rhadamanthys decided that for the present, having been given to Hippocrates the physician of Cos to drink hellebore, he should be handed over, and later, having come to his senses, he should partake of the symposium.
§2.8δευτέρα δὲ ἦν κρίσις ἐρωτική, Θησέως καὶ Μενελάου περὶ τῆς Ἑλένης διαγωνιζομένων, ποτέρῳ χρὴ αὐτὴν συνοικεῖν.
And the second judgment was a lover's suit, Theseus and Menelaus contending about Helen, with which of the two it was necessary for her to dwell.
καὶ ὁ Ῥαδάμανθυς ἐδίκασε Μενελάῳ συνεῖναι αὐτὴν ἅτε καὶ τοσαῦτα πονήσαντι καὶ κινδυνεύσαντι τοῦ γάμου ἕνεκα· καὶ γὰρ αὖ τῷ Θησεῖ καὶ ἄλλας εἶναι γυναῖκας, τήν τε Ἀμαζόνα καὶ τὰς τοῦ Μίνωος θυγατέρας.
And Rhadamanthys decided that she should dwell with Menelaus, inasmuch as he had endured so many labors and run risks for the sake of the marriage; for, moreover, Theseus had other wives, both the Amazon and the daughters of Minos.
§2.9τρίτη δʼ ἐδικάσθη περὶ προεδρίας Ἀλεξάνδρῳ τε τῷ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀννίβᾳ τῷ Καρχηδονίῳ, καὶ ἔδοξε προέχειν ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, καὶ θρόνος αὐτῷ ἐτέθη παρὰ Κῦρον τὸν Πέρσην τὸν πρότερον.
And the third was decided concerning the seat of honor between Alexander, the son of Philip, and Hannibal the Carthaginian, and it seemed best that Alexander excelled, and a throne was placed for him beside Cyrus the Persian, the elder.