Greek Stories and Proverbs: 4: difficult, big, none, none, all

Here are today's vocabulary words; they are neuter adjectives with the nominative and genitive singular, along with a brief definition. Remember that adjectives can be used substantively, i.e. as nouns, and that is often the case in proverbs, as you will see below. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion. (Study tips here.)

1. χαλεπόν ~ χαλεποῦ (n.): difficult, harsh

2. μέγα ~ μεγάλου (n.): big

3. οὐδὲν ~ οὐδενός (n.): none, nothing (οὐ)

4. μηδέν ~ μηδενός (n.): none, nothing (μή)

5. πᾶν ~ παντός (n.): all, every

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Χαλεπὰ τὰ καλά.

Μέγα βιβλίον μέγα κακόν.

Ἓν οἶδα — ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα.

Μηδὲν ἄγαν.

Πάντα ῥεῖ.

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Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 004

Plus some commentary:

Χαλεπὰ τὰ καλά.

Excellent (things are) difficult (to achieve).

The adjective καλά is being used substantively here: "excellent things." You can find these words in Plato, who refers to it as a proverb, παροιμία.

Μέγα βιβλίον μέγα κακόν.

A big book (is) a big evil.
So wrote the poet Callimachus, in defense of short poetry as opposed to epics. The adjective κακόν is being used substantively: an evil (thing).

Ἓν οἶδα — ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα.

I know one (thing) — that I know nothing.

This is the so-called "Socratic paradox." You can find out more at Wikipedia: I know that I know nothing. Both ἕν and οὐδὲν are being used substantively: one (thing) and not one (thing).

Μηδὲν ἄγαν.

Nothing to excess.

Note the specific form of "nothing" used here: μηδέν as opposed to οὐδέν (see previous saying). The word μή is used for negative imperatives, which gives this proverb the force of a negative imperative even though no verb is expressed: don't talk too much, don't eat too much, don't sleep too much, etc. etc. — μηδὲν ἄγαν.

Πάντα ῥεῖ.

Everything flows.

Note that the neuter plural takes a singular verb, as is the rule in Greek: πάντα (everything = literally, all things) ῥεῖ. Another translation might be: "All things are in flux," or "All situations are fluid." The idea is attributed to the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus.