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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