§285Πέργαμον διὰ τὰ πρόσθεν ὀνείρατα· ἐνταῦθα δὴ σαφῶς ἐδηλοῦτο ἐπισχεῖν.
...to Pergamum, on account of the previous dreams; there indeed it was clearly indicated to stay.
τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ περὶ ἑσπέραν ποι κεκινῆσθαι καὶ μεταγιγνώσκειν καὶ φάσκειν ὅτι ἀδύνατον εἴη Ἀδριανοῦ θήρας κατατυχεῖν, τοῦτο δὲ ἐδόκουν ἀπὸ Ἀδριανοῦ θήρας τινὰ ἐλθεῖν, βιβλίον τι κομίζοντα τῶν Μενάνδρου, καὶ λέγειν ὅτι πηλός τε εἴη ἀμήχανος καὶ τέλμα καὶ ἀνύσαι ἀδύνατον.
For on the one hand, I dreamed that toward evening I set out somewhere and changed my mind and said that it was impossible to reach Hadrianotherae; on the other hand, I seemed that someone came from Hadrianotherae carrying one of the books of Menander, and said that the mud was impassable and there was a swamp and it was impossible to make one's way.
πάλιν δὲ ὕειν τε ἔδοξα καὶ προσελθόντα μοι τινὰ λέγειν ὡς ἄρα τῶν ἀντιδίκων τις εἴη ἐν Ἀδριανοῦ θήρᾳ καὶ δέοι κατιέναι ὥστε τι πρᾶξαι.
And again, I seemed that it was raining, and someone approached me saying that one of my adversaries was in Hadrianotherae and that it was necessary to go down to achieve something.
καὶ τί, φάναι, πλέον τοῦ θεοῦ μένειν προειρηκότος; τοῦτο καὶ αὖθις ἔδοξα πρός τινας λέγειν καὶ τὸ πᾶν οὕτω λαμβάνειν, ὅτι ἐπειδὴ δυσχερέστερον εἶχον πρὸς τὴν μονὴν, ἔξοδον προὔδειξεν ὁ θεὸς, βουλόμενος μεταβαλεῖν μου τὴν γνώμην, ἵνα ἥδιον μένοιμι.
And I said, 'What more is to be gained, when the god has already ordered me to stay?' This I seemed to say again to some people, and to understand the whole matter in this way: that since I was rather discontented with staying, the god showed an exit, wishing to change my mind, so that I might stay more gladly.
ἐνῆν δὲ καὶ ἀλουσίας σύμβολα.
And signs of abstinence from bathing were also present.
καὶ ἐπεγένετο ὑετὸς καὶ χειμὼν ἀμήχανος ἐξ ἑσπέρας.
And rain and an impassable winter storm came on from evening.
τῇ δʼ ὑστεραίᾳ ἀλουσία καὶ ἔμετος τροφῆς ἦν.
On the next day there was abstinence from bathing and vomiting of food.
καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἤμεσα, ἐγὼ μὲν οὕτως εἶχον ὥστε ἀγαπᾶν εἰ ἐξαρκέσαιμι εἰς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν.
And when I had vomited, I was in such a state as to be content if I should survive until the next day.
τῇ δʼ ἐπιούσῃ ἀσιτία ἐπετάχθη, ἐπετάχθη δὲ οὕτως· ἐδόκουν εἶναι ἐν Σμύρνῃ, πᾶσαν ἀπιστίαν ἀπιστῶν τοῖς φανεροῖς καὶ ὁρωμένοις, διὰ τὸ μὴ συνειδέναι ἐμαυτῷ ὁδοιπορήσαντι.
On the next day, fasting was ordered, and it was ordered in this way: I seemed to be in Smyrna, disbelieving all visible and seen things with complete disbelief, because I was not conscious of having made a journey.
παρατίθεσθαι δέ μοι σῦκα· ἔπειτα παρόντα Κόρον τὸν μάντιν δεῖξαι ὅτι ἐνείη φάρμακον τῶν ἐφημέρων· ἐκ δὲ τούτου ὑποψίας τε μεστὸς γενέσθαι καὶ κατὰ σπουδὴν ἐμεῖν καὶ ἅμα ἐνθυμεῖσθαι, τί δὲ εἰ μὴ ἀκριβῶς ἐξεμέσαιμι; ἔπειτα φάναι τινὰ ὅτι καὶ ἐν ἄλλῳ τῳ τῶν σύκων ἐνείη τοῦ φαρμάκου· ἔτι οὖν μειζόνως ἀπορεῖν καὶ ἀσχάλλειν ὅτι οὐ θᾶττον ἤκουσα.
And figs were set before me; then Koros the diviner, who was present, showed that there was a poison of the ephemeral kind in them; and from this, I became full of suspicion and vomited in haste, and at the same time considered, 'What if I should not have vomited it out thoroughly?' Then someone said that in another of the figs there was also some of the poison; therefore, I was still more perplexed and distressed that I had not heard sooner.
τούτων ὀφθέντων ὑπενόησα μὲν ἀσιτίαν δηλοῦσθαι, εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἀλλʼ ᾑρούμην γε.
Since these things were seen, I suspected that fasting was indicated, or if not, I at least chose it.
ἐδεόμην δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ σημῆναι σαφέστερον ὁπότερα λέγοι, ἀσιτίαν ἢ ἔμετον.
And I prayed to the god to show more clearly which of the two he meant, fasting or vomiting.
ἐπικατέδαρθόν τε δὴ καὶ ἔδοξα εἶναι πρὸς τῷ ἱερῷ τῷ ἐν Περγάμῳ, καὶ ἤδη τε μέσην ἡμέραν ἐξήκειν, ἀσιτίας οὔσης μοι, καὶ Θεόδοτον ἐπελθεῖν μετὰ δή τινων φίλων, εἰσελθόντα δὲ §286παρακαθέζεσθαί μοι ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης οὑτωσὶ κατακειμένῳ.
And I fell asleep again, and I seemed to be near the temple in Pergamum, and it was already past midday, while I was fasting, and Theodotus approached with some friends, and having entered, sat down beside me on the bed as I was lying down in this way.
φάναι οὖν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅτι ἀσιτοίην· τὸν δὲ ἐνδείξασθαι ὅτι εἰδείη, καὶ εἰπεῖν ὅτι ἐγώ τοι ἀνέμενον μετὰ πάντα ταῦτα ἃ οὗτοι ποιοῦσι, φλεβοτομίᾳ χρῆσθαι· τὸ γὰρ ἄλγημα τοῦ νεφροῦ ἐστι καὶ ἡ ἀσιτία δὲ, ἔφη, νόθος τις ἔξοδός ἐστι τοῦ πυρὸς διὰ τοῦ στήθους διεξιοῦσα. καὶ ἅμα ταῦτα αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ἐκ τοῦ πρόσθε δύο σπινθῆρες ὤφθησαν.
I said to him that I was fasting; and he indicated that he knew, and said, 'I indeed was waiting, after all these things which these men are doing, for you to use bloodletting; for the pain is from the kidney, and this fasting,' he said, 'is a spurious outlet of the fire passing through the chest.' And at the same time as he was saying this, two sparks were seen in front.
κἀγὼ ἔβλεψα πρὸς τὸν Θεόδοτον θαυμάσας, καὶ σύμβολον ἐποιησάμην τοῦ λόγου, καὶ ἠρόμην αὐτὸν ὅ τι εἴη ταῦτα.
And I looked at Theodotus in wonder, and made it a sign of his speech, and asked him what these things were.
ὁ δὲ ἔφη ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς τούτου, δείξας τί μοι παρακείμενον.
And he said, 'From this fire,' pointing to something lying beside me.
ἀφυπνιζόμην τε δὴ καὶ εὗρον ἐκείνην τὴν ὥραν οὖσαν, ᾗπερ ἔδοξα τὸν Θεόδοτόν μοι διαλέγεσθαι, καὶ φίλοι παρῆσαν ἐντευξόμενοι.
And I woke up and found that it was that very hour in which I seemed to have Theodotus conversing with me, and friends were present to visit me.
ταῦτα δὴ ἐφάνθη τὰ ὀνείρατα, ἰατροῦ τε ἥκοντος καὶ παρεσκευασμένου βοηθεῖν ὅσα ἐπενόει.
These dreams were shown, while a doctor had arrived and was prepared to assist with all the remedies he had in mind.
ὡς δὲ ἤκουσε τῶν ὀνειράτων, αὐτός τε ὑπεχώρει νοῦν ἔχων τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐγνωρίζομεν τὸν ἀληθινὸν καὶ προσήκοντα ἡμῖν ἰατρὸν, καὶ ἐποιοῦμεν ἃ ἐπέταξε.
But when he heard of the dreams, he himself withdrew, yielding to the god as a man of sense, and we recognized the true and fitting doctor for us, and did what he ordered.
νὺξ εὔφορος ἤδη παντελῶς καὶ πάντα ἀνώδυνα.
The night was now altogether easy and entirely free of pain.
ὕστερον δὲ στέαρ τε χήνειον ἔδωκεν, ἐπὶ τῷ νεωκόρου Ἀσκληπιακοῦ σχήματι, καὶ ἐπερέσθαι τὸν θεὸν, ᾧ τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐν τῷ Μυσίῳ πεδίῳ ποιοῦσιν· εἴσεσθαι γὰρ παρʼ ἐκείνου περὶ ὧν ἂν δέωμαι.
And later he gave goose grease, in the guise of an Asclepiac temple warden, and told me to ask the god whose market they hold in the Mysian plain; for I would know from him about the things I needed.
καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἀνεῖλε μηδὲν ἔσεσθαι δυσχερές.
And the god declared that nothing would be difficult.
τὸ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἀλουσιῶν τί τις ἂν λέγοι;
Now, what could anyone say about the abstinences from bathing?
ἤδη γὰρ καὶ πέντε ἐτῶν συνεχῶς ἐγένοντό μοι καὶ προσέτι μηνῶν, ὅσα γε μὴ χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ θαλάττῃ ἢ ποταμοῖς ἢ φρέασιν ἐκέλευσε χρήσασθαι.
For they had already happened to me for five years continuously and moreover for months, except insofar as in the winter season he ordered me to use the sea or rivers or wells.
ὡς δʼ αὕτως καὶ τὸ τῆς καθάρσεως τῆς ἄνω σχεδὸν εἰς δύο ἔτη συνέβη καὶ δύο μῆνας ἑξῆς, ὁμοῦ καὶ κλύσμασι καὶ φλεβοτομίαις, ὅσας οὐδείς πω ἠρίθμησε, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν ἀκαρεῖ τροφῆς καὶ ταύτης ἀναγκαστῆς.
In the same way, the matter of the upper purging happened for almost two years and two months in succession, together with clysters and bloodlettings such as no one has ever numbered, and this during a minimum of food and that forced.
ἀλλὰ τάς γε ἀσιτίας αὐτὰς ἁπάσας καὶ τὰς ἔτι τούτων πρότερον καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο γενομένας ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι τούτῳ σχεδὸν διημερεύσαμεν περὶ λόγους, γράφοντές τε καὶ λέγοντες καὶ τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐξετάζοντες· καὶ παρετείναμεν οὐκ ἔλαττον ἢ εἰς μέσας νύκτας τὰ πλείω· ἔπειτα ἐφʼ
But during all the fastings themselves, and those which happened to us both before these and after this in this winter, we spent almost the whole day in studies, writing and speaking and examining what had been written; and we prolonged it no less than until midnight for the most part; then on...