Greek Reading: Fables 10

Today's stories are from Smith's Initia Graeca, available at the Internet Archive. (There are just two stories today; I'm going to aim for around 100 words per post.) You can use the linked titles to access the book, and it has a dictionary in the back.

Here are the stories, presented in Greek, segmented, and then interwoven with English.

Ἄνθρωπός κατὰ τὸν ποταμὸν

Ἄνθρωπός τις φόνον ποιήσας ἐδιώκετο ὑπὸ τῶν συγγενῶν τοῦ φονευθέντος. Γενόμενος δὲ κατὰ τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν Νεῖλον, λέοντα ἰδὼν καὶ φοβηθεὶς ἀνέβη εἰς δένδρον. Εὗρε δὲ δράκοντα ἐπάνω τοῦ δένδρου, καὶ πάλιν τοῦτον φοβηθεὶς ἔρριψεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸν ποταμόν. Ἐν δὲ τῷ ποταμῷ κροκόδειλος αὐτὸν κατεθοινήσατο.

Ἄνθρωπός τις 

φόνον ποιήσας 

ἐδιώκετο 

ὑπὸ τῶν συγγενῶν τοῦ φονευθέντος. 

Γενόμενος δὲ 

κατὰ τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν Νεῖλον, 

λέοντα ἰδὼν καὶ φοβηθεὶς 

ἀνέβη εἰς δένδρον. 

Εὗρε δὲ δράκοντα 

ἐπάνω τοῦ δένδρου, 

καὶ πάλιν τοῦτον φοβηθεὶς 

ἔρριψεν ἑαυτὸν 

εἰς τὸν ποταμόν. 

Ἐν δὲ τῷ ποταμῷ 

κροκόδειλος αὐτὸν κατεθοινήσατο.

Φόνον ποιήσας  ...  Having committed a murder

ἄνθρωπός τις ἐδιώκετο  ...  a man was being pursued

ὑπὸ τῶν συγγενῶν  ...  by the relatives

τοῦ φονευθέντος  ...  of the man he had murdered. 

Γενόμενος δὲ  ...  Having arrived

κατὰ τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν Νεῖλον  ...  at the river Nile, 

λέοντα ἰδὼν καὶ φοβηθεὶς  ...  he saw a lion and was afraid; 

ἀνέβη εἰς δένδρον  ...  he climbed up a tree. 

Εὗρε δὲ δράκοντα  ...  But he found a dragon 

ἐπάνω τοῦ δένδρου  ...  up in the tree, 

καὶ πάλιν τοῦτον φοβηθεὶς  ...  and he was afraid of that; 

ἔρριψεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸν ποταμόν  ...  he jumped into the river 

Ἐν δὲ τῷ ποταμῷ  ...  And in the river 

κροκόδειλος αὐτὸν κατεθοινήσατο  ...  a crocodile feasted on him.

crocodile

Γυνὴ καὶ θεραπαινίδες

Γυνὴ χήρα φιλεργὸς θεραπαινίδας ἔχουσα, ταύτας εἰώθει νυκτὸς ἐγείρειν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα πρὸς τὰς τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων ᾠδάς. Αἱ δὲ συνεχῶς τῷ πόνῳ ταλαιπωρούμεναι, ἔγνωσαν δεῖν τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας ἀποκτεῖναι ἀλεκτρυόνα, ὡς ἐκείνου νύκτωρ ἐξανιστάντος τὴν δέσποιναν. Συνέβη δ' αὐταῖς τοῦτο διαπραξαμέναις χαλεπωτέροις περιπεσεῖν τοῖς δεινοῖς. Ἡ γὰρ δεσπότις ἀγνοοῦσα τὴν τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων ὥραν, ἐννυχώτερον ταύτας ἀνίστη.

Γυνὴ χήρα φιλεργὸς

θεραπαινίδας ἔχουσα, 

ταύτας εἰώθει νυκτὸς ἐγείρειν 

ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα 

πρὸς τὰς τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων ᾠδάς. 

Αἱ δὲ συνεχῶς 

τῷ πόνῳ ταλαιπωρούμεναι, 

ἔγνωσαν δεῖν 

τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας ἀποκτεῖναι ἀλεκτρυόνα, 

ὡς ἐκείνου νύκτωρ ἐξανιστάντος τὴν δέσποιναν. 

Συνέβη δ' αὐταῖς 

τοῦτο διαπραξαμέναις 

χαλεπωτέροις περιπεσεῖν τοῖς δεινοῖς. 

Ἡ γὰρ δεσπότις 

ἀγνοοῦσα τὴν τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων ὥραν, 

ἐννυχώτερον ταύτας ἀνίστη.

Γυνὴ χήρα φιλεργὸς  ...  A hardworking widow woman

θεραπαινίδας ἔχουσα  ...  had some maids; 

ταύτας εἰώθει νυκτὸς ἐγείρειν  ...  she usually woke them at night 

ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα  ...  for their duties

πρὸς τὰς τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων ᾠδάς  ...  before cock-crow. 

Αἱ δὲ συνεχῶς ταλαιπωρούμεναι  ...  Suffering continuously

τῷ πόνῳ  ...  from the hard work, 

ἔγνωσαν δεῖν  ...  they decided that they had to 

ἀποκτεῖναι τὸν ἀλεκτρυόνα  ...  kill the rooster

ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας  ...  on the rooftop 

ὡς ἐκείνου ἐξανιστάντος  ...  since he was the one who roused

τὴν δέσποιναν  ...  the mistress

νύκτωρ  ...  at night. 

αὐταῖς διαπραξαμέναις τοῦτο  ...  after they had done this thing,

συνέβη δ'  ...  it happened that

περιπεσεῖν τοῖς δεινοῖς  ...  they met with troubles

χαλεπωτέροις  ...  that were even more burdensome,

ἡ γὰρ δεσπότις  ...  for the mistress, 

ἀγνοοῦσα ὥραν  ...  not knowing the hour

τὴν τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων  ...  of the cockcrow, 

ἐννυχώτερον ταύτας ἀνίστη  ...  woke them deeper in the night.

The Woman and Her Maids

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too :

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Greek Vocabulary Challenge: Jan. 18

Here are today's vocabulary words; it's Group 136. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

φιλόσοφος ~ φιλοσόφου (adj. m/f.): lover of wisdom 

πλούσιος ~ πλουσίου (adj. masc.): wealthy, rich 

μόνος ~ μόνου (adj. masc.): alone, only 

ἰσχυρόν ~ ἰσχυροῦ (adj. neut.): strong, violent 

κρείσσων ~ κρείσσονος (adj. fem.): stronger, better 

These are the proverbs (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

Φιλόσοφος γίνου.

Ἀεὶ γεωργὸς εἰς νέωτα πλούσιος.

Τοῦτ' ἐστὶ τὸ ζῆν μὴ σεαυτῷ ζῆν μόνῳ.

Ἰσχυρὸν ὄχλος ἐστίν, οὐκ ἔχει δὲ νοῦν.

Γνώμη δὲ κρείσσων ἐστίν ἢ ῥώμη χερῶν.

And now, some commentary:

Φιλόσοφος γίνου.

Be a lover of wisdom.

This is another of the maxims of the Seven Sages recorded by Stobaeus; for more, see Wikipedia: Delphic maxims. Like many compound adjectives, there is not a distinctive feminine form; φιλόσοφος is both masculine and feminine, depending on context. It is often used substantively as a noun, which is the origin of our "philosopher" in English.

Ἀεὶ γεωργὸς εἰς νέωτα πλούσιος.

The farmer is always rich next year.

As Erasmus explains, this saying can refer literally to farmers, but it can also apply to all kinds of speculators who put their hopes in a future harvest, literal or metaphorical.  The adjective πλούσιος is from the noun πλοῦτος, "wealth," and Πλοῦτος was also a god. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Plutus.

Τοῦτ' ἐστὶ τὸ ζῆν μὴ σεαυτῷ ζῆν μόνῳ.

This is what living is: not living for oneself alone.

This is one of the monostichs of Menander, and so it is in iambic verse:

Τοῦτ' ἐσ-τὶ τὸ || ζῆν μὴ σεαυ||τῷ ζῆν μόνῳ.

Ἰσχυρὸν ὄχλος ἐστίν, οὐκ ἔχει δὲ νοῦν.

The crowd is powerful, but it doesn't have a mind.

And this is another one of Menander's monostichs in iambic verse:

Ἰσχυ-ρὸν ὄχ||λος ἐσ-τίν, οὐκ || ἔχει δὲ νοῦν.

Γνώμη δὲ κρείσσων ἐστίν ἢ ῥώμη χερῶν.

Thought is stronger than the power of hands.

This is a fragment of the tragic poet Agathon; his plays are lost, only a few titles and fragments having survived, but Agathon appears as a character in the writings of both Plato and Aristophanes. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Agathon. Here he appears in a painting that depicts Plato's Symposium, greeting Alcibiades:

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too :

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Greek Reading: Fables 9

Today's stories are from Smith's Initia Graeca, available at the Internet Archive. You can use the linked titles to access the book, and it has a dictionary in the back.

Here are the stories, presented in Greek, segmented, and then interwoven with English.

Πίθηκος καὶ κάμηλος

Ἐν συνόδῳ τῶν ἀλόγων ζώων πίθηκος ἀναστὰς ὠρχεῖτο. Σφόδρα δὲ αὐτοῦ εὐδοκιμοῦντος καὶ ὑπὸ πάντων ἐπισημαινομένου, κάμηλος φθονήσασα ἠβουλήθη τῶν αὐτῶν ἐφικέσθαι. Διόπερ ἐξαναστᾶσα ἐπειρᾶτο καὶ αὐτὴ ὀρχεῖσθαι· πολλὰ δὲ αὐτῆς ἄτοπα ποιησάσης, τὰ ζῶα ἀγανακτήσαντα, ῥοπάλοις αὐτὴν παίοντα ἐξήλασαν.

Ἐν συνόδῳ τῶν ἀλόγων ζώων 

πίθηκος 

ἀναστὰς ὠρχεῖτο. 

Σφόδρα δὲ αὐτοῦ εὐδοκιμοῦντος 

καὶ ὑπὸ πάντων ἐπισημαινομένου, 

κάμηλος 

φθονήσασα ἠβουλήθη 

τῶν αὐτῶν ἐφικέσθαι. 

Διόπερ 

ἐξαναστᾶσα ἐπειρᾶτο 

καὶ αὐτὴ ὀρχεῖσθαι· 

πολλὰ δὲ αὐτῆς ἄτοπα ποιησάσης, 

τὰ ζῶα 

ἀγανακτήσαντα

ῥοπάλοις αὐτὴν παίοντα ἐξήλασαν.

Ἐν συνόδῳ τῶν ἀλόγων ζώων  ...  in an assembly of dumb beasts

πίθηκος ἀναστὰς ὠρχεῖτο  ...  the ape stood up and danced.

Σφόδρα δὲ αὐτοῦ εὐδοκιμοῦντος  ...  He was well regarded

καὶ ὑπὸ πάντων ἐπισημαινομένου  ...  and applauded by all;

κάμηλος φθονήσασα  ...  the camel was jealous

ἠβουλήθη τῶν αὐτῶν ἐφικέσθαι  ...  and wanted to get the same.

Διόπερ ἐξαναστᾶσα ...  So she stood up

ἐπειρᾶτο καὶ αὐτὴ ὀρχεῖσθαι  ...  and also tried to dance;  

πολλὰ δὲ αὐτῆς ἄτοπα ποιησάσης  ...  when she did so very badly,

τὰ ζῶα ἀγανακτήσαντα  ...  the animals were irritated

αὐτὴν ἐξήλασαν  ...  and drove her away

ῥοπάλοις παίοντα  ...  beating her with clubs.

The Dancing Camel

Ἀλώπηξ καὶ λέων

Ἀλώπηξ μηδέποτε θεασαμένη λέοντα, ἐπειδὴ κατά τινα τύχην ὑπήντνσεν αὐτῷ, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἰδοῦσα αὐτὸν οὕτως ἐφοβήθη, ὡς μικροῦ καὶ ἀποθανεῖν. Ἐκ δευτέρου δὲ αὐτῷ περιτυχοῦσα ἐφοβήθη μὲν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς τὸ πρότερον. Ἐκ τρίου δὲ θεασαμένη αὐτὸν οὕτως κατεθάρσησεν, ὡς καὶ προσελθοῦσα αὐτῷ διαλεχθῆναι.

Ἀλώπηξ 

μηδέποτε θεασαμένη λέοντα, 

ἐπειδὴ 

κατά τινα τύχην 

ὑπήντνσεν αὐτῷ, 

τὸ μὲν πρῶτον 

ἰδοῦσα αὐτὸν 

οὕτως ἐφοβήθη, 

ὡς μικροῦ καὶ ἀποθανεῖν. 

Ἐκ δευτέρου δὲ 

αὐτῷ περιτυχοῦσα 

ἐφοβήθη μὲν, 

ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς τὸ πρότερον. 

Ἐκ τρίου δὲ 

θεασαμένη αὐτὸν 

οὕτως κατεθάρσησεν, 

ὡς καὶ προσελθοῦσα 

αὐτῷ διαλεχθῆναι.

Ἀλώπηξ  ...  A fox

μηδέποτε θεασαμένη λέοντα  ...  had never seen a lion; 

ἐπειδὴ κατά τινα τύχην  ...  when by chance 

ὑπήντνσεν αὐτῷ  ...  she encountered him

τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἰδοῦσα αὐτὸν  ...  seeing him the first time

οὕτως ἐφοβήθη  ...  she was so terrified 

ὡς μικροῦ καὶ ἀποθανεῖν  ...  that she nearly died.

Ἐκ δευτέρου δὲ  ...  But the second time

αὐτῷ περιτυχοῦσα  ...  she happened upon him

ἐφοβήθη μὲν  ...  she was terrified, 

ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς τὸ πρότερον  ...  but not like the first time. 

Ἐκ τρίου δὲ θεασαμένη αὐτὸν  ...  The third time she saw him

οὕτως κατεθάρσησεν  ...  she felt so confident 

ὡς καὶ προσελθοῦσα  ...  that she even went up to him

αὐτῷ διαλεχθῆναι  ...  to have a conversation.

Lion and Fox

Ὄνος καὶ ἀλώπηξ

Ὄνος ἐνδυσάμενος λέοντος δέρμα περιῄει ἐκφοβῶν τὰ ἄλογα ζῶα. Καὶ δὴ θεασάμενος ἀλώπεκα ἐπειρᾶτο καὶ ταύτην δεδίττεσθαι. Ἡ δέ, ἐτύγχανε γὰρ αὐτοῦ φθεγξαμένου προακηκουῖα, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν· ἀλλ' εὖ ἴσθι, ὡς καὶ ἐγὼ ἄν σε ἐφοβήθην, εἰμὴ ὀγκωμένου ἤκουσα.

Ὄνος 

ἐνδυσάμενος λέοντος δέρμα 

περιῄει ἐκφοβῶν τὰ ἄλογα ζῶα. 

Καὶ δὴ θεασάμενος ἀλώπεκα 

ἐπειρᾶτο καὶ ταύτην δεδίττεσθαι. 

Ἡ δέ, 

ἐτύγχανε γὰρ 

αὐτοῦ φθεγξαμένου προακηκουῖα, 

ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν· 

ἀλλ' εὖ ἴσθι, 

ὡς καὶ ἐγὼ ἄν σε ἐφοβήθην, 

εἰμὴ ὀγκωμένου ἤκουσα.

Ὄνος  ...  A donkey

ἐνδυσάμενος λέοντος δέρμα  ...  having put on a lion skin

περιῄει  ...  walked around

ἐκφοβῶν τὰ ἄλογα ζῶα  ... scaring the dumb beasts. 

Καὶ δὴ θεασάμενος ἀλώπεκα  ...  And when he saw a fox

ἐπειρᾶτο καὶ ταύτην δεδίττεσθαι  ...  he tried to scare her too. 

Ἡ δέ ἐτύγχανε γὰρ προακηκουῖα  ...  But she happened to hear

αὐτοῦ φθεγξαμένου  ...  the donkey speaking, 

ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν  ...  and said to him:

ἀλλ' εὖ ἴσθι  ...  Rest assured, 

ὡς καὶ ἐγὼ ἄν σε ἐφοβήθην  ...  I too would have been frightened

εἰμὴ ὀγκωμένου ἤκουσα  ...  if I had not heard you braying.

The Fox and the Donkey in the Lion Skin

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too :

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Daily Greek Vocabulary Challenge: Jan. 16

Here are today's vocabulary words; it's Group 135, containing familiar proverbs but with a focus on different words this time around. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

ἔαρ ~ ἔαρος (noun n.): spring (season) 

συμμαχία ~ συμμαχίας (noun f.): alliance, allies 

ζῷον ~ ζῴου (noun n.): animal, living being 

ξύλον ~ ξύλου (noun n.): wood, tree 

καρπός ~ καρποῦ (noun m.): fruit 

These are the proverbs (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

Μία χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ.

Μετὰ πόλεμον, ἡ συμμαχία.

Πολιτικὸν ζῷον ὁ ἄνθρωπος.

Ξύλον ἀγκύλον ουδέποτ' ὀρθόν.

Ἐκ τοῦ καρποῦ τὸ δένδρον γιγνώσκω.

And now, some commentary:

Μία χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ.

One swallow does not make a spring.

Compare the English saying: "One swallow does not make a summer." Aristotle cites the Greek saying in his Nicomachean Ethics, and it also provides the subject of an Aesop's fable: The Young Man and the Swallow.

Μετὰ πόλεμον, ἡ συμμαχία.

After the battle (is over), the allies (arrive).

In other words, you need allied forces to show up before the battle, not afterwards when it's too late to do any good. Compare the English saying: "Closing the barn door after the horse has bolted."

Πολιτικὸν ζῷον ὁ ἄνθρωπος.

A person (is) a political animal.

The saying is adapted from Aristotle's Politics. The word πολιτικός is from the word πόλις, meaning "city," so πολιτικός describes someone who lives in a city or state or some other community. In his History of Animals, Aristotle explains that there are other animals besides humans who are "political," i.e. living in communities; they are the bee, the wasp, the ant, and the crane.

Ξύλον ἀγκύλον ουδέποτ' ὀρθόν.

A crooked piece of wood never (will be) straight.

The word οὐδέποτε loses its final -ε before the following vowel: ουδέποτ' ὀρθόν. From the root in Greek ξύλον we get the English word xylophone, and from ὀρθόν we get all the ortho- words: orthodoxy, orthopedic, and on and on. Compare a saying in the Book of Ecclesiastes: That which is crooked cannot be made straight. (If you are following my little Latin course: Pravum lignum numquam rectum.)

Ἐκ τοῦ καρποῦ τὸ δένδρον γινώσκω.

From the fruit, I know the tree.

Compare a similar saying in the Gospel of Matthew: Ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς, "Ye shall know them by their fruits." You can find out more at Wikipedia: The Tree and its Fruits. From Greek δένδρον we get the English term dendrochronology. 

the fable of the swallow

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too :

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