65: seventh, dear, possible, immortal, wise

Here are today's vocabulary words; they are adjectives shown in the nominative and genitive singular 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. ἕβδομος ~ ἑβδόμου (adj. masc.): seventh 

2. φίλος ~ φίλου (adj. masc.): dear; friend 

3. δυνατόν ~ δυνατοῦ (adj. neut.): powerful, possible 

4. ἀθάνατος ~ ἀθανάτου (adj. masc.): immortal; god 

5. φρόνιμος ~ φρονίμου (adj. masc.): sensible, wise 

 

Here are the proverbs and sayings:

Βοῦς ἕβδομος.

Κοινὰ τὰ φίλων.

Πάντα δυνατὰ τῷ πιστεύοντι.

Πόλλαι μὲν θνητοίς γλῶσσαι, μία δ' ἀθανάτοισιν.

Ὁ δὲ ὄφις ἦν φρονιμώτατος πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

 

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Laura Gibbs · Greek Proverbs: 065

Plus some commentary:

Βοῦς ἕβδομος.

The seventh ox.

This proverb refers to someone or something that is stupid or useless. Erasmus explains that the ox in the proverb is not a real ox; instead, the ox was just a fake ox made out of flour paste. When an animal sacrifice of seven animals was required — sheep, pig, goat, cow, hen, goose, and ox — people who did not have the resources to offer all seven would offer this ox made of flour paste instead; hence the proverbial "seventh ox."

Κοινὰ τὰ φίλων.

Friends have things in common.

Literally, the things of friends are common; in other words, "what's mine is yours, and what's yours in mine." This is the very first item in Erasmus's adages. Erasmus cites a wide variety of Greek sources for this popular saying, including Euripides' Orestes; the saying appears in a conversation between Orestes and his dear friend Pylades. The adjective φίλος is being used substantively, as a noun: "friend." From this same root in Greek we get all the phil- words in English.

Πάντα δυνατὰ τῷ πιστεύοντι.

All (things) are possible for someone who believes.

The words come from the Gospel of Mark; Jesus is encouraging the father of a boy suffering from demonic possession. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Exorcising a boy possessed by a demon. From the root of Greek δυνα- we get English words like "dynamic" and "dynamo."

Πόλλαι μὲν θνητοίς γλῶσσαι, μία δ' ἀθανάτοισιν.

Mortals have many languages, but the immortals (have only) one.

The datives — θνητοῖς and ἀθανάτοισιν — are used here to express possession. The adjective ἀθάνατος is an alpha-privative: ἀ-θάνατος, "not-mortal," i.e. "immortal." This was the motto of Bagster & Sons, a publishing company famous for its production of polyglot Bibles in the early 19th century. They also had a version of the motto in Latin: multae terricolis linguae, caelestibus una.

Ὁ δὲ ὄφις ἦν φρονιμώτατος πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

And the snake was more wise than all the animals on the earth.

The words come from the Book of Genesis; this is the snake who is going to tempt Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. The adjective φρονιμώτατος is the superlative form of φρόνιμος, but it is being used here in Septuagint Greek as a comparative adjective, "more wise," with a genitive complement: "more wise than all the animals."

This is Michelangelo's depiction of the serpent with Adam and Eve:

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