ἀγαθόν ~ ἀγαθοῦ (adj. neut.): good
μόνον ~ μόνου (adj. neut.): alone, only
σοφώτατον ~ σοφωτάτου (adj. neut.): wisest, most skilled
These are the proverbs (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):
Οὐδὲν ἱερόν.
Ἰλιὰς κακῶν.
Δάτος ἀγαθῶν.
Τίμα τὸ γῆρας, οὐ γὰρ ἔρχεται μόνον.
Σοφώτατον χρόνος, ἀνευρίσκει γὰρ πάντα.
And now, some commentary:
Οὐδὲν ἱερόν.
Nothing sacred.
The phrase appears in one of Theocritus's idylls, and it also appears in the traditional collections of Greek proverbs. As Erasmus explains, it refers to things that are of little or no value. Compare the English saying, "no big deal." Erasmus explains that Heracles supposedly used these words to express contempt for an image of Adonis that he saw in a temple, a story that Francis Bacon repeats: "Hercules, when he saw the image of Adonis, Venus’s minion, in a temple, said in disdain, Nil sacri es," i.e. "You are nothing sacred."
Ἰλιὰς κακῶν.
An Iliad of evils.
As Erasmus explains, this refers to a series of disasters and calamities, alluding to the disasters and calamities that befell Troy in their war with the Greeks as narrated in Homer's Iliad. The word κακῶν is the neuter adjective being used substantively: An Iliad of evil (things). The word Ἰλιὰς (genitive Ῑ̓λῐᾰ́δος, hence English Iliad) is formed from Ἴλιον, Ilium, i.e. Troy. The Homeric evidence suggests that this name began with a digamma: *Ϝίλιον. You can find out more about the Greek digamma at Wikipedia.
Δάτος ἀγαθῶν.
A Datus of good things.
Datus, a city in Macedonia, was famed for its good fortune (specifically, for its gold), hence this proverb. The word ἀγαθῶν is the neuter adjective being used substantively: A Datus of good (things). The spelling Δάθος is also found for the city's name. It is uncertain where this ancient city was located; some speculate that it was what is now the seaport of Kavala, a.k.a. Νεάπολις, "New-City."
Τίμα τὸ γῆρας, οὐ γὰρ ἔρχεται μόνον.
Revere old age, for it does not come alone.
The saying appears in Menander, and it also appears in medieval florilegia, such as the Corpus Parisinum. Perhaps not surprisingly, this saying is found in another form: Φοβοῦ τὸ γῆρας· οὐ γὰρ ἔρχεται μόνον, "Fear old age, for it does not come alone," and similarly: Δεινόν το γήρας, ου γαρ έρχεται μόνον, "A terrible thing is old age, for it does not come alone."
Σοφώτατον χρόνος, ἀνευρίσκει γὰρ πάντα.
Time is the wisest, for it finds out all things.
This saying is attributed to the philosopher Thales by Diogenes Laertius as follows:
πρεσβύτατον τῶν ὄντων θεός: ἀγένητον γάρ.
The oldest of all things that are is God, for he is un-created.
κάλλιστον κόσμος: ποίημα γὰρ θεοῦ.
The most beautiful is the universe, for it is the work of God.
μέγιστον τόπος: ἅπαντα γὰρ χωρεῖ.
The greatest is space, for it holds everything.
τάχιστον νοῦς: διὰ παντὸς γὰρ τρέχει.
The swiftest is the mind, for it runs through everything.
ἰσχυρότατον ἀνάγκη: κρατεῖ γὰρ πάντων.
The strongest is necessity, for it has mastery over all.
σοφώτατον χρόνος: ἀνευρίσκει γὰρ πάντα
The wisest is time, for it finds out all things.
You can find out more about Thales at Miletus at Wikipedia.
And here's a random proverb too:
_(4687819515).jpg){kind=link}
No comments:
Post a Comment