35

if we could but draw free air into our nostrils and not, before any other dread thing, let our breath touch the stench of our surroundings. 69.1 But the multitude of lice was another unspeakable evil; for like some creeping death it devoured the life of all, so that from this the forms of all were changed, and they were considered to be in the suspicion of life, not in its reality. 69.2 But how many blows they inflicted, rushing madly against us, or with how many insults and reproaches they washed us every hour, and in what ways they seemed to be nursing their wrath from the days of the war, what speech will be able to relate, or what ear to receive the tragedy of it? 69.3 And ecstasy comes over me, whenever I just come to think of those countless evils which we endured during the whole period of the voyage, how we had the fortitude to bear such a manifold calamity, we human bodies, for whom there was before this a luxurious and dissolute lifestyle, not at all accustomed to the rigors of piracy, and how the unbearable and twofold heat, both from the burning of thirst and from the summer season drying up the natural moisture, and what is more pitiable than these, how our soul was held together and remained with us, when at night they spread the leather hides over all the ships and locked all of us unfortunate ones inside, as if grudging us even the light along with everything else, so that by darkness and burning heat, two inescapable evils, our life might be exacted. 69.4 But I believe that the divine and foreseeing providence of the universe, beyond all human thought, empowered us to endure all these things, so that later, knowing from what evils we were then rescued against all hope, we might chasten both ourselves and others by our example. 70.1 And when the time called the barbarians to arrive at their homes, sailing away from there again we were brought to a certain island called Naxia, from which the inhabitants of Crete receive tribute; 70.2 where, when we had arrived, the men there presented gifts to the commanders of the ships, things which they seemed to be most in need of for the requirements of the voyage. 70.3 But having remained there for only two days we were brought towards Crete (for a favorable wind was calling us), until we landed at a certain place called Zontarion by the locals, but known to us in truth as “Adverse”; 70.4 for that Zontarion deprived many of life, and delivered them to death. 70.5 And because those who anchor there do not fear harm from the south wind and the south-west wind, the barbarians have preferred spending time at this naval station to the city. 70.6 When we landed, therefore, the Cretans recognized us (for they saw us from afar on the sea) and at first they perceived the fleet of the Romans approaching the island, from which they also became terrified because they had not prepared for war. 70.7 Then when we came closer, since they recognized certain markings on the ships, they reached the place with much good cheer, greeting those with them, and as if by the commonality of their ways showing the genuineness of their affection for one another; 70.8 for always, as the saying goes, like runs to like. 70.9 Then indeed for the first time all the barbarians came out of the ships, and they deemed us worthy of getting some relief from the cramped conditions among one another, and they also shared the waters of the place, which were plentiful and flowed abundantly around the waves of the sea. 70.10 And so for the whole night, being released from our continuous labors, we thought on the next day to partake of some better things, since the island was populous and had a great abundance of provisions. 70.11 But we did not know that on it we would encounter hardships similar to the former ones, or even worse, and that for this reason we were suffering those things, so that through them we might be preserved for these. 71.1 For already as the shadow of night drew near, and the light began to rise at dawn, as the Lord's day was dawning, a cry was heard on each ship, as if some

35

που κἂν ἐλεύθερον ἀέρα ταῖς ῥισὶν ἐφελκύσωμεν καὶ μὴ πρὸ παντὸς ἄλλου δεινοῦ τῇ τῶν παρόντων ἀναθυμιάσει τὴν πνοὴν ἐπαφήσοιμεν. 69.1 Τὸ δὲ τῶν φθειρῶν πλῆθος ἕτερον ἦν κακὸν ἄφατον· καθάπερ γάρ τις θάνατος ἕρπων τὴν ἁπάντων ζωὴν κατεβόσκετο, ὡς ἐκ τούτου τὰς μορφὰς πάντων ἀλλοιωθῆναι, καὶ ἐν ὑποψίᾳ ζώντων, οὐκ ἀληθείᾳ λογίζεσθαι. 69.2 ὅσας δὲ πληγὰς ἠφίεσαν μανικῶς φερόμενοι καθ' ἡμῶν, ἢ ὅσαις λοιδορίαις καὶ ὀνείδεσι καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμᾶς ἔπλυνον ὥραν, καὶ οἷς ἐφαίνοντο τὴν μῆνιν φυλάττοντες τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ πολέμου, ποῖος μὲν λόγος καθιστορῆσαι δυνήσεται, ποία δὲ ἀκοὴ τὴν τούτου παραδέξασθαι τραγῳδίαν; 69.3 ἐμοὶ δὲ ἔκστασις ἐπεισέρχεται, ὁσάκις εἰς ἔννοιαν ἔλθω μόνον τῶν ἀμετρήτων κακῶν ἐκείνων ὧν κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν περίοδον τοῦ πλοὸς ὑπεμείναμεν, πῶς ἐκαρτερήσαμεν ἐνέγκαι τοσαύτην πολυειδῆ συμφοράν, ἀνθρώπεια σώματα, οἷς ἦν πρὸ τοῦδε τρυφηλὴ καὶ διαρρέουσα δίαιτα καὶ πειρατικαῖς ἀνάγκαις οὐδαμῶς ἐνεθισθεῖσα, πῶς δὲ τὴν ἀνύποιστον καὶ δισσὴν πύρωσιν, τήν τε ἐκ τοῦ φλογμοῦ τῆς δίψης καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς θερινῆς ὥρας τὰς φυσικὰς ἰκμάδας ἀναξηραίνουσαν, καὶ τό γε τούτων ἐλεεινότερον, πῶς συνεκρατεῖτο καὶ παρέμενεν ἡμῖν ἡ ψυχή, ὁπότε ταῖς νυξὶν ἐφήπλουν τὰς δερματίνας δέρρεις διὰ πασῶν τῶν νηῶν καὶ πάντας εἴσω τοὺς δυστυχεῖς ἡμᾶς ἐναπέκλειον, ὥσπερ καὶ τοῦ φωτὸς ἡμῖν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων βασκαίνοντες, ἵνα σκότῳ καὶ καύματι, δυσὶν ἀφύκτοις κακοῖς, τὴν ζωὴν εἰσπραττώμεθα. 69.4 ἀλλ' ἡγοῦμαι ὡς ταῦτα πάντα καρτερεῖν ἡ θεία καὶ προνοητικὴ τοῦ παντὸς ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνην διάνοιαν ἐνεδυνάμου πρόνοια, ἵν' ἐν ὑστέρῳ γνόντες ἐξ οἵων τότε κακῶν παρ' ἐλπίδας ἐρρύσθημεν ἡμᾶς γε αὐτοὺς καὶ ἄλλους τῷ ὑποδείγματι σωφρονίζωμεν. 70.1 Ἐπειδὴ δ' ὁ καιρὸς ἐκάλει τῆς πρὸς τὰ οἰκεῖα τοὺς βαρβάρους ἀφίξεως, πάλιν ἐκεῖθεν ἀποπλεύσαντες κατήχθημεν εἴς τινα νῆσον καλουμένην Ναξίαν, ἐξ ἧς οἱ τὴν Κρήτην οἰκοῦντες φόρους λαμβάνουσιν· 70.2 ἐν ᾗ γενομένων ἡμῶν οἱ κατ' αὐτὴν ὄντες ἄνδρες δώροις τοὺς ἀρχηγοὺς ἠμείψαντο τῶν νηῶν, οἷς μάλιστα ἐδόκουν αὐτοὺς ἐνδεῶς ἔχειν πρὸς τὴν τοῦ πλοὸς χρείαν. 70.3 πλὴν κἀκεῖ δύο μόνας ἡμέρας προσμείναντες κατηγόμεθα τὴν ἐπὶ Κρήτην (ἐκάλει γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐπιτήδειον πνεῦμα), ἕως κατήραμεν ἔν τινι τόπῳ Ζωντάριον μὲν παρὰ τῶν ἐγχωρίων ὀνομαζομένῳ, «Ἀντίστροφος» δὲ ἡμῖν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ γνωριζομένῳ· 70.4 πολλοὺς γὰρ τὸ Ζωντάριον ἐκεῖνο τῆς μὲν ζωῆς ἀπεστέρησε, τῷ θανάτῳ δὲ προὔδωκε. 70.5 διὰ δὲ τὸ μὴ τὴν ἀπὸ νότου καὶ τοῦ λιβὸς δεδιέναι βλάβην τοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ καθορμιζομένους, τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν διατριβὴν τοῦ ναυστάθμου τῆς πόλεως οἱ βάρβαροι προκεκρίκασιν. 70.6 ὡς οὖν κατήχθημεν, ἔγνων οἱ Κρῆτες (προεώρων γὰρ ἡμᾶς τῆς θαλάσσης μακρόθεν) καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὸν στόλον ἐφώρασαν ἐπέρχεσθαι τῇ νήσῳ, ἐξ οὗ καὶ περιδεεῖς ἐγένοντο διὰ τὸ μὴ προπαρασκευάσθαι πρὸς πόλεμον. 70.7 ἔπειτα γενομένων ἡμῶν ἐγγύθεν, ἐπειδὴ ἐπέγνων τινὰ γνωρίσματα τῶν νηῶν, πεφθάκασι τὸν τόπον μετὰ πολλῆς θυμηδίας τοὺς ἀμφ' αὐτοὺς δεξιούμενοι, καὶ ὥσπερ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῶν τρόπων τὸ γνήσιον τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους στοργῆς ἐνδεικνύμενοι· 70.8 ἀεὶ γάρ, ὡς ὁ λόγος, τὸ ὅμοιον τῷ ὁμοίῳ προστρέχει. 70.9 τότε δὴ πρῶτον ἅπαντες τῶν νηῶν ἐξῆλθον οἱ βάρβαροι, καί τινος ἡμᾶς τυχεῖν ἀνέσεως τῆς ἐν ἀλλήλοις στενοχωρίας ἠξίωσαν, μετέδωκαν δὲ καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν τόπον ὑδάτων πολλῶν ὄντων καὶ ἀφθόνως τοῖς κύμασι τῆς θαλάσσης περιρρεόντων. 70.10 καὶ οὕτω τὴν νύκτα πᾶσαν τῶν συνεχῶν ἀνεθέντες πόνων ἐδοκοῦμεν τῇ ἑξῆς χρηστοτέρων τινῶν μετασχεῖν, ἅτε πεπληθυσμένης οὔσης τῆς νήσου καὶ πολλὴν ἐχούσης τῶν χρειῶν δαψίλειαν. 70.11 οὐκ ᾔδειμεν δὲ παραπλησίοις ἐν αὐτῇ τῶν πρῴην ὁμιλεῖν χαλεποῖς, ἢ καὶ χείροσι, καὶ διὰ ταῦτά γε μᾶλλον ἐκεῖνα πάσχειν, ὡς ἂν δι' ἐκείνων τούτοις συντηρηθῶμεν. 71.1 Ἤδη γὰρ τῆς νυκτερινῆς σκιᾶς σχεδασθείσης, τοῦ δὲ φωτὸς ἀρχομένου τὸν ὄρθρον ἐπανατέλλειν, κυριακῆς ἡμερῶν ἐπιφωσκούσης, ἀλαλαγμὸς ἐφ' ἑκάστης νηὸς ἠκούετο, ὥσπερ τινὰ