Daily Greek Vocabulary Challenge: Dec. 9

Here are today's vocabulary words; it's Group 121. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

κακία ~ κακίας (noun f.): vice, dishonor 

νόμος ~ νόμου (noun m.): custom, law 

σῶμα ~ σώματος (noun n.): body 

μοῖρα ~ μοίρας (noun f.): fate, lot 

στρατηγός ~ στρατηγοῦ (noun m.): general 

These are the proverbs (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

Κακίας ἀπέχου.

Νόμος καὶ χώρα.

Σκιὰ ἀντὶ τοῦ σώματος.

Νῦν αὖτέ με μοῖρα κιχάνει.

Πολλοὶ στρατηγοὶ Καρίαν ἀπώλεσαν.

And now, some commentary:

Κακίας ἀπέχου.

Keep away from wickedness.

The verb ἀπέχου is a middle imperative, and it takes a genitive complement: κακίας. This is one of the sayings of the Seven Sages reported by Stobaeus.

Νόμος καὶ χώρα.

Law and region.

This saying refers to the idea that each region has its own laws. Compare a saying in this earlier blog post: Ἕπου χώρας τρόποις. You can see the root of Greek νόμ- in the English word economy, which is from Greek οἰκονομία, οἰκο-νομία.

Σκιὰ ἀντὶ τοῦ σώματος.

A shadow instead of a body.

This saying was applied to people who might appear to be powerful but who have no power at all, like a shadow. From the root of Greek σῶμα we get English somatic.

Νῦν αὖτέ με μοῖρα κιχάνει.

Now again my fate overtakes me.

The words are from Homer's Iliad; Hector is speaking, aware that he is about to die. The word μοῖρα means a lot or portion, but it also means fate: the lot in life apportioned to you by the gods. The plural, Μοῖραι, were the Fates; you can read more about these goddesses at Wikipedia: Moirai.

Πολλοὶ στρατηγοὶ Καρίαν ἀπώλεσαν.

Many generals destroyed Karia.

Compare the more peaceful English saying: "Too many cooks spoil the soup."  You can read about Caria, a region in western Anatolia, at Wikipedia: Caria. From Greek στρατηγός (a compound of στρατός and ἄγω), we get English strategy.

Greek Moirai

And here's a random proverb too:

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