Greek Vocabulary Challenge

Here are today's vocabulary words; it's Group 156. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

εὐεργεσία ~ εὐεργεσίας (noun f.): good deed, kindness 

ἀγών ~ ἀγῶνος (noun m.): contest, struggle 

ἔπος ~ ἔπους (noun n.): word, poetry 

φύσις ~ φύσεως (noun f.): nature 

ἐλπίς ~ ἐλπίδος (noun f.): hope, expectation 

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

Εὐεργεσίας τίμα.

Ἀγὼν οὐ δέχεται σκήψεις.

Οἴνου κατίοντος, ἐπιπλέουσιν ἔπεα.

Πᾶν γὰρ τὸ πολὺ πολέμιον τῇ φύσει.

Πολλ' ἐλπίδες ψεύδουσι καὶ λόγοι βροτούς.

And now, some commentary:

Εὐεργεσίας τίμα.

Honor good deeds.

This is another one of the Delphic maxims recorded by Stobaeus. The noun εὐεργεσία is a compound: εὐ-εργεσία, "well-doing, good deed, kindness." Εὐεργεσία was also personified as a goddess; her Roman equivalent was Liberalitas.

Ἀγὼν οὐ δέχεται σκήψεις.

A contest does not admit excuses.

In other words, once you have agreed to engage in a context, you cannot back out. From Greek ἀγών we get English "agonistic." Meanwhile, the noun σκῆψις is from the verb σκήπτω, which literally means to "lean on, be propped on" (as in English "sceptre"), and by metaphorical extension, "pretend, allege, make an excuse." 

Οἴνου κατίοντος, ἐπιπλέουσιν ἔπεα.

As the wine goes down, words come pouring forth.

This is a variation on the idea of Ἐν οἴνῳ ἀλήθεια, "In wine, truth," and Οἶνος καὶ παῖδες ἀληθεῖς, "Wine and children are truthful," i.e. people say things as a result of drinking wine that they would otherwise not reveal. Compare also Κάτοπτρον εἴδους χαλκός ἐστ'· οἶνος δὲ νοῦ, "Bronze is a mirror of the face, wine of the mind." From Greek ἔπος we get English "epic."

Πᾶν γὰρ τὸ πολὺ πολέμιον τῇ φύσει.

Everything in excess is inimical to nature.

This is from the "Aphorisms" which form part of the Hippocratic Corpus; you can find out more at Wikipedia: Hippocrates. When you remember that φύσει was pronounced with an aspirated p (p-husei), you can see the appeal of this saying with the p sound repeated four times! The word φύσις has an enormous range of meaning as you can see in the LSJ online.

Πολλ' ἐλπίδες ψεύδουσι καὶ λόγοι βροτούς.

Hopes and words deceive mortal men in many ways.

The word πολλ' is πολλά, with the final vowel falling out before the following vowel (apocope).

This is a fragment from Euripides' Protesilaus. The meter is iambic:

Πολλ' ἐλ~πίδες || ψεύδου~σι καὶ || λόγοι ~ βροτούς.

And here is an ancient coin showing Protesilaus; you can read his story at Wikipedia.

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

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Greek Reading: Fables 41

Today's fable and also the joke come from Colton's Greek Reader, which has notes for the stories and a vocabulary in the back; the book is available at the Internet Archive. 

So, here are the stories in Greek, then segmented, and then interwoven with English. The titles are linked to the Internet Archive page.

Λέων καὶ ἀλώπηξ

(you saw another version of this story earlier)

Λέων γηράσας, καὶ μὴ δυνάμενος δι' ἀλκῆς ἑαυτῷ τροφὴν πόριζειν, ἔγνω δι' ἐπινοίας τοῦτο πρᾶξαι. Και δὴ παραγενόμενος εἴς τι σπήλαιον, καὶ ἐνταῦθα κατακλεισθεὶς, προσεποιεῖτο νοσεῖν χαλεπῶς. Καὶ οὕτω τὰ παραγενόμενα ἐπισκέψεως χάριν παντοῖα ζῶα συλλαμβάνων κατήσθιεν αὐτά. Πολλῶν δὲ θηρίων ἀναλωθέντων ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ἀλώπηξ τὸ τέχνασμα αὐτοῦ συνιεῖσα καὶ γνοῦσα, παρεγένετο πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ στᾶσα ἔξωθεν καὶ ἄποθεν τοῦ σπηλαίου, ἀπυνθάνετο αὐτοῦ πῶς ἔχοι. Τούτου δὲ εἰπόντος, κακῶς, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐρωτῶντος, δὶ ἣν οὐ κάτεισι, καὶ οὐκ εἰσέρχεται ὧδε, ἡ ἀλώπηξ ἔφη· Ἀλλ' ἔγωγε εἰσῆλθον ἂν, εἰ μὴ ἑώρων πολλῶν εἰσιόντων ἴχνη, ἐξιόντων δὲ οὐδενός.

Λέων γηράσας, 

καὶ μὴ δυνάμενος δι' ἀλκῆς 

ἑαυτῷ τροφὴν πόριζειν, 

ἔγνω δι' ἐπινοίας τοῦτο πρᾶξαι. 

Και δὴ παραγενόμενος εἴς τι σπήλαιον, 

καὶ ἐνταῦθα κατακλεισθεὶς, 

προσεποιεῖτο νοσεῖν χαλεπῶς. 

Καὶ οὕτω 

τὰ παραγενόμενα ἐπισκέψεως 

χάριν παντοῖα 

ζῶα συλλαμβάνων 

κατήσθιεν αὐτά. 

Πολλῶν δὲ θηρίων 

ἀναλωθέντων ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, 

ἀλώπηξ 

τὸ τέχνασμα αὐτοῦ συνιεῖσα 

καὶ γνοῦσα, 

παρεγένετο πρὸς αὐτὸν, 

καὶ στᾶσα ἔξωθεν 

καὶ ἄποθεν τοῦ σπηλαίου, 

ἀπυνθάνετο αὐτοῦ πῶς ἔχοι. 

Τούτου δὲ εἰπόντος, 

κακῶς, 

καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐρωτῶντος, 

δὶ ἣν οὐ κάτεισι

καὶ οὐκ εἰσέρχεται ὧδε, 

ἡ ἀλώπηξ ἔφη· 

Ἀλλ' ἔγωγε εἰσῆλθον ἂν, 

εἰ μὴ ἑώρων 

πολλῶν εἰσιόντων ἴχνη, 

ἐξιόντων δὲ οὐδενός.

Λέων γηράσας  ...  A lion had grown old 

καὶ μὴ δυνάμενος  ...  and was no longer able

ἑαυτῷ τροφὴν πόριζειν  ...  to get food for himself

δι' ἀλκῆς  ...  by means of strength

δι' ἐπινοίας  ...  so by means of intelligence 

ἔγνω τοῦτο πρᾶξαι  ...  he decided on this (plan), 

Και δὴ παραγενόμενος  ...  and going  

εἴς τι σπήλαιον  ...  into a cave, 

καὶ ἐνταῦθα κατακλεισθεὶς  ...  and shutting himself in, 

προσεποιεῖτο  ...  he pretended

νοσεῖν χαλεπῶς  ...  to be gravely ill. 

Καὶ οὕτω  ...  And thus 

τὰ παραγενόμενα παντοῖα ... when all sorts (of animals) came

ἐπισκέψεως χάριν  ...  for the sake of visiting 

ζῶα συλλαμβάνων  ...  he grabbed them alive 

κατήσθιεν αὐτά  ...  and devoured them. 

Πολλῶν δὲ θηρίων  ...  After many beasts 

ἀναλωθέντων ὑπ' αὐτοῦ  ...  were slain by the lion, 

ἀλώπηξ  ...  the fox 

συνιεῖσα  ... figured out

τὸ τέχνασμα αὐτοῦ  ...  the lion's deceit 

καὶ γνοῦσα  ...  and knew what to do: 

παρεγένετο πρὸς αὐτὸν  ...  she went to the lion, 

καὶ στᾶσα ἔξωθεν  ...  and stood outside 

καὶ ἄποθεν τοῦ σπηλαίου  ...  away from the cave, 

ἀπυνθάνετο αὐτοῦ  ...  and asked him 

πῶς ἔχοι  ...  how he was doing.

Τούτου δὲ εἰπόντος  ...  The lion said, 

κακῶς  ...  "Badly!" 

καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐρωτῶντος  ...  and asked why

δὶ ἣν οὐ κάτεισι  ...  the fox didn't come down

καὶ οὐκ εἰσέρχεται ὧδε  ...  and enter the cave,

ἡ ἀλώπηξ ἔφη  ...  the fox said,

Ἀλλ' ἔγωγε εἰσῆλθον ἂν  ...  I'd certainly come in

εἰ μὴ ἑώρων  ...  if I didn't see

πολλῶν εἰσιόντων ἴχνη  ...  many tracks going in, 

ἐξιόντων δὲ οὐδενός  ...  and not one coming out.

The Fox and the Lion

Σχολαστικὸς ναυαγῶν

Σχολαστικὸς, εἰς χειμῶνα ναυαγῶν, καὶ τῶν συμπλεόντων ἑκάστου περιπλεκομένου σκεῦος πρὸς τὸ σωθῆναι, ἐκεῖνος μίαν τῶν ἀγηκυρῶν περιεπλέξατο.

Σχολαστικὸς, 

εἰς χειμῶνα ναυαγῶν, 

καὶ τῶν συμπλεόντων ἑκάστου 

περιπλεκομένου σκεῦος 

πρὸς τὸ σωθῆναι, 

ἐκεῖνος 

μίαν τῶν ἀγηκυρῶν περιεπλέξατο.

Σχολαστικὸς  ... A dunce

εἰς χειμῶνα ναυαγῶν  ... was on a ship sinking in a storm, 

καὶ ἑκάστου  ... and each one 

τῶν συμπλεόντων  ...  of his fellow passengers 

περιπλεκομένου   ... grabbed hold

σκεῦος  ...  of some piece of baggage

πρὸς τὸ σωθῆναι  ... to save themselves; 

ἐκεῖνος  ... the dunce 

μίαν τῶν ἀγηκυρῶν περιεπλέξατο  ... grabbed an anchor.

ancient stone anchor

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

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Greek Vocabulary Challenge: April 1

Here are today's vocabulary words; it's Group 155. You may have seen these proverbs before (this project has been going for over a year now!), but this time the vocabulary focus is different. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

ἄπειρος ~ ἀπείρου (adj. masc.): inexperienced, ignorant 

γλύκιον ~ γλυκίονος (adj. neut.): sweeter, more dear 

ἐμός ~ ἐμοῦ (adj. masc.): my, mine 

περισσόν ~ περισσοῦ (adj. neut.): excessive, superfluous 

ὑμετέρα ~ ὑμετέρας (adj. fem.): yours 

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

Γλυκὺς ἀπείρῳ πόλεμος.

Οὐδὲν γλύκιον ἧς πατρίδος.

Ἐμοῦ θανόντος γαῖα μιχθήτω πυρί.

Μὴ γίνου δίκαιος πολὺ καὶ μὴ σοφίζου περισσά. 

Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί, ὅτι ὑμετέρα ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ.

And now, some commentary:

Γλυκὺς ἀπείρῳ πόλεμος.

War (is) sweet to the inexperienced (person).

By implication, the person with experience of war knows that it is anything but sweet. The adjective ἄπειρος is an alpha-privative: ἄ-πειρος, and you can see the root πειρ- in English "empirical." From the root of γλυκύς, we get medical terms like hypoglycemia, "low blood sugar," in English.

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 dactylic meter:

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

Ἐμοῦ θανόντος γαῖα μιχθήτω πυρί.

When I die, let the earth be mixed with fire.

The opening words, ἐμοῦ θανόντος, are a genitive absolute, the idea being that once I'm dead, it doesn't matter to me what happens; the earth might as well burn to ashes for all I care. The words are the first line of an iambic couplet from the Greek Anthology; the second line is: οὐδὲν μέλει μοι· τἀμὰ γὰρ καλῶς ἔχει, "It doesn't matter at all to me, for my situation (τὰ ἐμά, "my stuff") is just fine." The saying was quoted by the Emperor Tiberius, and this callous and self-centered sentiment certainly suits him. Here is the meter marked:

Ἐμοῦ ~ θανόν~τος γαῖ~α μιχ~θήτω ~ πυρί.

οὐδὲν ~ μέλει ~ μοι· τἀ~μὰ γὰρ ~ καλῶς ~ ἔχει,

Μὴ γίνου δίκαιος πολὺ καὶ μὴ σοφίζου περισσά.

Do not be too righteous and do not be overly clever.

This advice comes from the Biblical Book of Ecclesiastes. Both πολὺ and περισσά are neuter adjectives (singular and plural) being used adverbially. You can see the adjective σοφός in the verb σοφίζω: "wise-ify," i.e. to be clever. You can see the root of δίκαιος in Δίκη, the goddess of justice; find out more at Wikipedia: Dike.

Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί, ὅτι ὑμετέρα ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ.

Blessed are (you who are) poor, because the kingdom of god will be yours.

These words also come from the Gospel of Luke. This is the first of the four "beatitudes," in which Jesus blesses the people who are poor, who are hungry, who are grieving, and who are hated. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Beatitudes. The use of the second-person pronoun conveys that sense of Jesus addressing his audience. From the root βασιλ- in βασιλεία, we get English words like basil and basilica.

coin showing Tiberius

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

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Greek Reading: Fables 40

Today's fables and also the joke come from Colton's Greek Reader, which has notes for the stories and a vocabulary in the back; the book is available at the Internet Archive. 

So, here are the stories in Greek, then segmented, and then interwoven with English. The titles are linked to the Internet Archive page.

Βάτραχοι δύο

(this is another version of the fable of the two frogs that you saw before)

Βάτραχοι δύο ἐνέμοντο ἐν λίμνῃ. Ἐν ἡμέραις δὲ τοῦ θέρους ἐξηράνθη ἡ λίμνη, καὶ καταλείψαντες ἐκείνην, ἄλλην ἐπεζήτουν. Παραχρῆμα οὖν ἐνέτυχον φρέατι βαθεῖ. Εἶπε δὲ ὁ ἕτερος τῷ ἑτέρῳ· Συγκατέλθωμεν ἐνταῦθα, ὦ φίλε. Ὑπολαβὼν δὲ ὁ ἕτερος ἀντεῖπεν· Ἐὰν οὖν καὶ τὸ ἐνθάδε ὕδωρ ξηρανθῇ, πῶς δυνησόμεθα ἀνελθεῖν;

Βάτραχοι δύο 

ἐνέμοντο ἐν λίμνῃ. 

Ἐν ἡμέραις δὲ τοῦ θέρους 

ἐξηράνθη ἡ λίμνη, 

καὶ καταλείψαντες ἐκείνην, 

ἄλλην ἐπεζήτουν. 

Παραχρῆμα οὖν ἐνέτυχον 

φρέατι βαθεῖ. 

Εἶπε δὲ ὁ ἕτερος τῷ ἑτέρῳ· 

Συγκατέλθωμεν ἐνταῦθα, ὦ φίλε. 

Ὑπολαβὼν δὲ ὁ ἕτερος ἀντεῖπεν· 

Ἐὰν οὖν καὶ τὸ ἐνθάδε ὕδωρ ξηρανθῇ, 

πῶς δυνησόμεθα ἀνελθεῖν;

Βάτραχοι δύο  ...  Two frogs 

ἐνέμοντο ἐν λίμνῃ  ...  living in a pool. 

Ἐν ἡμέραις δὲ τοῦ θέρους  ...  In the days of summer 

ἐξηράνθη ἡ λίμνη  ...  the pool dried up, 

καὶ καταλείψαντες ἐκείνην  ...  and they left it behind, 

ἄλλην ἐπεζήτουν  ...  and sought another. 

Παραχρῆμα οὖν ἐνέτυχον  ...  Soon they came across 

φρέατι βαθεῖ  ...  a deep well. 

Εἶπε δὲ ὁ ἕτερος τῷ ἑτέρῳ  ...  One said to the other,

Συγκατέλθωμεν ἐνταῦθα  ...  Let's settle here, 

ὦ φίλε  ...  my friend! 

Ὑπολαβὼν δὲ ὁ ἕτερος  ...  The other replied

ἀντεῖπεν  ...  disagreeing, 

Ἐὰν οὖν καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ... And what if this water also

ἐνθάδε ξηρανθῇ  ...  dries up here:

πῶς δυνησόμεθα ἀνελθεῖν  ...  how will we be able to get out?

the two frogs

Δέλφαξ καὶ πρόβατα

Ἔν τινι ποίμνῃ προβάτων δέλφαξ εἰσελθὼν ἐνέμετο. Καὶ δή ποτε τοῦ ποιμένος συλλαμβάνοντος αὐτὸ, ἐκεκράγει τε καὶ ἀντέτεινε. Τῶν δὲ προβάτων αἰτιωμένων ἐπὶ τῷ βοᾷν, καὶ λεγόντων, Ἡμᾶς γὰρ συνεχῶς συλλαμβάνει, καὶ οὐ κράζομεν, ἔφη πρὸς ταῦτα· Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁμοία γε τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ἡ ἐμὴ σύλληψις· ὑμᾶς γὰρ ἢ διὰ τὰ ἔρια ἀγρεύει, ἢ διὰ τοὺς ἄρνας, ἐμὲ δὲ διὰ τὸ κρέας.

Ἔν τινι ποίμνῃ προβάτων 

δέλφαξ εἰσελθὼν ἐνέμετο. 

Καὶ δή ποτε 

τοῦ ποιμένος συλλαμβάνοντος αὐτὸ, 

ἐκεκράγει τε καὶ ἀντέτεινε. 

Τῶν δὲ προβάτων αἰτιωμένων 

ἐπὶ τῷ βοᾷν, 

καὶ λεγόντων, 

Ἡμᾶς γὰρ συνεχῶς συλλαμβάνει, 

καὶ οὐ κράζομεν, 

ἔφη πρὸς ταῦτα· 

Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁμοία γε τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ 

ἡ ἐμὴ σύλληψις· 

ὑμᾶς γὰρ ἢ διὰ τὰ ἔρια ἀγρεύει, 

ἢ διὰ τοὺς ἄρνας, 

ἐμὲ δὲ διὰ τὸ κρέας.

δέλφαξ εἰσελθὼν  ...  A pig came into 

ἔν τινι ποίμνῃ προβάτων  ...  a flock of sheep

ἐνέμετο  ...  and lived with them.

Καὶ δή ποτε  ...  And then 

τοῦ ποιμένος  ...  when the shepherd

συλλαμβάνοντος αὐτὸ  ...  grabbed him, 

ἐκεκράγει τε  ...  he squealed 

καὶ ἀντέτεινε  ...  struggled. 

Τῶν δὲ προβάτων αἰτιωμένων  ...  The sheep rebuked

ἐπὶ τῷ βοᾷν  ...  for shouting,

καὶ λεγόντων  ...  and they said, 

Ἡμᾶς γὰρ συλλαμβάνει  ...  He seizes us

συνεχῶς  ...  frequently, 

καὶ οὐ κράζομεν  ...  and we don't cry out. 

ἔφη πρὸς ταῦτα  ...  The pig said to them, 

Ἀλλ' ἡ ἐμὴ σύλληψις  ...  When he grabs me

οὐχ ὁμοία γε τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ  ...  it's not at all like grabbing you.

ὑμᾶς γὰρ ἀγρεύει ...  For he catches you 

ἢ διὰ τὰ ἔρια  ...  either for your wool

ἢ διὰ τοὺς ἄρνας  ...  or for your lambs, 

ἐμὲ δὲ διὰ τὸ κρέας  ...  but he catches me for my flesh.

the fable of the pig

Σχολαστικὸς καὶ κόραξ

Σχολαστικὸς, μαθὼν ὅτι ὁ κόραξ ὑπὲρ τὰ διακόσια ἔτη ζῇ, ἀγοράσας κόρακα εἰς ἀπόπειραν ἔτρεφε.

Σχολαστικὸς, 

μαθὼν ὅτι 

ὁ κόραξ ὑπὲρ τὰ διακόσια ἔτη ζῇ, 

ἀγοράσας κόρακα 

εἰς ἀπόπειραν ἔτρεφε.

Σχολαστικὸς  ...  A dunce, 

μαθὼν ὅτι  ...  when he learned that

ὁ κόραξ ζῇ  ...  the crow lives

ὑπὲρ τὰ διακόσια ἔτη  ...  over two hundred years,

ἀγοράσας κόρακα ἔτρεφε ...  bought and raised a crow

εἰς ἀπόπειραν  ...  to see for himself.

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

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