§9Μένιππος
ἤδη δʼ οὖν ὑπέφαινεν ἡμέρα, καὶ κατελθόντες ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν περὶ ἀναγωγὴν ἐγιγνόμεθα.
Menippus Now day was beginning to break, and having gone down to the river we occupied ourselves with setting sail.
παρεσκεύαστο δʼ αὐτῷ καὶ σκάφος καὶ ἱερεῖα καὶ μελίκρατον καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα πρὸς τὴν τελετὴν χρήσιμα.
And there had been prepared by him both a boat and victims for sacrifice, and mead, and all other things that were useful for the rite.
ἐμβαλόμενοι οὖν ἅπαντα τὰ παρεσκευασμένα οὕτω δὴ καὶ αὐτοὶ βαίνομεν ἀχνύμενοι, θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέοντες.
Having put on board all the things that had been prepared, thus indeed we ourselves also embarked, grieving, shedding abundant tears.
Καὶ μέχρι μέν τινος ὑπεφερόμεθα ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ, εἶτα δὲ εἰσεπλεύσαμεν εἰς τὸ ἕλος καὶ τὴν λίμνην εἰς ἣν ὁ Εὐφράτης ἀφανίζεται.
And for a certain distance indeed we were carried down the river, but then we sailed into the marsh and the lake into which the Euphrates disappears.
περαιωθέντες δὲ καὶ ταύτην ἀφικνούμεθα εἰς τι χωρίον ἔρημον καὶ ὑλῶδες καὶ ἀνήλιον, εἰς ὃ καὶ δὴ ἀποβάντες — ἡγεῖτο δὲ ὁ Μιθροβαρζάνης — βόθρον τε ὠρυξάμεθα καὶ τὰ μῆλα κατεσφάξαμεν καὶ τὸ αἷμα περὶ αὐτὸν ἐσπείσαμεν.
And having crossed this also, we arrived at a certain deserted, wooded, and sunless place, where indeed having landed—Mithrobarzanes leading the way—we dug a pit, slaughtered the sheep, and poured the blood as a libation around it.
ὁ δὲ μάγος ἐν τοσούτῳ δᾷδα καιομένην ἔχων οὐκέτʼ ἠρεμαίᾳ τῇ φωνῇ, παμμέγεθες δέ, ὡς οἷός τε ἦν, ἀνακραγὼν δαίμονάς τε ὁμοῦ πάντας ἐπεβοᾶτο καὶ Ποινὰς καὶ Ἐρινύας
"καὶ νυχίαν Ἑκάτην καὶ ἐπαινὴν Περσεφόνειαν,"
παραμιγνὺς ἅμα βαρβαρικά τινα καὶ ἄσημα ὀνόματα καὶ πολυσύλλαβα.
Meanwhile, the mage, holding a burning torch, no longer with a quiet voice, but crying out as loudly as he could, invoked all the demons together, and the Punishments, and the Furies, "and nightly Hecate, and dread Persephoneia," mixing in at the same time certain barbarian, unintelligible, and polysyllabic names.
§10Μένιππος
εὐθὺς οὖν ἅπαντα ἐκεῖνα ἐσαλεύετο καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐπῳδῆς τοὔδαφος ἀνερρήγνυτο καὶ ὑλακὴ τοῦ Κερβέρου πόρρωθεν ἠκούετο καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα ὑπερκατηφὲς ἦν καὶ σκυθρωπόν.
Menippus Immediately, therefore, all those surroundings were shaken, and by the incantation the ground was torn open, and the barking of Cerberus was heard from afar, and the situation was exceedingly gloomy and grim.
"ἔδδεισεν δʼ ὑπένερθεν ἄναξ ἐνέρων Ἀϊδωνεύς —"
κατεφαίνετο γὰρ ἤδη τὰ πλεῖστα, καὶ ἡ λίμνη καὶ ὁ Πυριφλεγέθων καὶ τοῦ Πλούτωνος τὰ βασίλεια.
"And beneath, Aidoneus, lord of the dead, was seized with fear—" for most things indeed were now visible, both the lake, and the Pyriphlegethon, and the palace of Pluto.
κατελθόντες δʼ ὅμως διὰ τοῦ χάσματος τὸν μὲν Ῥαδάμανθυν εὕρομεν τεθνεῶτα μικροῦ δεῖν ὑπὸ τοῦ δέους· ὁ δὲ Κέρβερος ὑλάκτησε μέν τι καὶ παρεκίνησε, ταχὺ δέ μου κρούσαντος τὴν λύραν παραχρῆμα ἐκηλήθη ὑπὸ τοῦ μέλους.
But nevertheless, having descended through the chasm, we found Rhadamanthys all but dead from fear; and Cerberus barked a little and stirred, but upon my quickly striking the lyre, he was instantly charmed by the melody.
ἐπεὶ δὲ πρὸς τὴν λίμνην ἀφικόμεθα, μικροῦ μὲν οὐδὲ ἐπεραιώθημεν· ἦν γὰρ πλῆρες ἤδη τὸ πορθμεῖον καὶ οἰμωγῆς ἀνάπλεων, τραυματίαι δὲ πάντες ἐπέπλεον, ὁ μὲν τὸ σκέλος, ὁ δὲ τὴν κεφαλήν, ὁ δὲ ἄλλο τι συντετριμμένος, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν, ἔκ τινος πολέμου παρόντες.
And when we arrived at the lake, we were within a little of not even being ferried over; for the ferry-boat was already full and brimming with wailing, and those on board were all wounded men, one having his leg, another his head, and another some other part shattered, appearing to me to have come from some war.
ὅμως δʼ οὖν ὁ βέλτιστος Χάρων ὡς εἶδε τὴν λεοντῆν, οἰηθείς με τὸν Ἡρακλέα εἶναι, εἰσεδέξατο καὶ διεπόρθμευσέν τε ἄσμενος καὶ ἀποβᾶσι διεσήμηνε τὴν ἀτραπόν.
Nevertheless, the worthy Charon, when he saw the lion's skin, thinking that I was Heracles, received me and ferried us over gladly, and pointed out the path to us when we landed.
§11Μένιππος
ἐπεὶ δὲ ἦμεν ἐν τῷ σκότῳ, προῄει μὲν ὁ Μιθροβαρζάνης, εἱπόμην δὲ ἐγὼ κατόπιν ἐχόμενος αὐτοῦ, ἕως πρὸς λειμῶνα μέγιστον ἀφικνούμεθα τῷ ἀσφοδέλῳ κατάφυτον, ἔνθα δὴ περιεπέτοντο ἡμᾶς τετριγυῖαι τῶν νεκρῶν αἱ σκιαί.
Menippus And when we were in the darkness, Mithrobarzanes went forward, and I followed behind, holding onto him, until we arrived at a very large meadow overgrown with asphodel, where indeed the squeaking shades of the dead were flitting around us.
κατʼ ὀλίγον δὲ προϊόντες παραγιγνόμεθα πρὸς τὸ τοῦ Μίνωος δικαστήριον· ἐτύγχανε δὲ ὁ μὲν ἐπὶ θρόνου τινὸς ὑψηλοῦ καθήμενος, παρειστήκεσαν δὲ αὐτῷ Ποιναὶ καὶ Ἐρινύες καὶ Ἀλάστορες.
And advancing little by little, we came to the tribunal of Minos; and he happened to be sitting upon a certain high throne, and beside him stood the Punishments, the Furies, and the Avengers.
ἑτέρωθεν δὲ προσήγοντο πολλοί τινες ἐφεξῆς, ἁλύσει μακρᾷ δεδεμένοι· ἐλέγοντο δὲ εἶναι μοιχοὶ καὶ πορνοβοσκοὶ καὶ τελῶναι καὶ κόλακες καὶ συκοφάνται καὶ τοιοῦτος ὅμιλος τῶν πάντα κυκώντων ἐν τῷ βίῳ.
And from the other side, many persons were being led forward in order, bound by a long chain; and they were said to be adulterers, brothel-keepers, tax-gatherers, flatterers, sycophants, and a crowd of such people who throw everything into confusion in life.
χωρὶς δὲ οἵ τε πλούσιοι καὶ τοκογλύφοι προσῄεσαν ὠχροὶ καὶ προγάστορες καὶ ποδαγροί, κλοιὸν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν καὶ κόρακα διτάλαντον ἐπικείμενος.
And separately, the rich men and usurers approached, pale, pot-bellied, and gouty, each of them wearing a collar and a two-talent crow.
ἐφεστῶτες οὖν ἡμεῖς ἑωρῶμέν τε τὰ γιγνόμενα καὶ ἠκούομεν τῶν ἀπολογουμένων· κατηγόρουν δὲ αὐτῶν καινοί τινες καὶ παράδοξοι ῥήτορες.
Standing by, therefore, we saw what was happening and heard those who were defending themselves; and certain strange and unexpected orators were accusing them.
Φίλος
τίνες οὗτοι, πρὸς Διός;
Friend: Who are these, by Zeus?
μὴ γὰρ ὀκνήσῃς καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν.
Pray do not hesitate to tell this too.
Μένιππος
οἶσθά που ταυτασὶ τὰς πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον ἀποτελουμένας σκιὰς ὑπὸ τῶν σωμάτων;
Menippus: You know, I suppose, these shadows that are cast by our bodies against the sun?
Φίλος
πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
Friend: Yes, indeed.
Μένιππος
αὗται τοίνυν, ἐπειδὰν ἀποθάνωμεν, κατηγοροῦσί τε καὶ καταμαρτυροῦσι καὶ διελέγχουσι τὰ πεπραγμένα ἡμῖν παρὰ τὸν βίον, καὶ σφόδρα τινὲς ἀξιόπιστοι δοκοῦσιν ἅτε ἀεὶ συνοῦσαι καὶ μηδέποτε ἀφιστάμεναι τῶν σωμάτων.
Menippus: These, then, when we die, accuse and bear witness against and expose what has been done by us during our life; and they seem to be exceedingly trustworthy, inasmuch as they are always present with and never depart from our bodies.