Greek Reading: 80

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.

Προμηθεὺς

ὁ Προμηθεὺς πρῶτον μὲν ἀνθρώπους καὶ θηρία ἐποίησε. ἔπειτα ὁρῶν ὅτι τὰ θηρία πλείονά ἐστι, ἤλλαξέ τινα εἰς ἀνθρώπους. διὰ δὲ τοῦτο πολλοὶ ἔτι εἰσί, οἱ τὰ μὲν σώματα ἀνθρώπων, τὰς δὲ ψυχὰς θηρίων ἔχουσι.

ὁ Προμηθεὺς 

πρῶτον μὲν 

ἀνθρώπους καὶ θηρία ἐποίησε. 

ἔπειτα ὁρῶν ὅτι 

τὰ θηρία πλείονά ἐστι, 

ἤλλαξέ τινα εἰς ἀνθρώπους. 

διὰ δὲ τοῦτο 

πολλοὶ ἔτι εἰσί, 

οἱ τὰ μὲν σώματα ἀνθρώπων, 

τὰς δὲ ψυχὰς θηρίων ἔχουσι.

ὁ Προμηθεὺς  ...  Prometheus

πρῶτον μὲν ἐποίησε  ...  first made 

ἀνθρώπους καὶ θηρία  ...  humans and animals. 

ἔπειτα ὁρῶν ὅτι  ...  Then, seeing that 

τὰ θηρία πλείονά ἐστι  ...  the animals were more numerous

ἤλλαξέ τινα εἰς ἀνθρώπους  ...  he turned them into humans. 

διὰ δὲ τοῦτο  ...  and for this reason

πολλοὶ εἰσί ἔτι  ...  many there are still

οἱ ἔχουσι  ...  who have 

τὰ μὲν σώματα ἀνθρώπων  ... the bodies of humans  

τὰς δὲ ψυχὰς θηρίων  ...  but the souls of animals.

Prometheus creates the humans

Παῖς καὶ πολῖται

παῖς τις ἐσφύλασσε πρόβατα οὐ πόρρω τῆς πόλεως. οὗτος δέ, παιδιὰν γὰρ ἐφίλει καὶ σκώμματα, ἐβόα τοῖς πολίταις, τοιάδε λέγων, “ὦ πολῖται, δεῦρο βοηθεῖτε· λύκος γὰρ ἐγγὺς πάρεστι." ἀκούσαντες δὲ ταῦτα, ἐξήρχοντο οἱ πολῖται, πολλῇ σπουδῇ χρώμενοι. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἥκοντες οὐχ εὕρισκον τὸν λύκον, χαλεπῶς ἔφερον· ὁ δὲ παῖς ἐγέλα. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἔργῳ παρῆν ὁ λύκος· καὶ ὁ μὲν παῖς, ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον, ἐκάλει τοὺς ἄλλους. οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἦλθον· ἐνόμιζον γὰρ ὅτι ψευδῆ λέγει. ὁ δὲ λύκος τά τε πρόβατα αὐτόν τε τὸν παῖδα ἀπέκτεινε.

παῖς τις 

ἐσφύλασσε πρόβατα 

οὐ πόρρω τῆς πόλεως. 

οὗτος δέ, 

παιδιὰν γὰρ ἐφίλει 

καὶ σκώμματα, 

ἐβόα τοῖς πολίταις, 

τοιάδε λέγων, 

ὦ πολῖται, 

δεῦρο βοηθεῖτε· 

λύκος γὰρ ἐγγὺς πάρεστι.

ἀκούσαντες δὲ ταῦτα, 

ἐξήρχοντο οἱ πολῖται, 

πολλῇ σπουδῇ χρώμενοι. 

ἐπεὶ δὲ ἥκοντες 

οὐχ εὕρισκον τὸν λύκον, 

χαλεπῶς ἔφερον· 

ὁ δὲ παῖς ἐγέλα. 

μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα 

ἔργῳ παρῆν ὁ λύκος· 

καὶ ὁ μὲν παῖς, 

ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον, 

ἐκάλει τοὺς ἄλλους. 

οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἦλθον· 

ἐνόμιζον γὰρ 

ὅτι ψευδῆ λέγει. 

ὁ δὲ λύκος ἀπέκτεινε

τά τε πρόβατα 

αὐτόν τε τὸν παῖδα.

παῖς τις  ...  A certain boy

ἐσφύλασσε πρόβατα  ...  guarded the sheep 

οὐ πόρρω τῆς πόλεως  ...  not far from the city. 

οὗτος δέ  ...  And he,

παιδιὰν γὰρ ἐφίλει  ...  because he liked fun

καὶ σκώμματα  ...  and jokes, 

ἐβόα τοῖς πολίταις  ...  he shouted to the citizens, 

τοιάδε λέγων  ...  saying these things, 

ὦ πολῖται  ...  O citizens, 

δεῦρο βοηθεῖτε  ...  come to my aid! 

λύκος γὰρ ἐγγὺς πάρεστι  ...  For the wolf is near!

ἀκούσαντες δὲ ταῦτα  ...  When they heard his words, 

ἐξήρχοντο οἱ πολῖται  ...  the citizens came out, 

πολλῇ σπουδῇ χρώμενοι  ...  making great haste. 

ἐπεὶ δὲ ἥκοντες  ...  When they got there 

οὐχ εὕρισκον τὸν λύκον  ...  and found no wolf, 

χαλεπῶς ἔφερον  ...  and were angry. 

ὁ δὲ παῖς ἐγέλα  ...  But the boy laughed. 

μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα  ...  Afterwards 

ἔργῳ παρῆν ὁ λύκος  ...  the wolf really was there, 

καὶ ὁ μὲν παῖς  ...  so the boy, 

ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον  ...  just like before, 

ἐκάλει τοὺς ἄλλους  ...  called to the others. 

οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἦλθον  ...  but they did not come,

ἐνόμιζον γὰρ  ...  because they thought 

ὅτι ψευδῆ λέγει  ...  he was telling lies. 

ὁ δὲ λύκος ἀπέκτεινε  ...  And so the wolf killed

τά τε πρόβατα  ...  both the sheep 

αὐτόν τε τὸν παῖδα  ...  and the boy too!

Steinhowel's Aesop

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

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Greek Vocabulary Challenge: July 2

Here are today's vocabulary words; it's Group 178. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

προσδέχομαι ~ προσδέξομαι ~ προσεδεξάμην: accept, receive 

ἔρχομαι  ~ ἐλεύσομαι ~ ἧλθον: come, go 

διώκω  ~ διώξω ~ ἐδίωξα: chase, pursue 

πονέω ~ πονήσω ~ ἐπόνησα: work hard, toil 

χαίρω ~ χαιρήσω ~ ἐχαίρησα: rejoice, be glad 

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

Γῆρας προσδέχου.

Εἰς θεῶν ὦτα ἤλθεν.

Διώκει παῖς ποτανὸν ὄρνιν.

Βίος ἐστὶν ἄν τις τῷ βίῳ χαίρῃ βιῶν.

Τῷ γὰρ πονοῦντι χὠ θεὸς συλλαμβάνει.

And now, some commentary:

Γῆρας προσδέχου.

Accept old age.

You see the middle imperative here, προσδέχου, and it takes a direct object: γῆρας (neuter accusative). This is one of the Delphic maxims recorded by Stobaeus.

Εἰς θεῶν ὦτα ἤλθεν.

It has reached the ears of the gods.

As Erasmus explains, this saying refers to some kind of criminal deed or shameful secret that, despite being concealed from mankind, has reached the ears of the gods.

Διώκει παῖς ποτανὸν ὄρνιν.

The child is chasing a winged bird.

The saying is invoked by the chorus of Aeschylus's Agamemnon. The saying refers to something like what we call a "wild goose chase" in English, a futile endeavour 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.

Βίος ἐστὶν ἄν τις τῷ βίῳ χαίρῃ βιῶν.

Life is someone rejoicing in life as they live it.

In other words, life is worth living when you enjoy it, when you rejoice in that life: τῷ βίῳ χαίρῃ. You can combine this with the saying above: accept old age, and just keep on enjoying life! This is one of those one-liners of Menander, so it's iambic:

Βίος ἐσ|τὶν ἄν || τις τῷ | βίῳ || χαίρῃ | βιῶν.

Τῷ γὰρ πονοῦντι χὠ θεὸς συλλαμβάνει.

The god also helps the one who is making an effort.

Or, as the saying goes in English, "God helps them that help themselves." The word χὠ is και-ὁ: the vowels contract and then the aspiration causes the κ kappa to become chi, χ. There is an Aesop's fable that famously illustrates this moral: when a man's wagon got mired in the mud, he prayed to Heracles to rescue him, but Heracles told him to put his shoulder to the wheel first, and then he would come to his aid. Here's an illustration:

Bewick's Aesop

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

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Greek Reading: 79

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.

Βουκόλος καὶ λέων

Βουκόλος ποτὲ μίαν τῶν βοῶν ἀποῦσαν ᾔσθετο. Καὶ πανταχῇ ἐρευνήσας οὐχ εὗρε. Ηὔξατο οὖν τῷ Διὶ μόσχον θῦσαι, ἐὰν τὸν κλέπτην ἴδῃ. Ἐλθὼν δὲ ἐς ὕλην τινά, λέοντα ὁρᾷ κατεσθίοντα τὴν βοῦν· ἐπιτείνας δὲ ἐς τὸν οὐρανὸν τὰς χεῖρας, ὦ Ζεῦ, ἔφη, πρότερον μὲν ηὐξάμην μόσχον θῦσαι, ἐὰν τὸν κλέπτην εὕρω. Νῦν δὲ ταῦρον θύσω, ἐὰν τὸν κλέπτην ἐκφύγω.

Βουκόλος ποτὲ 

μίαν τῶν βοῶν ἀποῦσαν ᾔσθετο. 

Καὶ πανταχῇ ἐρευνήσας 

οὐχ εὗρε. 

Ηὔξατο οὖν 

τῷ Διὶ μόσχον θῦσαι, 

ἐὰν τὸν κλέπτην ἴδῃ. 

Ἐλθὼν δὲ ἐς ὕλην τινά, 

λέοντα ὁρᾷ 

κατεσθίοντα τὴν βοῦν· 

ἐπιτείνας δὲ 

ἐς τὸν οὐρανὸν 

τὰς χεῖρας, 

ὦ Ζεῦ, ἔφη, 

πρότερον μὲν 

ηὐξάμην μόσχον θῦσαι, 

ἐὰν τὸν κλέπτην εὕρω. 

Νῦν δὲ ταῦρον θύσω, 

ἐὰν τὸν κλέπτην ἐκφύγω.

Βουκόλος ποτὲ  ... A cowherd once

ᾔσθετο  ... realized that

μίαν τῶν βοῶν  ... one of his cows

ἀποῦσαν  ... had wandered off. 

Καὶ πανταχῇ ἐρευνήσας  ... And he looked everywhere 

οὐχ εὗρε  ... but did not find her. 

Ηὔξατο οὖν  ... So he vowed 

τῷ Διὶ μόσχον θῦσαι  ... to sacrifice a calf to Zeus 

ἐὰν τὸν κλέπτην ἴδῃ  ... if he could see the thief.

Ἐλθὼν δὲ ἐς ὕλην τινά  ... Entering into a thicket, 

λέοντα ὁρᾷ  ... he sees a lion 

κατεσθίοντα τὴν βοῦν  ... feasting on his cow. 

ἐπιτείνας δὲ τὰς χεῖρας   ... Raising his hands

ἐς τὸν οὐρανὸν  ... to heaven,

ὦ Ζεῦ, ἔφη  ... he says, "O Zeus,

πρότερον μὲν  ... earlier, 

ηὐξάμην μόσχον θῦσαι  ... I vowed to sacrifice a calf, 

ἐὰν τὸν κλέπτην εὕρω  ... if I found the thief. 

Νῦν δὲ ταῦρον θύσω  ... Now I'll sacrifice a bull, 

ἐὰν τὸν κλέπτην ἐκφύγω  ... if I escape the thief.

Bewick's Aesop

Ἀλώπηξ κaὶ οὐρά

(another version)

ἀλώπηξ ποτὲ ἐν πάγῃ ἐλήφθη. καὶ αὐτὴ μὲν ἀπέφυγε, τὴν δὲ οὐρὰν ἐν τῇ πάγῃ ὑπέλιπεν, αἰσχυνομένη δὲ ὅτι μόνη τῶν ἀλωπέκων οὐρὰν οὐκ ἔχει, συνεκάλεσε τὰς ἄλλας, συνελθούσαις δὲ ἔλεξε τάδε, ὦ φίλαι, ἐὰν ἐμοὶ πείθησθε, τὰς οὐρὰς ἀποκόψετε. ἀχρεῖον γάρ ἐστι καὶ βαρύ. ἀλώπηξ δέ τις ἀπεκρίνατο, ὦ φίλη, εἰ μὴ τὴν σὴν οὐρὰν ἀπώλεσας, οὐκ ἂν ταῦτα συνεβούλευσας.

ἀλώπηξ ποτὲ 

ἐν πάγῃ ἐλήφθη. 

καὶ αὐτὴ μὲν ἀπέφυγε, 

τὴν δὲ οὐρὰν 

ἐν τῇ πάγῃ ὑπέλιπεν, 

αἰσχυνομένη δὲ 

ὅτι μόνη τῶν ἀλωπέκων 

οὐρὰν οὐκ ἔχει, 

συνεκάλεσε τὰς ἄλλας, 

συνελθούσαις δὲ 

ἔλεξε τάδε, 

ὦ φίλαι, 

ἐὰν ἐμοὶ πείθησθε, 

τὰς οὐρὰς ἀποκόψετε. 

ἀχρεῖον γάρ ἐστι 

καὶ βαρύ. 

ἀλώπηξ δέ τις ἀπεκρίνατο, 

ὦ φίλη, 

εἰ μὴ τὴν σὴν οὐρὰν ἀπώλεσας, 

οὐκ ἂν ταῦτα συνεβούλευσας.

ἀλώπηξ ποτὲ  ...  A fox once 

ἐν πάγῃ ἐλήφθη  ...  was caught in a trap. 

καὶ αὐτὴ μὲν ἀπέφυγε  ...  And while she got away, 

ὑπέλιπεν δὲ τὴν οὐρὰν  ...  she left her tail 

ἐν τῇ πάγῃ  ...  in the trap. 

αἰσχυνομένη δὲ  ...  She was ashamed 

ὅτι μόνη τῶν ἀλωπέκων  ...  because she alone of the foxes

οὐρὰν οὐκ ἔχει  ...  didn't have a tail, 

συνεκάλεσε τὰς ἄλλας  ...  so she summoned the others, 

συνελθούσαις δὲ  ...  and when they assembled 

ἔλεξε τάδε  ...  she said this to them: 

ὦ φίλαι  ...  O my dears, 

ἐὰν ἐμοὶ πείθησθε  ...  if you would just trust me, 

τὰς οὐρὰς ἀποκόψετε  ...  cut off your tails. 

ἀχρεῖον γάρ ἐστι  ...  For the tail is a useless thing 

καὶ βαρύ  ...  and heavy.

ἀλώπηξ δέ τις ἀπεκρίνατο  ...  One of the foxes replied, 

ὦ φίλη  ...  O my dear, 

εἰ μὴ τὴν σὴν οὐρὰν ἀπώλεσας  ...  if you hadn't lost your tail, 

οὐκ ἂν ταῦτα συνεβούλευσας  ...  you wouldn't be advising this.

Medici Aesop

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

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Proverbs Slideshow/Crossword: July 1

For today, it's a new review slideshow for Groups 167, 168, and 169. Here's the post with details about how the slideshows work, and there's a random cat at the bottom of the post! Plus more cats.

The slideshow is embedded in the blog post, and you can also access today's slideshow directly, full-sized view. And remember: each time you see the English translation on a slide, you can click to access the original blog post with the notes for each proverb.

There's also a crossword puzzle PDF that you can print; here's a screenshot of the puzzle and key. :-)

These are the proverbs, linked back to their blog post:

1. Ἀπὸ λεπτοῦ μίτου τὸ ζῆν ἠρτῆσθαι.
   
2. Ἐκ τῶν ὀνύχων τὸν λέοντα γινώσκειν.
   
3. Ἐν τριόδῳ εἰμί.
   
4. Ἡ φύσις οὐδὲν ποιεῖ ἅλματα.
   
5. Θεοὺς σέβου.
   
6. Κρίνει φίλους ὁ καιρός, ὡς χρυσὸν τὸ πῦρ.
   
7. Κτώμενος ἥδου.
   
8. Λίθος κυλιόμενος φῦκος οὐ ποιεῖ.
   
9. Λύκος ἀετὸν φεύγει.
   
10. Λύκου πτερὰ ζητεῖς.
    
11. Μόνος θεῶν γὰρ θάνατος οὐ δώρων ἐρᾷ.
    
12. Μωρῷ καὶ βασιλεῖ νόμος ἄγραφος.
    
13. Ὁ χοῖρος ἥδεται κόπροις καὶ βορβόρῳ.
    
14. Τὴν ἀηδόνα ἐν οἰκίσκῳ μὴ ᾄδειν.
    
15. Φίλῳ χαρίζου.
    

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

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