§302ἀνθρώπῳ δὲ ἢ νῷ λαβεῖν ἢ ἐνδείξασθαι λόγῳ οὐ πάνυ ῥᾴδιον.
But for a human being, it is not at all easy either to grasp it in mind or to express it in words.
ἕτερον τοίνυν λουτρὸν ἐν Σμύρνῃ προσετάχθη χειμῶνος ἱσταμένου, ἔδει δὲ πορευθέντα πρὸς τὰς πηγὰς τὰς θερμὰς τῷ μὲν θερμῷ ὕδατι μὴ χρῆσθαι, τῷ δὲ παραρρέοντι ποταμῷ, καὶ ἦν ἡμέρα πᾶσα ἔφυδρός τε καὶ ψυχρὰ καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ τοσοῦτον διέλιπεν ὅσον ἀρκέσαι τῇ πορείᾳ·
Now, another bath was prescribed in Smyrna at the beginning of winter, and it was necessary, having gone to the hot springs, not to use the warm water, but the river flowing past them, and the whole day was rainy and cold, and the rain held off just enough to suffice for the journey; and this was the first of the wonders.
καὶ πρῶτον ἦν τῶν θαυμάτων τοῦτο. δείλη τε ἦν ὀψία καὶ τὸ λουτρὸν ἐγίγνετο καὶ ἐπέπνει βορέας ἀκραής.
It was late afternoon, and the bath took place, and a violent north wind was blowing.
ταυτὶ δὲ ἐν Περγάμῳ πάλιν χειμῶνός τε καὶ ἐν λεπτότητι θαυμαστῇ τοῦ σώματος, ὥστε πολὺν χρόνον πάνυ τοῦ οἰκήματος οὐκ ἐξέβην οὗ κατεκείμην.
And these things happened again in Pergamum, in winter, and during a wonderful frailty of my body, so that for a very long time I did not go out of the room in which I lay.
ἐκέλευσε λούσασθαι τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ διὰ τῆς πόλεως ῥέοντι· ὁ δʼ ἔρρει πολὺς ἐξ ὄμβρων, καὶ προεῖπεν ὡς τριῶν τῶν λουτρῶν ἐσομένων.
He ordered me to bathe in the river flowing through the city; and it was flowing full from the rains, and he foretold that there would be three baths.
γενομένου δὲ τοῦ προστάγματος ὡς ἐπύθοντο συνῆλθον οἱ σπουδαιότατοι τῶν φίλων παραπέμποντες καὶ φροντίζοντες ὅ τι ἀποβήσοιτο, καὶ ἅμα ἀντʼ ἄλλης ἱστορίας ποιούμενοι ἰδεῖν τὰ γιγνόμενα, καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα χειμέριος ἦν.
When the command was given, as soon as they heard of it, the most earnest of my friends came together, accompanying me and worrying about what would happen, and at the same time making it their business to see what was happening in place of any other spectacle, for indeed the day was wintry.
πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ὕσθημεν παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν καὶ τὸ πρῶτον ἦν τῶν λουτρῶν τοῦτο· καὶ γὰρ ἀνῄειμεν ἀνωτέρω τὴν ἐφʼ Ἵππωνος, βουλόμενοι καθαρῷ τῷ ὕδατι ἐντυχεῖν καὶ ὃ μήπω ὡμίληκε τῇ πόλει.
First, then, we were rained upon along the way, and this was the first of the baths; for we were going further up along the road of Hippon, wishing to find pure water which had not yet mingled with the city.
ὡς δὲ ἐγενόμεθα ἐπὶ τῆς ὄχθης, οὐδεὶς τῶν φίλων ἐθάρρει παρακελεύσασθαι, καίτοι παρῆν μὲν ὁ νεωκόρος αὐτὸς, παρῆσαν δὲ καὶ τῶν φιλοσόφων τινὲς, ἄνδρες καλοὶ κἀγαθοὶ, ἀλλʼ ὅμως ἀγωνιῶντες καὶ ἀπορούμενοι φανεροὶ πάντες ἦσαν.
But when we reached the bank, none of my friends had the courage to encourage me, although the temple warden himself was present, and some of the philosophers were also present, noble and good men, but nevertheless they were all clearly anguished and at a loss.
κἀγὼ τά τε ἱμάτια ἀπερρίπτουν καὶ καλέσας τὸν θεὸν ἵεμαι εἰς μέσον τὸν πόρον.
And I threw off my clothes and, having called upon the god, rushed into the middle of the current.
ὁ δὲ ἐκυλίνδει μὲν πέτρας, ἔφερε δὲ ὕλην, ἐκύμαινε δὲ ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀνέμου, καὶ τῶν κάτω φανερὸν ἦν οὐδὲν, ἠχὴ δὲ καὶ θόρυβος πολύς.
It was rolling stones, carrying debris, and swelling as if from a wind, and nothing of the bottom was visible, but there was a great roar and tumult.
ἐνταῦθα δὴ αἱ μὲν πέτραι ἀντὶ φύλλων περιέρρεον, τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ οὕτω κοῦφον ἦν ὡς οὐδὲν τῶν καθαρῶς διαφανῶν, καὶ διέτριψα δὴ εἰς ὅσον πλεῖστον ἐξῆν.
There indeed the stones flowed around me like leaves, and the water was as light as any of the purest transparent things, and I stayed there for as long as possible.
ὡς δʼ ἐξέβην ἐπὶ τὴν ὄχθην, θέρμη διὰ παντὸς ἐχώρει τοῦ σώματος καὶ ἀτμὸς ἄνω πολὺς, καὶ πάντα ἐπεφοίνικτο, καὶ τὸν παιᾶνα ᾔδομεν.
And when I came out onto the bank, warmth spread through my whole body and a great steam rose up, and my skin was all flushed red, and we sang the paean.
καὶ ὡς ἐπανῄειμεν, αὖθις αὖ ὕδωρ ἐπιγίγνεται ἐκ Διὸς, καὶ τὸ τρίτον τῶν λουτρῶν εἰς τοῦτο ἐτελεύτησεν.
And as we were returning, again water came down from Zeus, and the third of the baths ended with this.
ἕτερον τοίνυν ἐν Ἐλαίᾳ ταύτῃ γενόμενον.
Now, another thing happened in this Elaea.
ἔπεμψέ με λουσόμενον θαλάττῃ, πλοῖόν τε δὴ προειπὼν §303Ἀσκληπιὸν ὁρμοῦν ἐπὶ τῷ στόματι τοῦ λιμένος, καθʼ ὃ ῥῖψαι δεῖν ἑαυτὸν, καὶ φωνάς τινας τῶν ναυτῶν καὶ ἕτερα ἃ οὐ μέμνημαι πάνθʼ ἑξῆς τοῖς μεθʼ ἡμέραν ἀποβᾶσιν ὁμολογήσαντα.
He sent me to bathe in the sea, having foretold a ship, "Asclepius" by name, anchored at the mouth of the harbor, where I had to throw myself in, and certain shouts of the sailors and other things which I do not remember, all of which agreed in order with what came to pass during the day.
ὡς οὖν κατήλθομεν εἰς τὴν Ἐλαίαν, παρῆμεν ἔξω πρὸς τὸν λιμένα, καὶ εὐθὺς μὲν τὸ πλοῖον εὑρίσκετο, Ἀσκληπιὸς ὄνομα, εὐθὺς δʼ ἐβόων οἱ ναῦται τὸν θεὸν, ὡς εἶδον τὰ γιγνόμενα.
When therefore we came down to Elaea, we went out to the harbor, and immediately the ship was found, Asclepius by name, and immediately the sailors shouted the name of the god when they saw what was happening.
ἦν δὲ ἀπαρκτίας λαμπρὸς, ὥστʼ ἐκβὰς ἐδεήθην σκέπης.
A bright north wind was blowing, so that when I came out I needed shelter.
πάλιν οὖν τῆς ἐπιούσης νυκτὸς κελεύει τῇ μὲν θαλάττῃ κατὰ ταὐτὰ χρῆσθαι, ἐκβάντα δὲ τοῦ ὕδατος στάντα ἐναντίον τοῦ ἀνέμου οὕτω θεραπεῦσαι τὸ σῶμα.
Therefore, again on the following night, he ordered me to use the sea in the same way, and having come out of the water, to stand facing the wind and thus cure my body.
καὶ ὅτι μὲν πολλοῖς ἤδη τοιαῦτα ἐπιτέτακται σύνοιδα· ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν κατʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτο θαυμαστότερον τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐπὶ πολλῶν καὶ συνεχῶς τὴν αὑτοῦ δύναμιν καὶ πρόνοιαν ἐμφανίζοντος, ἔπειτα εἴ τις ἅπαν τὸ ἡμέτερον ἐνθυμηθείη.
And I know that such things have already been prescribed for many; but first, in this very respect, the work of the god is all the more wonderful, since he displays his power and providence over many and continuously, and secondly, if anyone should consider our entire situation.
καίτοι τίς οἷός τʼ ἂν εἴη λογισμῷ λαβεῖν ἐν οἷς ἡμεῖς ἦμεν τότε;
And yet, who would be able to grasp in mind the circumstances in which we were then?
ἴσασι δὲ οἱ ἐφʼ ἑκάστων παρόντες, τοῦτο μὲν ὡς τὰ τοῦ χρωτὸς εἶχε, τοῦτο δὲ ὡς τἄνδοθεν.
But those who were present on each occasion know, on the one hand, how the condition of my skin was, and on the other, how it was within.
ἔτι δὲ ῥεῦμα ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ὅσαι καὶ ἡμέραι καὶ νύκτες φερόμενον καὶ κλυδώνιον ἐν τῷ στήθει καὶ πνεῦμα ἀντανιὸν πρὸς τὸ ῥεῦμα ἄνω καὶ συνισχόμενον ἐν τῷ τραχήλῳ, καὶ πιμπρὰν, καὶ τοσαύτην ἀεὶ τοῦ θανάτου τὴν προσδοκίαν, ὥστε μηδʼ οἰκέτην καλέσαι θαρρεῖν, ἀλλὰ νομίζειν μάτην ἂν καλεῖν, φθῆναι γὰρ ἂν τὸ χρῆμα περανθέν.
Furthermore, there was a discharge flowing from my head every day and night, and a agitation in my chest, and a breath rising up against the discharge and choking me in the throat, and burning me, and always such a great expectation of death, so that I did not even dare to call a servant, but thought that I would call in vain, for the end would come first.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ὤτων καὶ ὀδόντων παντοῖα συμπτώματα καὶ τάσιν ἐν κύκλῳ τῶν φλεβῶν καὶ τροφὴν ἄπορον μὲν κατέχειν, ἄπορον δὲ ἐμεῖν· ὅ τι γὰρ καὶ μικρὸν ψαύσειε τῆς φάρυγγος ἢ τῆς ὑπερώας, ἔκλειε τὸν πόρον, κᾆτα ἀναλαβεῖν οὐκ ἦν.
In addition to these things, there were all kinds of afflictions of the ears and teeth, and a tension in the veins all around, and it was impossible to keep food down, and impossible to vomit it; for whatever even slightly touched my throat or palate closed the passage, and then it was impossible to recover.
ὀδύνη δὲ εἰς ἐγκέφαλον διάπυρος καὶ προσβολαὶ πᾶσαι, κἀν ταῖς νυξὶν ἀμηχανία κατακλίσεως, ἀλλʼ ἔδει μετεωρίσαντα αὑτὸν καρτερεῖν προκεκυφότα, τὴν κεφαλὴν ἔχοντα πρὸς τοῖς γόνασι.
And there was a burning pain reaching to the brain, and all kinds of attacks, and in the nights an impossibility of lying down, but it was necessary to raise myself up and endure, leaning forward, with my head close to my knees.
τούτοις δʼ, οἶμαι, τοιούτοις οὖσι καὶ ἑτέροις μυρίοις ἀναγκαίως εἵπετο ἐρίοις τε κατειλίχθαι καὶ ἑτέροις σκεπάσμασι· καὶ κάθειρξις ἦν ἀκριβὴς, συγκεκλειμένων πάντων, ὥστε ἡμέρα μὲν νύκτα ἠδύνατο, αἱ
And to these symptoms, being such as they were, and to countless others, it followed of necessity that I was wrapped in wool and other coverings; and there was a strict confinement, with everything closed up, so that day had the effect of night, and [nights...]