1.4 The Man-trap and the Fratricide (primer)
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προς-τάξας γὰρ τοῖς οἰκέταις ἐργάζεσθαι πάγας,
For having ordered to his servants to construct traps,
δι-έστησε μὲν ταύτας περὶ τᾶ ἀγγεῖα
he set up these around the vessels
ἐν οἷς τᾰ χρήματα ἐν-ῆν ·
in which the treasures were in.
οἱ δὲ φῶρες ἦλθον,
The thieves came,
ὥσπερ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ πρὸ τοῦ ·
just as in the time before this.
καὶ ὁ μέν αὐτῶν,
And one of them ,
ἐν-δὺς εἰς τὸν θησαυρὸν,
having gone down into the treasure-room,
ἐπεὶ προς-ῆλθε πρὸς τὸ ἄγγος ,
when he came up to the jar,
εὐθὺς ἐν-είχετο τῇ πάγῃ·
immediately he was held fast by the trap.
ὡς δὲ ὲγνω τὸ κακὸν οἷον ἦν,
And when he realised his misfortune of what sort it was
εὐθὺς ἐκάλεσε τὸν ἀδελφὸν
immediately he called his brother
καὶ δηλώσας τὰ παρ-όντα,
and having shown < him> the present < things>, ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ἐς-δύντα ὡς τάχιστα
he told him having come inside as quickly as possible
ἀπο-τέμνειν τὴν κεφαλήν ἑαυτοῦ·
to cut off the head of himself;
ἐφοβεῖτο γὰρ που μῆ αὐτὸς,
for he feared I suppose lest he himself
ὀφθείς τε καὶ γνωρισθεὶς ὅστις εἴη,
having been seen and recognised who he was,
προς-απ-ολέσειε καὶ τὸν ἀδελφόν·
he would destroy also his brother.
ἐκεῖνος οὖν ἐνόμισε αὐτὸν λέγειν εὖ
He then thought him to speak well
τε καὶ πεισθεὶς ἐποίησε ταῦτα·
and having been persuaded he did these.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καθ-αρμόσας τὸν λίθον,
And after these having fitted in the stone,
ἀπ-ῄει ἐπ' οἴκου, he went off homeward,
φέρων τὴν κεφαλήν τοῦ ἀδελφοΰ .
carrying the head of his brother.
