Greek Proverbs

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations... and with a quiz too! See how you do on the questions up top, and then try them again down below after you've read through the proverbs (the quiz results display only at the blog, not in the email):

Ἐὰν μὴ πάθῃς, οὐ μὴ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ἐὰν μὴ πάθῃς, οὐ μὴ μάθῃς.

---

______, καὶ ἀπολυθήσεσθε.

reveal/hide answer

Ἀπολύετε, καὶ ἀπολυθήσεσθε.

---

______ καὶ μᾶζα μετ᾽ ἄρτον.

reveal/hide answer

Ἀγαθὴ καὶ μᾶζα μετ᾽ ἄρτον.

---

Οἱ διψῶντες ______ πίνουσι.

reveal/hide answer

Οἱ διψῶντες σιωπῇ πίνουσι.

---

Ἄγουσιν ἑορτὴν οἱ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ἄγουσιν ἑορτὴν οἱ κλέπται.

---

Ἐὰν μὴ πάθῃς, οὐ μὴ μάθῃς.

If you don't suffer, you won't learn.

Compare a similar saying from an earlier blog post: Τα παθήματα μαθήματα. Both πάθῃς and μάθῃς are in the subjunctive, and the use of οὐ μὴ with the subjunctive expresses an emphatic negative prediction, so the saying could even be translated as "you won't ever learn."

Ἀπολύετε, καὶ ἀπολυθήσεσθε.

Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

The words are from the Gospel of Luke.

The complete verse has three parallel statements: καὶ μὴ κρίνετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ κριθῆτε· καὶ μὴ καταδικάζετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ καταδικασθῆτε. ἀπολύετε, καὶ ἀπολυθήσεσθε, "Do not judge, and you will not be judge; do not not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Ἀγαθὴ καὶ μᾶζα μετ᾽ ἄρτον.

Even a barley-cake is good, after the bread (is gone).

Barley-cakes were the proverbial food of poor people and slaves. In other words, when someone's circumstances have changed for the worst, they will change their opinion about what is good. Note the adverbial use of καὶ here: instead of joining two equal things as a conjunction, it means something like "even" or "also." From Greek Ἀγαθὴ, we get the name Agatha.

Οἱ διψῶντες σιωπῇ πίνουσι.   

Those who are thirsty drink in silence.

The word διψῶντες is a participle from the verb διψάω; you can see the Greek root in the English word dipsomaniac. The idea is that when someone really needs something, they will be completely focused on that thing. Total absorption; no chit-chat.

Ἄγουσιν ἑορτὴν οἱ κλέπται.

The thieves are having a holiday.

The saying refers to people who are able to steal with impunity; it's a fragment of Cratinus, a comic poet who flourished in the 5th century B.C.E. He was one of the most famous comic playwrights, but only fragments of his plays survive.

Ἐὰν μὴ πάθῃς, οὐ μὴ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ἐὰν μὴ πάθῃς, οὐ μὴ μάθῃς.

---

______, καὶ ἀπολυθήσεσθε.

reveal/hide answer

Ἀπολύετε, καὶ ἀπολυθήσεσθε.

---

______ καὶ μᾶζα μετ᾽ ἄρτον.

reveal/hide answer

Ἀγαθὴ καὶ μᾶζα μετ᾽ ἄρτον.

---

Οἱ διψῶντες ______ πίνουσι.

reveal/hide answer

Οἱ διψῶντες σιωπῇ πίνουσι.

---

Ἄγουσιν ἑορτὴν οἱ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ἄγουσιν ἑορτὴν οἱ κλέπται.

---

And to finish up, here's a random LOLCat too:

---

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe to the email list.

---

Greek Proverbs: Sept. 17

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations... and with a quiz too! See how you do on the questions up top, and then try them again down below after you've read through the proverbs (the quiz results display only at the blog, not in the email):

Διώκει ______ ποτανὸν ὄρνιν.

reveal/hide answer

Διώκει παῖς ποτανὸν ὄρνιν.

---

Βελλεροφόντης τὰ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Βελλεροφόντης τὰ γράμματα.

---

Οὐδείς ἐστιν ἅπαντα ______.

reveal/hide answer

Οὐδείς ἐστιν ἅπαντα σοφός.

---

______ ἵπτασθαι διδάσκεις.

reveal/hide answer

Ἀετὸν ἵπτασθαι διδάσκεις.

---

Οὐδὲν γλύκιον ἧς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Οὐδὲν γλύκιον ἧς πατρίδος.

---

Διώκει παῖς ποτανὸν ὄρνιν.

The child is chasing a winged bird.

The saying is invoked by the chorus of Aeschylus's Agamemnon. It refers to something like what we call a "wild goose chase" in English, a futile endeavor or something even more sinister, leading to disaster. The chorus goes on to invoke Paris's theft of Helen a few lines later, so the proverb appears to be associated with a presumed fable, otherwise lost to us, about a child who, in pursuit of a bird, somehow brings destruction on a city as Paris brought destruction on Troy.

Βελλεροφόντης τὰ γράμματα.

The letter of Bellerophon.

This saying alludes to a story about the hero Bellerophon who was sent to King Iobates bearing a letter (Greek γράμματα, plural, means a "letter" in English) that said "Kill Bellerophon." You can read more at Wikipedia: Bellerophon. Another famous letter like this appears in the story of King David in the Hebrew Bible; David sends Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, on a mission carrying a letter intended to secure Uriah's death. Uriah does, in fact, die, but Bellerophon survives and goes on to other heroic adventures. More about Uriah in Wikipedia: Bathsheba. You can also read about this motif at the great TVTropes website: Kill The Messenger.

Οὐδείς ἐστιν ἅπαντα σοφός.

No one is wise in all things.

The saying is adapted from the ancient Greek poet, Theognis (see below). From the Greek word σοφός we get words like philosophy and sophomore.

Ἀετὸν ἵπτασθαι διδάσκεις. 

You're teaching an eagle to fly.

This is one of those proverbial fool's errands. Not only does an eagle not need you to teach it to fly, the eagle can fly far higher and faster than you can. Compare the saying that you saw in an earlier post: Ἰχθὺν νήχεσθαι διδάσκεις, "You're teaching a fish to swim."

Οὐδὲν γλύκιον ἧς πατρίδος.

Nothing is sweeter than one's fatherland.

The word γλύκιον is comparative ("sweeter"), so it takes a genitive complement: πατρίδος. The words appear in Homer's Odyssey, and so echo on throughout Greek literature, quoted by later authors.

For example, here is a line from the Greek Anthology, with "said Odysseus" at the end: ὡς οὐδὲν γλύκιον ἧς πατρίδος, εἶπεν Ὀδυσσεύς. The complete line in the Odyssey includes parents also:

ὣς οὐδὲν γλύκιον ἧς πατρίδος οὐδὲ τοκήων

Here is the meter:

ὣς οὐ~δὲν γλύκι~ον ἧς ~ πατρίδος ~ οὐδὲ το~κήων

Διώκει ______ ποτανὸν ὄρνιν.

reveal/hide answer

Διώκει παῖς ποτανὸν ὄρνιν.

---

Βελλεροφόντης τὰ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Βελλεροφόντης τὰ γράμματα.

---

Οὐδείς ἐστιν ἅπαντα ______.

reveal/hide answer

Οὐδείς ἐστιν ἅπαντα σοφός.

---

______ ἵπτασθαι διδάσκεις.

reveal/hide answer

Ἀετὸν ἵπτασθαι διδάσκεις.

---

Οὐδὲν γλύκιον ἧς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Οὐδὲν γλύκιον ἧς πατρίδος.

---

And to finish up, here's a random LOLCat too:

---

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe to the email list.

---

Greek Proverbs: September 15

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations... and with a quiz too! See how you do on the questions up top, and then try them again down below after you've read through the proverbs (the quiz results display only at the blog, not in the email):

______ ὑπὸ ῥόπαλον δραμεῖται.

reveal/hide answer

Ὗς ὑπὸ ῥόπαλον δραμεῖται.

---

Τέττιξ μὲν τέττιγι ______.

reveal/hide answer

Τέττιξ μὲν τέττιγι φίλος.

---

Τὸ ______ οὐδεὶς ἐκφύγοι.

reveal/hide answer

Τὸ μέλλον οὐδεὶς ἐκφύγοι.

---

______ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τρέφεις.

reveal/hide answer

Ὄφιν ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τρέφεις.

---

Σίδηρον ______ διδάσκεις.

reveal/hide answer

Σίδηρον πλεῖν διδάσκεις.

---

Ὗς ὑπὸ ῥόπαλον δραμεῖται.

The pig will run to the cudgel.

The saying refers to someone who foolishly rushes headlong into their own doom instead of running away from it.

Τέττιξ μὲν τέττιγι φίλος.

One grasshopper is dear to another.

The words come from one of the idylls of Theocritus: τέττιξ μὲν τέττιγι φίλος, μύρμακι δὲ μύρμαξ, / ἴρηκες δ᾿ ἴρηξιν, with the τέττιξ, grasshopper or cicada, the μύρμαξ, ant, and the hawks, ἴρηκες.

Τὸ μέλλον οὐδεὶς ἐκφύγοι.

No one can escape what is coming.

The verb ἐκφύγοι is in the optative mood, expressing potential: people might wish to escape what is coming, but nobody can escape, οὐδεὶς ἐκφύγοι. The participial phrase τὸ μέλλον means "that which is coming," i.e. the future, fate, destiny, etc.

Ὄφιν ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τρέφεις.

You're nursing a snake in your bosom.

This saying appears in Erasmus's Adagia. Compare the Aesop's fable about the man who found a frozen snake in the snow and warmed it, only to be bitten by the snake when it thawed: The Man and the Snake. You can see a more poetic restatement of this proverb, emphasizing that the snake is cold, in this post: Ψυχρὸν ἐν κόλπῳ ποικίλον εἶχες ὄφιν.

Σίδηρον πλεῖν διδάσκεις.

You're teaching iron to float.

This is another kind of fool's errand, the opposite of the previous proverb: iron is never going to float. At least, that's what the Greeks thought about iron. Later on, of course, iron did learn to float! You can read about the history of iron-hulled sailing ships at Wikipedia.

______ ὑπὸ ῥόπαλον δραμεῖται.

reveal/hide answer

Ὗς ὑπὸ ῥόπαλον δραμεῖται.

---

Τέττιξ μὲν τέττιγι ______.

reveal/hide answer

Τέττιξ μὲν τέττιγι φίλος.

---

Τὸ ______ οὐδεὶς ἐκφύγοι.

reveal/hide answer

Τὸ μέλλον οὐδεὶς ἐκφύγοι.

---

______ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τρέφεις.

reveal/hide answer

Ὄφιν ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τρέφεις.

---

Σίδηρον ______ διδάσκεις.

reveal/hide answer

Σίδηρον πλεῖν διδάσκεις.

---

And to finish up, here's a random LOLCat too:

---

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe to the email list.

---

Greek Proverbs: September 10

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations... and with a quiz too! See how you do on the questions up top, and then try them again down below after you've read through the proverbs (the quiz results display only at the blog, not in the email):

Ῥεχθὲν δέ τε ______ ἔγνω.

reveal/hide answer

Ῥεχθὲν δέ τε νήπιος ἔγνω.

---

______ οἰκίαι μὴ δέχου.

reveal/hide answer

Χελιδόνα οἰκίαι μὴ δέχου.

---

______ καὶ παῖδες ἀληθεῖς.

reveal/hide answer

Οἶνος καὶ παῖδες ἀληθεῖς.

---

Ξυρεῖν ἐπιχειρεῖν ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ξυρεῖν ἐπιχειρεῖν λέοντα.

---

Μικρὸν ______ μέγα ἀγαθόν.

reveal/hide answer

Μικρὸν κακὸν μέγα ἀγαθόν.

---

Ῥεχθὲν δέ τε νήπιος ἔγνω.

When something is done, even a fool knows it.

This saying appears already in Homer's Iliad: Menelaus is protecting Patroclus's fallen body, and he uses these words to rebuke the Trojan Euphorbus, but Euphorbus does not retreat, and Menelaus kills him. Plato also includes this saying in the Symposium, labeling it a παροιμία, a proverb. The idea is that a wise man can anticipate trouble in advance and avoid it, but the fool rushes in, recognizing the danger only after it has befallen him, Euphorbus being one such fool.

Χελιδόνα οἰκίαι μὴ δέχου.

Do not receive a swallow in your house.

The saying is attributed to Pythagoras, who was not alone in regarding the swallow as a bird of ill omen, but the swallow could also be a good omen. For an overview of the swallow as a bird who could be regarded as both an ill omen and a good omen, see J. G. Frazer: Swallows in the House.

Οἶνος καὶ παῖδες ἀληθεῖς.

Wine and children (are) truthful.

You can find this saying in Plato's Symposium. Compare a similar saying that you saw in an earlier blog post: Ἐν οἴνῳ ἀλήθεια. You can see Greek παῖδες in English pedagogy.

Ξυρεῖν ἐπιχειρεῖν λέοντα.

To attempt to shave a lion.

This proverbial saying appears in Plato's Republic, referring to a very hazardous and risky venture: anybody who has had to shave their pet cat's matted fur knows all about this! The verb "to attempt," ἐπιχειρεῖν, has χειρ, "hand" as its root, so it literally means to put your hand to something, ἐπι-χειρ-εῖν. You will be lucky to get that hand back intact if you really are shaving a lion! You can find additional citations and parallels in Erasmus.

Μικρὸν κακὸν μέγα ἀγαθόν.

A small evil (is) a great good.

Paradoxical but true; compare the English saying about choosing "the lesser of two evils." This saying is also a good way to remember the unexpected ending of the adjective μέγα: just like μικρόν, κακόν and ἀγαθόν, μέγα is neuter singular. From Greek μικρόν we get all the micro- words, of which there are many in English; you can use OneLook to see them all.

Ῥεχθὲν δέ τε ______ ἔγνω.

reveal/hide answer

Ῥεχθὲν δέ τε νήπιος ἔγνω.

---

______ οἰκίαι μὴ δέχου.

reveal/hide answer

Χελιδόνα οἰκίαι μὴ δέχου.

---

______ καὶ παῖδες ἀληθεῖς.

reveal/hide answer

Οἶνος καὶ παῖδες ἀληθεῖς.

---

Ξυρεῖν ἐπιχειρεῖν ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ξυρεῖν ἐπιχειρεῖν λέοντα.

---

Μικρὸν ______ μέγα ἀγαθόν.

reveal/hide answer

Μικρὸν κακὸν μέγα ἀγαθόν.

---

And to finish up, here's a random LOLCat too:

---

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe to the email list.

---