§357σύλλογος.
the assembly.
χρονιζομένης δὲ τῆς διατριβῆς καὶ χαίροντός μου καὶ τῷ χωρίῳ καὶ τοῖς παροῦσι πᾶσιν, ἄλλα τε δὴ ὀνείρατα γίγνεται ἀνιστάντα καὶ διαρρήδην ἐγένετο ὡς τὸ ἀνωτέρω τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου οὐκ ἐπιτήδειον πρὸς διατριβήν.
And as my stay was prolonged and I was enjoying both the place and all those present, other dreams indeed occurred, urging me to depart, and it was explicitly declared that the region beyond the Hellespont was not suitable for a stay.
ἐπανῄειμεν οὖν· καὶ γὰρ δὴ Διὸς Ὀλυμπίου θυσία πάνδημος προσῆγε, καὶ παρεδείκνυτο πανταχόθεν ὅτι παρεῖναι δέοι καὶ θύειν.
So we returned; for indeed a public sacrifice to Olympian Zeus was approaching, and it was indicated from all sides that I ought to be present and sacrifice.
συνέβη τοίνυν καὶ τὰ τοῦ σώματος τοῦτον δὴ τὸν χρόνον ῥᾷστα καὶ φαιδρότατα σχεῖν ἐξ οὗ πρῶτον ἔκαμον.
It happened then that the condition of my body also was at its easiest and most cheerful during this time, since I first fell ill.
ὅσον τε γὰρ χρόνον ἦμεν ἐν τῇ Κυζίκῳ καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ὡς ἐπανήλθομεν, ἓξ μῆνας ἑξῆς τοὺς ἅπαντας ἐρρωμενέστατα ἐμαυτοῦ διετέθην, ἐξ ἕω τε ἀνιστάμενος καὶ βαδίζων μακρὰ καὶ πολλάκις τῆς ἡμέρας, καὶ τῆς ἀρχαίας φύσεως ὅτι ἐγγυτάτω γενόμενος.
For during the time we were in Cyzicus and after we returned, for six consecutive months in all, I was in the strongest state of health of my life, rising at dawn and walking long distances and often during the day, coming as close as possible to my original constitution.
καὶ δὴ καὶ τῆς συνήθους μελέτης οὐδὲν παρελείπετο, ὥστε συγχαίρειν ἅπαντας καὶ ἰδίᾳ καὶ δημοσίᾳ.
And indeed, nothing of my customary practice was neglected, so that everyone congratulated me both privately and publicly.
ὅσον δὲ κἀν τούτῳ συνέβη καμεῖν ἡμέρας τινὰς, θαυμαστῶς ὡς ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἅμα εἰωθότως ἰάσατο.
But as for the fact that even during this time I happened to be ill for a few days, the god cured me in a wonderful and at the same time customary manner.
βορέας μὲν γὰρ ὀπωρινὸς ἦν, εἶχον δὲ ἀδυνάτως κινεῖσθαι, ὥστε καὶ τὰς ἀναστάσεις ὤκνουν· ὁ δʼ ἐπιτάττει.
For there was an autumnal north wind, and I was unable to move, so that I hesitated even to rise; but he commanded me.
βέλτιον δʼ ἴσως αὐτὸ τὸ ὄναρ διηγήσασθαι, καὶ γὰρ ἔναυλόν τέ ἐστι καὶ οὐκ ἀνάγκη παραλιπεῖν.
And perhaps it is better to relate the dream itself, for it is still fresh in my ears and there is no need to omit it.
ἡκέτην ἰατρὼ δύο καὶ διελεγέσθην ἐν τῷ προθύρῳ ἄλλα τέ μοι δοκεῖν καὶ περὶ ψυχροῦ λουτροῦ ἠρώτα μὲν ὁ ἕτερος, ὁ δʼ ἀπεκρίνετο, τί λέγει, ἔφη, Ἱπποκράτης; τί δʼ ἄλλο γε ἢ δραμόντα δέκα σταδίους ἐπὶ θάλατταν οὕτως ῥῖψαι; ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ὡς ὄναρ πεφάνθαι ἐδόκουν.
Two doctors had come and were conversing in the vestibule about other things, as it seemed to me, and especially about a cold bath, while one asked and the other replied: 'What,' he said, 'does Hippocrates say?' 'What else indeed,' replied the other, 'than that one should run ten stades to the sea and so cast oneself in?' These things indeed seemed to have appeared as a dream.
μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἐπελθεῖν ὡς ἀληθῶς αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἰατροὺς, θαυμάσαι τε δὴ τοῦ ἐνυπνίου τὴν ἀκρίβειαν καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰπεῖν, ἄρτι γε ὑμᾶς ἐδόκουν ὁρᾶν καὶ ἄρτι ἥκετε, καὶ δῆτα ὁπότερος μὲν ὑμῶν, ἔφην, ὁ ἐρωτῶν ἦν καὶ ὁπότερος ὁ ἀποκρινόμενος οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν· ἡ δʼ ἀπόκρισις οὕτως εἶχεν, ὡς ἄρα Ἱπποκράτης κελεύοι δέκα σταδίους θεῖν τὸν μέλλοντα λοῦσθαι ψυχρῷ. ἅμα δὲ ἐμαυτῷ μετέβαλον τὸ ἐπὶ θάλατταν, ὡς δηλοῦν τὸ κατὰ φύσιν τῷ ποταμῷ, καὶ οὕτως εἶπον, δέκα σταδίους θεῖν τῷ ποταμῷ §358συμπαραθέοντα. ἐνεθυμήθην δʼ αὐτὸ διὰ τὸ εἶναι ἐν μεσογείᾳ, ἐδόκει σαφὲς εἶναι καὶ χρῆναι οὕτω ποιεῖν.
But after this, the doctors themselves came in reality, and they marvelled at the precision of the dream, and I seemed to say to them: 'I seemed to see you just now, and just now you have come; and indeed, which of you,' I said, 'was the one asking and which the one replying, I cannot say; but the reply was to this effect, that Hippocrates orders one who is about to take a cold bath to run ten stades.' And at the same time, I changed in my own mind 'to the sea', taking it as indicating according to nature 'to the river', and spoke thus: 'to run ten stades to the river, running alongside it.' I thought of this because we were inland; it seemed clear and that I ought to do so.
ἔπειτά πως ἐκ τούτων ἔδοξα κατακεῖσθαι μὲν ὡς ἐπʼ ἀρίστῳ, ἀναμνησθεὶς δʼ ὅτι λούσασθαι χρὴ πρότερον τῷ ψυχρῷ κατὰ τὴν πρόρρησιν, αὐτός τε ἀνίστασθαι καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους κελεύειν.
Then somehow from this I seemed to be reclining as if for breakfast, but remembering that I must first bathe in cold water according to the prediction, I myself rose and ordered the others to do so.
ἐρομένου δὲ τοῦ ἑτέρου τῶν ἰατρῶν περὶ τῆς ὥρας τοῦ λουτροῦ, φάναι ὅτι πέμπτην δέοι κινηθῆναι, συμβήσεσθαι γὰρ εἰς τὴν ἕκτην· πάλιν γὰρ αὖ τὸ πρῳαίτερον τοῦ δέοντος ἢ λοῦσθαι ἢ ἐσθίειν ἐργῶδες εἶναι· οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο φέρειν ὃ δοκεῖ αὐτοῦ χρήσιμον εἶναι, τὸ πέψαι ῥᾷον, ἀγρυπνίας γὰρ ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ γίγνεσθαι.
And when one of the doctors asked about the hour of the bath, I said that we must move at the fifth hour, for it would fall out at the sixth; for on the other hand, bathing or eating earlier than necessary was troublesome; for it did not even contribute to that very thing which seemed useful in it, namely digesting more easily, since sleeplessness resulted from it.
τί οὖν, ἔφη ὁ ἰατρὸς, οὐκ ἐμελέτησας ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ τέως; ὅτι νὴ Δίʼ, ἔφην ἐγὼ, σπουδαιότερόν μοί ἐστιν ἐπελθεῖν τινα τῶν γεγραμμένων· δεῖ γάρ με καὶ τοῖς ὕστερον ἀνθρώποις διαλέγεσθαι. καὶ ἅμα ἐνεδειξάμην ὅτι ἐπειγοίμην, μὴ ἄρα τι συμβαίη πρότερον.
'Why then,' said the doctor, 'did you not practice for us in the meantime?' 'Because, by Zeus,' I said, 'it is more important for me to go over some of my writings; for I must also converse with men of future generations.' And at the same time I indicated that I was in a hurry, lest something should happen beforehand.
καὶ ὃς οἰωνίζετο ἔτη πολλά μοι.
And he wished me many years as a good omen.
κἀγὼ εἶπον, βουλοίμην ἂν καὶ πολλὰ ἔτη βιῶναι, εἰ μέλλοιμι ἔσεσθαι πρὸς λόγοις. τὸ μὲν δὴ ὄναρ τοιοῦτον ἐγένετο.
And I said, 'I should indeed wish to live many years, if I am to be occupied with speeches.' The dream indeed was such.
τὸ δὲ χωρίον οὗ διέτριβον παραρρεῖ μὲν ποταμὸς, κάθοδος δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτόν ἐστι τραχυτέρα καὶ κατάντης μᾶλλον, καὶ ἅμα ἐντὸς τῶν δέκα σταδίων.
Now at the place where I was staying a river flows by, but the descent to it is rather rough and steep, and at the same time within ten stades.
ἔτι δʼ οὐκ ἐνῆν θεῖν τῷ ποταμῷ συμπαραθέοντα, ἀλλʼ ἐγκάρσιον καὶ εἰς ὄχθην.
Furthermore, it was not possible to run alongside the river, but only crosswise and towards the bank.
ἔπειτα μέντοι προϊὼν ὁ ποταμὸς παραρρεῖ χωρίον ἕτερον, ἔμβασίν τε ἔχον παγκάλην καὶ μάλα εὐειδῆ, ἐνταῦθα ἤδη ἐπενόησα τοιόνδε.
Afterwards, however, as the river goes on, it flows by another place, which has a very beautiful and fair-looking entrance; there I then conceived the following plan.
ἐκέλευσα μετρῆσαι σχοινίῳ ὁπόσον τι ἀπέχει τὸ χωρίον ἀπὸ τοῦ χωρίου, κατὰ δὲ ἕκαστον στάδιον σημεῖον καταλιπεῖν.
I ordered them to measure with a rope how far the one place was from the other, and to leave a mark at each stake.
ὡς δὲ ἐφάνησαν οἱ σύμπαντες ἑκκαίδεκα, δέκα μὲν τοὺς τελευταίους ὑπελειπόμην εἰς τὸν δρόμον, τοὺς δὲ πρώτους προῆλθον ἐπὶ τοῦ ζεύγους.
And when they appeared to be sixteen in all, I left the last ten for the run, and went through the first ones on a carriage.
ἔπειτα καταβὰς ἔθεον τούς τε πόδας ἀνέλκων μόλις καὶ ἅμα ὁ βορέας ἐπαιγίζων ἀνέστελλε τὸ εἰς τοὐπίσω, καὶ παρεῖχεν ἱδρῶτα θαυμαστὸν ὅσον.
Then, having dismounted, I ran, dragging my feet with difficulty, while at the same time the north wind, blowing hard, pushed me backward and caused a wonderful amount of sweat.
ὥσθʼ ὅτε δὴ ἀπέραντον ἦν, παρεῖχον ψύχειν ὁπόσα βούλοιτο.
So that when it was finished, I allowed the wind to cool me as much as it wished.
λαβομένης δὲ τῆς ὄχθης ἄσμενος εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ
And when I reached the bank, gladly into the water...