§355πολλοὺς χειρωσάμενος, οὐδʼ οἶμαι δεῖν φιλοτιμεῖσθαι τοῖς τοιούτοις μᾶλλον ἢ αἰσχύνεσθαι φιλοτιμούμενος, ἐμαυτόν τε καλῶς πέπεικα καὶ πολλούς.
nor by having overcome many, nor do I think one ought to be proud of such things, rather than be ashamed of being proud; and of this I have well persuaded both myself and many others.
ἀλλὰ γὰρ θαυμαστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ διηνεκὲς, οἷον καὶ τὸ τῆς ὕστερον ἐν Σμύρνῃ γενομένης ἐπιδείξεως τῆς μεγάλης ἐκείνης.
But indeed, the constant care of the god is wonderful, as was also the case with that great declamation which took place later in Smyrna.
ἐκέλευε μὲν γὰρ παρελθεῖν εἰς τὸ βουλευτήριον, παρελθεῖν δὲ φαγόντα· καὶ ἐποίουν οὕτως.
For he ordered me to go to the council-chamber, and to go after having eaten; and I did so.
ἦν δέ τις τοῦ βουλευτηρίου φρουρὸς, ἀνὴρ κατὰ δέρμα θαυμαστὸς οἷος.
Now there was a certain guard of the council-chamber, a man extraordinary in his appearance.
οὗτος ὡς εἶδε προσιόντας τοὺς ἐμοὺς, ἠξίωσε συγχωρῆσαι ἑαυτῷ πρότερον τὰ εἰωθότα συγγενέσθαι τοῖς μαθηταῖς καὶ διέτριψεν εἰς μεσημβρίαν αὐτήν.
When he saw my followers approaching, he requested that he first be allowed his customary association with the disciples, and delayed us until midday itself.
εἰσῄειν μὲν δὴ τηνικαῦτα, εἰσελθὼν δὲ ἀπέτεινα τὴν ῥῆσιν τὴν κατὰ τῶν σοφιστῶν, ἡδίστην δὴ ταύτην πασῶν ἡμερῶν ἀγαγὼν ἐπὶ λόγοις.
At that hour indeed I entered, and having entered, I delivered my speech against the sophists, spending this day as the most pleasant of all days for declamation.
αὐτός τε γὰρ οἷον σχολῆς εἰλημμένος ἐχρώμην ἄσμενος καὶ τὸ θέατρον εἰς ἅμιλλαν κατέστη μὴ λείπεσθαι τῶν λεγομένων.
For I myself, as if seized by a spirit of leisure, gladly exerted myself, and the audience entered into a rivalry not to fall behind the words spoken.
ὅ τι δʼ ἐνθυμηθείης ἢ εἴποις ἔλαττον τῶν τότε συμβάντων ἐρεῖς.
Whatever you might think or say, you will speak of less than what actually happened then.
ὡς δʼ ἐξεπέρανα, ἐγὼ μὲν ἀνιστάμην ὡς ἀπαλλαξόμενος, νομίζων καὶ ταῦτα ἐπέκεινα παντὸς ἀγῶνος εἶναι, οἱ δʼ οὐκ ἠνέσχοντο, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἐξ ἑνὸς στόματος πάντες παραμένειν τε ἐκέλευον καὶ δέχεσθαι προβλήματα καὶ ἀγωνίσασθαι τὰ δεύτερα πάντως.
But when I finished, I stood up to depart, thinking that even this was beyond any ordinary competition, but they would not allow it; instead, as if with one voice, they all bade me stay, receive topics for declamation, and by all means compete a second time.
κἀγὼ τέως μὲν διωθούμην, ἄλλως τε καὶ διὰ τὸ πόρρω τῆς ὥρας εἶναι· βιαιοτέρας δὲ τῆς παρακλήσεως γιγνομένης ἐνεθυμήθην τοῦ ἐνυπνίου, καὶ ὅτι ταῦτʼ ἄρα καὶ ὁ θεὸς προεῖπε, μὴ ἄσιτον εἰσιέναι ὅπως ἀνταρκέσαιμι.
And for a while I refused, especially because the hour was late; but as their entreaties became more urgent, I remembered my dream, and realized that this was why the god had foretold that I should not enter without having eaten, so that I might hold out.
τόν τε οὖν ἀγῶνα ὑπέστην καὶ προϊόντος αὐτοῦ κατασχεῖν οὐκ ἠδυνήθην, ἀλλʼ ὡμολόγησα τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν πρόρρησιν, καὶ ὅτι ἥκοιμι παρεσκευασμένος· οἱ δʼ ἐθαύμαζον ἅπαντα.
So I undertook the contest, and as it proceeded, I was unable to contain myself, but acknowledged the god's prediction, and that I had come prepared; and they marvelled at everything.
ἀγωνισάμενος δὲ εἰς δύναμιν τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ διὰ τέλους ἀπηλλαττόμην, ἀπολείπων ὀλίγον εἰς ἡλίου δυσμάς.
And having competed to the best of my ability to the end, I departed, leaving but little time before sunset.
καὶ τῆς ἐπιούσης ἠγωνιζόμην αὖθις ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς, ἐπεὶ τοιαῦτα ἡγήσατο ὁ θεὸς κατʼ ἐκείνους τοὺς χρόνους.
And on the next day, I competed again in the same circumstances, since the god led me in such a way in those times.
φέρε δὴ καὶ περὶ τῆς ἔναγχος εἰς Κύζικον ἐξόδου γενομένης ἐξηγήσωμαι, ἣ πέμπτῳ μὲν ἔτει περιόντι μηνὶ τῷ αὐτῷ καὶ ἡμέραις μάλιστα ταῖς αὐταῖς ἐγένετο, Ὀλυμπίων ἐπιόντων.
Come now, let me also relate the journey to Cyzicus which took place recently, which occurred in the fifth year, in the same month and on almost the same days, as the Olympic games were approaching.
ἔσχε δὲ οὐ πόρρω τῆς πρότερον. καὶ γὰρ
And it was not far different from the previous one.
§356ἀσιτία τῇ προτέρᾳ τῶν ἡμερῶν μοχθηρία τε ὕδατος· καὶ ἅμα ὑπὸ πλήθους ἐμπίδων συνέβη πρόδηλον ὂν ὡς ἀγρυπνῆσαι δεήσοι.
For indeed, on the day before, there was a lack of food and bad water; and at the same time, because of a multitude of gnats, it became clear that we would have to stay awake.
καὶ τῆς ἐπιούσης ὡδοιπόρουν ἐξ ὄρθρου βαθέος ῥοφήματι χρησάμενος βραχεῖ.
And on the following day, I set out at deep dawn, having taken a little broth.
καὶ ὡς ἐπανῄειν, κατέλυσα μὲν πρὸς τοῖς ὕδασι τοῖς θερμοῖς ὑσθεὶς, προειρημένον καὶ τοῦτο, τὴν δὲ ἀσιτίαν ἀπέδωκα, ἐπειδὴ ἐπανῆλθον, ἐπιταχθεῖσαν εἰς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν.
And as I was returning, I took lodging near the warm springs, having been rained upon—this too had been foretold—and after I returned, I performed the fasting which had been prescribed for the next day.
καὶ μὴν τά γε τῆς διατριβῆς τῆς ἐν τῇ πόλει σχεδὸν ὥσπερ προείρητο οὕτως ἐχώρησεν.
Indeed, the events of my stay in the city proceeded almost exactly as had been foretold.
ἦν γὰρ τοιάδε τὰ φανθέντα· αὐτὸς δὲ καὶ ᾔτησα τὸν θεὸν σημῆναι, ἅτε καὶ δικῶν οὐσῶν καὶ τῶν φίλων δεομένων ἥκειν.
For the visions were as follows; and I myself had asked the god to show a sign, since there were lawsuits and my friends were requesting me to come.
ἐδόκουν ἐπιτηρεῖν προσόδου καιρὸν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, θύοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ τυγχάνειν κατακείμενος.
I seemed to be watching for an opportunity of audience with the emperor, and to happen to be lying down while he was sacrificing.
ὡς δὲ πλησίον γενέσθαι τῶν χειρῶν μου ἀλεκτρυόνα ἀσπαίροντα, συλλαβεῖν τε καὶ οἰωνίσασθαι, καὶ ὡς εἶχον ἐν ταῖν χεροῖν ἄρχεσθαι τῆς προρρήσεως.
And when a struggling cock came near my hands, I seized it and took it as an omen, and, just as I held it in my hands, I began the declamation.
ὥρμητο δέ μοι τοῦτο πᾶν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ὁμηρικοῦ, ὡς Ὀδυσσεὺς τὸ ἔκπωμα πλησάμενος προσαγορεύει τὸν Ἀχιλλέα καὶ λέγει· τὰ δὲ ῥήματα οὕτω πως εἶχεν, ἐπʼ ἀγαθῷ μὲν τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἐπʼ ἀγαθῷ δὲ καὶ ἀμφοτέροις τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν, ὣς δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν ἅπασιν. ὁ δὲ ἐθαύμασέ τε καὶ πειρώμενος τῶν λόγων ἀντὶ πάντων τε ἔφη τιμᾶσθαι χρημάτων αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐπεῖπε τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις εἰ προσῆσαν ἀκροαταὶ καὶ ὅσον πεντήκοντα, κἀγὼ ὑπολαβὼν, σοῦ γε, ἔφην, βουλομένου, βασιλεῦ, καὶ ἀκροαταὶ γενήσονται, καὶ ὅπως γʼ, ἔφην, θαυμάσῃς, ταῦτα ἃ νυνὶ λέγεις ἐμοὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ προείρηται. καὶ ἕτοιμος ἦν αὐτῷ γεγραμμένα δεικνύναι.
This whole action was suggested to me by the Homeric passage, where Odysseus, having filled his cup, addresses Achilles and says: The words were somewhat as follows: "To the good fortune of the emperor, and to the good fortune of both the emperors, and likewise to all of us." And he marvelled and, testing the words, said that he valued them above all wealth, and added to these words: "if only there were listeners, say about fifty." And I interrupting said, "If you indeed wish it, emperor, there will be listeners too, and so that you may indeed wonder, these very things which you now say have been foretold to me by Asclepius." And I was ready to show them to him in writing.
μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ ὁ μὲν οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅποι ἐτράπετο, ἐγὼ δʼ ἐνεθυμήθην ὅτι οὗτος ἐκεῖνος ὁ καιρὸς εἴη τῆς ἐπιδείξεως.
After this, he turned I know not where, but I reflected that this was indeed that moment for the declamation.
ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐδόκουν βαδίζειν ἐπὶ Κυζίκου.
Upon this, I seemed to be walking towards Cyzicus.
τοιαῦτʼ ἦν τὰ κινήσαντα.
Such were the things that set me in motion.
ὡς τοίνυν ἐγενόμην ἐν τῇ πόλει, πολλὴ μὲν ἦν σπουδὴ τῶν ἡγεμόνων, πολλὴ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων, ὅμως δὲ εἰς μὲν τὸ δημόσιον οὐ παρῆλθον, προσδοκώντων ὁσημέραι καὶ θαυμαστὰ ποιούντων, κατʼ οἰκίαν δὲ συνῆν τοῖς ἐπιεικεστάτοις καὶ σχεδὸν ἐξεπληροῦτο ἡ τοῦ ἐνυπνίου φήμη, ἦν γὰρ εἰς τοὺς πεντήκοντα ὁ
When therefore I arrived in the city, there was great zeal on the part of the leaders, and great zeal on the part of the other people; nevertheless, I did not appear in public, though they were expecting me daily and doing extraordinary things, but met privately with the most respectable citizens; and the prediction of the dream was almost fulfilled, for the number of those present was about fifty...