So we all heard him speak, and weeping sore We companied the maidens on their way. After brief space we looked again, and lo The man was gone, evanished from our eyes; Only the king we saw with upraised hand Shading his eyes as from some awful sight, That no man might endure to look upon. A moment later, and we saw him bend In prayer to Earth and prayer to Heaven at once. But by what doom the stranger met his end No man save Theseus knoweth. For there fell No fiery bold that reft him in that hour, Nor whirlwind from the sea, but he was taken. It was a messenger from heaven, or else Some gentle, painless cleaving of earth's base; For without wailing or disease or pain He passed away--and end most marvelous. And if to some my tale seems foolishness I am content that such could count me fool.

Τοσαῦτα φωνήσαντος εἰσηκούσαμεν ξύμπαντες· ἀστακτὶ δὲ σὺν ταῖς παρθένοις στένοντες ὡμαρτοῦμεν· ὡς δ΄ ἀπήλθομεν͵ χρόνῳ βραχεῖ στραφέντες͵ ἐξαπείδομεν τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν μὲν οὐδαμοῦ παρόντ΄ ἔτι͵ ἄνακτα δ΄ αὐτὸν ὀμμάτων ἐπίσκιον χεῖρ΄ ἀντέχοντα κρατός͵ ὡς δεινοῦ τινος φόβου φανέντος οὐδ΄ ἀνασχετοῦ βλέπειν. Ἔπειτα μέντοι βαιὸν οὐδὲ σὺν χρόνῳ ὁρῶμεν αὐτὸν Γῆν τε προσκυνοῦνθ΄ ἅμα καὶ τὸν θεῶν Ὄλυμπον ἐν ταὐτῷ λόγῳ. Μόρῳ δ΄ ὁποίῳ κεῖνος ὤλετ΄ οὐδ΄ ἂν εἷς θνητῶν φράσειε͵ πλὴν τὸ Θησέως κάρα· οὐ γάρ τις αὐτὸν οὔτε πυρφόρος θεοῦ κεραυνὸς ἐξέπραξεν οὔτε ποντία θύελλα κινηθεῖσα τῷ τότ΄ ἐν χρόνῳ͵ ἀλλ΄ ἤ τις ἐκ θεῶν πομπός͵ ἢ τὸ νερτέρων εὔνουν διαστὰν γῆς ἀλάμπετον βάθρον. Ἀνὴρ γὰρ οὐ στενακτὸς οὐδὲ σὺν νόσοις ἀλγεινὸς ἐξεπέμπετ΄͵ ἀλλ΄ εἴ τις βροτῶν θαυμαστός. Εἰ δὲ μὴ δοκῶ φρονῶν λέγειν͵ οὐκ ἂν παρείμην οἷσι μὴ δοκῶ φρονεῖν.