Greek Proverbs: March 31

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

Κοινὰ τὰ τῶν φίλων.

Things are shared among friends.

The saying appears in Euripides' Orestes. The Greek uses the genitive, φίλων, to express the idea of possession in common, or sharing. From the adjective κοιν-, we get the word Koine, the "common" dialect of Greece which began to spread during the time of the Roman Empire and was a forerunner of modern Greek today. You can read more at Wikipedia: Koine Greek. Compare the word "vulgate" which comes to English from a similar Latin word.

Γλῶτταν ἴσχε.

Control your tongue.

This is one of the sayings Stobaeus attributes to the Seven Sages; see more at Wikipedia: Delphic maxims. The spelling γλῶτταν is Attic; you also see γλῶσσαν. We get English words from both Greek spellings, including glottal stops and glossary. (But beware: English gloss and glossy are from a Germanic root meaning "glow.")

Τὴν παρεοῦσαν ἄμελγε.

Milk (the cow that is) present. 

The idea is that you should milk the cow (or sheep or goat) that you have; you cannot milk a cow who is not right there at hand. This applies literally to a cow and metaphorically to any situation where you need to make do with whatever it is you actually have available. The advice appears in the bucolic poetry of Theocritus, hence the implied cow (or goat or sheep). The Greek verb ἀμέλγω is related to the English word milk, both deriving from Indo-European h₂melǵ. From the Greek verb πάρειμι comes the noun παρουσία, "presence," which is used as a theological term in English: parousia.

Πρᾶττε ἀμετανοήτως.

Act without regret.

This is another one of the Delphic maxims, with the Attic form of the verb, πρᾶττε, as opposed to πρᾶσσε. The adverb ἀμετανοήτως literally means "not-after-thinking,"  ἀ-μετα-νοή-τως, from μετά-νοια. Sometimes μετάνοια is a positive thing, as when you change your mind, realizing that you have made a mistake. It can also be something with a more negative, painful quality, like regret or repentance, which is the sense here.

Ἐν σκότῳ ὀρχεῖσθαι.

To dance in the dark.

This proverbial expression is also found in Erasmus, who explains that it means to do something which is not witnessed or judged because one cannot see what dancers are doing in the dark. Likewise, it can refer to someone who is doing something at random, without any purpose or reason. The phrase is noted as proverbial, "as they say," in Lucian's Hermotimus:  Ἐν σκότῳ, φασίν, ὀρχοίμεθα, "we would be dancing, as they say, in the dark." The space on which the dancers danced in the Greek theater was called the ὀρχήστρα, from the verb ὀρχεῖσθαι, hence the English word "orchestra," which now refers to the musicians who occupy that space, not dancers.

And to finish up, here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Proverbs: March 26

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

Κτώμενος ἥδου.

Enjoy what you have acquired.

This is one of those Delphic maxims recorded by Stobaeus, and it also fits very nicely with the Buddhist idea of "want what you have" instead of wanting what you don't have. The form here, ἥδου, is a middle imperative; you'll see another form of this verb below.

Ὅμοιον ὁμοίῳ φίλον.

Like likes like.

In Greek, it is literally "a (similar) thing is friendly to a similar thing." The saying appears in Plato's Lysis (τὸ ὅμοιον τῷ ὁμοίῳ φίλον εἶναι) in a debate about whether friendship is more likely among people who are similar or whether people who are similar are prone to envy and resentment, with friendship more naturally occurring between people who are dissimilar. From the Greek root ὁμο- we get the homo- words in English like homogeneous and homonym.

Πηγάσου ταχύτερος.

Swifter than Pegasus.

The adjective ταχύτερος is a comparative form of ταχύς, meaning swift, so it takes a genitive complement: Πηγάσου. For more about the famous winged horse, see Wikipedia: Pegasus.

Ἕνα ἀλλὰ λέοντα.

One, but a lion.

This is the punchline to an Aesop's fable: when the fox rebukes the lioness for having only one cub, this is the lioness's reply. That's why the words are in the accusative: "(I have only) one (cub), but (he is) a lion." In other words, all the offspring of the fox could never equal a single lion. Here are some English versions of the Aesop's fable.

Τὰ Ταντάλου τάλαντα.

The talents of Tantalus.

This saying is about the fabulously wealthy King Tantalus, and the τάλαντα here, or "talents" in English, referred originally to weighing scales, and then came to mean the money that was weighed in the scales. You can find out more about King Tantalus at Wikipedia. In addition to the proverbial talents of Tantalus, there are the famous τάλαντα of the Gospels: Parable of the Talents. This parable is what gave rise to the modern meaning of "talent" in English; you can find out more at the wiktionary: talent. Of course, things did not turn out well at all for King Tantalus, so this saying is a warning, not a blessing.

And to finish up, here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Proverbs: March 24

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

Μισῶ μνήμονα συμπότην.

I hate a drinking companion with a memory.

The word συμπότης is a compound, συμ-πότης, a co-drinker — and yes, from this same root we get the English word symposium. The Greek συμπόσιον was a drinking party! A drinking-companion who remembers what is done and said at a symposium is dangerous because, as you learned in a previous post: Ἐν οἴνῳ ἀλήθεια. Meanwhile, from the Greek verb μισέω we get English words like misogyny and misanthrope.

Φιλόσοφος γίνου.

Be a lover of wisdom.

This is one of the maxims of the Seven Sages recorded by Stobaeus; for more, see Wikipedia: Delphic maxims. Like many compound adjectives, there is not a distinctive feminine form; φιλόσοφος is both masculine and feminine, depending on context. It is often used substantively as a noun, which is the origin of our "philosopher" in English.

Μνήμην καμήλου.

(He has) the memory of a camel.

The Greeks believed that the camel had a good memory. A related proverb states: μνησικακία καμήλου, "the camel's remembrance of wrongs" (μνησι-κακία), i.e. the camel remembers any person who has treated it badly and will seek revenge. You can see the root μνημ- in the name Μνημοσύνη, the Greek goddess of memory: Wikipedia: Mnemosyne.

Χρόνου φείδου.

Be sparing of time.

The verb φείδου is another middle imperative; the verb φείδομαι has only middle forms, and it takes a genitive complement: χρόνου. This is another one of the maxims that Stobaeus attributed to the Seven Sages; see above for another one.

Δικαίως κτῶ.

Acquire possessions rightfully.

The word κτῶ is a middle imperative from the verb κτάομαι (it looks especially weird because the word has only one syllable; hence the circumflex). The adverb δικαίως is formed from the adjective δίκαιος which is in turn formed from the noun δίκη meaning order or justice. For the goddess of Justice, see Wikipedia: Dike.

And to finish up, here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Proverbs: March 19

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

Πᾶσιν ἁρμόζου.

Accommodate yourself to everyone/everything.

This is one of the so-called Delphic maxims recorded by Stobaeus. Note the middle/passive imperative: ἁρμόζου. The Greek word has a wonderfully wide range of metaphorical uses which you can see in the LSJ dictionary entry.

Ἰατρὸς νόσου ὁ ὕπνος.

Sleep is the doctor of sickness.

In other words: get some sleep — you'll feel better! The words are adapted from a fragment of Sophocles. From root of the Greek word ἰατρός, we get a variety of English compound words formed with -iatric: pediatric, geriatric, etc. Compare a similar saying you saw earlier at this blog: Ὕπνος δὲ πάσης ἐστὶν ὑγιεία νόσου.

Ἐξ ὄνυχος τὸν λέοντα.

By the claw (you know) the lion.

The idea is that you can recognize someone by a specific trait or feature, although it might be very small; a lion is very big, but his claw is very small. Plus lions, like other cats, often keep their claws hidden... you might not recognize the lion until it is too late!

Τὸ φῶς ἡλίῳ δανείζεις.

You're loaning light to the sun.

This is another proverb about acting both foolishly and presumptuously: the sun doesn't need any light from you! From Greek φωτο- we get a huge number of English photo- words, and from ἥλιος we get English helium and also heliotrope. For more about the sun god Ἥλιος, see Wikipedia: Helios.

Φίλοις βοήθει.

Help your friends.

This is one of the so-called Delphic maxims recorded by Stobaeus. Notice that the verb βοηθέω takes a dative complement: φίλοις.

And to finish up, here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Proverbs: March 17

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

Χαῖρε, φίλον φῶς.

Farewell, dear light.

This saying was used when extinguishing a lamp or candle. 

As Erasmus explains, these words could be used in all seriousness, as when a character in a tragedy is about to die, but the words could also be used in more risque contexts; for example, he relates a story for teaching purposes (docendi causa) about an old woman who is about to have sex, and who thus speaks to the candle before she puts it out so that her lover will not see her wrinkles.

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.

Τέχνῃ χρῶ.

Use your skill.

The word χρῶ is a middle imperative from the contract verb χράομαι, which takes a dative complement: τέχνῃ. This is one of the maxims Stobaeus attributes to the Seven Sages. The Greek root τέχν- gives us all the English tech- words. It is related to the word for weaving in Latin, texo (which gives us English words like textile and text).

Γόρδιος δεσμός.
The Gordian knot.
You can read about Alexander the Great and the "knot of Gordium" at Wikipedia: Gordian Knot. The word δεσμός refers to any kind of bond or tie, literal and metaphorical; it can also mean a binding spell or charm.

Ἄδύνατα θηρᾷς.

You're hunting things that are impossible.

The adjective ἀδύνατα is an alpha-privative form of δυνατά: im-possible; note also the change in stress. The Greek word appears in English rhetorical terminology as adynaton, meaning a hyperbole so extreme as to be impossible. See Wikipedia: Adynaton for examples.

And to finish up, here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Proverbs: March 14

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

Δόξαν δίωκε.

Pursue glory.

This is one of the maxims attributed to the Seven Sages as recorded by Stobaeus. The word δόξα has a wide range of meaning in Greek; the specific meaning of "glory" became important for Christianity, as in English doxology.

Ἔριν μίσει.

Hate strife.

Don't let μίσει fool you: that's the imperative form of an -εω contract verb! From the Greek root  μίσ- we get English words like misanthrope and misogyny. Meanwhile, for more about strife personified as a goddess, Ἔρις, see Wikipedia: Eris.

Πάντα λίθον κινεῖν.

To move every stone.

Compare the English saying "to leave no stone unturned." The historian Joannes Zonaras marks this as a proverbial expression: πάντα λίθον κινῶν, τὸ τῆς παροιμίας (παροιμία = proverb), as does Nicephorus Gregoras, πάντα λίθον κινῶν, τὸ τοῦ λόγου. From the λίθ- root, we get words like lithography and neolithic in English.

Εὔχου δυνατά.

Pray for things that are possible.

The verb εὔχου is a middle imperative from the deponent verb εὔχομαι; like many middle verbs it can still take a direct object: δυνατά, an adjective being used here as a noun, "possible (things)." This is one of the maxims attributed by Stobaeus to the Seven Sages.

Κάθαμμα λύειν.

To loosen the knot.

As Erasmus explains, this is a reference to the legend of the Gordian knot, which you can read about also at Wikipedia. Alexander the Great famously cut the knot with his sword rather than figuring out how to untie it (see below). Compare this saying from an earlier blog post (in fact, the very first Greek proverb post at this blog!): Γόρδιος δεσμός.

And to finish up, here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Proverbs: March 10

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

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.

Βοιώτιος νοῦς.

The mind of a Boeotian.

This proverbial saying referred to someone who was ignorant or stupid; such was the reputation of people from Boeotia, a region in central Greece. You could also find the sentiment expressed in this form: Ἡ Βοιωτία ὗς, a Boeotian pig. The Greek phrase lives on in French, where the insulting term béotien means someone who is a country bumpkin, unsophisticated (compare the English use of "philistine," lower-case p).

Ἡρακλῆς καὶ πίθηκος.

Heracles and an ape.

The saying is about things that cannot be compared, much like the English saying "apples and oranges." Lucian uses these words to denounce contemporary philosophers in The Fisherman, where he also includes the absurd comparison of a vulture to a nightingale (νῦν δὲ θᾶττον ἂν γὺψ ἀηδόνα μιμήσαιτο ἢ οὗτοι φιλοσόφους).

Πάθει μάθος.

Wisdom (is acquired) by means of suffering.

The words are spoken by the chorus in Aeschylus's Agamemnon, where the word μάθος is a poetic equivalent to μάθησις, "learning, the getting of knowledge, wisdom." The word πάθος (from the verb πάσχω) can simply mean "experience," but it can also have the negative connotation of "suffering." Given that the chorus then goes on to speak about πόνος, "hard work, toil," I opted for "suffering" in the English translation. In addition, Greek πάθος can also mean "emotion, passion," which is the sense it has taken on in the English word pathos, and also in compounds like sympathy and empathy. Compare a saying from an earlier blog post: Τα παθήματα μαθήματα.

Ὅσια κρῖνε.

Choose the things that are holy.

This is one of the Delphic maxims recorded by Stobaeus. The verb κρίνω has a wide range of meaning; often it means "decide," but here, with a direct object, it means something more like "pick out, choose." Note also the circumflex accent for this imperative form: κρῖνε.

And to finish up, here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Proverbs: March 5

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

Αἰγιαλῷ λαλεῖς.

You're talking to the seashore.

This is a proverbial fool's errand: you're talking to the waves pounding against the seashore, i.e. to someone who cannot hear you. You can see the Greek root λαλ- in the -lalia words like glossolalia and echolalia.

Ὄφιν θάλπεις.

You're warming a snake.

In English we warn people about the threat posed by a snake or viper in one's bosom, i.e. a dangerous person to whom you are close, but this Greek proverb alludes specifically to the Aesop's fable about the foolish man who found a snake half-frozen in the snow; feeling sorry for the snake, he warmed it in his cloak (or by his fireside), but when the snake revived, it bit him!

Ἄνθρωπος μέτρον.

Man (is) the measure.

The words are a fragment of the pre-Socratic philosopher Protagoras, who argued for philosophical relativism: what a person subjectively perceives is the measure of their reality. It is sometimes cited as Ἄνθρωπος μέτρον ἁπάντων, "Man (is) the measure of all things." You can see the Greek μέτρον in English metronome.

Ἐς πόδας ἐκ κεφαλῆς.

To the feet from the head.

Or, as we might say in English: "from head to foot" or "from head to toe" — although the Greek makes more sense than the English, referring to feet in the plural. The phrase is found already in Homer's Iliad, referring to Patroclus' body being prepared for his funeral. From the Greek κεφαλ- we get all the -cephal- words in English like encephalitis and cephalopod.

Ὃ γέγραφα γέγραφα.

That which I have written, I have written.

The words are spoken by Pontius Pilate in the Gospel of John. The story goes that Pilate wrote a sign to hang on the cross of Jesus: Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῶν ἰουδαίων, Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews. The Jewish priests objected, but Pilate would not change what he had written. This famous incident has its own article at Wikipedia: Quod scripsi scripsi. You can also find out more at this article: Jesus, King of the Jews.

And to finish up, here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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Greek Proverbs: March 3

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

Σεαυτὸν αἰδοῦ.

Have respect for yourself.

The form αἰδοῦ is a middle imperative from the verb αἰδέομαι. It can mean "feel shame," but especially when it takes a direct object, as here, it has the sense of "feel fear, awe," and thus to venerate or respect. The noun αἰδώς also covers that same range of meaning, from shame and fear to awe and respect.

Ἀεργοῖς αἲὲν ἑορτά.

For lazy (people), (it's) always a holiday.

The saying is reported in one of the idylls of Theocritus; you can find out more at Wikipedia: Idyll 15. The adjective ἀεργός is an alpha-privative: ἀ-εργός, not-working, and it is being used substantively here: lazy people.

Ζητεῖτε καὶ εὑρήσετε.

Seek, and you will find.

The words are from the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew; find out more at Wikipedia: Matthew 7:7-8.

Οὐ νυκτὶ πλεῖς.

You are not sailing at night.

This refers to the fact that it is the night which gives you a way to steer your ship, using the stars. To be sailing by day, not by night, means to be doing something in a haphazard way without a sense of direction. As Erasmus notes, however, the saying also appears in the proverb collections without the negative — νυκτὶ πλεῖς, "you're sailing by night" — with the same negative meaning, as sailing in the dark can be dangerous too because of rocks and shoals of coastlines. Traveling by sea is dangerous at any time! (The Greek were not very adventurous navigators.)

Δεύτερος πλοῦς.

The second (way of) sailing.

This referred to sailing by the power of rowing, rather than with the wind. Obviously, it's more work — but you still get there, so the saying refers to a next-best route to success, one that might take more effort on your part. You can see the Greek root of δεύτερος in Deuteronomy, the "second book of the law" in the Hebrew Bible; see Wikipedia: Deuteronomy.

And to finish up, here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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