§5λέγουσιν ἰατρῶν παῖδες ἐκείνην τὴν αἰτίαν εἶναι, παχὺν τὸν ἰὸν ὄντα ἔπειτα δευόμενον τῷ ποτῷ ὀξυκίνητον γίγνεσθαι, ὑγρότερον ὡς τὸ εἰκός καθιστάμενον καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διαχεόμενον.
The sons of physicians say that this is the reason: that the venom, being thick, then being moistened by the drink, becomes fast-moving, becoming naturally more liquid and spreading very widely.
§6Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν οὐδένα τοῦτο πεπονθότα εἶδον, μηδέ, ὦ θεοί, ἴδοιμι οὕτω κολαζόμενον ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ ἐπέβην τῆς Λιβύης τὸ παράπαν εὖ ποιῶν.
I indeed have seen no one who has suffered this, and, O gods, may I never see a man thus punished! Indeed, I have not even set foot in Libya at all, and a good thing too.
ἐπίγραμμα δέ τι ἤκουσα, ὅ μοι τῶν ἑταίρων τις ἔλεγεν αὐτὸς ἐπὶ στήλης ἀνεγνωκέναι ἀνδρὸς οὕτως ἀποθανόντος.
But I heard of a certain inscription, which one of my companions told me he himself had read on the tombstone of a man who died in this way.
ἐκ Λιβύης ἔφη ἀπιὼν ἐς Αἴγυπτον παρὰ τὴν μεγάλην Σύρτιν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν πορείαν· οὐ γὰρ εἶναι ἄλλως.
He said that, departing from Libya for Egypt, he made his journey along the Great Syrtis; for there was no other way.
ἔνθα δὴ τάφῳ ἐντυχεῖν παρὰ τὴν ἠϊόνα ἐπ' αὐτῷ τῷ κλύσματι, καὶ στήλην ἐφεστάναι δηλοῦσαν τοῦ ὀλέθρου τὸν τρόπον·
There indeed he encountered a grave along the shore at the very water's edge, and a tombstone stood upon it showing the manner of his destruction.
κεκολάφθαι γὰρ ἐπ' αὐτῇ ἄνθρωπον μέν τινα οἷον τὸν Τάνταλον γράφουσιν ἐν λίμνῃ ἑστῶτα καὶ ἀρυόμενον τοῦ ὕδατος, ὡς πίοι δῆθεν, τὸ θηρίον δὲ—τὴν διψάδα—ἐμπεφυκὸς αὐτῷ περιεσπειρᾶσθαι τῷ ποδί, καί τινας γυναῖκας ὑδροφορούσας ἅμα πολλὰς καταχεῖν τὸ ὕδωρ αὐτοῦ·
For upon it was carved a certain man, like the Tantalus whom painters depict, standing in a lake and drawing up water as if indeed he were about to drink, while the beast—the dipsas—clinging to him, was coiled around his foot, and several women carrying water were at the same time pouring the water over him.
πλησίον δὲ ᾠὰ κεῖσθαι οἷα τῶν στρουθῶν ἐκείνων οὓς ἔφην θηρᾶν τοὺς Γαράμαντας·
Nearby lay eggs like those of the ostriches which I said the Garamantes hunt.
γεγράφθαι δὲ πρὸς τοὐπίγραμμα—οὐ χεῖρον δὲ καὶ αὐτὸ εἰπεῖν,
"
Τοῖα παθόντ' οἶμαι καὶ Τάνταλον αἴθοπος ἰοῦ
μηδαμὰ κοιμῆσαι διψαλέην ὀδύνην.
And there was written in addition the epigram—and it is no bad thing to quote it: "Such sufferings, I believe, even Tantalus endured, and the fiery venom never allowed him to soothe his thirsty pain.
καὶ Δαναοῖο κόρας τοῖον πίθον οὐκ ἀναπλῆσαι
αἰὲν ἐπαντλούσας ὑδροφόρῳ καμάτῳ.
And the daughters of Danaus did not fill such a jar, forever drawing water with water-bearing labor.
"
ἔτι καὶ ἄλλα ἔπη τέτταρά ἐστι περὶ τῶν ᾠῶν, καὶ ὡς ἀναιρούμενος αὐτὰ ἐδήχθη, ἀλλ’ οὐκέτι μέμνημαι ἐκείνων.
"There are still four other verses about the eggs, and how he was bitten while picking them up, but I no longer remember them.
§7Συλλέγουσι δὲ ἄρα τὰ ᾠὰ καὶ ἐσπουδάκασι περὶ αὐτὰ οἱ περίοικοι, οὐχ ὡς φαγεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σκεύεσι χρῶνται κενώσαντες καὶ ἐκπώματα ποιοῦνται ἀπ' αὐτῶν· οὐ γὰρ ἔχουσι κεραμεύειν διὰ τὸ ψάμμον εἶναι τὴν γῆν.
And indeed the neighbors collect the eggs and are eager about them, not only to eat them, but having emptied them, they also use them as vessels and make drinking cups of them; for they have no pottery because the land is sand.
εἰ δὲ καὶ μεγάλα εὑρεθείη, καὶ πῖλοι γίγνονται δύο ἐκ τοῦ ᾠοῦ ἑκάστου· τὸ γὰρ ἡμίτομον ἑκάτερον ἀποχρῶν τῇ κεφαλῇ πῖλός ἐστιν.
And if large ones should be found, even two hats are made from each egg; for each half-section, being sufficient for the head, is a hat.
§8ἐκεῖ τοίνυν λοχῶσιν αἱ διψάδες παρὰ τὰ ᾠά, καὶ ἐπειδὰν προσέλθῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἐκ τῆς ψάμμου ἐξερπύσασαι δάκνουσι τὸν κακοδαίμονα· ὁ δὲ πάσχει ἐκεῖνα τὰ μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν εἰρημένα πίνων ἀεὶ καὶ μᾶλλον διψῶν καὶ πιμπλάμενος οὐδέποτε.
There indeed the dipsades lie in wait by the eggs, and when a man approaches, creeping out of the sand they bite the unfortunate man; and he suffers those things mentioned a little before, always drinking and thirsting the more, and never being satisfied.
§9Ταυτὶ οὐ μὰ Δία πρὸς Νίκανδρον τὸν ποιητὴν φιλοτιμούμενος διεξῆλθον, οὐδ’ ὅπως ὑμεῖς μάθοιτε ὡς οὐκ ἀμελὲς γεγένηταί μοι φύσεις τῶν Λιβυκῶν ἑρπετῶν εἰδέναι.
These things, by Zeus, I have not detailed out of rivalry with the poet Nicander, nor so that you might learn that it has not been neglected by me to know the natures of Libyan reptiles.
ἰατρῶν γὰρ ἂν μᾶλλον ὁ ἔπαινος εἴη, οἷς ἀνάγκη εἰδέναι ταῦτα ὡς καὶ ἀμύνασθαι αὐτὰ μετὰ τῆς τέχνης ἔχοιεν.
For that praise would rather belong to physicians, who must know these things so that they may also be able to ward them off with their art.
ἀλλά μοι δοκῶ—καὶ πρὸς φιλίου μὴ δυσχεράνητε τὴν εἰκόνα θηριώδη οὖσαν—ὅμοιόν τι καὶ αὐτὸς παθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς οἷον ἐκεῖνοι πάσχουσι πρὸς τὸ ποτὸν οἱ δηχθέντες ὑπὸ τῆς διψάδος.
But I seem to myself—and by the god of friendship do not be displeased by the image, since it is beastly—to suffer something similar myself towards you to what those bitten by the dipsas suffer towards the drink.
ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν ἐπὶ πλέον παρίω ἐς ὑμᾶς, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ὀρέγομαι τοῦ πράγματος, καὶ τὸ δίψος ἄσχετον ὑπεκκαίεταί μοι, καὶ ἔοικα οὐδ’ ἐμπλησεσθαί ποτε τοῦ τοιούτου ποτοῦ.
For the more I come forward to you, the more I long for the thing, and an unmanageable thirst is kindled in me, and I seem never to be satisfied with such a drink.
μάλα εἰκότως. ποῦ γὰρ ἂν οὕτω διειδεῖ τε καὶ καθαρῷ ὕδατι ἐντύχοιμι;
Quite naturally; for where else could I encounter such transparent and pure water?
ὥστε σύγγνωτε εἰ δηχθεὶς καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν ψυχὴν ἡδίστῳ τούτῳ καὶ ὑγιεινοτάτῳ τῷ δήγματι ἐμφοροῦμαι χανδὸν, ὑποθεὶς τῷ κρουνῷ τὴν κεφαλήν.
Therefore, forgive me if, bitten myself in my soul by this most pleasant and healthy bite, I drink greedily, putting my head under the spring.
εἴη μόνον μὴ ἐπιλιπεῖν τὰ παρ' ὑμῶν ἐπιρρέοντα μηδὲ χυθεῖσαν τὴν σπουδὴν τῆς ἀκροάσεως κεχηνότα ἔτι καὶ διψῶντα καταλιπεῖν·
May it only be that the streams flowing from you do not fail, nor, when the eagerness of your listening is poured out, leave me still gaping and thirsty.
ὡς δίψους γε ἕνεκα τοὐμοῦ πρὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ἂν ἐκώλυε πίνειν ἀεί· κατὰ γὰρ τὸν σοφὸν Πλάτωνα, κόρος οὐδεὶς τῶν καλῶν.
For as far as my thirst for you is concerned, nothing would prevent me from drinking forever; for according to the wise Plato, there is no satiety of beautiful things.