Greek Proverb of the Day

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Καρδία ἐλάφου.

• καρδία.
• ἐλάφου, from ἔλαφος.

Καρδία ἐλάφου.

The heart of a deer.

This is a saying indicating cowardice, and the words were famously used by Achilles when he taunted Agamemnon in the opening book of the Iliad: "οἰνοβαρές, κυνὸς ὄμματ᾽ ἔχων, κραδίην δ᾽ ἐλάφοιο," "weighed down with wine, having the face of a dog but the heart of a deer," where κραδίη ἐλάφοιο is the Homeric form of καρδία ἐλάφου. There is an Aesop's fable about the proverbial cowardice of the deer.

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Καρδία ______.

reveal/hide answer

Καρδία ἐλάφου.

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Σκιὰ ἀντὶ τοῦ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Σκιὰ ἀντὶ τοῦ σώματος.

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Ἐλέφας μῦν οὐ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ἐλέφας μῦν οὐ δάκνει.

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______ καθεύδων.

reveal/hide answer

Λαγὼς καθεύδων.

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______, φίλον φῶς.

reveal/hide answer

Χαῖρε, φίλον φῶς.

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

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 23

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Λαγὼς καθεύδων.

• λαγώς
• καθεύδων, from καθεύδω.

Λαγὼς καθεύδων.

The sleeping hare.

This saying also appears in Erasmus, who explains that it refers to a deception: the hare sleeps with its eyes open, or so the ancient Greeks and Romans supposed, fooling people into thinking it was awake. More about this folk tradition: Lagophthalmos or Hare Eye: An Etymologic Eye Opener.

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Ἐλέφας μῦν οὐ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ἐλέφας μῦν οὐ δάκνει.

---

______, φίλον φῶς.

reveal/hide answer

Χαῖρε, φίλον φῶς.

---

______ καθεύδων.

reveal/hide answer

Λαγὼς καθεύδων.

---

Σκιὰ ἀντὶ τοῦ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Σκιὰ ἀντὶ τοῦ σώματος.

---

Οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς δύο.

---

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

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 22

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Ἐλέφας μῦν οὐ δάκνει.

• ἐλέφας
• μῦν, from μῦς.
• οὐ
• δάκνει, from δάκνω.

Ἐλέφας μῦν οὐ δάκνει.

An elephant doesn't bite a mouse.

A proverb of incongruity! A mouse is too small to be worthy of the elephant's attention, much less provoke an attack. So, if you're an elephant and you happen to notice a mouse, just let it go; don't sweat the small stuff. You've seen a variation on this saying before in a previous blog post: Ἐλέφας μῦν οὐχ ἁλίσκει. The idea that elephants are afraid of mice is a later legend with no basis in fact. It was not a belief in ancient Greece, although the Roman writer Pliny claimed that elephants hated mice, and the legend seems to have taken shape over the centuries following Pliny. 

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς δύο.

---

Σκιὰ ἀντὶ τοῦ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Σκιὰ ἀντὶ τοῦ σώματος.

---

Ἐλέφας μῦν οὐ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ἐλέφας μῦν οὐ δάκνει.

---

_______ φύλαττε.

reveal/hide answer

Φιλίαν φύλαττε.

---

______, φίλον φῶς.

reveal/hide answer

Χαῖρε, φίλον φῶς.

---

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

---

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe to the email list.

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 21

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Σκιὰ ἀντὶ τοῦ σώματος.

• σκιὰ, from σκιά.
• ἀντί
• τοῦ, from ὁ.
• σώματος, from σῶμα.

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.

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Σκιὰ ἀντὶ τοῦ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Σκιὰ ἀντὶ τοῦ σώματος.

---

______, φίλον φῶς.

reveal/hide answer

Χαῖρε, φίλον φῶς.

---

Οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς δύο.

---

_______ φύλαττε.

reveal/hide answer

Φιλίαν φύλαττε.

---

Γλαῦκας εἰς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Γλαῦκας εἰς Ἀθήνας.

---

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

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 20

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Χαῖρε, φίλον φῶς.

• χαῖρε, from χαίρω.
• φίλον, from φίλος.
• φῶς

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.

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Γλαῦκας εἰς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Γλαῦκας εἰς Ἀθήνας.

---

______, φίλον φῶς.

reveal/hide answer

Χαῖρε, φίλον φῶς.

---

Οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς δύο.

---

_______ φύλαττε.

reveal/hide answer

Φιλίαν φύλαττε.

---

Ἔργου ______ οἱ λόγοι.

reveal/hide answer

Ἔργου σκιὰ οἱ λόγοι.

---

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

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 19

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς δύο.

• οὐδέ.
• Ἡρακλῆς.
• πρός.
• δύο, from δύο.

Οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς δύο.

Not even Heracles (fights) against two.

In other words: don't pick a fight where your enemies outnumber you. The saying appears in a fragment of the archaic poet Archilochus. Meanwhile, you can read about the exploits of the hero Hercules at Wikipedia: Heracles.

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

_______ φύλαττε.

reveal/hide answer

Φιλίαν φύλαττε.

---

Ἔργου ______ οἱ λόγοι.

reveal/hide answer

Ἔργου σκιὰ οἱ λόγοι.

---

Γλαῦκας εἰς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Γλαῦκας εἰς Ἀθήνας.

---

____ διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ.

reveal/hide answer

Θεὸς διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ.

---

Οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Οὐδὲ Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς δύο.

---

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

---

---

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 18

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Φιλίαν φύλαττε.

• φιλίαν, from φίλιος.
• φύλαττε, from φυλάσσω.

Φιλίαν φύλαττε.

Preserve friendship.

The nice word-play in the Greek doesn't come through in the English, alas. This is another one of the sayings recorded in the Delphic Maxims of Stobaeus. This is the Attic form of the verb φυλάσσ-. You can see the root of this Greek verb in English "prophylactic." 

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Μακραὶ ______ χεῖρες.

reveal/hide answer

Μακραὶ τυράννων χεῖρες.

---

Γλαῦκας εἰς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Γλαῦκας εἰς Ἀθήνας.

---

Ἔργου ______ οἱ λόγοι.

reveal/hide answer

Ἔργου σκιὰ οἱ λόγοι.

---

_______ φύλαττε.

reveal/hide answer

Φιλίαν φύλαττε.

---

____ διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ.

reveal/hide answer

Θεὸς διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ.

---

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

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 17

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Γλαῦκας εἰς Ἀθήνας.

• γλαῦκας, from γλαύξ.
• εἰς, from εἰς.
• Ἀθήνας, from Ἀθῆναι.

Γλαῦκας εἰς Ἀθήνας.

(Bringing) owls to Athens.

This refers to a foolish effort: there's no need to bring owls to Athens because Athens is full of owls. The owls that lived in the Parthenon were a symbol of Athens, and the coins of Athens were stamped with owls. Compare the English proverbial phrase, "coals to Newcastle."

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Ἔργου ______ οἱ λόγοι.

reveal/hide answer

Ἔργου σκιὰ οἱ λόγοι.

---

Γλαῦκας εἰς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Γλαῦκας εἰς Ἀθήνας.

---

Μακραὶ ______ χεῖρες.

reveal/hide answer

Μακραὶ τυράννων χεῖρες.

---

____ διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ.

reveal/hide answer

Θεὸς διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ.

---

Κοσκίνῳ ______ ἀντλεῖς.

reveal/hide answer

Κοσκίνῳ ὕδωρ ἀντλεῖς.

---

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

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 16

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Ἔργου σκιὰ οἱ λόγοι.

• ἔργου, from ἔργον.
• σκιὰ, from σκιά.
• οἱ, from ὁ.
• λόγοι, from λόγος.

Ἔργου σκιὰ οἱ λόγοι.

Words (are) the shadow of the deed.

You can see the Greek root εργ- in English words like energy and ergonomic. Meanwhile, the word σκιὰ is lurking in the English word "squirrel," as the squirrel was called σκίουρος in Greek: σκιά-οὐρά, shadow-tail, thanks to the way its big busy tail is like an umbrella! (Meanwhile, "umbrella" is from the Latin word for shadow: umbra.)

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Ἄλλην ______ βαλάνιζε.

reveal/hide answer

Ἄλλην δρῦν βαλάνιζε.

---

Κοσκίνῳ ______ ἀντλεῖς.

reveal/hide answer

Κοσκίνῳ ὕδωρ ἀντλεῖς.

---

Μακραὶ ______ χεῖρες.

reveal/hide answer

Μακραὶ τυράννων χεῖρες.

---

____ διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ.

reveal/hide answer

Θεὸς διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ.

---

Ἔργου ______ οἱ λόγοι.

reveal/hide answer

Ἔργου σκιὰ οἱ λόγοι.

---

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

---

---

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 15

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Θεὸς διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ.

• θεὸς, from θεός.
• διά.
• πάντα, from πᾶς.
• τελευτᾷ, from τελευτάω.

Θεὸς διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ.

God brings all things to completion.

The words come from Homer's Iliad, when Agamemnon is basically blaming Zeus for his quarrel with Achilles. The word διὰ is not a preposition here; instead, it is functioning as an adverb; later, these adverbs attached themselves to the verbs as prefixes (δια-τελευτάω), but they were more free-floating in Homer. This is called tmesis, "cutting" of the verb; you can read more at Wikipedia: Tmesis. The root of the verb is τέλος, meaning the end or outcome, and you can see that Greek root in English teleology.

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Ἄλλην ______ βαλάνιζε.

reveal/hide answer

Ἄλλην δρῦν βαλάνιζε.

---

Ἕνα ἀλλὰ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ἕνα ἀλλὰ λέοντα.

---

____ διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ.

reveal/hide answer

Θεὸς διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ.

---

Μακραὶ ______ χεῖρες.

reveal/hide answer

Μακραὶ τυράννων χεῖρες.

---

Κοσκίνῳ ______ ἀντλεῖς.

reveal/hide answer

Κοσκίνῳ ὕδωρ ἀντλεῖς.

---

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

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 14

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Μακραὶ τυράννων χεῖρες.

• μακραὶ, from μακρός.
• τυράννων, from τύραννος.
• χεῖρες, from χείρ.

Μακραὶ τυράννων χεῖρες.

Long (are) the hands of tyrants.

Compare the English proverb, "Kings have long arms." In other words, kings, tyrants, etc. can exert their dangerous power at a distance. And yes, the English word "tyrant" comes from the Greek. Compare an expanded version in Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac: "Kings have long Arms, but Misfortune longer: Let none think themselves out of her Reach."

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Μακραὶ ______ χεῖρες.

reveal/hide answer

Μακραὶ τυράννων χεῖρες.

---

Κοσκίνῳ ______ ἀντλεῖς.

reveal/hide answer

Κοσκίνῳ ὕδωρ ἀντλεῖς.

---

Πολλὰ καινὰ τοῦ _____.

reveal/hide answer

Πολλὰ καινὰ τοῦ πολέμου.

---

Ἄλλην ______ βαλάνιζε.

reveal/hide answer

Ἄλλην δρῦν βαλάνιζε.

---

Ἕνα ἀλλὰ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ἕνα ἀλλὰ λέοντα.

---

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

---

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 13

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Κοσκίνῳ ὕδωρ ἀντλεῖς.

• κοσκίνῳ, from κόσκινον.
• ὕδωρ, from ὕδωρ.
• ἀντλεῖς, from ἀντλέω.

Κοσκίνῳ ὕδωρ ἀντλεῖς.

You're drawing water with a sieve.

This is a fool's errand: you can scoop all you want, but the sieve is not going to hold the water. Compare a similar saying you've seen before: Κοσκίνῳ ὕδωρ φέρει, "He's carrying water in a sieve." The original meaning of the verb ἀντλέω is to bale bilgewater; the noun ἄντλος means bilgewater.

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Αἲξ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Αἲξ θάλασσαν.

---

Πολλὰ καινὰ τοῦ _____.

reveal/hide answer

Πολλὰ καινὰ τοῦ πολέμου.

---

Ἕνα ἀλλὰ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ἕνα ἀλλὰ λέοντα.

---

Κοσκίνῳ ______ ἀντλεῖς.

reveal/hide answer

Κοσκίνῳ ὕδωρ ἀντλεῖς.

---

Ἄλλην ______ βαλάνιζε.

reveal/hide answer

Ἄλλην δρῦν βαλάνιζε.

---

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

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 12

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Ἄλλην δρῦν βαλάνιζε.

• ἄλλην, from ἄλλος.
• δρῦν, from δρῦς.
• βαλάνιζε, from βαλανίζω (from βάλανος)

Ἄλλην δρῦν βαλάνιζε.

Shake down acorns from some other oak.

In other words: stop borrowing money from me; go borrow from somebody else! The verb βαλανίζω is from the noun βάλανος, meaning "acorn," i.e. "acorn-ize." From the Greek root ἄλλ-, we get English words like allograph, which is a signature that someone makes for another person. 

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Ἕνα ἀλλὰ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ἕνα ἀλλὰ λέοντα.

---

Πολλὰ καινὰ τοῦ _____.

reveal/hide answer

Πολλὰ καινὰ τοῦ πολέμου.

---

Ἄλλην ______ βαλάνιζε.

reveal/hide answer

Ἄλλην δρῦν βαλάνιζε.

---

Αἲξ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Αἲξ θάλασσαν.

---

Σπεῦδε ______.

reveal/hide answer

Σπεῦδε βραδέως.

---

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

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 11

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Ἕνα ἀλλὰ λέοντα.

• ἕνα, from εἷς.
• ἀλλὰ
• λέοντα, from λέων.

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.

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Σπεῦδε ______.

reveal/hide answer

Σπεῦδε βραδέως.

---

Μνήμην ______.

reveal/hide answer

Μνήμην καμήλου.

---

Αἲξ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Αἲξ θάλασσαν.

---

Ἕνα ἀλλὰ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Ἕνα ἀλλὰ λέοντα.

---

Πολλὰ καινὰ τοῦ _____.

reveal/hide answer

Πολλὰ καινὰ τοῦ πολέμου.

---

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

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 10

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Πολλὰ καινὰ τοῦ πολέμου.

• πολλὰ, from πολύς.
• καινὰ, from καινός.
• τοῦ, from ὁ.
• πολέμου, from πόλεμος

Πολλὰ καινὰ τοῦ πολέμου.

War brings many strange things.

Literally, "Literally, "Many (are) the new/strange things of war." Bentley includes this Greek saying in his Dissertation upon the Epistles of Phalaris, applying the saying quite wittily to the strange anachronistic contradictions he discovers in the process of debunking the letters and attributing them not to the 6th century B.C.E. but to the 2nd century C.E.

And here's a quiz covering the past five cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Μνήμην ______.

reveal/hide answer

Μνήμην καμήλου.

---

Σπεῦδε ______.

reveal/hide answer

Σπεῦδε βραδέως.

---

Αἲξ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Αἲξ θάλασσαν.

---

Πολλὰ καινὰ τοῦ _____.

reveal/hide answer

Πολλὰ καινὰ τοῦ πολέμου.

---

Μίδου ______.

reveal/hide answer

Μίδου χρήματα.

---

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

---

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 9

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Αἲξ θάλασσαν.

• αἴξ.
• θάλασσαν, from θάλασσα.

Αἲξ θάλασσαν.

The goat (sees) the sea.

The idea is that the goat is amazed by the sea, and looks at it with fascination because it is something entirely new. Goats live in mountains and valleys; they do not often get to see the sea, so the saying is used to refer to someone who is staring in amazement at something they have not seen before.

And here's a quiz covering the past four cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Μνήμην ______.

reveal/hide answer

Μνήμην καμήλου.

---

Σπεῦδε ______.

reveal/hide answer

Σπεῦδε βραδέως.

---

Αἲξ ______.

reveal/hide answer

Αἲξ θάλασσαν.

---

Μίδου ______.

reveal/hide answer

Μίδου χρήματα.

---

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

---

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 8

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Σπεῦδε βραδέως.

• σπεῦδε, from σπεύδω (imperative).
• βραδέως, from βραδύς (adverb).

Σπεῦδε βραδέως.

Hurry up slowly.

In other words: don't be slow, but don't be too fast either! This phrase became popular as a Latin saying, which has its own Wikipedia article: Festina lente. Compare a similarly paradoxical English saying: "More haste, less speed."

And here's a quiz covering the past three cats (answers at the blog only, not in the email):

Μνήμην ______.

reveal/hide answer

Μνήμην καμήλου.

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Μίδου ______.

reveal/hide answer

Μίδου χρήματα.

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Σπεῦδε ______.

reveal/hide answer

Σπεῦδε βραδέως.

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

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 7

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Μνήμην καμήλου.

• μνήμην, from μνήμη.
• καμήλου, from κάμηλος.

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.

And here's a quiz covering the past two cats:

Μίδου ______.

reveal/hide answer

Μίδου χρήματα.

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Μνήμην ______.

reveal/hide answer

Μνήμην καμήλου.

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

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Greek Proverb of the Day: October 6

Here is today's proverb from the blog with a LOLcat and vocabulary too! This is a repeat of a proverb you've seen before, but the vocabulary list is new. The vocabulary links go to Logeion.

Μίδου χρήματα.

• Μίδου, from Μίδας. 
• χρήματα, from χρῆμα. 

Μίδου χρήματα.

The money of Midas.

King Midas was legendary for his wealth, but the "touch of gold" came at a terrible price; you can read the story at Wikipedia: Midas. Erasmus cites some other Greek sayings about the proverbially wealthy Midas: Μίδου πλοῦτος, "the wealth of Midas" and Μίδου πλουσιώτερος, "richer than Midas."

And here's a quiz:

Μίδου ______.

reveal/hide answer

Μίδου χρήματα.

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

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Greek Proverbs

NOTE: I'll be away for next week, so the next post/email won't be until Tuesday, Oct. 5, after I get back. I'm also thinking about a new turn in the ongoing development of this project. When I started, I hadn't intended for it to be cat-based, but with this new round of cats, there are now over 365 cats. That's enough for one every day of the year. So I am thinking I will switch over to a daily post, presenting a proverb each day and glossing all the words and providing more systematic grammar notes. I'll keep making new cats too, but it's fun to think that there are enough for a year now, and having fully glossed proverbs will be better for students, right? Plus, hey, it's Greek: we can all benefit from glossing. :-)

So now: here's one more round of five new cats with previous proverbs, and with the quiz. See how you do on the questions up top, and then try them again down below after you've read through the proverbs (the quiz results display only at the blog, not in the email).

Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ______ ὑμῶν.

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Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν.

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______ ὠτίων πιστότεροι.

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Ὀφθαλμοὶ ὠτίων πιστότεροι.

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Ἀρχὴ τῆς ______ ἡ παιδεία.

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Ἀρχὴ τῆς σοφίας ἡ παιδεία.

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Δόσις δ᾿ ὀλίγη τε ______ τε.

reveal/hide answer

Δόσις δ᾿ ὀλίγη τε φίλη τε.

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Ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων ______ πήματα.

reveal/hide answer

Ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων τέκνα πήματα.

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Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν.

Love your enemies.

This is another Biblical saying, this time from the Gospel of Luke, specifically from the section known as the Sermon on the Plain; you can find out more at Wikipedia: Sermon on the Plain. There is also a Wikipedia article about this saying in particular: Love your enemies.

Ὀφθαλμοὶ ὠτίων πιστότεροι.

The eyes (are) more trustworthy than the ears.

The idea is that you need to see something for yourself rather than listening to someone else tell you about it. Compare the English saying, "Seeing is believing." The word πιστότεροι is a comparative form of the adjective πιστός, and as a comparative it takes a genitive complement: ὠτίων. 

Ἀρχὴ τῆς σοφίας ἡ παιδεία.

Education (is) the beginning of wisdom.

All three of the nouns in this sentence are feminine! The root of the word παιδεία is παῖς, "child," which also gives us English words like pediatric and pedagogy.

Δόσις δ᾿ ὀλίγη τε φίλη τε.

A gift, small (but) welcome.

The words appear twice in Homer's Odyssey. First, in Book 6, when Nausicaa offers hospitality to Odysseus, and again in Book 14, when Eumaeus welcomes Odysseus in Ithaca. The saying offers an apology for not having a bigger gift to offer; the idea is that a gift, although small, is given gladly and should be welcome. You can see the Greek root ὀλίγ- in oligopoly and oligarchy.

Ἄνδρῶν ἡρώων τέκνα πήματα.
The children of heroes (are) calamities.
In other words, you cannot predict the quality of a person based on who their fathers are; heroes' children do not always turn out to be heroes — sometimes just the opposite. Erasmus includes this saying in his Adagia.

Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ______ ὑμῶν.

reveal/hide answer

Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν.

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______ ὠτίων πιστότεροι.

reveal/hide answer

Ὀφθαλμοὶ ὠτίων πιστότεροι.

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Ἀρχὴ τῆς ______ ἡ παιδεία.

reveal/hide answer

Ἀρχὴ τῆς σοφίας ἡ παιδεία.

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Δόσις δ᾿ ὀλίγη τε ______ τε.

reveal/hide answer

Δόσις δ᾿ ὀλίγη τε φίλη τε.

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Ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων ______ πήματα.

reveal/hide answer

Ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων τέκνα πήματα.

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

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