An Ancient Greek Joke

Γραμματικοῦ θυγάτηρ ἔτεκεν φιλότητι μιγεῖσα   παιδίον ἀρσενικόν, θηλυκόν, οὐδέτερον. 

A grammarian’s daughter, having 'known' a man, gave birth to a child which was masculine, feminine, and neuter. (translated by W. R. Paton)

Taken from the Greek Anthology  9.489 and attributed to Palladas 

Class Schedule for the remainder of the course.

March 12th: Week 8
March 19th: NO CLASS.
March 26th: Week 9
April    2nd: Week 10

-Chris

The Wisdom of Herakles: a new translation.

I thought I'd have a go at translating this piece myself......

Euripides, Alcestis 780-802 (spoken by Herakles, tr. Chris Maughan)

Do you conceive the nature of mortality?

I imagine not; how could you?

But hear me out.

All men are in the sights of Death.

No mortal can be sure that he

will live out his life ‘til tomorrow.

Events that come by chance, are not foreseen.

They can’t be learnt nor swayed by any skill.

Listen to this and learn from me; drink, be merry

and tick off your days as you live your life.

Those left belong to Fortune.

Pay honour too, to Love, that most delectable of deities,

for she is well-disposed to mortal men.

Let all else go and heed my words,

If I seem to you be talking sense. Indeed, I believe that I am.

So cast off your pain and drink with me.

Sport the victory crown as you overcome Fortune.

I am wise to know that the sound of a splash, like oars, in a drinking cup

will unwind your moorings from this mood of melancholy.

Being mortals, it is right that our thoughts are mortal.

In my opinion, life, for all solemn frowning men,

is not truly life but an affliction.

-Chris

 

Akropolis World News - in Ancient Greek

I've recently discovered the site of a Greek tutor at St Andrews who posts extracts from current news in elegant Classical Greek.  http://www.akwn.net/

I've had a look at the latest one on the Ukraine troubles.  Here's the text with a few annotations (click to enlarge):

The Wisdom of Heracles

This is a marvellous piece on why we should eat, drink and be merry

Euripides, Alcestis 779-802 (spoken by Heracles, tr. Moses Hadas and John McLean):

Come here and learn a thing or two. Do you understand the nature of mortality?

I suppose you don't. How could you? But listen to me.

All men have to pay the debt of death, and there is not a mortal who knows whether he is going to be alive on the morrow.

The outcome of things that depend on fortune cannot be foreseen; they can neither be learnt nor discovered by any art.

Hearken to this and learn of me, cheer up, drink, reckon the days yours as you live them; the rest belong to fortune.

Pay honor too to Cypris, most sweetest of goddesses to men; she is a gracious deity.

Let these other things go, and heed my words—if I seem to you to be talking sense; I think I am.

Come away from the door there, bind your head with garlands, and drink with me.

I know well that the splash of the wine in the cup will shift you from this dour, tight moodiness.

We are only human, and our thought ought to be human.

Life for all you sober and frowning folk, if you take my opinion, is not really life but a calamity.

δεῦρ' ἔλθ', ὅπως ἂν καὶ σοφώτερος γένῃ.
τὰ θνητὰ πράγμαθ' ἣντιν' οἶσθ' ἔχει φύσιν;
οἶμαι μὲν οὔ· πόθεν γάρ; ἀλλ' ἄκουέ μου.

βροτοῖς ἅπασι κατθανεῖν ὀφείλεται,
κοὐκ ἔστι θνητῶν ὅστις ἐξεπίσταται
τὴν αὔριον μέλλουσαν εἰ βιώσεται·
τὸ τῆς τύχης γὰρ ἀφανὲς οἷ προβήσεται,
κἄστ' οὐ διδακτὸν οὐδ' ἁλίσκεται τέχνῃ.
ταῦτ' οὖν ἀκούσας καὶ μαθὼν ἐμοῦ πάρα
εὔφραινε σαυτόν, πῖνε, τὸν καθ' ἡμέραν
βίον λογίζου σόν, τὰ δ' ἄλλα τῆς τύχης.
τίμα δὲ καὶ τὴν πλεῖστον ἡδίστην θεῶν
Κύπριν βροτοῖσιν· εὐμενὴς γὰρ ἡ θεός.
τὰ δ' ἄλλ' ἔασον πάντα καὶ πιθοῦ λόγοις
ἐμοῖσιν, εἴπερ ὀρθά σοι δοκῶ λέγειν.
οἶμαι μέν. οὔκουν τὴν ἄγαν λύπην ἀφεὶς
πίῃ μεθ' ἡμῶν [τάσδ' ὑπερβαλὼν τύχας,
στεφάνοις πυκασθείς]; καὶ σάφ' οἶδ' ὁθούνεκα
τοῦ νῦν σκυθρωποῦ καὶ ξυνεστῶτος φρενῶν
μεθορμιεῖ σε πίτυλος ἐμπεσὼν σκύφου.
ὄντας δὲ θνητοὺς θνητὰ καὶ φρονεῖν χρεών·
ὡς τοῖς γε σεμνοῖς καὶ συνωφρυωμένοις
ἅπασίν ἐστιν, ὥς γ' ἐμοὶ χρῆσθαι κριτῇ,
οὐ βίος ἀληθῶς ὁ βίος ἀλλὰ συμφορά.

Class schedule change

Because of new travel commitments, Steve asked if we could cancel the class scheduled for Wed. March 19th and hold it the following Wed. March 26th. The class agreed.

March 19th class is cancelled and will be held on March 26th.

-Chris

Class Feb 19th: What we covered and prep. for next class.

In the grammar book we covered the new topics in section 16A-B.

In the text, we worked on section A.

Prep for next week: Text section A and B.

 -Chris