Inde inhabitantibus tristes diraeque noctes per metum vigilabantur ; vigiliam morbus et crescente metu mors sequebatur . Nam interdiu quoque , quamquam aberat imago , memoria imaginis in oculis errabat , longiorque causis timoris timor erat .

Domus inde deserta et damnata solitudine et illi monstro tota relicta ; vendere prohibebatur tamen , et conducere prohibebatur aliquis ignarus tanti mali .

Venit Athenas philosophus nomine Athenodorus , legit titulum et audit pretium , quia suspecta quantitas pecuniae , rogans multas quaestiones , omnia docetur ac nihilo minus , immo tanto magis conducit .

Ubi coepit nox , Athenodorus iubet lectum poni sibi in prima parte domus , poscit tabulam et stilum et lumen , et suos omnes servos in interiora dimittit ; ipse ad scribendum animum et oculos et manum intendit , ne vacua mens audita simulacra et inanes sibi metus fingeret . In principio , audiebat silentium noctis ; tum audiebat sonum ferri , et fragor vinculorum . Ille non tollebat oculos , non remittebat stilum , sed auribusque praetendebat .

Tum erat plus fragoris , venit et iam ut in limine , iam ut intra limen audiri . Respicit , videt agnoscitque narratam sibi effigiem . Stabat innuebatque digito similis vocanti . Athenodorus significat manu contra ut paulum exspectaret phantasma rursusque cartae et stilo incumbit .

Then the sad and grim nights were spent awake by the inhabitants through fear . With the fear growing , disease and death were following the vigil . Now , even during the day , although the figure was not there , the memory of the figure was wandering in their eyes , and the fear was greater than the cause of the fear .

Then the house had been deserted and condemned to solitude , and was completely given over to that monster . Nevertheless , it was prohibited to sell the house , and it was prohibited for anyone ignorant of such evil to rent it .

A philosopher named Athenodorus comes to Athens , reads the title of the house and hears the price . Because the amount of money is suspicious , asking many questions , he is taught everything and not less , on the contrary , he ( wants to ) rent the house even more .

When night begins , Athenodorus orders a bed to be placed for him in the front part of the house , asks for a table , a pen , and a lamp , and sends all of his servants into the interior of the house . He himself stenches his mind , eyes , and hand for the purpose of writing , so that his empty mind and idle fear would not imagine the figure having been heard . In the beginning , he heard the silence of the night , then he heard the sound of iron , and the noise of chains . He did not raise his eyes , nor did he put down his pen , but strained even his ears .

Then there was more of noise , it sounds like it’s on the threshold , now like it’s within the threshold . Athenodorus glances at it , sees it , and recognizes the figure having been described to him . The ghost was standing and nodding , similar to one calling with a finger . Athenodorus motions with his hand in reply that the ghost should wait a little , and leans back over the letter and his pen .