iuvenis ego Mileto profectus as spectaculum Olympicum
When I was a young man, having set out from Miletus to go to the Olympic Games
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cum haec etiam loca provinciae clarae visitare cuperem
since I also wanted to visit these places in this famous province
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peragrata tota Thessalia Larissam perveni.
having travelled through the whole of Thessaly I reached Larissa.
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ac dum urbem pererrans tenuato viatico paupertati meae fomenta quaero, medio in foro senem conspicio
And while, I was searching for a remedy for my poverty, I caught sight of an old man in the middle of the forum.
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insistebat lapidem magnaque voce praedicabat,
He was standing on a rock and was proclaiming in a loud voice,
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si quis mortuum custodire vellet, magnum praemium accepturum esse
that is anyone was willing to guard a dead body, he would receive a big reward.
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et cuidam praetereunti "quod hoc" inquam "audio? hic mortui solent afugere?"
And to a certain person going past, I said "What's this I hear? Are the dead here accustomed to run away?"
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"tace," respondit ille. "nam puer et satis peregrinus es, meritoque nescis in Thessalia te esse, ubi sagae ora mortuorum semper demorsicant
"Shut up!" that man replied "For you are a boy and a mere stranger, and naturally you do not know that you are in Thessaly, where witches always bite pieces out of the faces of the dead
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quae sunt illis artis magicae supplementa." Contra ego "quali custodela" inquam "opus est?"
which are extra ingredients for them in their magic art." In reply, I said "What sort of protection is needed?"
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"iam primum" respondit ille "totam nocetem eximie vigilandum est apertis
"First of all" that man replied, "You must stay fully awake for the whole night
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et inconvivis oculis semper in cadaver intentis,
with open and unclosing eyes always directed at the corpse
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nec acies usquam devertenda est, cum illae pessimae sagae latenter arrepant, forma in quodvis animal conversa
and you must not turn your gaze aside anywhere else, since those wicked witches secretly creep up, with their bodies changed into any animal they like
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nam et aves et canes et mures, immo vero etiam muscas, induunt."
For they take the form of birds and dogs and mice, and indeed even flies."
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his cognitis animum meum commasculo et statim acceden senem "clamare" inquam "iam desine. adest custis paratus."
Having found this out, I strengthened my mind and alone approaching the old man I saw "Stop shouting now, your guard is here ready."
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vix finieram et statim me perducit ad domum quandam
I had scarcely finished and at once he led me to a certain house
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ubi demonstrat matronam flebilem duscis vestimentis contectam.
where he pointed out a weeping woman dressed in dark clothes
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illa surrexit et ad cubiculus me induxit. ibi corpus spendentibus linteis coopertum manu revelavit. ubi sinugla anxie demonstravit, exiit
That woman got up and led me to the bedroom. There she uncovered with her hands a corpse wrapped in shining white sheets. When she had anxiously pointed out the individual, she went out.
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sic desolatus ad cadaveris solacium, perfrictis oculis et paratis ad vigilam
Left alone in this way to look after the dead body, with my eyes rubbed and ready for the guard duty
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dum animum meum permulcebam cantationibus, usque as nediam noctem pervigilabam
while I soothed my mind with songs, I stayed awake right until the middle of the night
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tum autem mihi formido cumulatior cum repente introrepens mustela contra me constitit oculosque in me fixit
But then my fear became greater when suddenly a weasel, creeping in, stopped opposite me and fixed its eyes on me.
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tanta fiducia in tantulo animali mihi tubavit animum. denique sic illi "abi" inquam "scelesta bestia, antequam meam vim celeriter experiaris! abi!"
Such great confidence in such a small animal disturbed my mind. At last I spoke in this way to that creature "Go away wicked beast, before you quickly experience my strength! Go away!"
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
since I also wanted to visit these places in this famous province
Back
cum haec etiam loca provinciae clarae visitare cuperem
Card 3
Front
having travelled through the whole of Thessaly I reached Larissa.
Back
Card 4
Front
And while, I was searching for a remedy for my poverty, I caught sight of an old man in the middle of the forum.
Back
Card 5
Front
He was standing on a rock and was proclaiming in a loud voice,
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