Proverbs Slideshow/Crossword

For today, it's a new review slideshow for Groups 164, 165, and 166. Here's the post with the details about how the slideshows work, and there's a random cat at the bottom of the post! Plus more cats.

The slideshow is embedded in the blog post, and you can also access today's slideshow directly, full-sized view. And remember: each time you see the English translation on a slide, you can click to access the original blog post with the notes for each proverb.

There's also a crossword puzzle PDF that you can print; here's a screenshot of the puzzle and key. :-)

These are the proverbs, linked back to their blog post:

1. Ἀκρὸν λάβε, καὶ μέσον ἕξεις.
   
2. Ἀνόητος νεοττὸς ἑκὼν δείκνυσι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ νοσσιάν.
   
3. Βέβαιον οὐδέν ἐστιν ἐν θνητῷ βίῳ.
   
4. Κρεῖττον σιωπᾶν ἐστιν ἢ λαλεῖν μάτην.
   
5. Λέρνη κακῶν.
   
6. Μηδὲ θεοῖσιν ἶσ' ἔθελε φρονέειν.
   
7. Μηδέποτε πειρῶ δύο φίλων εἶναι κριτής.
   
8. Ὁ μηδὲν ἀδικῶν οὐδενὸς δεῖται νόμου.
   
9. Οἱ μεγάλοι κλέπται τὸν μικρὸν ἀπάγουσι.
   
10. Ὄφιν τρέφειν καὶ πονηρὸν εὐεργετεῖν ταὐτόν ἐστιν.
    
11. Πλούτῳ ἀπίστει.
    
12. Πρὸς δύο λέγεται οὐδ᾽ ὁ Ἡρακλῆς οἷός τε εἶναι.
    
13. Προτέρα πάντων ἔκτισται σοφία.
    
14. Τὰ ἀφανῆ τοῖς φανεροῖς τεκμαίρου.
    
15. Φίλοις βοήθει.
    

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too :

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Greek Reading: 73

The fable below comes from Bryce's First Greek Reader, which is available at the Internet Archive. I'm surprised not to have seen this fable in the other readers; this is the first time we've had this famous fable.

You'll find the story below, first in Greek, then segmented, and then interwoven with English; the title is linked to the Internet Archive page.

Κόραξ καὶ ἀλώπηξ

Κόραξ, κρέας ἁπρασας, ἐπί τινος δένδρου ἐκάθισεν· ἀλώπηξ δὲ τοῦτον ἰδοῦσα, καὶ βουληθεῖσα περιγενέσθαι τοῦ κρέατος, στᾶσα κάτωθεν ἐπῄνει αὐτόν, ὡς εὐμεγεθὲς καὶ καλὸν ὄρνεον καὶ θηρευτικὸν καὶ εὔμορφον· καὶ λέγουσα, Ὅτι ἥρμοζέ σοι βασιλέα εἶναι ὀρνέων, εἰ καὶ φωνητiκὸς ὑπῆρχες· ἀλλ' ὦ τοῖον ὄρνεον, καὶ ἄλαλον ὑπάρχεις· Ὁ δὲ κόραξ, ἀκούσας ταῦτα, καὶ χαυνωθεὶς τοῖς ἐπαίνοις, ῥίψας τὸ κρέας, μεγάλως ἐεκεκράγει· ἡ δ' ἀλώπηξ, δραμοῦσα καὶ λαβοῦσα τὸ κρέας, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν· Ἔχεις, κόραξ, ἅπαντα, νοῦς δέ τοι λείπει.

Κόραξ, κρέας ἁπρασας, 

ἐπί τινος δένδρου ἐκάθισεν· 

ἀλώπηξ δὲ τοῦτον ἰδοῦσα, 

καὶ βουληθεῖσα 

περιγενέσθαι τοῦ κρέατος, 

στᾶσα κάτωθεν 

ἐπῄνει αὐτόν, 

ὡς εὐμεγεθὲς καὶ καλὸν ὄρνεον 

καὶ θηρευτικὸν καὶ εὔμορφον· 

καὶ λέγουσα, 

Ὅτι ἥρμοζέ σοι 

βασιλέα εἶναι ὀρνέων, 

εἰ καὶ φωνητiκὸς ὑπῆρχες· 

ἀλλ' ὦ τοῖον ὄρνεον, 

καὶ ἄλαλον ὑπάρχεις· 

Ὁ δὲ κόραξ, 

ἀκούσας ταῦτα, 

καὶ χαυνωθεὶς τοῖς ἐπαίνοις, 

ῥίψας τὸ κρέας, 

μεγάλως ἐεκεκράγει· 

ἡ δ' ἀλώπηξ, 

δραμοῦσα 

καὶ λαβοῦσα τὸ κρέας, 

ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν· 

Ἔχεις, κόραξ, ἅπαντα, 

νοῦς δέ τοι λείπει.

Κόραξ  ...  A crow 

κρέας ἁπρασας  ...  snatched some meat

ἐκάθισεν  ...  and settled down 

ἐπί τινος δένδρου  ...  on a tree. 

ἀλώπηξ δὲ  ...  A fox 

τοῦτον ἰδοῦσα  ...  saw the crow, 

καὶ βουληθεῖσα  ...  and wanted 

περιγενέσθαι τοῦ κρέατος  ...  obtain that meat, 

στᾶσα κάτωθεν  ...  so she stood below the crow 

ἐπῄνει αὐτόν  ...  and praised the crow

ὡς εὐμεγεθὲς καὶ καλὸν ὄρνεον  ...  as a great, beautiful bird 

καὶ θηρευτικὸν καὶ εὔμορφον  ...  and a hunter, and handsome,

καὶ λέγουσα ὅτι  ...  and she said that

ἥρμοζέ σοι  ...  "It suited you

βασιλέα εἶναι ὀρνέων  ...  to be king of the birds, 

εἰ καὶ φωνητiκὸς ὑπῆρχες  ...  if you were also able to speak.

ἀλλ' ὦ τοῖον ὄρνεον  ...  but oh, such a fine bird you are,

καὶ ἄλαλον ὑπάρχεις  ...  but you are unable to speak."

Ὁ δὲ κόραξ  ...  And the crow,

ἀκούσας ταῦτα  ...  when he heard these things 

καὶ χαυνωθεὶς  ...  and opened his mouth

τοῖς ἐπαίνοις  ...  at these flatteries,

ῥίψας τὸ κρέας  ...  he dropped the meat

μεγάλως ἐεκεκράγει  ...  squawking loudly.

ἡ δ' ἀλώπηξ  ...  And the fox

δραμοῦσα  ...  ran up

καὶ λαβοῦσα τὸ κρέας  ...  and grabbed the meat,

ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν  ...  and she said to the crow

Ἔχεις, κόραξ, ἅπαντα  ...  Crow, you have everything

νοῦς δέ τοι λείπει  ...  but your mind has forsaken you."

In another Greek prose version (recorded by Chambry), this is what the fox says to the crow in the end: it's about φρένες instead of νοῦς.

Ὦ κόραξ  ...  O crow,

καὶ φρένας εἰ εἶχες  ...  if you had wits, 

οὐδὲν ἂν ἐδέησας  ...  you'd have everything you need

εἰς τὸ πάντων σε βασιλεῦσαι  ...  to rule over everybody.

illustration by Heighway

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Vocabulary Challenge: June 17

Here are today's vocabulary words; it's Group 174. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

χείρ ~ χειρὸς (noun f.): hand 

γράμμα ~ γράμματος (noun n.): letter, writing 

νεκρός ~ νεκροῦ (noun m.): corpse, dead man 

πῦρ ~ πυρός (noun n.): fire 

βασιλεύς ~ βασιλέως (noun m.): king, chief 

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

Λημνίᾳ χειρί

Ἐφέσια γράμματα.

Μὴ νεκρῶν θήκας κίνει.

Μαχαίρᾳ μὴ πῦρ σκαλεύειν.

Εἷς κοίρανος ἔστω, εἷς βασιλεύς.

And now, some commentary:

Λημνίᾳ χειρί

By the hand of Lemnos.

This is a mythological proverb, alluding to the outrageous crime committed by the women of Lemnos when they murdered all the men on the island of Lemnos (the one exception was Hypsipyle, who saved her father Thoas). Supposedly this was because the men were refusing to have sex with them (at least, that's what the male sources say!). So, by extension, the saying applies to any kind of extreme criminality. You can read more about the women of Lemnos at Wikipedia: The Lemnian Crime.

Ἐφέσια γράμματα.

Ephesian letters.

This refers to meaningless words with magical power that were inscribed on the famous statue of Artemis at Ephesus. The words in and of themselves were "senseless" (ἄσημα ὀνόματα), but they supposedly offered supernatural protection to the person who could pronounce them correctly. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Ephesia Grammata. Compare the English phrase "mumbo jumbo" and other "gibberish."

Μὴ νεκρῶν θήκας κίνει.

Do not disturb the graves of the dead.

This is a saying found in Theophrastus, and it can be applied metaphorically to anything that is "dead and buried" and is best left undisturbed. Don't go digging it up again! Note the accentuation on κίνει, which alerts you that it is the imperative, along with μὴ as a clue that you are not dealing with an indicative verb (κινεῖ would be the 3rd-person indicative).

Μαχαίρᾳ μὴ πῦρ σκαλεύειν.

Don't poke the fire with a knife.

This is one of the so-called Pythagorean sayings recorded by Diogenes Laertius, and it means you should not provoke (poke with a sword) a person who is already angry (fire). This time you see μὴ used with the infinitive to express a general prohibition. 

Εἷς κοίρανος ἔστω, εἷς βασιλεύς.

Let there be one leader, one king. 

The words are from Homer's Iliad. The words are spoken by Odysseus as he rebukes a common soldier's protest who is unhappy with Agamemnon: οὐκ ἀγαθὸν πολυκοιρανίη: εἷς κοίρανος ἔστω, εἷς βασιλεύς: "Rule-by-many is not a good thing: let there be one leader, one king."

Artemis of Ephesis

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Reading: 72

The fables below come from Bryce's First Greek Reader, while the joke comes from Abbott's Easy Greek Reader, both of which are available at the Internet Archive. (This is the last of the jokes from Abbott; I hope I can find another reader that has more of these jokes!)

You'll find the fables and joke below, first in Greek, then segmented, and then interwoven with English. The titles are linked to the Internet Archive page.

Ἀλώπηξ καὶ κεφαλή

Ἀλώπηξ εἰς οἰκίαν ἐλθοῦσα ὑποκριτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστα τῶν αὐτοῦ σκευῶν διερευνωμένη, εὗρε καὶ κεφαλὴν μορμολυκείου εὐφυῶς κατεσκευασμένην, ἣν καὶ ἀναλαβοῦσα ταῖς χερσὶν ἔφη· Ὢ οἵα κεφαλή, καὶ ἔγκεφαλον οὐκ ἔχει.

Ἀλώπηξ εἰς οἰκίαν ἐλθοῦσα ὑποκριτοῦ 

καὶ ἕκαστα τῶν αὐτοῦ σκευῶν διερευνωμένη, 

εὗρε καὶ κεφαλὴν μορμολυκείου 

εὐφυῶς κατεσκευασμένην, 

ἣν καὶ ἀναλαβοῦσα ταῖς χερσὶν ἔφη· 

Ὢ οἵα κεφαλή, 

καὶ ἔγκεφαλον οὐκ ἔχει.

Ἀλώπηξ ἐλθοῦσα  ...  A fox went into

εἰς οἰκίαν ὑποκριτοῦ  ...  the house of an actor 

καὶ διερευνωμένη  ...  and examined

ἕκαστα τῶν αὐτοῦ σκευῶν  ...  all of his goods; 

εὗρε καὶ  ...  the fox also found

κεφαλὴν μορμολυκείου  ...  a comic mask, 

εὐφυῶς κατεσκευασμένην  ...  beautifully crafted,

ἣν καὶ ἀναλαβοῦσα  ...  which she picked up 

ταῖς χερσὶν  ...  in her paws 

ἔφη  ...  and said, 

Ὢ οἵα κεφαλή  ...  Oh, such a head! 

καὶ ἔγκεφαλον οὐκ ἔχει  ...  Yet it has no brains.

illustration by Tenniel

Λύκος καὶ γέρανος 

Λύκου λαιμῷ ὀστέον ἐπεπήγει· ὁ δὲ γεράνῳ μισθὸν παρέξειν εἶπεν, εἰ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὑτῆς ἐπιβαλοῦσα τὸ ὀστοῦν ἐκ τοῦ λαιμοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκβάλοι· ἡ δ’ τοῦτ' ἐκβαλοῦσα, δολιχόδειρος οὖσα, τὸν μισθὸν ἐπεζήτει ὅστις γελάσας, καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας θήξας, Ἀρκεῖ σοι μισθός, ἔφη, τοῦτο καὶ μόνον ὅτι ἐκ λύκου στόματος καὶ ὀδόντων ἐξεῖλες κάρα σῶον μηδὲν παθοῦσα.

Λύκου λαιμῷ 

ὀστέον ἐπεπήγει· 

ὁ δὲ 

γεράνῳ μισθὸν παρέξειν εἶπεν, 

εἰ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὑτῆς ἐπιβαλοῦσα 

τὸ ὀστοῦν ἐκ τοῦ λαιμοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκβάλοι· 

ἡ δ’ τοῦτ' ἐκβαλοῦσα, 

δολιχόδειρος οὖσα, 

τὸν μισθὸν ἐπεζήτει 

ὅστις γελάσας, 

καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας θήξας, 

Ἀρκεῖ σοι μισθός, ἔφη, 

τοῦτο καὶ μόνον 

ὅτι ἐκ λύκου στόματος καὶ ὀδόντων 

ἐξεῖλες κάρα σῶον 

μηδὲν παθοῦσα.

ὀστέον ἐπεπήγει  ...  A bone had gotten stuck

λύκου λαιμῷ  ...  in the throat of a wolf,

ὁ δὲ γεράνῳ εἶπεν  ...  and he told a crane

μισθὸν παρέξειν  ...  that he would pay a reward, 

εἰ ἐπιβαλοῦσα  ...  if she would insert

τὴν κεφαλὴν αὑτῆς  ...  her head 

τὸ ὀστοῦν ἐκβάλοι  ...  and dislodge the bone

ἐκ τοῦ λαιμοῦ αὐτοῦ  ...  from his throat.

ἡ δ’ τοῦτ' ἐκβαλοῦσα  ...  She dislodged it,

δολιχόδειρος οὖσα  ...  being long-necked,

τὸν μισθὸν ἐπεζήτει  ...  and requested her reward

ὅστις γελάσας  ...  but the wolf laughed,

καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας θήξας  ...  grinding his teeth,

ἔφη  ... and said,

μισθός τοῦτο  ... This reward

καὶ μόνον   ...  and this alone

ἀρκεῖ σοι  ....  is enough for you:

ὅτι ἐκ λύκου στόματος  ...  that from the wolf's mouth 

καὶ ὀδόντων  ...  and teeth

ἐξεῖλες κάρα  ...  you pulled out your head 

σῶον  ...  safe and sound, 

μηδὲν παθοῦσα  ...  not having suffered harm.

illustration from 1485

Ὀκνηρὸς υἱός 

Ὀκνηρῷ υἱῷ ἐκέλευσεν ὃ πατὴρ εἰς τὸν γείτονα ἀπελθεῖν καὶ χρήσασθαι ἀξίνην. ὁ δὲ ἔφη, οὐ δίδωσι. τοῦ δὲ πατρὸς ἐπιμένοντος, ἀπεκρίνατο, ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ γείτων, καὶ ἀξίνην οὐκ ἔχω.

Ὀκνηρῷ υἱῷ 

ἐκέλευσεν ὃ πατὴρ 

εἰς τὸν γείτονα ἀπελθεῖν 

καὶ χρήσασθαι ἀξίνην. 

ὁ δὲ ἔφη, 

οὐ δίδωσι. 

τοῦ δὲ πατρὸς ἐπιμένοντος, 

ἀπεκρίνατο, 

ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ γείτων, 

καὶ ἀξίνην οὐκ ἔχω.

ἐκέλευσεν ὃ πατὴρ  ...  A father ordered 

ὀκνηρῷ υἱῷ  ...  his lazy son

εἰς τὸν γείτονα ἀπελθεῖν  ...  to go to the neighbor 

καὶ χρήσασθαι ἀξίνην  ...  and borrow an axe.

ὁ δὲ ἔφη  ...  The son said,

οὐ δίδωσι  ...  "No axe to give."

τοῦ δὲ πατρὸς ἐπιμένοντος  ...  The father persisted, 

ἀπεκρίνατο  ...  and the son replied,

ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ γείτων  ...  I am your neighbor,

καὶ ἀξίνην οὐκ ἔχω  ...  And I've got not axe.

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Crossword 134-135-136

I had a mix-up today: I was supposed to do groups 34-35-36, and I accidentally did groups 134-135-136 instead. No worries, though: any and all review is a good review! I hope you will enjoy. You can click on those group links to review those posts and/or click on the linked sayings below for the post with that specific saying:

• Ἀεὶ γεωργὸς εἰς νέωτα πλούσιος.
  
• Αἰέτιον χάριν ἐκτίνειν.
  
• Γνώμη δὲ κρείσσων ἐστίν ἢ ῥώμη χερῶν.
  
• Ἐκ τοῦ καρποῦ τὸ δένδρον γιγνώσκω.
  
• Ἰσχυρὸν ὄχλος ἐστίν, οὐκ ἔχει δὲ νοῦν.
  
• Μετὰ πόλεμον, ἡ συμμαχία.
  
• Μία χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ.
  
• Ξύλον ἀγκύλον ουδέποτ' ὀρθόν.
  
• Πλούτῳ ἀπίστει.
  
• Πολιτικὸν ζῷον ὁ ἄνθρωπος.
  
• Τὰ Ταντάλου τάλαντα.
  
• Ταντάλειοι τιμωρίαι.
  
• Τοῦτ' ἐστὶ τὸ ζῆν μὴ σεαυτῷ ζῆν μόνῳ.
  
• Φιλόσοφος γίνου.
  
• Ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν.
  

Here are the sayings without spaces: see if you can find the word breaks! (I'm just doing the shorter ones because the long ones just keep running over longer than the line.)

Π λ ο υ τ ῳ α π ι σ τ ε ι.

Φ ι λ ο σ ο φ ο σ γ ι ν ο υ.

Τ α Τ α ν τ α l ο υ τ a λ α ν τ α.

Τ α ν τ α λ ε ι ο ι τ ι μ ω ρ ι α ι.

Ω σ π ρ ο β α τ ο ν ε π ι σ φ α γ η ν.

Α ι ε τ ι o ν χ α ρ ι ν ε κ τ ι ν ε ι ν.

Μ ι α χ ε λ ι δ ω ν ε α ρ ο υ π ο ι ε ι.

Μ ε τ α π ο λ ε μ ο ν η σ υ μ μ α χ ι α.

Π ο λ ι τ ι κ ο ν ζ ῳ ο ν ο α ν θ ρ ω π ο ς.

Ξ υ λ ο ν α γ κ υ λ ο ν ο υ δ ε π ο τ ο ρ θ ο ν.

Α ε ι γ ε ω ρ γ ο σ ε ι σ ν ε ω τ α π λ ο υ σ i ο ς.

And here's the crossword puzzle based on a missing word from each proverb: printable Crossword PDF. I've pasted in screenshots below so you can see what the crossword looks like:

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too :

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Greek Reading: 71

The fables below come from Bryce's First Greek Reader, while the joke comes from Abbott's Easy Greek Reader, both of which are available at the Internet Archive. 

You'll find the fables and joke below, first in Greek, then segmented, and then interwoven with English. The titles are linked to the Internet Archive page.

Τέττιξ καὶ μύρμηκες

(another version)

Χειμῶνος ὥραι, τῶν σίτων βραχέντων, οἱ μύρμηκες ἔψυχον, τέττιξ δὲ λιμώττων ἤιτει αὐτοὺς τροφήν. Οἱ δὲ μύρμηκες εἶπον αὐτῷ· Διὰ τί τὸ θέρος οὐ συνῆγες τροφήν; Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Οὐκ ἐσχόλαζον, ἀλλ᾿ ᾖδον μουσικῶς. Οἱ δὲ γελάσαντες εἶπον· Ἀλλ᾿ εἰ θέρους ὥραις ηὔλεις, χειμῶνος ὀρχοῦ.

Χειμῶνος ὥραι, 

τῶν σίτων βραχέντων, 

οἱ μύρμηκες ἔψυχον, 

τέττιξ δὲ λιμώττων 

ἤιτει αὐτοὺς τροφήν. 

Οἱ δὲ μύρμηκες εἶπον αὐτῷ· 

Διὰ τί τὸ θέρος 

οὐ συνῆγες τροφήν; 

Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· 

Οὐκ ἐσχόλαζον, 

ἀλλ᾿ ᾖδον μουσικῶς. 

Οἱ δὲ γελάσαντες εἶπον· 

Ἀλλ᾿ εἰ θέρους ὥραις ηὔλεις, 

χειμῶνος ὀρχοῦ.

Χειμῶνος ὥραι  ...  During winter time,

τῶν σίτων βραχέντων  ...  when food ran short, 

οἱ μύρμηκες ἔψυχον  ...  the ants were drying (their food). 

τέττιξ δὲ λιμώττων  ...  The grasshopper was starving

ἤιτει αὐτοὺς τροφήν  ...  and asked them for food. 

Οἱ δὲ μύρμηκες εἶπον αὐτῷ  ...  The ants asked him, 

Διὰ τί τὸ θέρος  ...  Why, during the summer, 

οὐ συνῆγες τροφήν  ...  did you not gather food? 

Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν  ...  The grasshopper said, 

Οὐκ ἐσχόλαζον  ...  I was not lazy! 

ἀλλ᾿ ᾖδον μουσικῶς  ...  I made my music.

Οἱ δὲ γελάσαντες εἶπον  ...  The ants laughed and said,

Ἀλλ᾿ εἰ ηὔλεις  ...  If you serenaded 

θέρους ὥραις  ...  during the summertime,

χειμῶνος ὀρχοῦ  ...  now dance for the winter!

illustration by Rackham

Ὄνος καὶ κυνίδιον

Ἔχων τις κύνα Μελιταῖον καὶ ὄνον, διετέλει τῷ κυνὶ προσπαίζων· καὶ εἴ ποτε ἔξω δεῖπνον εἶχεν, εκόμιζέ τι αὐτῷ, καὶ προσιόντι παρέβαλεν· ὁ δὲ ὄνος ζηλώσας προσέδραμεν αὐτός, καὶ σκιρτῶν ἐλάκτισε τὸν δεσπότην. Καὶ οὗτος ἀγανακτήσας ἐκέλευσε παίοντα αὐτὸν ἀπαγαγεῖν πρὸς τὸν μυλῶνα, καὶ τοῦτον δῆσαι.

Ἔχων τις κύνα Μελιταῖον  ...  A man had a Maltese dog 

καὶ ὄνον  ...  and a donkey.

διετέλει προσπαίζων  ...  He constantly played

τῷ κυνὶ  ... with the dog,

καὶ εἴ ποτε  ...  and whenever

ἔξω δεῖπνον εἶχεν  ...  he had dinner out, 

εκόμιζέ τι αὐτῷ  ...  he brought the dog something, 

καὶ παρέβαλεν  ...  and tossed it to him

προσιόντι  ...  when he came up to him.

ὁ δὲ ὄνος ζηλώσας  ...  The donkey was jealous 

προσέδραμεν αὐτός  ...  so he also ran up, 

καὶ σκιρτῶν  ...  and leaped 

ἐλάκτισε τὸν δεσπότην  ...  putting his feet on him. 

Καὶ οὗτος ἀγανακτήσας  ...  The man was angry 

ἐκέλευσε  ...  and ordered  

παίοντα αὐτὸν  ... that the donkey be beaten

ἀπαγαγεῖν  ...  and led away 

πρὸς τὸν μυλῶνα  ...  to the mill-house 

καὶ τοῦτον δῆσαι  ...  and to tie him up there.

Steinhowel illustration

Σιδώνιος σχολαστικός

Σιδώνιος σχολαστικὸς ἀπὸ πολλῶν μιλίων χωρίον ἔχων καὶ θέλων αὐτὸ ἐγγύτερον ποιῆσαι, ἑπτὰ κίονας μιλίων κατέστρεψεν.

Σιδώνιος σχολαστικὸς 

ἀπὸ πολλῶν μιλίων χωρίον ἔχων 

καὶ θέλων αὐτὸ ἐγγύτερον ποιῆσαι, 

ἑπτὰ κίονας μιλίων κατέστρεψεν.

Σιδώνιος σχολαστικὸς  ...  A Sidonian dunce

χωρίον ἔχων  ...  owned a piece of land 

ἀπὸ πολλῶν μιλίων  ...  many miles away, 

καὶ θέλων  ...  and he wanted 

αὐτὸ ἐγγύτερον ποιῆσαι  ...  to make it closer, 

κατέστρεψεν  ...  so he knocked down

ἑπτὰ κίονας μιλίων  ...  seven mile-markers.

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Vocabulary Challenge: June 12

Here are today's vocabulary words; it's Group 173. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

ἐν (prep.+dat.): in, at 

οὐκέτι (adverb): no longer, no more 

ἑαυτοῦ (pronoun): -self 

δέ (particle): indicates a transition or explanation 

πέλας (adverb): near, neighboring 

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

Ἀετὸς ἐν νεφέλαις.

Ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι πιστὰ γυναιξίν.

Τὶ δύσκολον; Τὸ ἑαυτὸν γνῶναι.

Πάντες δὲ θεῶν χατέουσ' ἄνθρωποι.

Ὁ συκοφάντης ἐστὶ τοῖς πέλας λύκος.

And now, some commentary:

Ἀετὸς ἐν νεφέλαις.

An eagle in the clouds.

This saying can be applied to several different situations: to something lofty and great, especially if it excels others, and also to something that is difficult or even impossible to obtain. You can see Erasmus's Adagia for a variety of Greek citations.

Ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι πιστὰ γυναιξίν.

No longer can trust (be placed) in women.

The words are from Homer's Odyssey. The context is Odysseus's journey to the underworld and his conversation with the ghost of Agamemnon. Given how his own wife plotted against him, it's not surprising that Agamemnon would express this low opinion of women.

Τὶ δύσκολον; Τὸ ἑαυτὸν γνῶναι.

What is difficult? To know oneself.

The saying is attributed to Thales by Diogenes Laertius, and it is part of a series of question-and-answer statements by Thales. For example, the next question is τί δὲ εὔκολον; τὸ ἄλλῳ ὑποθέσθαι: "what is easy? to give advice to another."

Πάντες δὲ θεῶν χατέουσ' ἄνθρωποι.

All humans have need of gods.

This is also from the Odyssey; the context this time is Nestor's son welcoming strangers (Telemachus and Athena/Mentor) to the feast of Poseidon, urging them to drink in honor of the gods.

Ὁ συκοφάντης ἐστὶ τοῖς πέλας λύκος.

The informer is a wolf to his neighbors.

The phrase τοῖς πέλας means, literally, "those nearby," i.e. "neighbors." The saying is from the monostichs (one-liners) of Menander, and there is also a variant version: Ὁ συκοφάντης ἐστὶν ἐν πόλει λύκος, "The informer is a wolf in the city."

Both scan as iambic verse:

Ὁ συκοφάν||της ἐστὶ τοῖς || πέλας λύκος.

Ὁ συκοφάν||της ἐστὶν ἐν || πόλει λύκος

The homecoming of Agamemnon

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Reading: 70

The fables below come from Bryce's First Greek Reader, while the joke comes from Abbott's Easy Greek Reader, both of which are available at the Internet Archive. 

You'll find the fables and joke below, first in Greek, then segmented, and then interwoven with English. The titles are linked to the Internet Archive page.

Ἵππος καὶ ἔλαφος 

Ἵππος κατεῖχε λειμῶνα μόνος, ἐλθόντος δ᾽ ἐλάφου καὶ διαφθείροντος τὴν νομὴν βουλόμενος τιμωρήσασθαι τὸν ἔλαφον ἠρώτα τιν' ἄνθρωπον εἰ δύναιτο μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ κολάσαι τὸν ἔλαφον, ὁ δ᾽ ἔφησεν, ἐὰν λάβῃ χαλινὸν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀναβῇ ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ἔχων ἀκόντια: συνομολογήσαντος δὲ καὶ ἀναβάντος ἀντὶ τοῦ τιμωρήσασθαι αὐτὸς ἐδούλευσεν ἤδη τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ. 

Ἵππος κατεῖχε λειμῶνα μόνος, 

ἐλθόντος δ᾽ ἐλάφου 

καὶ διαφθείροντος τὴν νομὴν 

βουλόμενος τιμωρήσασθαι τὸν ἔλαφον 

ἠρώτα τιν' ἄνθρωπον 

εἰ δύναιτο μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ κολάσαι τὸν ἔλαφον, 

ὁ δ᾽ ἔφησεν, 

ἐὰν λάβῃ χαλινὸν 

καὶ αὐτὸς ἀναβῇ ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν 

ἔχων ἀκόντια: 

συνομολογήσαντος δὲ 

καὶ ἀναβάντος ἀντὶ τοῦ τιμωρήσασθαι 

αὐτὸς ἐδούλευσεν ἤδη τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ. 

Ἵππος κατεῖχε  ...  A horse was master

λειμῶνα μόνος  ...  of a meadow all to himself

ἐλθόντος δ᾽ ἐλάφου  ...  but when a deer came 

καὶ διαφθείροντος τὴν νομὴν  ...  and wrecked the pasture 

βουλόμενος  ...  the horse wanted 

τιμωρήσασθαι τὸν ἔλαφον  ...  to get revenge on the deer 

ἠρώτα τιν' ἄνθρωπον  ...  and he asked a human being 

εἰ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ δύναιτο  ...  if with him he could

κολάσαι τὸν ἔλαφον  ...  punish the deer,

ὁ δ᾽ ἔφησεν  ...  the man said 

ἐὰν λάβῃ χαλινὸν  ...  if the horse would accept a bridle 

καὶ αὐτὸς ἀναβῇ ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν  ...  and let the man mount him 

ἔχων ἀκόντια  ...  while wielding his javelin: 

συνομολογήσαντος δὲ  ...  and when the horse agreed

καὶ ἀναβάντος  ...  and the man mounted him

ἀντὶ τοῦ τιμωρήσασθαι  ...  instead of getting revenge 

αὐτὸς ἐδούλευσεν ἤδη  ...  the horse was then a slave 

τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ  ...  to the man. 

illustration by Weir

Γεωργοῦ παῖς καὶ κοχλίαι

Γεωργοῦ παῖς ὤπτα κοχλίας· ἀκούσας δὲ αὐτῶν τρυζόντων, ἔφη, Ὦ κάκιστα ζῶα, τῶν οἰκιῶν ὑμῶν ἐμπιπραμένων, αὐτοὶ ᾄδετε;

Γεωργοῦ παῖς 

ὤπτα κοχλίας· 

ἀκούσας δὲ αὐτῶν 

τρυζόντων, 

ἔφη, 

Ὦ κάκιστα ζῶα, 

τῶν οἰκιῶν ὑμῶν ἐμπιπραμένων, 

αὐτοὶ ᾄδετε;

Γεωργοῦ παῖς  ...  A farmer's child

ὤπτα κοχλίας  ...  was roasting snails,

ἀκούσας δὲ αὐτῶν  ...  and when he heard them 

τρυζόντων  ...  sizzling, 

ἔφη  ...  he said, 

Ὦ κάκιστα ζῶα  ...  O wretched creatures, 

τῶν οἰκιῶν ὑμῶν ἐμπιπραμένων  ...  your homes are on fire,  

αὐτοὶ ᾄδετε  ...  and you're singing?

Medici Aesop

Δύσκολος ἰατρός 

Δυσκόλῳ ἰατρῷ προσελθών τις εἶπε· σοφιστὰ, ἀνακεῖσθαι οὐ δύναμαι, οὐδὲ ἑστάναι, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ καθῆσθαι. καὶ ὁ ἰατρὸς εἶπεν, οὐδὲν σοι λείπει ἢ κρεμασθῆναι.

Δυσκόλῳ ἰατρῷ 

προσελθών τις εἶπε· 

σοφιστὰ, 

ἀνακεῖσθαι οὐ δύναμαι, 

οὐδὲ ἑστάναι, 

ἀλλ' οὐδὲ καθῆσθαι. 

καὶ ὁ ἰατρὸς εἶπεν, 

οὐδὲν σοι λείπει 

ἢ κρεμασθῆναι.

προσελθών τις  ...  Someone went

δυσκόλῳ ἰατρῷ  ...  to a grumpy physician

εἶπε  ...  and said,

σοφιστὰ  ...  Doctor, 

ἀνακεῖσθαι οὐ δύναμαι  ...  I can't lie down, 

οὐδὲ ἑστάναι  ...  and I can't stand,

ἀλλ' οὐδὲ καθῆσθαι  ...  and I can't sit either.

καὶ ὁ ἰατρὸς εἶπεν  ...  And the physician said, 

οὐδὲν σοι λείπει  ...  Nothing left to do then

ἢ κρεμασθῆναι  ...  except hang yourself.

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Vocabulary Challenge: June 10

Here are today's vocabulary words; it's Group 172. These are sayings you've seen before, but with a new word focus. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

ψέγω ~ ψέξω ~ ἔψεξα (verb): blame, find fault 

φθονέω ~ φθονήσομαι ~ ἐφθόνησα (verb): envy, be jealous 

ἐργάζομαι ~ ἐργάσομαι ~ εἰργασάμην (verb): work at, make 

πρέπω ~ πρέψω ~ πρέψω (verb): be fitting, appropriate 

ψεύδω ~ ψεύσω ~ ἔψευσα (verb): lie, falsify 

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

Ψέγε μηδένα.

Φθόνει μηδενί.

Τὰ δειλὰ κέρδη πημονὰς ἐργάζεται.

Σιγᾶν ἄμεινον ἢ λαλεῖν ἃ μὴ πρέπει.

Πολλ' ἐλπίδες ψεύδουσι καὶ λόγοι βροτούς.

And now, some commentary:

Ψέγε μηδένα.

Blame no one.

This is one of the so-called Delphic maxims attributed to the Seven Sages by Stobaeus. The word μηδείς is a compound of μη and εἷς, no-one, parallel to οὐδείς. The οὐ form is used for indicative statements, while the μη form is used for imperatives (as here: ψέγε), subjunctives, etc.

Φθόνει μηδενί.

Envy no one.

Note again the use of μηδείς with the imperative φθόνει, corresponding to the use of οὐδείς in the indicative. The verb φθονέω takes a dative complement, μηδενί. This is another one of the Delphic maxims.

Τὰ δειλὰ κέρδη πημονὰς ἐργάζεται.

Vile profits cause calamities. 

The words come from Sophocles' Antigone, at the end of Creon's tirade against the evils of money. Although Greek κέρδος came to mean "profit" or "gain," it originally meant "craft" or "skill" and it continued to have the meaning of "craftiness," especially in the negative sense of "wiles" or "mischief." See Logeion for more details.

Σιγᾶν ἄμεινον ἢ λαλεῖν ἃ μὴ πρέπει.

To be silent is better than to say things that are not appropriate.

The Greek infinitive, σιγᾶν, is a neuter noun, hence the neuter adjective, ἄμεινον (the masculine form is ἀμείνων). This is  one of Menander's monostichs; here is the iambic meter marked:

Σιγᾶν ἄμει||νον ἢ λαλεῖν || ἃ μὴ πρέπει.

Πολλ' ἐλπίδες ψεύδουσι καὶ λόγοι βροτούς.

Hopes and words deceive mortal men in many ways.

The word πολλ' is πολλά, with the final vowel falling out before the following vowel (apocope).

This is a fragment from Euripides' Protesilaus. The meter is iambic:

Πολλ' ἐλ~πίδες || ψεύδου~σι καὶ || λόγοι ~ βροτούς.

Antigone Condemned by Creon, G. Diotti, 1845

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Reading: 69

The fables below come from Bryce's First Greek Reader, while the joke comes from Abbott's Easy Greek Reader, both of which are available at the Internet Archive. 

You'll find the fables and joke below, first in Greek, then segmented, and then interwoven with English. The titles are linked to the Internet Archive page.

Ὄρνις καὶ χελιδών

Ὄρνις ὄφεως ὠὰ εὑροῦσα ἐπιμελῶς ἐκθερμάνασα ἐξεκόλαψε. Χελιδὼν δὲ θεασαμένη αὐτὴν ἔφη· ὦ ματαία, τί ταῦτα τρέφεις, ἅπερ αὐξηθέντα ἀπὸ σοῦ πρώτης τοῦ ἀδικεῖν ἄρξεται;

Ὄρνις 

ὄφεως ὠὰ εὑροῦσα 

ἐπιμελῶς ἐκθερμάνασα 

ἐξεκόλαψε. 

Χελιδὼν δὲ 

θεασαμένη αὐτὴν ἔφη· 

ὦ ματαία, 

τί ταῦτα τρέφεις, 

ἅπερ αὐξηθέντα 

ἀπὸ σοῦ πρώτης 

τοῦ ἀδικεῖν ἄρξεται;

Ὄρνις  ...  A chicken

ὄφεως ὠὰ εὑροῦσα  ...  found some snake eggs

ἐπιμελῶς ἐκθερμάνασα  ...  and decided to warm them 

ἐξεκόλαψε  ...  and hatch them. 

Χελιδὼν δὲ  ...  A swallow 

θεασαμένη αὐτὴν ἔφη  ...  saw her and said, 

ὦ ματαία  ...  You fool! 

τί ταῦτα τρέφεις  ...  Why are you nourishing creatures  

ἅπερ αὐξηθέντα  ...  who as soon as they are grown

τοῦ ἀδικεῖν ἄρξεται  ...  will start doing harm

ἀπὸ σοῦ πρώτης  ...  beginning with you!

17th-century Aesop illustration

Γέρων καὶ θάνατος 

(different version)

Γέρων ποτὲ ξύλα τεμὼν ἐξ ὄρους κἀπὶ τῶν ὤμων ἀράμενος, ἐπειδὴ πολλὴν ὁδὸν ἐπηχθισμένος ἐβάδισεν, ἀπειρηκὼς ἀπέθετό τε τὰ ξύλα, καὶ τὸν θάνατον ἐλθεῖν ἐπεκαλεῖτο. Τοῦ δὲ θανάτου εὐθὺς ἐπιστάντος, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν πυνθανομένου, δ᾿ ἣν αὐτὸν καλοίη, ὁ γέρων ἔφη· ἵνα τὸν φόρτον τοῦτον ἄρας ἐπιθῇς μοι.

Γέρων ποτὲ 

ξύλα τεμὼν ἐξ ὄρους 

κἀπὶ τῶν ὤμων ἀράμενος, 

ἐπειδὴ πολλὴν ὁδὸν 

ἐπηχθισμένος ἐβάδισεν, 

ἀπειρηκὼς ἀπέθετό τε τὰ ξύλα, 

καὶ τὸν θάνατον ἐλθεῖν ἐπεκαλεῖτο. 

Τοῦ δὲ θανάτου εὐθὺς ἐπιστάντος, 

καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν πυνθανομένου, 

δ᾿ ἣν αὐτὸν καλοίη, 

ὁ γέρων ἔφη· 

ἵνα τὸν φόρτον τοῦτον ἄρας 

ἐπιθῇς μοι.

Γέρων ποτὲ  ...  There was once an old man

ξύλα τεμὼν  ...  who had cut wood  

ἐξ ὄρους  ...  from up on the mountain

καὶ ἀράμενος  ...  and was carrying the wood 

ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων  ... upon his shoulders

ἐπειδὴ ἐβάδισεν  ...  and when he'd walked

πολλὴν ὁδὸν  ...  a long way

ἐπηχθισμένος  ...  burdened with the wood,

ἀπειρηκὼς  ...  he gave up,  

ἀπέθετό τε τὰ ξύλα  ...  and put the wood down, 

καὶ ἐπεκαλεῖτο  ...  and called out, 

τὸν θάνατον ἐλθεῖν  ...  for Death to come. 

εὐθὺς  ...  All of a sudden

τοῦ δὲ θανάτου ἐπιστάντος  ...  Death stood there 

καὶ πυνθανομένου  ...  and asked

τὴν αἰτίαν  ...  the reason why

δ᾿ ἣν αὐτὸν καλοίη  ...  he had summoned him. 

ὁ γέρων ἔφη  ...  The old man said, 

ἵνα τὸν φόρτον τοῦτον ἄρας ...  To lift up this burden 

ἐπιθῇς μοι  ...  and put it back on my shoulders.

19th-century Aesop illustration

Ἀβδηρίτου στρουθίον

Ἀβδηρίτου στρουθίον ἀπέθανε. μετὰ οὖν χρόνον ἰδὼν στρουθοκάμηλον, εἶπεν, εἰ ἔζη τὸ στρουθίον μου, ἤδη ἂν τηλικοῦτον ὑπῆρχεν.

Ἀβδηρίτου στρουθίον 

ἀπέθανε. 

μετὰ οὖν χρόνον 

ἰδὼν στρουθοκάμηλον, 

εἶπεν, 

εἰ ἔζη τὸ στρουθίον μου, 

ἤδη ἂν τηλικοῦτον ὑπῆρχεν.

Ἀβδηρίτου στρουθίον  ...  A dunce's pet sparrow

ἀπέθανε  ...  died.

μετὰ οὖν χρόνον  ...  After a while 

ἰδὼν στρουθοκάμηλον  ...  he saw an ostrich, 

εἶπεν  ...  and said:

εἰ ἔζη τὸ στρουθίον μου  ...  If my sparrow had lived, 

ἤδη ἂν τηλικοῦτον ὑπῆρχεν  ...  he would be that size now!

(The word for ostrich in Greek is στρουθοκάμηλος, sparrow-camel.)

ostrich and leopard

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Reading: 68

The fable below comes from Arnold's Greek Reading Book (this is the final fable from Arnold), while the joke comes from Abbott's Easy Greek Reader, both of which are available at the Internet Archive. 

You'll find the fable and joke below, first in Greek, then segmented, and then interwoven with English. The titles are linked to the Internet Archive page.

Ἀηδὼν καὶ ἱέραξ

(another version here)

Ἀηδὼν ἐπὶ δένδρου καθεζομένη κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ᾖδεν. Ἱέραξ δὲ θεασάμενος καὶ τροφῆς ἀπορῶν συνείληφεν ἐπιπτάς. Ἡ δ’ ἀναιρεῖσθαι μέλλουσα ἐδεῖτο τοῦ ἱέρακος μὴ βρωθῆναι· μηδὲ γὰρ ἱκανὴ εἶναι ἱέρακος γαστέρα πληροῦν, δεῖν δὲ αὐτὸν τροφῆς προσδεόμενον ἐπὶ τὰ μείζω τῶν ὀρνέων τραπέσθαι. Καὶ ὁ ἱέραξ ὑπολαϐὼν εἶπεν· Ἀλλ’ ἔγωγε ἄφρων ἂν εἴην, εἰ τὴν ἐν χερσὶν ἑτοίμην τροφὴν ἀφεὶς τὰ μὴ φαινόμενά πω διώκοιμι.

Ἀηδὼν 

ἐπὶ δένδρου καθεζομένη 

κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ᾖδεν. 

Ἱέραξ δὲ θεασάμενος 

καὶ τροφῆς ἀπορῶν 

συνείληφεν ἐπιπτάς. 

Ἡ δ’ 

ἀναιρεῖσθαι μέλλουσα 

ἐδεῖτο τοῦ ἱέρακος 

μὴ βρωθῆναι· 

μηδὲ γὰρ ἱκανὴ εἶναι 

ἱέρακος γαστέρα πληροῦν, 

δεῖν δὲ 

αὐτὸν τροφῆς προσδεόμενον 

ἐπὶ τὰ μείζω τῶν ὀρνέων τραπέσθαι. 

Καὶ ὁ ἱέραξ 

ὑπολαϐὼν εἶπεν· 

Ἀλλ’ ἔγωγε ἄφρων ἂν εἴην, 

εἰ τὴν ἐν χερσὶν ἑτοίμην τροφὴν 

ἀφεὶς 

τὰ μὴ φαινόμενά πω διώκοιμι.

Ἀηδὼν  ...  A nightingale

ἐπὶ δένδρου καθεζομένη  ...  seated in a tree 

κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ᾖδεν  ...  was singing as usual. 

Ἱέραξ δὲ θεασάμενος  ...  A hawk noticed her 

καὶ τροφῆς ἀπορῶν  ...  and, lacking food, 

ἐπιπτάς  ...  swooped down

συνείληφεν  ...  and grabbed her.

Ἡ δ’ ἀναιρεῖσθαι μέλλουσα  ...  About to be killed 

ἐδεῖτο τοῦ ἱέρακος  ...  she begged the hawk 

μὴ βρωθῆναι  ...  not to eat her, 

μηδὲ γὰρ ἱκανὴ εἶναι  ...  for she was not enough 

ἱέρακος γαστέρα πληροῦν  ...  to fill a hawk's stomach, 

δεῖν δὲ αὐτὸν  ...  and he should

τροφῆς προσδεόμενον  ...  since he needed more food 

τραπέσθαι  ...  to direct his attention

ἐπὶ τὰ μείζω τῶν ὀρνέων  ...  to bigger birds. 

Καὶ ὁ ἱέραξ  ...  And the hawk 

ὑπολαϐὼν εἶπεν  ...  interrupted and said, 

Ἀλλ’ ἔγωγε ἄφρων ἂν εἴην  ...  But i would indeed be a fool, 

εἰ ἀφεὶς  ...  if I let go  

τὴν ἐν χερσὶν ἑτοίμην τροφὴν  ...  ready food in my hands 

διώκοιμι  ... to chase

τὰ μὴ φαινόμενά πω  ...  things that are not yet visible.

illustration by Grandville

Ἀβδηρίτης καὶ ἰατρός 

Ἀβδηρίτης ἀπαγξασθαι βουλόμενος καὶ τοῦ σχοινίου διαρραγέντος, τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπλήγη. λαβὼν οὖν ἔμπλαστρον παρὰ τοῦ ἰατροῦ καὶ θεὶς κατὰ τοῦ τραύματος, ἐπελθὼν πάλιν ἀπήγξατο.

Ἀβδηρίτης 

ἀπαγξασθαι βουλόμενος 

καὶ τοῦ σχοινίου διαρραγέντος, 

τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπλήγη. 

λαβὼν οὖν ἔμπλαστρον 

παρὰ τοῦ ἰατροῦ 

καὶ θεὶς 

κατὰ τοῦ τραύματος, 

ἐπελθὼν 

πάλιν ἀπήγξατο.

Ἀβδηρίτης  ...  A dunce

ἀπαγξασθαι βουλόμενος  ...  wanted to hang himself 

καὶ τοῦ σχοινίου διαρραγέντος  ...  and the rope snapped

τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπλήγη  ...  and he hit his head. 

λαβὼν οὖν ἔμπλαστρον  ...  He got a bandage 

παρὰ τοῦ ἰατροῦ  ...  from his doctor

καὶ θεὶς  ...  and applied it 

κατὰ τοῦ τραύματος  ...  to the wound, 

ἐπελθὼν  ...  and then he went off 

πάλιν ἀπήγξατο  ...  to hang himself again.

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Proverbs Slideshow/Crossword: June 5

For today, it's a new review slideshow for Groups 161, 162 and 163. Here's the post with the details about how the slideshows work, and there's a random cat at the bottom of the post! Plus more cats.

The slideshow is embedded in the blog post, and you can also access today's slideshow directly, full-sized view. And remember: each time you see the English translation on a slide, you can click to access the original blog post with the notes for each proverb.

There's also a crossword puzzle PDF that you can print; here's a screenshot of the puzzle and key. :-)

These are the proverbs, linked back to their blog post:

1. Ἀεὶ κολοιὸς παρὰ κολοιῷ ἰζάνει.
   
2. Γλῶσσα ποῖ πορεύῃ;
   
3. Δελφῖνα νήχεσθαι διδάσκεις.
   
4. Ἐν ἅλῳ κρύπτῃ.
   
5. Ἔχει καὶ χολὴν ὁ μύρμηξ.
   
6. Ἔχεται δ' ὥσπερ πολύπους πέτρας.
   
7. Ἔχων χαρίζου.
   
8. Μέγα στόμα τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ.
   
9. Ὁ δὲ ὄφις ἦν φρονιμώτατος πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.
   
10. Ὃς ἔχει ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω.
    
11. Πίθηκος ἐν πορφύραι.
    
12. Τὸν ὑψόθεν σκοπὸν ἐπισκόπει, φύλακα πολυπόνων.
    
13. Ὕπνος πέφυκε σωμάτων σωτηρία.
    
14. Φιλήκοον εἶναι μᾶλλον ἢ πολύλαλον.
    
15. Χρησμοὺς θαύμαζε.
    

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too :

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Greek Reading: 67

The fable below comes from Arnold's Greek Reading Book, while the joke comes from Abbott's Easy Greek Reader, both of which are available at the Internet Archive. 

You'll find the fable and joke below, first in Greek, then segmented, and then interwoven with English. The titles are linked to the Internet Archive page.

Ἔριφος καὶ λύκος 

Ἔριφος ὑστερήσασα τῆς ποίμνης ὑπὸ λύκου κατεδιώκετο· ἐπιστραφεῖσα δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπεν· Ὦ λύκε, ἐπεὶ πέπεισμαι ὅτι σὸν βρῶμα γενήσομαι, ἵνα μὴ ἀηδῶς ἀποθάνω, αὔλησον πρῶτον, ὅπως ὀρχήσωμαι. Τοῦ δὲ λύκου αὐλοῦντος καὶ τῆς ἐρίφου ὀρχουμένης, οἱ κύνες ἀκούσαντες τὸν λύκον ἐδίωκον. Ὁ δὲ ἐπιστραφεὶς τῇ ἐρίφῳ φησί· Δικαίως ταῦτά μοι γίνεται· ἔδει γάρ με μάγειρον ὄντα αὐλητὴν μὴ μιμεῖσθαι.

Ἔριφος 

ὑστερήσασα τῆς ποίμνης 

ὑπὸ λύκου κατεδιώκετο· 

ἐπιστραφεῖσα δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν 

εἶπεν· 

Ὦ λύκε, 

ἐπεὶ πέπεισμαι 

ὅτι σὸν βρῶμα γενήσομαι, 

ἵνα μὴ ἀηδῶς ἀποθάνω, 

αὔλησον πρῶτον, 

ὅπως ὀρχήσωμαι. 

Τοῦ δὲ λύκου αὐλοῦντος 

καὶ τῆς ἐρίφου ὀρχουμένης, 

οἱ κύνες ἀκούσαντες 

τὸν λύκον ἐδίωκον. 

Ὁ δὲ ἐπιστραφεὶς 

τῇ ἐρίφῳ φησί· 

Δικαίως ταῦτά μοι γίνεται· 

ἔδει γάρ 

με μάγειρον ὄντα 

αὐλητὴν μὴ μιμεῖσθαι.

Ἔριφος  ...  A kid

ὑστερήσασα τῆς ποίμνης  ...  lagging behind the flock 

ὑπὸ λύκου κατεδιώκετο  ...  was chased by a wolf. 

ἐπιστραφεῖσα δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν  ...  Facing the wolf 

εἶπεν  ...  the kid said, 

Ὦ λύκε  ...  O wolf! 

ἐπεὶ πέπεισμαι  ...  Since I'm sure  

ὅτι σὸν βρῶμα γενήσομαι  ...  that I'll be your food, 

ἵνα μὴ ἀηδῶς ἀποθάνω  ...  I don't want a brutal death: 

αὔλησον πρῶτον  ...  play on your pipe first, 

ὅπως ὀρχήσωμαι  ...  so that I can dance. 

Τοῦ δὲ λύκου αὐλοῦντος  ...  So the wolf piped, 

καὶ τῆς ἐρίφου ὀρχουμένης  ...  and the kid danced, 

οἱ κύνες ἀκούσαντες  ...  which the dogs heard 

τὸν λύκον ἐδίωκον  ...  and they pursued the wolf. 

Ὁ δὲ ἐπιστραφεὶς τῇ ἐρίφῳ   ...  Facing the kid

φησί  ...  the wolf said, 

Δικαίως ...  It's right

ταῦτά μοι γίνεται  ...  that this happened to me

ἔδει γάρ  ...  for I was supposed 

με μάγειρον ὄντα  ...  to be a butcher, 

αὐλητὴν μὴ μιμεῖσθαι  ...  not to pretend to be a piper.

the wolf pipes while the kid dances

Σχολαστικὸς καὶ θρέμματα

Σχολαστικὸς διὰ χρόνου εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν παραγενόμενος ἐθεάσατο τὰ θρέμματα ἐξιόντα ἐπὶ βόσκησιν. καὶ ὡς εἴωθε βληχόμενα ἰδὼν, ἠρώτα τὴν αἰτίαν. τοῦ δὲ οἰκονόμου προσπαίξαντος καὶ εἰπόντος, Ἀσπάζονταί σε, Τὴν ἐμήν σοι σωτηρίαν, φησίν, ἐμοῦ ἕνεκα ἀργίαν αὐτοῖς δὸς καὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας μὴ ἐξαγάγῃς αὐτὰ εἰς νομήν.

Σχολαστικὸς 

διὰ χρόνου 

εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν παραγενόμενος 

ἐθεάσατο τὰ θρέμματα 

ἐξιόντα ἐπὶ βόσκησιν. 

καὶ ὡς εἴωθε βληχόμενα ἰδὼν, 

ἠρώτα τὴν αἰτίαν. 

τοῦ δὲ οἰκονόμου 

προσπαίξαντος καὶ εἰπόντος, 

Ἀσπάζονταί σε, 

Τὴν ἐμήν σοι σωτηρίαν, 

φησίν, 

ἐμοῦ ἕνεκα 

ἀργίαν αὐτοῖς δὸς 

καὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας 

μὴ ἐξαγάγῃς αὐτὰ εἰς νομήν.

Σχολαστικὸς  ...  The dunce

διὰ χρόνου  ...   at a certain time

παραγενόμενος  ...  went

εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν  ...  to his country estate

ἐθεάσατο τὰ θρέμματα  ...  Observing the flocks 

ἐξιόντα ἐπὶ βόσκησιν  ...  going out to pasture 

καὶ ἰδὼν  ...  and seeing them

ὡς εἴωθε βληχόμενα ...  bleating as usual,

ἠρώτα τὴν αἰτίαν  ...  he asked the reason why. 

τοῦ δὲ οἰκονόμου  ...  The steward, 

προσπαίξαντος  ...  joking with him,

καὶ εἰπόντος  ...  said, 

Ἀσπάζονταί σε  ...  They are saluting you! 

φησίν  ...  So he said,

Τὴν ἐμήν σοι σωτηρίαν  ...  Bless my soul! 

ἐμοῦ ἕνεκα  ...  On my behalf 

ἀργίαν αὐτοῖς δὸς  ...  give them a holiday 

καὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας  ...  and for three days 

μὴ ἐξαγάγῃς αὐτὰ  ...  don't lead them out 

εἰς νομήν  ...  to the pasture.

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Vocabulary Challenge: June 3

Here are today's vocabulary words; it's Group 171. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

θεός ~ θεοῦ (noun c.): god, goddess 

νεκρός ~ νεκροῦ (noun m.): corpse, dead man 

οὐρανός ~ οὐρανοῦ (noun m.): sky, heaven 

εὔνοια ~ εὐνοίας (noun f.): good will, gift 

δαίμων ~ δαίμονος (noun m.): divine being 

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

Χυτρεοῦς θεός.

Νεκρὸν ἰατρεύειν.

Εἰς οὐρανὸν τοξεύεις.

Ἄκαιρος εὔνοι' οὐδὲν ἔχθρας διαφέρει.

Πόλις γὰρ εὖ πράσσουσα δαίμονας τίει.

And now, some commentary:

Χυτρεοῦς θεός.

A clay god.

This proverbial phrase refers to a god who is useless, not worthy of worship and unable to come to your aid. The adjective χυτρεοῦς is from the noun, χύτρα, a clay pot used for cooking. 

Νεκρὸν ἰατρεύειν.

To doctor a dead man.

This is one of those proverbial fool's errands: doctoring is not going to do any good for someone who is already dead. There's also this compound saying: νεκρὸν ἰατρεύειν καὶ γέροντα νουθετεῖν ταὐτόν, "to doctor the dead and to chastise an old man is the same thing," i.e. both are hopeless causes.

Εἰς οὐρανὸν τοξεύεις.

You're shooting an arrow at the sky.

This Greek saying appears as part of a delightful list of ἀδύνατα, "impossibilities," sometimes included as part of Plutarch's Moralia, and it also appears in the ancient Greek proverb collections. Of course, there is no way you can hit the sky with an arrow, so this is a fool's errand. Even worse, the arrow can fall back down and hit you. Compare the saying in the Biblical book of Ecclesiasticus: 

"If one cast a stone on high, it will fall upon his own head." Compare also a saying you saw in an earlier blog post: Εἰς οὐρανὸν πτύεις.

Ἄκαιρος εὔνοι' οὐδὲν ἔχθρας διαφέρει.

Affection at the wrong time is no different from hatred.

The saying is cited in Zenobius, who explains that these are the words Hippolytus speaks to Phaedra, rebuking his stepmother's unnatural affection towards him, although there is no extant Greek play about Hippolytus in which this expression is found. Note that the adjective ἄκαιρος, like other alpha-privative and many other compound adjectives, is both masculine and feminine in gender; in this saying, it is feminine: ἄκαιρος εὔνοια.

Πόλις γὰρ εὖ πράσσουσα δαίμονας τίει.

A city that is flourishing honors its divinities.

The words are spoken by Eteocles in Aeschylus's Seven Against Thebes. He is begging the gods to spare his city, including the divine curse, Ἐρινύς, pronounced by his father Oedipus. A city that is destroyed, Eteocles argues, cannot honor its gods, but a city that is flourishing can indeed honor its gods, which means it is in the gods' interests for the city to flourish.

ruins of ancient Thebes

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Reading: 66

The fable below comes from Abbott's Easy Greek Reader, which is available at the Internet Archive. This is the last of the fables from Abbott, and it's a long one, so there is just the one story today: first in Greek, then segmented, and then interwoven with English. The title is linked to the Internet Archive page.

Μύες δύο 

(another version here)

Μύες δύο, ὁ μὲν ἀρουραῖος, ὁ δὲ οἰκόσιτος κοινὸν εἶχον τὸν βίον. Ὁ δὲ οἰκόσιτος ἦλθε πρῶτος δειπνήσων ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρούρης ἔτι ἀνθούσης. Τρώγων δὲ σῖτον καὶ ῥίζας σὺν τοῖς βώλοις εἶπεν· Μύρμηκος ζῇς βίον ταλαιπώρου· ἐμοὶ δὲ πολλὰ ἔνεστιν ἀγαθά· τὸ κέρας οἰκῶ τῆς Ἀμαλθείας ὡς πρὸς σέ. Ἐὰν ἔλθῃς μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, ὡς θέλεις ἀσωτεύσῃ. Ἀπῆγε πείσας τὸν μῦν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ. Ἔδειξε δὲ αὐτῷ σῖτον καὶ ἄλευρα καὶ ὄσπρια καὶ σῦκα καὶ μέλι καὶ φοίνικας. Οὗτος δὲ ἐτέρφθη καὶ διεχύθη. Ὁ δὲ ἤγαγε καὶ τυρὸν ἐκ κανισκίου σύρων. Ἤνοιξέ τις τὴν θύραν· οἱ δὲ ἔφυγον εἰς στενὴν τρώγλην, ἔτριζον δὲ ὑπ᾿ ἀλλήλων στενούμενοι. Ὡς δὲ πάλιν ἤμελλον ἐκκύψαι καὶ μικρὰν ἰσχάδα σῦραι, ἕτερος ἦλθεν ἄλλο τι ἆραι· οἱ δὲ ἔνδον ἐκρύπτοντο. Ὁ δὲ ἀρουραῖος μῦς, καίπερ τοσαῦτα πεινῶν, εἶπε· Χαῖρε καὶ πλούτει καὶ τρύφα, ἔχων τὰ πάντα μετὰ κινδύνων· ἐγὼ δὲ βοτάνας καὶ ῥίζας τρώγων ἀφόβως καὶ λιτῶς ζήσω.

Μύες δύο, 

ὁ μὲν ἀρουραῖος, 

ὁ δὲ οἰκόσιτος 

κοινὸν εἶχον τὸν βίον. 

Ὁ δὲ οἰκόσιτος ἦλθε πρῶτος 

δειπνήσων ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρούρης 

ἔτι ἀνθούσης. 

Τρώγων δὲ σῖτον καὶ ῥίζας 

σὺν τοῖς βώλοις 

εἶπεν· 

Μύρμηκος ζῇς βίον ταλαιπώρου· 

ἐμοὶ δὲ πολλὰ ἔνεστιν ἀγαθά· 

τὸ κέρας οἰκῶ τῆς Ἀμαλθείας 

ὡς πρὸς σέ. 

Ἐὰν ἔλθῃς μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, 

ὡς θέλεις ἀσωτεύσῃ. 

Ἀπῆγε 

πείσας τὸν μῦν 

ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ.

Ἔδειξε δὲ αὐτῷ 

σῖτον καὶ ἄλευρα καὶ ὄσπρια 

καὶ σῦκα καὶ μέλι καὶ φοίνικας. 

Οὗτος δὲ ἐτέρφθη καὶ διεχύθη. 

Ὁ δὲ ἤγαγε 

καὶ τυρὸν ἐκ κανισκίου σύρων. 

Ἤνοιξέ τις τὴν θύραν· 

οἱ δὲ ἔφυγον 

εἰς στενὴν τρώγλην, 

ἔτριζον δὲ 

ὑπ᾿ ἀλλήλων στενούμενοι. 

Ὡς δὲ πάλιν ἤμελλον ἐκκύψαι 

καὶ μικρὰν ἰσχάδα σῦραι, 

ἕτερος ἦλθεν 

ἄλλο τι ἆραι· 

οἱ δὲ ἔνδον ἐκρύπτοντο. 

Ὁ δὲ ἀρουραῖος μῦς, 

καίπερ τοσαῦτα πεινῶν, 

εἶπε· 

Χαῖρε καὶ πλούτει 

καὶ τρύφα, 

ἔχων τὰ πάντα μετὰ κινδύνων· 

ἐγὼ δὲ 

βοτάνας καὶ ῥίζας 

τρώγων ἀφόβως 

καὶ λιτῶς ζήσω.

Μύες δύο  ...  There were two mice, 

ὁ μὲν ἀρουραῖος  ...  one a field mouse

ὁ δὲ οἰκόσιτος  ...  one a house mouse

εἶχον τὸν βίον  ...  and they shared their life

κοινὸν  ...  in common.

Ὁ δὲ οἰκόσιτος  ...  The house-mouse 

ἦλθε πρῶτος δειπνήσων  ...  came first to dine

ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρούρης  ...  in the field 

ἔτι ἀνθούσης  ...  while it was still blooming. 

Τρώγων δὲ σῖτον  ...  Eating the grain

καὶ ῥίζας  ...  and roots 

σὺν τοῖς βώλοις  ...  with clods of dirt, 

εἶπεν  ...  he said:

ζῇς βίον  ...  You're living the life

μύρμηκος ταλαιπώρου  ...  of a wretched ant.

ἐμοὶ δὲ ἔνεστιν  ...  But I have

πολλὰ ἀγαθά  ...  lots of good things —

οἰκῶ  ...  Where I live

ὡς πρὸς σέ  ...  you have before you

τὸ κέρας τῆς Ἀμαλθείας  ...  the horn of Amaltheia.

Ἐὰν ἔλθῃς μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ  ...  If you come with me, 

ἀσωτεύσῃ  ...  you will live in luxury

ὡς θέλεις  ...  as you wish.

πείσας  ...  Having persuaded him

ἀπῆγε τὸν μῦν  ...  he led the mouse

ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ  ...  to his house.

Ἔδειξε δὲ αὐτῷ  ...  And he showed him 

σῖτον καὶ ἄλευρα  ...  grain and flour

καὶ ὄσπρια καὶ σῦκα  ...  and pulses and figs

καὶ μέλι καὶ φοίνικας  ...  and honey and cabbage. 

Οὗτος δὲ ἐτέρφθη  ... The field mouse enjoyed himself

καὶ διεχύθη  ...  and relaxed. 

Ὁ δὲ ἤγαγε καὶ τυρὸν   ...  His host also brought cheese

ἐκ κανισκίου σύρων  ...  dragging it out from its container. 

Ἤνοιξέ τις τὴν θύραν  ...  But someone opened the door 

οἱ δὲ ἔφυγον  ...  and the mice fled

εἰς στενὴν τρώγλην  ...  into a narrow hole

ἔτριζον δὲ  ...  and they squealed 

ὑπ᾿ ἀλλήλων στενούμενοι  ...  as they pressed one another.

Ὡς δὲ ἤμελλον ἐκκύψαι  ...  As they were about to creep out 

πάλιν  ... once again

καὶ μικρὰν ἰσχάδα σῦραι  ...  and to grab a little dried fig, 

ἕτερος ἦλθεν  ...  someone else came in 

ἄλλο τι ἆραι  ...  to get something or other 

οἱ δὲ ἔνδον ἐκρύπτοντο  ...  and they hid themselves inside. 

Ὁ δὲ ἀρουραῖος μῦς  ...  And the field mouse, 

καίπερ τοσαῦτα πεινῶν  ...  although hungry for such goods, 

εἶπε  ...  said: 

Χαῖρε καὶ πλούτει καὶ τρύφα  ...  Rejoice, be rich, and feast,

ἔχων τὰ πάντα μετὰ κινδύνων  ...  having all that with dangers. 

ἐγὼ δὲ  ...  Meanwhile I 

τρώγων ἀφόβως  ...  will eat without fear

βοτάνας καὶ ῥίζας  ...  grass and roots 

καὶ λιτῶς ζήσω  ...  and will live frugally.

illustration by Arthur Rackham

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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