Week 9: Proverb and Vocabulary Review

I've now added audio to all the posts for the past week; see playlist below, and the audio is also embedded in each post!

Last week I posted some Quia activities for reviewing the eighth week of proverbs and vocabulary, plus noun and verb forms review; see the first week's review post for an explanation of how to use Quia activities, and you can find all my Quia materials here.

This week, I created the same activities for the Week 9 proverbs: Proverbs, Vocabulary, Vocabulary with Parts, plus Verb Practice and Noun Practice.

Here's the updated widget showing a random proverb, and I've also updated the alphabetical index of all the proverbs so far (270!).

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If you want to review this week's posts, here they are: #49 - #50 - #51 - #52 - #53 - #54. You can also listen to the audio for each group at SoundCloud (I'm still working on filling in the audio for the earlier weeks):

Laura Gibbs · Greek Vocabulary with Proverbs

Finally, here is the list of all of this week's proverbs, alphabetized and linked back to the blog post so that you can access the English translation and commentary as needed. Enjoy!

• Ἀγαθὴ σοφία ὑπὲρ σκεύη πολέμου.
  
• Ἀγαμέμνονος θυσία.
  
• Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν.
  
• Ἅμ᾽ ἔπος, ἅμ᾽ ἔργον.
  
• Ἀπολύετε, καὶ ἀπολυθήσεσθε.
  
• Γενεὰ πορεύεται καὶ γενεὰ ἔρχεται.
  
• Γόνυ κνήμης ἔγγιον.
  
• Ἐγὼ γὰρ εἰμὶ τῶν ἐμῶν ἐμὸς μόνος.
  
• Ἔνεστι κἀν μύρμηκι χολή.
  
• Θησαυρός ἐστι τοῦ βίου τὰ πράγματα.
  
• Κορώνη γράμμα κομίζει.
  
• Λεγιὼν ὄνομά μοι, ὅτι πολλοί ἐσμεν.
  
• Μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.
  
• Ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ.
  
• Ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον ἐν αὐτῷ ἐμπεσεῖται.
  
• Οἷ γ᾽ αὐτῷ κακὰ τεύχει ἀνὴρ ἄλλῳ κακὰ τεύχων.
  
• Οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς καινούς.
  
• Οὐδὲν σιωπῆς ἔστι χρησιμώτερον.
  
• Παντὶ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου.
  
• Προφάσεως δεῖται μόνον ἡ πονηρία.
  
• Τὰ ἐλάχιστα ληπτέον τῶν κακῶν.
  
• Τὰς δεσποίνας αἱ κύνες μιμούμεναι.
  
• Τὴν αὑτοῦ σκιὰν δέδοικεν.
  
• Τί δειλοί ἐστε; Οὔπω ἔχετε πίστιν;
  
• Τί ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη ζητεῖ σημεῖον;
  
• Τὸ πεπρωμένον φυγεῖν ἀδύνατον.
  
• Τοῖς πλουσίοις πολλὰ παραμύθια.
  
• Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ.
  
• Ψυχῆς εἰκὼν ὁ λόγος ἐστίν.
  
• Ὤδινεν ὄρος, εἶτα μῦν ἀπέτεκεν.
  

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54: ask, convey, frighten, fear, fall in

Here are today's vocabulary words; they are verbs with present, future, and aorist stems, plus a brief definition. (If you are just beginning Greek and have not studied the future or aorist stems yet, you can just focus on the present stem.) Click on the word to learn more at Logeion, and there's also a study tips post.

1. αἰτέω ~ αἰτήσω ~ ᾔτησα: ask, beg 

2. κομίζω ~ κομιέω ~ ἐκόμισα: convey, carry 

3. φοβέω ~ φοβήσω ~ ἐφόβησα: frighten, terrify 

4. δείδω ~ δείσω ~ ἔδεισα: fear 

5. ἐμπίπτω ~ ἐμπεσέομαι ~ ἐνέπεσον: fall in, fall upon 

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Παντὶ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου.

Κορώνη γράμμα κομίζει.

Μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.

Τὴν αὑτοῦ σκιὰν δέδοικεν.

Ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον ἐν αὐτῷ ἐμπεσεῖται.

Listen at SoundCloud.

Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 054

Plus some commentary:

Παντὶ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου.

Give to each person who asks you.

The words come from the Gospel of Luke, and you can find out more at Wikipedia: Sermon on the Plain (not the same as Sermon on the Mount in Matthew).

Κορώνη γράμμα κομίζει.

The crow carries the letter.

This proverbial saying referred to messengers who delivered news promptly. Aelian reports the legend of a certain king of Egypt who had a tame crow that was swifter than any human messenger; as soon as you told the crow where to go, it immediately understood and flew off carrying the letter. When the crow died, the king honored it with a tomb at Crocodopolis.

Μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.

Do not be afraid; just have faith.

The words are spoken to Jairus by Jesus in the Gospel of Mark when he is told that the daughter of Jairus is dead; he then goes and revives her. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Raising of Jairus's Daughter. From the Greek root φοβ- we get all the -phobia words in English. The word μόνον is used adverbially here; the neuter singular is often used as an adverb.

Τὴν αὑτοῦ σκιὰν δέδοικεν.

He fears his own shadow.

The words are from a fragment of Aristophanes, and of course we use the same phrase in English, "to be afraid of your own shadow." Erasmus cites the phrase with a different verb: Τὴν αὑτοῦ σκιὰν φοβεῖσθαι (φοβέω is also one of today's verbs). Plato uses the phrase in the Phaedo, where he labels it as a saying: τὸ λεγόμενον.

Ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον ἐν αὐτῷ ἐμπεσεῖται.

The one digging a hole will fall into it.

The saying comes from the Biblical Book of Ecclesiastes, referring to the notion that someone who plots against another will himself turn out to be the victim. Compare a more literal version of the same idea from Hesiod that you saw earlier this week: Οἷ γ᾽ αὐτῷ κακὰ τεύχει ἀνὴρ ἄλλῳ κακὰ τεύχων, "The man working evil against another works evil against himself."

Here is William Blake's depiction of the raising of Jairus's daughter:

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53: sacrifice, word, wine, mistress, wickedness

Here are today's vocabulary words; they are nouns shown in the nominative and genitive plus gender, along with a brief definition. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion, and there's also a study tips post.

1. θυσία ~ θυσίας (fem.): sacrifice, victim 

2. ἔπος ~ ἔπους (neut.): word, poetry 

3. οἶνος ~ οἴνου (masc.): wine 

4. δέσποινα ~ δεσποίνης (fem.): mistress, lady of the house 

5. πονηρία ~ πονηρίας (fem.): wickedness, viciousness

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Ἀγαμέμνονος θυσία.

Ἅμ᾽ ἔπος, ἅμ᾽ ἔργον.

Οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς καινούς.

Τὰς δεσποίνας αἱ κύνες μιμούμεναι.

Προφάσεως δεῖται μόνον ἡ πονηρία. 

Listen at SoundCloud.

Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 053

Plus some commentary:

Ἀγαμέμνονος θυσία.

The sacrifice of Agamemnon.

As Erasmus tells us, the saying applies to someone who is reluctant or uncooperative. One explanation is that the saying alludes to the time when Agamemnon was sacrificing a bull which fled from the sacrifice and had to be captured and dragged back to the altar. Another explanation is that it refers to Agamemnon having to sacrifice his own daughter, Iphigenia, which he was reluctant to do. You can read more about that at Wikipedia: Iphigenia.

Ἅμ᾽ ἔπος, ἅμ᾽ ἔργον.

The deed at the same time as the word.

Compare the English saying, "No sooner said than done." The Greek ἁμα can be used in tandem as here, ἅμα...ἅμα, and it can also be used with τε...καί as in this variation on the same idea: ἅμα ἔπος τε καὶ ἔργον, "at the same time both the word and the deed." From the root in Greek ἔπος we get English "epic."

Οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς καινούς.

New wine (goes) into new wineskins.

The words are from the Gospel of Mark, and the parable is found in all three synoptic gospels. You can find out more at Wikipedia: New Wine into Old Wineskins. The idea is about how innovation requires the right context: if new wine is put into old wineskins, the skins will burst because old wineskins are already stretched and have become brittle; the new wine needs to go into new wineskins that can expand as the wine matures. From Greek οἶνος we get the English word oenology, the study of wine. The Greek word is from the Indo-European root wéyh₁ō, as is English "wine" and Latin vinum.

Τὰς δεσποίνας αἱ κύνες μιμούμεναι.

Dogs imitating their owners.

Specifically, female dogs, αἱ κύνες, imitating their female owners, δεσποίνας. As Erasmus explains, the  saying was used to refer to slaves or students or other subordinates who act like their masters, teachers, etc.: bad-tempered if their masters are bad-tempered, arrogant if their teachers are arrogant, etc. Plato invokes this saying in The Republic, where he labels it as a proverb: κατὰ τὴν παροιμίαν, "according to the proverb."

Προφάσεως δεῖται μόνον ἡ πονηρία.

Viciousness needs only a pretext.

The words are from Aristotle's Rhetoric, and he goes on to list all the many sorts of excuses people might use to justify their attacks on others, including the deeds of their ancestors or allies, etc. Aristotle identifies the words as a proverb: ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ παροιμία, "as the proverb (says)." Note that the verb δεῖται takes a genitive complement: προφάσεως, "needs a pretext = has need of a pretext." 

Here is a fresco from Pompeii showing the sacrifice of Iphigenia:

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52: be in, withdraw, forgive, go, make

Here are today's vocabulary words; they are verbs with present, future, and aorist stems, plus a brief definition. (If you are just beginning Greek and have not studied the future or aorist stems yet, you can just focus on the present stem.) Click on the word to learn more at Logeion, and there's also a study tips post.

1. ἔνειμι ~ ἐνέσομαι (no aorist): be in, be present 

2. ὑπάγω ~ ὑπάξω ~ ὑπήγαγον: go, go away, withdraw 

3. ἀπολύω ~ ἀπολύσω ~ ἀπέλυσα: release, set free, forgive

4. πορεύω ~ πορεύσομαι ~ ἐπορευσάμην: carry; go, go away

5. τεύχω ~ τεύξω ~ ἔτευξα: make, build 

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Ἔνεστι κἀν μύρμηκι χολή.

Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ.

Ἀπολύετε, καὶ ἀπολυθήσεσθε.

Γενεὰ πορεύεται καὶ γενεὰ ἔρχεται.

Οἷ γ᾽ αὐτῷ κακὰ τεύχει ἀνὴρ ἄλλῳ κακὰ τεύχων. 

Listen at SoundCloud.

Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 052

Plus some commentary:

Ἔνεστι κἀν μύρμηκι χολή.

There is bile even in the ant.

In other words, even though it is tiny, the ant has a temper! As Erasmus explains, the proverb warns that even a "small" enemy can be dangerous. The word κἀν is a contraction: καὶ ἐν (the breathing mark inside the word is a clue to the contraction). The bile, χολή, was one of the four humors of the body in Greek medicine: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. The yellow bile was associated with anger, hence the English word choleric. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Four temperaments. The black bile, µέλαινα χολή, gave rise to melancholy.

Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ.

Get behind me, Satan.

The words are from the Gospel of Mark, when Jesus rebukes Peter, a scene that is repeated in the Gospel of Matthew. The phrase later became part of the Catholic ritual of exorcism; see Wikipedia: Get Behind Me, Satan and also Wikipedia; Vade Retro, Satana.

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."

Γενεὰ πορεύεται καὶ γενεὰ ἔρχεται.

A generation goes and a generation comes.

The words are from the Biblical Book of Ecclesiastes. The complete verse reads: γενεὰ πορεύεται καὶ γενεὰ ἔρχεται καὶ ἡ γῆ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἕστηκεν, "and the earth abides forever." The Greek word γενεά is from the Indo-European root, *ǵenh₁, "produce, give birth," thus related to English "kin."

Οἷ γ᾽ αὐτῷ κακὰ τεύχει ἀνὴρ ἄλλῳ κακὰ τεύχων.

The man working evil against another works evil against himself.

The words are from Hesiod's Works and Days. Hesiod goes on to say in the next line: ἡ δὲ κακὴ βουλὴ τῷ βουλεύσαντι κακίστη, "the evil plan is most evil for the planner." Hesiod's poem is in dactylic hexameter; I've used dashes here to separate the feet:

Οἷ γ᾽ αὐ-τῷ κακὰ - τεύχει ἀ-νὴρ ἄλ-λῳ κακὰ - τεύχων

[note the long vowel before hiatus in this dactyl: ...τεύχει ἀ...]

Here is Tissot's painting of Jesus rebuking Peter:

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51: knee, image, sign, mountain, reward

Here are today's vocabulary words; they are nouns shown here in the nominative and genitive plus gender, along with a brief definition. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion, and there's also a study tips post.

1. γόνυ ~ γόνατος (neut.): knee

2. εἰκών ~ εἰκόνος (fem.): image, likeness

3. σημεῖον ~ σημείου (neut.): sign, omen
4. ὄρος ~ ὄρεος (neut.): mountain, hill
5. μισθός ~ μισθοῦ (masc.): wages, reward

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Γόνυ κνήμης ἔγγιον.

Ψυχῆς εἰκὼν ὁ λόγος ἐστίν.

Τί ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη ζητεῖ σημεῖον;

Ὤδινεν ὄρος, εἶτα μῦν ἀπέτεκεν.

Ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ.

 

Listen at SoundCloud.

Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 051

Plus some commentary:

Γόνυ κνήμης ἔγγιον.

The knee is closer than the shin.

As Erasmus explains, this saying refers to situations where there is a close allegiance — for example, a cousin — but an allegiance even closer: your brother. Forced to choose, you would choose to help your brother over cousin, just as the knee is closer (to your heart) than your shin. It can also be used to refer to self-interest. The proverbial saying appears in Aristotle and in Athenaeus. Greek γόνυ is cognate with English knee.

Ψυχῆς εἰκὼν ὁ λόγος ἐστίν.

Speech is the image of the soul.

From the Greek word εἰκὼν we get the English word icon. Meanwhile, the range of meaning of Greek λόγος is astounding, and it's always worth reviewing the Logeion entry. Depending on the context, for example, λόγος might also be translated here as "thought" rather than "speech."

Τί ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη ζητεῖ σημεῖον;

Why does this generation seek a sign?

The words are from the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus rebukes the Pharisees. The Greek word σημεῖον gives us semiotics in English, the study of signs. The Greek word has a wonderful array of meanings as you can see in the Logeion entry, including birthmarks, landmarks, passwords and war-cries. Compare also English semaphore from Greek σῆμα.

Ὤδινεν ὄρος, εἶτα μῦν ἀπέτεκεν.

The mountain groaned in labor; then it gave birth to a mouse.

This saying became part of the Aesopic tradition: The Mountain in Labor. Erasmus provides Greek citations, along with the famous instance in Horace: Parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. From Greek ὄρος we get orography in English, the scientific description of mountains.

Ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ.

Your reward (will be) great in heaven.

The words come from Jesus in the Gospel of Luke at the end of the Beatitudes; you can find out more about that at Wikipedia: Beatitudes. The version in the Gospel of Matthew uses plural οὐρανοῖς instead: ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. For more about the Greek Sky God, Οὐρανός, see Wikipedia: Uranus.

Here is Bewick's illustration of the Aesopic fable about the mountain giving birth to a mouse:

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50: afraid, rich, alone, treasure, neighbor

Here are today's vocabulary words; they are masculine nouns and adjectives, shown in the nominative and genitive, along with a brief definition. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion, and there's also a study tips post.

1. δειλός ~ δειλοῦ (adj. masc.): cowardly, afraid 

2. πλούσιος ~ πλουσίου (adj. masc.): wealthy, rich 

3. μόνος ~ μόνου (adj. masc.): alone, only 

4. θησαυρός ~ θησαυροῦ (noun masc.): treasure, store 

5. πλησίος ~ πλησίου (adj. masc.): nearby, neighboring 

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Τί δειλοί ἐστε; Οὔπω ἔχετε πίστιν;

Τοῖς πλουσίοις πολλὰ παραμύθια.

Ἐγὼ γὰρ εἰμὶ τῶν ἐμῶν ἐμὸς μόνος.

Θησαυρός ἐστι τοῦ βίου τὰ πράγματα.

Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν. 

Listen at SoundCloud.

Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 050

Plus some commentary:

Τί δειλοί ἐστε; Οὔπω ἔχετε πίστιν;

Why are you fearful? Have you no faith at all?

The words are from the Gospel of Mark. When the disciples of Jesus are sailing and a storm blows up, he thus rebukes them and then walks on the water. You can find out more about this Bible story at Wikipedia: Jesus walking on water.

Τοῖς πλουσίοις πολλὰ παραμύθια.

The rich have many consolations.

The words come from Plato's Republic, where it is labeled as proverbial, "they say," φασιν: τοῖς γὰρ πλουσίοις πολλὰ παραμύθιά φασιν εἶναι. The topic under discussion is old age, the idea being that if one has money, old age is not so bad. The adjective πλούσιος is from the noun πλοῦτος, meaning "wealth" or "riches," and as in the name of the god of wealth; find out more at Wikipedia: Plutus. Here the adjective is being used substantively (i.e. as a noun): πλούσιος = rich (man).

Ἐγὼ γὰρ εἰμὶ τῶν ἐμῶν ἐμὸς μόνος.

I alone am mine of mine own.

In other words: I am the only one of my friends that I can truly rely on. The words are preserved in a fragment of the Greek comic writer Apollodorus, clearly imitated in Terence (who brought the style of Greek New Comedy to Roman theater); here is Terence: Nam ego meorum solus sum meus. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Greek New Comedy. From Greek μόνο, we get all the mono- words in English like monopoly, monogamy, etc.

Θησαυρός ἐστι τοῦ βίου τὰ πράγματα.

The treasure of (your) life are (your) deeds.

From Greek θησαυρός we get both treasure and thesaurus in English. This is another of the monostichs of Menander; here is the iambic meter (hyphens and dashes separating the iambic elements):

Θησαυ-ρός ἐσ—τι τοῦ - βίου — τὰ πράγ-ματα.

Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν. 

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

The words come from the Gospel of Mark, echoing the Book of Leviticus. The commandment to "love thy neighbor" is an example of what is generally called the "golden rule" or the "great commandment," and you can find out more at Wikipedia: Golden Rule. Here the adjective is being used substantively: πλησίος = neighbor(ing).

Here is an illustration of Jesus walking on the water from an Armenian illuminated manuscript:

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49: smallest, impossible, useful, instrument, name

Here are today's vocabulary words; they are neuter nouns and adjectives in the nominative and genitive, along with a brief definition. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion, and there's also a study tips post.

1. ἐλάχιστον ~ ἐλαχίστου (adj. n.): smallest, least 

2. ἀδύνατον ~ ἀδυνάτου (adj. n.): unable, impossible 

3. χρήσιμον ~ χρησίμου (adj. n.): useful 

4. σκεῦος ~ σκεύους (noun n.): utensil, instrument 

5. ὄνομα ~ ὀνόματος (noun n.): name 

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Τὰ ἐλάχιστα ληπτέον τῶν κακῶν.

Τὸ πεπρωμένον φυγεῖν ἀδύνατον.

Οὐδὲν σιωπῆς ἔστι χρησιμώτερον.

Ἀγαθὴ σοφία ὑπὲρ σκεύη πολέμου.

Λεγιὼν ὄνομά μοι, ὅτι πολλοί ἐσμεν. 

Listen at SoundCloud.

Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 049

Plus some commentary:

Τὰ ἐλάχιστα ληπτέον τῶν κακῶν.

One should choose the lesser of evils.

The words come from Aristotle; you can find out more at Wikipedia: Lesser of two evils principle. The verbal adjective ληπτέον, meaning something one must take or choose, comes from the verb λαμβάνω; you can read more about this type of verbal adjective here: Greek Gerundive.

Τὸ πεπρωμένον φυγεῖν ἀδύνατον.

It is impossible to escape what is destined.

In Greek, the infinitive — φυγεῖν — is a neuter noun, and so the neuter form of the adjective: ἀδύνατον. Πεπρωμένη — the feminine form of πεπρωμένον — is a goddess associated with the Moirai, Μοῖραι, the Greek goddesses of fate; find out more at Wikipedia: Moirai. The word ἀδύνατον is used as a rhetorical term in English, referring to hyperbole which is so extreme that it is impossible: adynaton.

Οὐδὲν σιωπῆς ἔστι χρησιμώτερον.

Nothing is more useful than silence.

The word χρησιμώτερον is a comparative form of the adjective, χρήσιμος, and so it takes a genitive complement: more useful than silence, σιωπῆς. The adjective comes from the verb χράομαι, "use" (see Logeion for the wide range of meanings of this verb). You can see the Greek root χρη- in the English word, chestromathy, borrowed from Greek χρηστομάθεια. This iambic saying comes from Menander:

Οὐδὲν - σιω—πῆς ἔσ-τι χρη—σιμώ-τερον.

Ἀγαθὴ σοφία ὑπὲρ σκεύη πολέμου.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war.

The words come from the Biblical Book of Ecclesiastes. The use of ὑπὲρ with an adjective to express the comparative form of the adjective is a feature of Septuagint Greek; compare a Biblical proverb you saw in an earlier post: Ὁ κύων ὁ ζῶν αὐτὸς ἀγαθὸς ὑπὲρ τὸν λέοντα τὸν νεκρόν. From Greek πόλεμος, we get the English word polemic. The name Ptolemy is from a variant form of πόλεμος. 

Λεγιὼν ὄνομά μοι, ὅτι πολλοί ἐσμεν.

My name is Legion, because we are many.

The words come from a scene in the Gospel of Mark when Jesus exorcises demons from a man who is possessed by a multitude of demons; this is what the man says when Jesus asks the name of the demon: τί ὄνομά σοι; You can read more at Wikipedia: Legion (demons). This Biblical story is what gives rise to the use of "legion" as an adjective in modern English. From Greek ὄνομά we get English onomatopoeia.

Here is a medieval illustration of Jesus exorcising the demon Legion:

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Week 8: Proverb and Vocabulary Review

I've now added audio to all the posts for the past week; see playlist below, and the audio is also embedded in each post!

Last week I posted some Quia activities for reviewing the seventh week of proverbs and vocabulary, plus noun and verb forms review; see the first week's review post for an explanation of how to use Quia activities, and you can find all my Quia materials here.

This week, I created the same activities for the Week 8 proverbs: Proverbs, Vocabulary, Vocabulary with Parts, plus Verb Practice and Noun Practice.

Here's the updated widget showing a random proverb, and I've also updated the alphabetical index of all the proverbs so far (240!).

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If you want to review this week's posts, here they are: #43 - #44 - #45 - #46 - #47 - #48. You can also listen to the audio for each group at SoundCloud (I'm still working on filling in the audio for the earlier weeks):

Laura Gibbs · Greek Vocabulary with Proverbs

Finally, here is the list of all of this week's proverbs, alphabetized and linked back to the blog post so that you can access the English translation and commentary as needed. Enjoy!

• Ἄλλος βίος, ἄλλη δίαιτα.
  
• Γόργειον βλέπειν.
  
• Δεῖ τοὺς μὲν εἶναι δυστυχεῖς, τοὺς δ’ εὐτυχεῖς.
  
• Δὶς καὶ τρὶς τὸ καλόν, τὸ δὲ κακὸν οὐδ' ἅπαξ.
  
• Εἰ θνητὸς εἶ, βέλτιστε, θνητὰ καὶ φρόνει.
  
• Ἐὶ καὶ λύκου ἐμνήσθης.
  
• Ἡ γὰρ σιωπὴ τοῖς σοφοῖσιν ἀπόκρισις.
  
• Ἡ κύων ἐν φάτνῃ.
  
• Ἡ πεῖρα διδάσκαλος.
  
• Ἡρακλῆς καὶ πίθηκος.
  
• Ἦσαν ὡς πρόβατα μὴ ἔχοντα ποιμένα.
  
• Θυμὸς ἔσχατον γηράσκει.
  
• Θυμοῦ λόγος ἰατρός.
  
• Λιμὸς δὲ πολλῶν γίγνεται διδάσκαλος.
  
• Λύκος πρὸ βοῆς σπεύδει.
  
• Λύπης δὲ πάσης γίγνεται ἰατρὸς χρόνος.
  
• Μακάριοι οἱ κλαίοντες νῦν, ὅτι γελάσετε.
  
• Μακάριος ἄνθρωπος ὃς εὗρεν σοφίαν.
  
• Οὐκ ἐπ᾽ ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος.
  
• Οὐχ εὕδει Διὸς ὀφθαλμός.
  
• Πάντα γὰρ δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ.
  
• Πάντα γὰρ καιρῷ καλά.
  
• Πᾶς τις τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ἀγαπᾷ.
  
• Πολλὰ τὰ δεινά, κοὐδὲν ἀνθρώπου δεινότερον πέλει.
  
• Πολλοῖς γὰρ ἡ γλῶττα προτρέχει τῆς διανοίας.
  
• Στρεπτὴ δὲ γλῶσσ' ἐστὶ βροτῶν.
  
• Τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτέινει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ.
  
• Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.
  
• Χελώην Πεγάσῳ κρίνεις.
  
• Ψυχῆς γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστι τιμιώτερον.
  

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48: in, last, for, beside, once

Here are today's vocabulary words! Click on the word to learn more at Logeion, and there's also a study tips post.

1. ἐν (prep.+dat.): in, at

2. ἔσχατον (adv.): finally, last of all 

3. γάρ (conj.): for, as 

4. παρά (prep.+dat.): beside, with 

5. ἅπαξ (adv.): once 

 

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Ἡ κύων ἐν φάτνῃ.

Θυμὸς ἔσχατον γηράσκει.

Πάντα γὰρ καιρῷ καλά.

Πάντα γὰρ δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ.

Δὶς καὶ τρὶς τὸ καλόν, τὸ δὲ κακὸν οὐδ' ἅπαξ. 

Listen at SoundCloud.

Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 048

Plus some commentary:

Ἡ κύων ἐν φάτνῃ.

The dog in the manger.

This alludes to the fable of the dog in the manger: he cannot eat the hay that is there, but he will not let the other animals eat it either. So, the dog in the manger is a proverbial miser, not enjoying his wealth in any way while also not sharing it with others. You can see some English versions of the fable here: The Dog in the Manger.

Θυμὸς ἔσχατον γηράσκει.

Anger grows old last.

The word ἔσχατον is used here adverbially: grows old last (of all). In other words, as someone gets older they might lose the pleasures of youth, but they will still be capable of getting angry, perhaps even of getting more angry in their old age. There's a related idea in Sophocles's Oedipus at Colonus: θυμοῦ γὰρ οὐδὲν γῆράς ἐστιν ἄλλο πλὴν θανεῖν, "anger has no old age other than death." From the same root as Greek ἔσχατον we get English eschatology.

Πάντα γὰρ καιρῷ καλά.

All things (are) good at the right moment.

These words come from Sophocles's Oedipus the King, in a dialogue between Oedipus and Creon near the end of the play. Here and elsewhere I have not tried to translate the Greek particle γὰρ, although it shows up often in proverbs and sayings, providing a link between the saying and the context to which it is to be applied.

Πάντα γὰρ δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ.

All things (are) possible with God.

The statement appears in the Gospel of Mark. Compare the Gospel of Luke: τὰ ἀδύνατα παρὰ ἀνθρώποις δυνατὰ παρὰ τῶ θεῶ ἐστιν, "things that are impossible with people are possible with God." The preposition παρά has a wide range of meanings in English, as you can see in the Logeion entry.

Δὶς καὶ τρὶς τὸ καλόν, τὸ δὲ κακὸν οὐδ' ἅπαξ.

Twice or thrice (repeat) what is good, but what is bad, not even once.

The word οὐδέ becomes οὐδ' before the following vowel. The first part of this saying also circulated on its own, as you saw in an earlier post: Δὶς καὶ τρὶς τὸ καλόν. The Greek adverb ἅπαξ shows up in the phrase ἅπαξ λεγόμενον, "said one time" (only). You can find out more about that phrase at Wikipedia: Hapax legomenon.

Here is an illustration of "The Dog in the Manger" from a children's book published in 1880:

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47: judge, find, laugh, must, be

Here are today's vocabulary words; they are verbs with present, future, and aorist stems, plus a brief definition. (If you are just beginning Greek and have not studied the future or aorist stems yet, you can just focus on the present stem.) Click on the word to learn more at Logeion, and there's also a study tips post.

1. κρίνω ~ κρινέω ~ ἔκρινα: decide, judge

2. εὑρίσκω ~ εὑρήσω ~ ηὗρον: find, discover
3. γελάω ~ γελάσω ~ ἐγέλασα: laugh

4. δεῖ ~ δεήσει ~ ἐδέησε: must, it is necessary

5. πέλω ~ (no future) ~ ἐπλόμην: be, become

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Χελώην Πεγάσῳ κρίνεις.

Μακάριος ἄνθρωπος ὃς εὗρεν σοφίαν.

Μακάριοι οἱ κλαίοντες νῦν, ὅτι γελάσετε.

Δεῖ τοὺς μὲν εἶναι δυστυχεῖς, τοὺς δ’ εὐτυχεῖς.

Πολλὰ τὰ δεινά, κοὐδὲν ἀνθρώπου δεινότερον πέλει. 

Listen at SoundCloud.

Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 047

Plus some commentary:

Χελώην Πεγάσῳ κρίνεις.

You're comparing a tortoise to Pegasus.

Of course, the tortoise is slow and crawls on the ground, while Pegasus, the winged horse, is fast and flies through the air. Erasmus gives the form Χελώνην Πηγάσῳ συγκρίνεις (= συν-κρίνεις). For more about the famous flying horse, see Wikipedia: Pegasus. For another proverb, see this earlier post: Πηγάσου ταχύτερος.

Μακάριος ἄνθρωπος ὃς εὗρεν σοφίαν.

Blessed is the person who has found wisdom.

These words come from the Biblical Book of Proverbs. The King James translation reads "Happy is the man who findeth wisdom," but Greek ἄνθρωπος is a person or human being (as opposed to an animal); the Greek word for man (as opposed to woman) is ἀνήρ.

Μακάριοι οἱ κλαίοντες νῦν, ὅτι γελάσετε.

Blessed are you who are now weeping, because you will laugh.

The words come from the Gospel of Luke. In Latin, the text reads: Beati qui nunc fletis, quia ridebitis, and from the Latin beati (Greek μακάριοι), we get the English word "Beatitudes" which refers to the blessings here in the Gospel of Luke and likewise in the Gospel of Matthew. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Beatitudes.

Δεῖ τοὺς μὲν εἶναι δυστυχεῖς, τοὺς δ’ εὐτυχεῖς.

It is necessary that some be unlucky and others lucky.

For more about the Greek goddess of Luck, see Wikipedia: Tyche. This saying refers to her two forms: good luck (εὐ-τυχ) and bad luck (δυσ-τυχ). This is another one of the "monostichs" (one-liners) of Menander; here you can see the iambic meter, with hyphens and n-dashes separating the iambic elements:

Δεῖ τοὺς - μὲν εἶ–ναι δυσ-τυχεῖς – τοὺς δ’ εὐ-τυχεῖς.

Πολλὰ τὰ δεινά, κοὐδὲν ἀνθρώπου δεινότερον πέλει.

There (are) many marvelous things, but nothing is more marvelous than a human being.

The words are sung by the chorus in Sophocles's Antigone. The word κοὐδὲν is a contraction, and the breathing mark gives you a clue that it is two-words-in-one: καὶ οὐδὲν. The verb πέλω is best known from its frequent use in the Homeric epics, but it can be found in classical Greek also, as you can see here in Sophocles.

Bellerophon riding Pegasus was the British Airborne Forces emblem in World War II:

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46: Zeus, mortal, hunger, shepherd, bread

Here are today's vocabulary words; they are masculine nouns in the nominative and genitive, along with a brief definition. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion, and there's also a study tips post.

1. Ζεύς ~ Διὸς (masc.): Zeus

2. βροτός ~ βροτοῦ (masc.): mortal

3. λιμός ~ λιμοῦ (masc.): hunger, famine

4. ποιμήν ~ ποιμένος (masc.): shepherd

5. ἄρτος ~ ἄρτου (masc.): bread, loaf

 

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Οὐχ εὕδει Διὸς ὀφθαλμός.

Στρεπτὴ δὲ γλῶσσ' ἐστὶ βροτῶν.

Λιμὸς δὲ πολλῶν γίγνεται διδάσκαλος.

Ἦσαν ὡς πρόβατα μὴ ἔχοντα ποιμένα.

Οὐκ ἐπ᾽ ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος. 

Listen at SoundCloud.

Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 046

Plus some commentary:

Οὐχ εὕδει Διὸς ὀφθαλμός.

The eye of Zeus does not sleep.

This is a fragment from a lost Greek tragedy; a fuller form of the saying adds: ἐγγὺς δ' ἐστὶ καίπερ ὢν πρόσω, "and he is near, even though being far away." On the etymology of the name of Zeus, see Wikipedia: Zeus.

Στρεπτὴ δὲ γλῶσσ' ἐστὶ βροτῶν.

Twisting is the tongue of mortals.

The words are from Homer's Iliad, Book 20. The Trojan hero Aeneas has just recited his lineage to Achilles, but then makes this derisive comment about human speech and says it's time to fight instead of boasting and trading insults. The Greek word βροτός comes from the same Indo-European root *mr̥tós as Latin mort- and English "mortal," etc. Compare the alpha-privative, Greek ἀμ-βροσία, "immortality," and also the mythological food of the undying gods.

Λιμὸς δὲ πολλῶν γίγνεται διδάσκαλος.

Hunger is the teacher of many.

In other words, when you are hungry, you will learn how to get food, i.e. how to work, etc. Compare a saying you saw earlier: Πενία γάρ ἐστιν ἡ τρόπων διδάσκαλος.

Ἦσαν ὡς πρόβατα μὴ ἔχοντα ποιμένα.

They were like sheep not having a shepherd.

The words are from the Gospel of Mark, and they help to establish the Christian metaphor of Jesus as the "shepherd" of a flock (Latin pastor, "shepherd," gives us the English word "pastor," etc.).  You can read more about this metaphor at Wikipedia: The Good Shepherd. 

Οὐκ ἐπ᾽ ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος.

A person shall not live upon bread alone.

This saying can be found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The full statement goes on to say: ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι ἐκπορευομένῳ διὰ στόματος θεοῦ, "but upon every word coming out through the mouth of God."

This sculpture is from the Catacombs of Domitilla, early 4th century C.E.

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45: lifestyle, voice, life, reply, grief

Here are today's vocabulary words; they are feminine nouns in the nominative and genitive, along with a brief definition. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion, and there's also a study tips post.

1. δίαιτα ~ διαίτης (fem.): way of life, lifestyle

2. φωνή ~ φωνῆς (fem.): voice, sound

3. ψυχή ~ ψυχῆς (fem.): soul, life

4. ἀπόκρισις ~ ἀποκρίσεως (fem.): reply, answer

5. λύπη ~ λύπης (fem.): pain, grief

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Ἄλλος βίος, ἄλλη δίαιτα.

Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.

Ψυχῆς γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστι τιμιώτερον.

Ἡ γὰρ σιωπὴ τοῖς σοφοῖσιν ἀπόκρισις.

Λύπης δὲ πάσης γίγνεται ἰατρὸς χρόνος. 

Listen at SoundCloud.

Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 045

Plus some commentary:

Ἄλλος βίος, ἄλλη δίαιτα.

A different life, a different lifestyle.

As Erasmus explains, this saying applies to people whose life circumstances have changed, and whose lifestyle then changes accordingly. The word δίαιτα is the origin of the English word diet.

Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.

The voice of one shouting in the desert.

These words appear in all four Gospels — Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John — referring to John the Baptist, echoing the prophet Isaiah. The word φωνὴ (as in English telephone, etc.) is a feminine noun of the first declension, while the word ἔρημος (as in English hermit, etc.) is a feminine noun of the second declension.

Ψυχῆς γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστι τιμιώτερον.

There is nothing more precious than life.

The words are spoken by Alcestis in Euripides' play of the same name. The word ψυχή can refer to the soul, a life-force that persists after death, and it can also be used to refer to life itself; see the extensive Logeion dictionary entry for more. For more about Alcestis, see this earlier blog post: Ἀλκήστιδος ἀνδρεία.

Ἡ γὰρ σιωπὴ τοῖς σοφοῖσιν ἀπόκρισις.

For those who are wise, silence (is) a response.

This is a fragment from Euripides, and it also appears in the monostichs of Menander along with other ancient sources. The line is in iambic verse; I've used hyphens and n-dashes to separate the iambic elements:

Ἡ γὰρ - σιω–πὴ τοῖς - σοφοῖ–σιν ἀπ'-κρισις. 

The syncopation of ἀπ' is how I prefer to read that resolution of two shorts for the long, but that might just be me; it sounds good to me when read that way. :-)

Λύπης δὲ πάσης γίγνεται ἰατρὸς χρόνος.

Time is the doctor for every grief.

Compare the English saying, "Time heals all wounds." The line is from Diphilus, a contemporary of Menander and writer of comedies. It is also iambic:

Λύπης - δὲ πά–σης γίγ-νεται – ἰατρὸς - χρόνος.

Here is a depiction of John the Baptist preaching in the desert and baptizing in the river:

Here's a close-up of the scroll; it says "μετανοεῖτε, ἤγγικεν γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν," "think twice, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near."

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44: look, mention, love, consider

Here are today's vocabulary words; they are verbs with the present, future, and aorist stems, plus a brief definition. (If you are just beginning Greek and have not studied the future or aorist stems yet, you can just focus on the present stem.) Click on the word to learn more at Logeion, and there's also a study tips post.

1. βλέπω ~ βλέψομαι ~ ἔβλεψα: look at, see 

2. μιμνήσκω ~ μνήσω ~ ἔμνησα: remember, mention 

3. ἀγαπάω ~ ἀγαπήσω ~ ἠγάπησα: love, be fond ot 
4. φρονέω ~ φρονήσω ~ ἐφρόνησα: understand, consider
5. ἀποκτείνω ~ ἀποκτενέω ~ ἀπέκτεινα: kill, slay 

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Γόργειον βλέπειν.

Ἐὶ καὶ λύκου ἐμνήσθης.

Πᾶς τις τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ἀγαπᾷ.

Εἰ θνητὸς εἶ, βέλτιστε, θνητὰ καὶ φρόνει.

Τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτέινει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ. 

Listen at SoundCloud.

Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 044

Plus some commentary:

Γόργειον βλέπειν.

To gaze like a Gorgon.

Compare the English saying: "If looks could kill." The gaze of a Gorgon really could kill by turning you into stone. Erasmus reports this saying in a slightly different form: Γοργὸν βλέπειν. Erasmus also cites Homer describing Hector Γοργοῦς ὄμματ᾿ ἔχων, "having Gorgon's eyes" (Iliad 8). You can read more about the Γοργώνες and their deadly gaze at Wikipedia: Gorgons.

Ἐὶ καὶ λύκου ἐμνήσθης.

If you even mention the wolf.

This is the Greek equivalent of the English saying, "speak of the devil," i.e. "speak of the devil, and he will appear," but with the wolf instead of the devil: "if you even mention the wolf (he will come)." About the καὶ: this is an adverbial καὶ, "even," which implies the idea of summoning the wolf. In other words, "if you summon the wolf, of course he will come; but if you even mention the wolf... he will come!" As Erasmus explains, the saying is used when someone turns up or something happens unexpectedly after being mentioned in conversation, just as we use "speak of the devil" in English today. The Latin equivalent was lupus in fabula or lupus in sermone, which both mean "the wolf in conversation."

Πᾶς τις τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ἀγαπᾷ.

Each person loves the things that are theirs.

Compare the English saying "To each his own," which renders the Latin cuique suum, "to each their own."  The inclusion of ἀγαπᾷ here aligns it with cuique suum placet, "to each their own is pleasing," which is just one of many variations on that Latin saying; I have lots to say about cuique suum in Latin if you are curious about that.

Εἰ θνητὸς εἶ, βέλτιστε, θνητὰ καὶ φρόνει.

If you are mortal, my good fellow, likewise think on mortal things.

This is another one of Menander's one-liners (monostichs), written in iambic meter. Here I've used hyphens and n-dashes to separate the iambic elements:

Εἰ θνη-τὸς εἶ, – βέλτισ-τε, θνη–τὰ καὶ - φρόνει.

You can see the color-coded version here; I've been experimenting with ways of marking up meter; feedback welcome!

Τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτέινει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ.

The letter kills, but the spirit creates life.

The words come from 2 Corinthians in the Bible. You can find out more about the enduring and broad significance of this Biblical phrase in the Wikipedia article: Letter and spirit of the law. From Greek γράμμα, we get words like grammar and telegram, but note that the Greek word can also mean a small weight, which is where we get the -gram in kilogram, etc. It is possible that the two words come from different sources: γράμμα the letter from the verb γράφω, "write" (cognate with English "carve"), and γράμμα the weight from a Semitic borrowing.

Here's a Gorgon from the Temple of Artemis in Corfu:

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