Greek Proverbs: Dec. 18

Here are today's Greek proverbs; it's Group 216. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

κλαίω ~ κλαιήσω ~ ἔκλαυσα (verb): weep, lament 

ἀρχή ~ ἀρχῆς (noun f.): beginning 

βίος ~ βίου (noun m.): life, lifestyle 

ἡδονή ~ ἡδονῆς (noun f.): pleasure 

μῦθος ~ μύθου (noun m.): story, word 

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

Αἵματι κλαίειν.

Πάσα ἀρχὴ δύσκολος.

Προβατίου βίον λέγεις.

κακὸς κακῷ δὲ συντέτηκεν ἡδονῇ.

Ἐν παντί μύθῳ καὶ τὸ Δαιδάλου μύσος. 

And now, some commentary:

Αἵματι κλαίειν.

To weep blood.

This phrase refers to when you go to the most dramatic measures possible, weeping blood, to persuade someone of something, but to no effect. Erasmus also cites a variant: Αἴματι στένειν, "to groan blood."

Πάσα ἀρχὴ δύσκολος.

Every beginning is difficult.

As someone who is beginning the study of Japanese, I can attest to the truth of this saying! Note that like so many compound adjectives, δύσκολος does not have a distinctive feminine form: it is both masculine and feminine. 

Προβατίου βίον λέγεις.

You're talking about the life of a little lamb.

The words come from Aristophanes' Pluto, when one character praises the quiet life, doing nothing, and is then rebuked. Just as in English, being "sheepish" means being shy and retiring, daring nothing, accomplishing nothing. And this is not just a sheep, but a diminutive sheep, προβάτιον. For more about Greek sheep stereotypes, see Erasmus's commentary on a related saying: Προβάτων ἦθος.

κακὸς κακῷ δὲ συντέτηκεν ἡδονῇ.

The wicked man sticks to the wicked man through pleasure.

The words come from Aristotle's Eudemian Ethics, where he identifies this as a saying: λέγεται, "it is said." Aristotle is talking about how the pleasures of friendship apply to everyone: even animals and children and wicked people.

Ἐν παντί μύθῳ καὶ τὸ Δαιδάλου μύσος. 

In every story there is also the corruption of Daedalus.

This odd little saying is found in the Suda. We're used to thinking of Daedalus as the hero who made wings and escaped from King Minos, but Daedalus was also the one who built the wooden cow for Pasiphae, thus spawning the Minotaur. It is the invention of that wooden cow which is the μύσος, "corruption."

Daedalus and Pasiphae

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

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Greek Proverbs: Dec. 16

Here are today's Greek proverbs; it's Group 215. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

κακός ~ κακοῦ (adj. masc.): bad, evil, wicked 

Ἀθηναῖος ~ Ἀθηναίου (adj. masc.): Athenian 

καθαιρέω ~ καθαιρήσω ~ καθεῖλον (verb): take down, bring down 

πρός (prep.+acc.): towards, beside 

ἴδιον ~ ἰδίου (adj. neut.): one's own, private; peculiar 

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

Πυλωρὸς κακός.

Ἀθηναίων δυσβουλία.

Ἐπὶ σαυτῷ τὴν σελήνην καθαιρεῖς.

Φῶς ἐστι τῷ νῷ πρὸς θεὸν βλέπειν ἀεί.

Ἴδιον ἀνθρώπου φιλεῖν καὶ τοὺς πταίοντας.

And now, some commentary:

Πυλωρὸς κακός.

A bad gatekeeper.

The saying refers to a guardian who is unreliable or someone who has an important duty with which they should not be entrusted. It comes from an anecdote when the Isthmus of Corinth was occupied by Philip's army: Κακοὺς πυλωροὺς ὑμᾶς, ὦ Κορίνθιοι, ἡ Πελοπόννησος ἔχει, "The Peloponnese has you (as) bad gatekeepers, O Corinthians!" You can find this saying in Erasmus.

Ἀθηναίων δυσβουλία.

The recklessness of the Athenians.

The idea is that even though the Athenians were reckless, they had the support of the goddess Athena, with the result that, even though they were reckless, the Athenians enjoyed great successes. So the saying applies in general to someone whose good luck is able to compensate for their bad planning. This saying also appears in Erasmus.

Ἐπὶ σαυτῷ τὴν σελήνην καθαιρεῖς.

You're calling down the moon on yourself.

Calling down the moon was a regular practice of sorcerors in the ancient world, and it portended nothing good. So this saying applies to those who do things that will result in their own doom or destruction. This saying appears in the Wikipedia article about Greek Σελήνη, the moon goddess: Wikipedia — Selene.

Φῶς ἐστι τῷ νῷ πρὸς θεὸν βλέπειν ἀεί.

Looking ever towards god with your mind is the light.

This is one of many ancient Greek and Latin sayings associating god with light. It is another of the monostichs (one-liners) of Menander, so it is in iambic meter:

Φῶς ἐσ|τι τῷ || νῷ πρὸς | θεὸν || βλέπειν | ἀεί.

Ἴδιον ἀνθρώπου φιλεῖν καὶ τοὺς πταίοντας.

It is a human characteristic to love even wrong-doers.

This is a saying of the Roman philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius; you can find this saying and more of Aurelius's sayings at Wikiquote.

Marcus Aurelius

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

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Greek Proverbs: Dec. 11

Here are today's Greek proverbs; it's Group 214. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

γέλως ~ γέλωτος (noun m.): laughter 

δεύτερον ~ δευτέρου (adj. neut.): second, next 

ἅμα (adverb): at the same time as 

Ἑρμῆς ~ Ἑρμοῦ (noun m.): Hermes 

χρῆμα ~ χρήματος (noun n.): property, money 

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

Γέλως Ἰωνικός.

Δευτέρων ἀμεινόνων.

Ἄμα πρόσσω καὶ οπίσσω λεύσσει.

Ἐκ παντὸς ξύλου Ἑρμῆς οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο.

Χρήματ’ ἔχων οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται εἰς ᾿Αίδεω.

And now, some commentary:

Γέλως Ἰωνικός.

Ionic laughter.

The Ionians were known for pleasure-loving luxury, so Ionian laughter was a kind of exquisite, indulgent laughter. The phrase was made famous in English poetry by Oscar Wilde in his "Burden of Itys," contrasting Ionian laughter with a cheerless England — No soft Ionian laughter moves the air, / The Thames creeps on in sluggish leadenness.

Δευτέρων ἀμεινόνων.

Seconds being better.

The idea is that your second ideas or impulses are better, based as they are on what you've learned from experience. Compare the English saying "second thoughts" when you change your mind about something, based on your improved understanding of something.

Ἄμα πρόσσω καὶ οπίσσω λεύσσει.

He looks at once forwards and backwards.

You can find these words in Homer's Iliad. This is a wise thing to do, looking both backwards and forwards. In the context of the scene in the Iliad, this is something that old men do, like King Priam, unlike reckless, impulsive young people. 

Ἐκ παντὸς ξύλου Ἑρμῆς οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο.

A Hermes cannot be made from every sort of wood.

The Roman author Apuleius in his Apology attributes the saying to Pythagoras. You can read about the statues of Hermes called herms at Wikipedia. 

Χρήματ’ ἔχων οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται εἰς ᾿Αίδεω.

No one goes to Hades having his money with him.

The words come from the Greek poet Theognis. Compare the English saying, "You can't take it with you."

The Waters of Lethe in Hades

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

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Greek Proverbs: Dec. 9

Here are today's Greek proverbs; it's Group 213. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

ἄρχω ~ ἄρξω ~ ἦρξα (verb): begin; rule 

νεκρός ~ νεκροῦ (noun m.): corpse, dead man 

οὖς ~ ὠτός (noun n.): ear 

ζήω ~ ζήσω ~ ἔζησα (verb): be alive, live 

ἀδύνατος ~ ἀδυνάτου (adj. masc.): unable, impossible 

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

Δαπανῶν ἄρχου.

Νεκρὸν μαστίζεις.

Κηρὸν τοῖς ὠσὶν ἐπαλειφεις.

Τὸ ζῆν ἀλύπως ἀνδρός ἐστιν εὐτυχοῦς.

Οὐ λέγειν δεινός, ἀλλὰ σιγᾶν ἀδύνατος.

And now, some commentary:

Δαπανῶν ἄρχου.

Keep control of your expenditures.

Note the middle imperative, ἄρχου, and the verb takes a genitive complement: δαπανῶν. This is another one of the so-called Delphic maxims recorded by Stobaeus.

Νεκρὸν μαστίζεις.

You're flogging a dead man.

This is one of the "adynata" attributed to Plutarch. You're not going to accomplish anything by flogging someone who's dead or, metaphorically, you are arguing with someone who is never going to change their mind. Compare the English saying, "beating a dead horse."

Κηρὸν τοῖς ὠσὶν ἐπαλειφεις.

You're smearing wax into your ears. 

The idea is that you are preparing yourself not to listen to something that might be dangerous for you to hear. The allusion is to the hero Odysseus and how he had his men put wax in their ears in order not to be lured by the song of the Sirens.

Τὸ ζῆν ἀλύπως ἀνδρός ἐστιν εὐτυχοῦς.

It's a lucky man who lives without sorrow.

Literally in the Greek: it is of a lucky man to live without sorrow. It's a pessimistic sort of saying: you might not be happy exactly, but you're lucky if you can manage to live without sorrow. This is another of the "one-liners" (monostichs) of Menander, so it is in iambic meter:

Τὸ ζῆν | ἀλύ||πως ἀν|δρός ἐσ||τιν εὐ|τυχοῦς.

Οὐ λέγειν δεινός, ἀλλὰ σιγᾶν ἀδύνατος.

Not terrific at speaking, but not able to keep quiet.

The phrase is a rebuke to someone who is a poor speaker but who nevertheless keeps on talking. The saying is quoted in Aulus Gellius' Attic Nights, which is a useful source for Greek proverbs, as you might have guessed from the title.

Odysseus and the Sirens

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

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