Greek Reading: 88

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Today's stories come from Colson's Stories and Legends: A First Greek Reader which is available at the Internet Archive. 

You'll find the stories below, first in Greek, then segmented, and then interwoven with English; the title is linked to the Internet Archive page.

Δύο πήραι

(another version)

ἕκαστος ἄνθρωπος δύο πήρας φέρει, τὴν μὲν ἔμπροσθεν, τὴν δὲ ὄπισθεν. καὶ ἑκατέρα κακῶν μεστή ἐστι. ἡ δὲ ἔμπροσθεν τὰ ἀλλότρια κακὰ φέρει, ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα τὰ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς. διὰ τοῦτο οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὰ ἑαυτῶν κακὰ οὐχ ὁρῶσι, τὰ δὲ ἀλλότρια πάνυ ἀκριβῶς θεῶνται.

ἕκαστος ἄνθρωπος 

δύο πήρας φέρει, 

τὴν μὲν ἔμπροσθεν, 

τὴν δὲ ὄπισθεν. 

καὶ ἑκατέρα κακῶν μεστή ἐστι. 

ἡ δὲ ἔμπροσθεν 

τὰ ἀλλότρια κακὰ φέρει, 

ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα 

τὰ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς. 

διὰ τοῦτο 

οἱ ἄνθρωποι 

τὰ ἑαυτῶν κακὰ οὐχ ὁρῶσι, 

τὰ δὲ ἀλλότρια 

πάνυ ἀκριβῶς θεῶνται.

ἕκαστος ἄνθρωπος  ...  Each person 

δύο πήρας φέρει  ...  carries two pouches, 

τὴν μὲν ἔμπροσθεν  ...  one in front, 

τὴν δὲ ὄπισθεν  ...  and one behind. 

καὶ ἑκατέρα   ...  And each pouch

κακῶν μεστή ἐστι  ...  is full of vices. 

ἡ δὲ ἔμπροσθεν  ...  The pouch in front 

τὰ ἀλλότρια κακὰ φέρει  ...  holds others' vices, 

ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα  ...  and the other pouch 

τὰ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς  ...  the vices of that person. 

διὰ τοῦτο  ...  That is why 

οἱ ἄνθρωποι  ...  people

οὐχ ὁρῶσι  ...  do not see

τὰ ἑαυτῶν κακὰ  ...  their own vices,

πάνυ ἀκριβῶς θεῶνται  ... but discern in all accuracy

τὰ δὲ ἀλλότρια  ...  the vices of others.

17th-century Phaedrus

Λέων καὶ μῦς

ὁ λέων ποτὲ μῦν ἐπιτρέχοντα ἔλαβε. ὁ δὲ μῦς μέλλων ἀποθνήσκειν, τοιάδε εἶπε, “ὦ λέον, μὴ με ἀπόκτεινε. ἐὰν γὰρ νῦν ἐμὲ σώσῃς, ἴσως καί σε ἐγώ ποτε σώσω. τῷ δὲ λέοντι οἱ λόγοι γέλοιοι ἔδοξαν· πῶς γὰρ ἂν λέων ὑπὸ μυὸς σωθείη; ἐλεήσας δὲ ὅμως ἀπέλυσεν. ὕστερον δὲ ὁ λέων ὑπὸ τῶν κυναγῶν ληφθείς, ἐδέθη ἐπὶ δένδρῳ. ὁ δὲ μῦς τρώξας τοὺς δεσμοὺς ἠλευθέρωσεν αὐτόν.

ὁ λέων ποτὲ 

μῦν ἐπιτρέχοντα ἔλαβε. 

ὁ δὲ μῦς 

μέλλων ἀποθνήσκειν, 

τοιάδε εἶπε, 

ὦ λέον, 

μὴ με ἀπόκτεινε. 

ἐὰν γὰρ νῦν ἐμὲ σώσῃς, 

ἴσως καί σε ἐγώ ποτε σώσω. 

τῷ δὲ λέοντι 

οἱ λόγοι γέλοιοι ἔδοξαν· 

πῶς γὰρ ἂν λέων 

ὑπὸ μυὸς σωθείη; 

ἐλεήσας δὲ ὅμως ἀπέλυσεν. 

ὕστερον δὲ 

ὁ λέων 

ὑπὸ τῶν κυναγῶν ληφθείς, 

ἐδέθη ἐπὶ δένδρῳ. 

ὁ δὲ μῦς 

τρώξας τοὺς δεσμοὺς 

ἠλευθέρωσεν αὐτόν.

ὁ λέων ποτὲ  ...  A lion once

ἔλαβε μῦν  ...  seized a mouse

ἐπιτρέχοντα  ...  who scampered over him.

ὁ δὲ μῦς  ...  And the mouse, 

μέλλων ἀποθνήσκειν  ...  about to die, 

τοιάδε εἶπε  ...  spoke as follows, 

ὦ λέον  ...  O lion, 

μὴ με ἀπόκτεινε  ...  don't kill me! 

ἐὰν γὰρ νῦν ἐμὲ σώσῃς  ...  If you save me now, 

ἴσως καί  ...  likewise

σε ἐγώ ποτε σώσω  ...  I will save you someday. 

τῷ δὲ λέοντι  ...  To the lion 

οἱ λόγοι γέλοιοι ἔδοξαν  ...  these words seemed laughable, 

πῶς γὰρ ἂν λέων  ...  for how could a lion 

ὑπὸ μυὸς σωθείη  ...  be saved by a mouse? 

ἐλεήσας δὲ ὅμως  ...  Pitying the mouse all the same

ἀπέλυσεν  ...  he let him go. 

ὕστερον δὲ ὁ λέων  ...  Later the lion 

ὑπὸ τῶν κυναγῶν ληφθείς  ...  was caught by hunters 

ἐδέθη ἐπὶ δένδρῳ  ...  and tied to a tree. 

ὁ δὲ μῦς  ...  The mouse 

τρώξας τοὺς δεσμοὺς  ...  nibbled the ropes binding the lion 

ἠλευθέρωσεν αὐτόν  ...  and freed him.

illustration by Conde

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

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Greek Animal Vocabulary: July 24

Here are today's animal names; it's Group 185. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

λύκος ~ λύκου (noun m.): wolf 

κορώνη ~ κορώνης (noun f.): crow 

λέων ~ λέοντος (noun m.): lion 

αἴξ ~ αἰγός (noun c.): goat 

ἔλαφος ~ ἐλάφου (noun c.): deer 

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

Λύκος μάτην χάνων.

Κορώνη τὸν σκορπίον ἥρπασεν.

Οὐ χρὴ λέοντος σκύμνον ἐν πόλει τρέφειν.

Αἲξ οὔπω τέτοκεν, ἔριφος δ᾿ ἐπὶ δώματι παίζει.

Φοβερώτερόν ἐστι στρατόπεδον ἐλάφων ἡγουμένου λέοντος ἢ λεόντων ἐλάφου.

And now, some commentary:

Λύκος μάτην χάνων.

The wolf, gaping like a fool.

This proverb refers to someone whose hopes are disappointed: he is gaping, empty-mouthed, not having gotten what he wanted. The proverb takes on narrative form in an Aesop's fable about a foolish wolf who heard a mother threatening her baby: "If you don't stop crying, I'll throw you to the wolf." Since the baby kept on crying, the wolf stood there outside the window, hoping that the woman would soon throw the baby to him, but he stood there gaping like a fool — the woman was never really going to throw the baby to the wolf.

Κορώνη τὸν σκορπίον ἥρπασεν.

The crow seized the scorpion.

As you can guess, things did not turn out well for the scorpion! There is a similar Aesop's fable with a snake instead of a scorpion: The Crow and the Snake.

Οὐ χρὴ λέοντος σκύμνον ἐν πόλει τρέφειν.

It is not right to raise a lion's cub in the city.

The saying appears in Aristophanes's Frogs, where it is attributed to Aeschylus in reference to Alcibiades, and as such it appears in Plutarch's Life of Alcibiades as well (but not in exactly this form).

Αἲξ οὔπω τέτοκεν, ἔριφος δ᾿ ἐπὶ δώματι παίζει.

The goat has not yet given birth, and the kid is playing on the rooftop.

This is like the English saying, "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. " In other words: don't start imagining the playful kid before the goat has actually given birth.

Φοβερώτερόν ἐστι στρατόπεδον ἐλάφων ἡγουμένου λέοντος ἢ λεόντων ἐλάφου.

An army of deer with the lion as leader is more frightening than an army of lions led by a deer.

This saying plays with the stereotypical cowardice of the deer as opposed to the bellicose lion. The image of an army of lions led by a deer is a nice bit of satire!

illustration by Weir

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

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Greek Reading: 87

Today's stories come from Colson's Stories and Legends: A First Greek Reader which is available at the Internet Archive. You'll find the stories below, first in Greek, then segmented, and then interwoven with English; the title is linked to the Internet Archive page.

Δρῦς καὶ κάλαμοι

δρῦς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνέμου ἐς ποταμὸν ἐρρίφθη. φερομένη δὲ κατὰ τὸν ποταμόν, εἶπε τοῖς καλάμοις, πῶς ὑμεῖς λεπτοὶ ὄντες καὶ ἀσθενεῖς οὐκ ἀπολλυσθε; οἱ δὲ κάλαμοι ἔφασαν, σὺ μὲν τοῖς ἀνέμοις μαχεῖ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καταβάλλει. ἡμεῖς δὲ εἴκομεν αὐτοῖς, ὥστε οὐδὲ κακὸν πάσχομεν.

δρῦς 

ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνέμου 

ἐς ποταμὸν 

ἐρρίφθη. 

φερομένη δὲ κατὰ τὸν ποταμόν, 

εἶπε τοῖς καλάμοις, 

πῶς ὑμεῖς 

λεπτοὶ ὄντες καὶ ἀσθενεῖς 

οὐκ ἀπολλυσθε; 

οἱ δὲ κάλαμοι ἔφασαν, 

σὺ μὲν τοῖς ἀνέμοις μαχεῖ, 

καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καταβάλλει. 

ἡμεῖς δὲ εἴκομεν αὐτοῖς, 

ὥστε οὐδὲ κακὸν πάσχομεν.

δρῦς  ...  An oak tree

ἐρρίφθη  ...  was hurled

ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνέμου  ...  by the wind 

ἐς ποταμὸν  ...  into the river.

φερομένη δὲ  ... Being carried

κατὰ τὸν ποταμόν  ...  down the river,

εἶπε τοῖς καλάμοις  ...  the oak said to the reeds:

πῶς ὑμεῖς  ...  How is that you

λεπτοὶ ὄντες καὶ ἀσθενεῖς  ...  slender and weak as you are

οὐκ ἀπολλυσθε  ...  are not laid low? 

οἱ δὲ κάλαμοι ἔφασαν  ...  And the reeds said:

σὺ μὲν τοῖς ἀνέμοις μαχεῖ  ...  You fight the winds

καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καταβάλλει  ...  and thus you are cast down,

ἡμεῖς δὲ εἴκομεν αὐτοῖς  ...  but we yield to them, 

ὥστε οὐδὲ κακὸν πάσχομεν  ...  and so we suffer no harm.

Medici Aesop

Παῖδες γεωργοῦ 

οἱ παῖδες γεωργοῦ τινος ἐστασίαζον. ὁ δέ, καίπερ πολλὰ παραινῶν, οὐ κατήλλαξεν. μεταπεμψάμενος οὖν φάκελον, ἐκέλευσεν αὐτοὺς κατακλᾷν. οἱ δέ, καίπερ παντὶ τῷ σθένει χρώμενοι, οὐκ ἐδύναντο. τότε δὴ λύσας τὸν δεσμὸν τοῦ φακέλου, τὰς ῥάβδους, ἑκάστην ἀνὰ μίαν, αὐτοῖς ἔδωκεν. οἱ δὲ ῥᾳδίως κατέκλασαν. ἔπειτα ἔφη· ὦ παῖδες, ὡσαύτως καὶ ὑμεῖς, ἐὰν μὲν τὰ αὐτὰ φρονῆτε, ἀνίκητοι ἔσεσθε· ἐὰν δὲ στασιάξητε, ῥᾳδίως ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν νικηθήσεσθε.

οἱ παῖδες γεωργοῦ τινος 

ἐστασίαζον. 

ὁ δέ, 

καίπερ πολλὰ παραινῶν, 

οὐ κατήλλαξεν. 

μεταπεμψάμενος οὖν φάκελον, 

ἐκέλευσεν αὐτοὺς κατακλᾷν. 

οἱ δέ, 

καίπερ παντὶ τῷ σθένει χρώμενοι, 

οὐκ ἐδύναντο. 

τότε δὴ λύσας 

τὸν δεσμὸν τοῦ φακέλου, 

τὰς ῥάβδους, 

ἑκάστην ἀνὰ μίαν, 

αὐτοῖς ἔδωκεν. 

οἱ δὲ ῥᾳδίως κατέκλασαν. 

ἔπειτα ἔφη· 

ὦ παῖδες, 

ὡσαύτως καὶ ὑμεῖς, 

ἐὰν μὲν τὰ αὐτὰ φρονῆτε, 

ἀνίκητοι ἔσεσθε· 

ἐὰν δὲ στασιάξητε, 

ῥᾳδίως ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν νικηθήσεσθε.

οἱ παῖδες γεωργοῦ τινος  ...  A farmer's sons 

ἐστασίαζον  ...  were quarreling,

ὁ δέ  ...  and the farmer

καίπερ πολλὰ παραινῶν  ...  kept urging (reconciliation)

οὐ κατήλλαξεν  ...  but they wouldn't reconcile.

μεταπεμψάμενος οὖν  ...  so he sent for

φάκελον  ...  a bundle (of sticks)

ἐκέλευσεν αὐτοὺς  ...  and ordered them 

κατακλᾷν  ...  to break it.

οἱ δέ  ...  But they

καίπερ χρώμενοι  ...  despite using

παντὶ τῷ σθένει  ...  all their strength

οὐκ ἐδύναντο  ...  couldn't do it.

τότε δὴ λύσας  ...  Then he untied

τὸν δεσμὸν τοῦ φακέλου  ...  the binding of the bundle, 

αὐτοῖς ἔδωκεν  ...  and gave to his sons

τὰς ῥάβδους  ...  the sticks,

ἑκάστην ἀνὰ μίαν  ...  one each.

οἱ δὲ ῥᾳδίως κατέκλασαν  ...  They easily broke them.

ἔπειτα ἔφη  ...  Then the father said, 

ὦ παῖδες  ...  O my sons,

ὡσαύτως καὶ ὑμεῖς  ...  it is the same with you: 

ἐὰν μὲν τὰ αὐτὰ φρονῆτε  ...  if you are of one mind, 

ἀνίκητοι ἔσεσθε  ...  you will be unconquerable,

ἐὰν δὲ στασιάξητε  ...  but if you quarrel,

ῥᾳδίως νικηθήσεσθε  ...  you will easily be conquered

ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν  ...  by your enemies.

Walter Crane

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

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Greek Animal Vocabulary: July 22

Here are today's animal names; it's Group 184. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

ὄνος ~ ὄνου (noun m.): donkey 

κύκνειος ~ κυκνείου (adj. masc.): swan, swan's

μυῖα ~ μυίας (noun f.): fly 

αἴξ ~ αἰγός (noun c.): goat 

πάρδαλις ~ παρδάλεως (noun f.): leopard, panther 

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

Ὄνου πόκαι.

Κύκνειον μέλος.

Ἔχει καὶ ἡ μυῖα σπλῆνα.

Κἂν αἴξ δάκῃ ἄνδρα πονηρόν.

Θάνατον παρδάλεως ὑποκρίνεται.

And now, some commentary:

Ὄνου πόκαι.

Wool from a donkey.

This is another one of those proverbial fool's errands: you get wool from a sheep, not from a donkey. The word "wool" is usually masculine, πόκος, but the feminine appears persists in this saying. You've seen a variation on this saying in an earlier post with the masculine form: Ὄνου πόκους ζητεῖς.

Κύκνειον μέλος.

Swan song.

The legend of the song that the swan (supposedly) sings just before it dies, having spent the rest of its life in silence, has its own article at Wikipedia: Swan song. (I'll just mention here in passing a wonderful community organization here in Austin where I live: Swan Song: Musical Last Wishes brings musicians to the homes of hospice patients in order to perform for them; I learned about it because a jazz trio came and did a performance for my father.)

Ἔχει καὶ ἡ μυῖα σπλῆνα.

Even the fly has its spleen.

The idea is that even though it is little, the fly can have a big temper. The spleen was the home of angry emotions; compare English "splenetic," meaning irritable, peevish, spiteful, habitually angry. Compare a similar saying about the tiny ant that you saw in a previous post: Ἔχει καὶ χολὴν ὁ μύρμηξ.

Κἂν αἴξ δάκῃ ἄνδρα πονηρόν.

Even a goat will bite a wicked man.

Normally, you don't have to worry about goats, but if you are an evil person: watch out! Even a goat might decide to bite you, sensing your wickedness.

Θάνατον παρδάλεως ὑποκρίνεται.

He's feigning the leopard's death.

In other words, someone is "playing dead" like a leopard. I know a lot of folktales from Africa where the leopard pretends to be dead, and Apostolius, who reports this Greek proverb, also tells a story about leopards using this technique to catch monkeys... in Mauritania, northwest Africa! See Erasmus for details.

leopard mosaic in Palermo

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

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