Thinking on Procrastination, Shakespeare, and Deeds.

Tags

greek, philosophy, Procrastination, pythagoras, shakespeare

It is Ancient Greek Wednesday! What shall we take a look into today? We have pulled an oldie from Archaic Greece (6th century BCE) and found this little treasure by Pythagoras.

Ἀρχὴ δέ τοι ἥμισυ παντός.
For in beginning, things are half done.
En el comenzar, las cosas son medio hechas.

What is Pythagoras saying? Many would translate this as “Well begun is half done;” however, the Ancient Philosopher had something else in mind. Just like a journey of a thousand steps begins with the first, Pythagoras says that anything you begin begins in beginning it. What? Well, think of Shakespeare’s “the native hue of resolution is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought.” In other, more comprehensible words, we tend to avoid doing things because in thinking about them we lose all impetus. Recognizing this, Pythagoras says that which we begin, no matter what it is, and at once having overcome our thoughts of doubt, is already half done.

Let’s stop thinking about our projects and start doing them, for in the action of beginning we are already half way there! Do not procrastinate (latin – pro (for), cras (tomorrow), tinus (belonging))

Χαίρετε!

Thinking on Cicero, Friendship, and Love.

Tags

Cicero, friendship, latin, love, self, self-love

Posting issues prevented us from getting you some Latin yesterday; let us make amends for our lack of ‘studium’ (zeal).

Vērus amīcus est alter īdem (Cicero)
A true friend is another self.
Un verdadero amigo es otro ‘yo.’

Of course; it is our Cicero that returns with a quote on friendship. What does he mean by ‘self?’ He, quite literally, says that a true friend is īdem, that is, ‘a third person outside of one self but equal in all things to one self.’ Have you ever had a buddy so close to you that you felt you could read each other minds? That is what Cicero equates to true friendship.

Also, if you ever watched “Ghost,” with Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, and wondered what they meant when one said “I love you” and the other replied “idem,” now you know the answer. They meant to say “the same thing,” quite the neuter way to say ‘I love you back’ while practicing some Latin.

Salvete!

Thinking on Women, Clytemenstra, and Power.

Tags

Agamemnon, clytemnestra, euripides, feminism, misogyny, mycenae, power

Clytemnestra, wife of the infamous Agamemnon, Achaean King of Kings, was not only a superb manager of estate who remained in power while her husband was away in Troy, she is also an avenger and a regicide. Her character was confusing even to the ancients who spoke of her in plays and in plain gossip. It is worth noting that transgender here does not mean ‘dressing like the opposite sex,’ but rather taking on the ‘traits of the opposite sex’ as seen by the Ancient Greeks. Especially in Athens, the issue of who was a man and who a woman was quite huge in the 5th and 4th centuries.

Euripides, who has been classified as both a misogynist and a feminist by various scholars, writes at-length about these issues. One of his plays is precisely about Clytemnestra and her murder of Agamemnon. Aeschylus, Aristophanes and Sophocles all wrote about the Achaean Queen, bringing us a perspective quite different from what we think transgender roles are.

Take a look at this article published by History of the Ancient World, and let us know what you think.

Thinking on Laziness, Teaching, and the Value of Work.

Tags

Aesop, classical greek, laziness, values, work

Happy Monday! Time for Ancient Greek, and our well-liked Aesop Series.

Aesop told the story of a farmer who had lazy kids (who cannot identify with that, right?) and, in order to make them work, he tells them there is a treasure hidden in their farmland. The kids, excited to find the treasure, leave no stone unturned; they clean what is dirty to make things more visible and organize the farmland from top to bottom to make sure they have covered the entire area. In the end, when the sons and daughters find nothing, the farmer makes them look at the field and tells them, with the expected coy smile, that they have found the treasure after all, for:

“Τὸ ἔργον θησαυρὸς τοῑς ἀνθρώποις.”
Work [is] a treasure to human beings.
El trabajo es un tesoro para los humanos.

You will immediately notice the absence of the verb “to be” in the A. Greek; to the speakers of the language ellipsis (omission) was a beautiful thing. After all, they thought, if you understood Ancient Greek then you will, de facto, know what the writer meant to write and say without having to really explain it. Further, Aesop’s fables have the connotation of a joke with a final punch line, and taking the verb “to be” out made it faster to deliver it. One can think of parents telling this fable to their kids at the table and, if one complained about having money or treasure, the pun would be delivered after the ironic tale.

Think about it this way: have you ever heard the term “it is funny because it is true”? The farmer would laugh, because the only treasure his kids would find, being peasants, would be in the work they did, not in meaningless day-dreaming. In that sad truth remained the pun that made the day-to-day worth living; if lived for the right reasons.

Thinking on Sappho, Women in Ancient Greece, and Poetry

Tags

corinna, lesbos, megalostrata, myrtis, Poetry, praxilla, Sappho, tanagara, telesilla

While Ancient Historians have studied Sappho at length despite the lack of sources and small excerpts of her poetry, few know of the several other women writers of Ancient Greece. Whether during the Archaic Period or the Classical Age, women are being found to have been excellent artists.

The one depicted in the sketch below was Corinna (Κόριννα), who hailed from Tanagara, in Boeotia. Tradition states, mostly in the writings of Pausanias and Antipater of Thessalonica, that she was so recognized she took on her own pupils, one of which, from Thebes, was none other than the mega-famous Pindar. She is also said to have defeated Pindar in poetry competitions and had a monument erected in her name due to her victories in art.

Unfortunately, we only have a couple of her poems, and only in fragments, which reflect her style. Here is one:

“Terpsichore [told] me
lovely old tales to sing
to the white-robed women of Tanagra
and the city delighted greatly
in my voice, clear as the swallow’s.”

Whether or not Corinna lived in the 4th century is a matter of hot debate; however, that she was part of a community of women-writers is becoming more evident over time. Names such as Sappho, Corinna, Myrtis, Praxilla, Megalostrata, and Telesilla, are becoming part of the cannon of Ancient History poets and artists.

Thinking of the Wheel of Fortune, Its Rotation, and Fear

Tags

chance, fate, Fear, Rotation, Wheel of Fortune

Did you know the Wheel of Fortune was a thing in the Ancient World? It certainly was to the Romans. Cicero tells us:

[Viritūtes homines] rotam fortūnae nōn timent.
Virtuous human beings do not fear the Wheel of Fortune.
Las personas de virtud no temen la rueda de la Fortuna.

Whether we take it as fortune in general (or as the Romans may have thought of it, the wheel of the goddess Fortuna) the clear path to success is through virtue. As Cicero puts it, we can walk through life more securely if good deeds are to be shown for our efforts. Men or women, in the end, must never forsake duty, and thus, wherever the wheel of fortune lands, they will always be prepared to bear the blow if such a thing comes. What if fortune brings gifts? The Roman would be cautious that it did not bring ‘mala fortuna’ (bad fortune) in its wake.

Valete!

Thinking on Common Greek, the Bible, and Translations.

Tags

bible, Common Greek, greek, latin, spanish, translations

It is Ancient-Greek Wednesday! Let’s step away a bit from Attic Greek and dive into Common Greek (κοινή), which was made possible by Alexander III (The Great).

Τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγὠνισμαι. (2 Timothy 4:7)
I have fought the good fight.
He peleado la buena lucha.

Have you ever wandered why the Bible (βιβλια – books) has so many Greek names? Thank the Greek-speaking Jews in Alexandria who preserved the text in the Septuagint.

But what does Timothy (Honor of God is his translated name) mean here when he places the words in Paul’s mouth? The concept of this text revolves around a single word: ‘agony.’ To the Ancient Greeks, to struggle was the stuff of life. We spoke of Romans wanting to be strong, the Greeks wanted to suffer. Whether a hero or a villain, your life would be measured in the struggle (agony) you had experienced by the time of your death. Paul is telling us that he is close to death (verse six – although he didn’t need to say it, it is obvious), and his struggle has been of the greatest sort, hence qualifying him for good judgement.

He actually uses struggle twice, first as a verb (ἠ-γὠν-ισμαι) and secondly as a noun (ἀ-γῶν-α). Also, he uses a Middle/Passive verb, which has the connotation of meaning ‘for myself.’ Our writer says he has done all possible to become worthy of good judgement after death, making himself an example of agony to all of us, at least in his mind. Notice he doesn’t claim salvation, but only the running of a good race, as any true Greek-thinking individual would do; “judgement is always left to others after we are gone” (Aeschylus); to Paul and Timothy, the judge is only thier version of God. The key is one must live the best life possible, and allow that to be the person’s own defense when judged (Socrates).

The Romans would have understood little of what Timothy was trying to say, but appreciated the need of making something of your life.

The Sea Peoples, Mysteries, and Egypt

Tags

Atlantis, Egypt, Ramesses III, Sea Peoples

The Sea Peoples; still the Grand Mystery of the Ancient World after decades of study by historians from all disciplines. Theories vary, from citizens of Atlantis to Eurasian riders who took to boats, passing through localized rebels groups. Only one thing is certain: the Bronze Age passed with them, and a new Iron Age begun.

After their defeat by Ramesses III the Sea Peoples vanish from history. No records indicate where they came from and there are no accounts of them after 1178 BCE but, for almost one hundred years, they were the most feared sea raiders in the Mediterranean region and a constant challenge to the might and prosperity of Egypt.

Check out this article by the Ancient History Encyclopedia.

On Life, Living, and Strength

Tags

latin, Life, Living, martial, strength

It is Latin Tuesday, and Martial bids us ‘audīre’ (‘to listen’):

Vīta nōn est vīvere sed valēre.
Life is not to live, but to be strong.
La vida no es vivir, sino ser fuerte.

So many things come to mind, although we will focus on the ‘nōn’ here more than anything. Martial, in more than an admonishing tone, begs us to forsake life for what it is not meant to be: living. What? You ask. Well, consider that to Romans duty was everything; we even get our word ‘office’ from it (officium). To avoid your duties was ‘vitia,’ our modern ‘vices.’ In this context, life is not to be lived as a way to avoid duty (officium vitare – that’s just passive and lazy to the Romans), but to force it to work for you and make you stronger.

Strength becomes the end in itself to the citizens of Rome; they avoid life becoming such, making it a tool to achieve strength instead. In other words, those who want to live as the end-purpose of their lives will stop at nothing to see that end fulfilled, avoiding duties, cheating, stealing, stepping on others. However, Martial suggests, those who seek strength of character and body, and who use life to achieve it, make life a tool by which they can accomplish their task.

Valete (A typical Roman ‘farewell’ that had a more literal meaning: ‘be strong y’all’)

Thinking of People, Friendships, and Enemies

Tags

Aesop, classical greek, enemies, fable, friendship, people

Let’s do a little A. Greek to brighten up your Monday morning! We will probably end up naming this the Aesop Series, so let’s take a look.

After a wolf convinces (weird word, from the Latin con-vicere – to win together by multiple things) a sheep to ditch her guarding dog because of some rumors, finally becoming lunch for the wolves, Aesop gives us the following moral:

Μὴ ἀποπέμπετε, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, τοὺς φἰλους διὰ τοὺς λὸγους τῶν πολεμίων.
Do not [you all] send away, O men [and women], your friends on account of words from your enemies.
No os deshagais, hombres [y mujeres], de vuestros amigos debido a palabras de vuestros enemigos.
Propter verba hostes, viri, amici non relinquitis.

Aesop is trying to tell us here that no matter how good our enemy’s arguments/rumors, we should always consider our friends first. After all, our friends have our well-being in mind, while we may easily think our enemies are just trying to get that friendship.

Notice the use of ‘ἄνθρωποι’ in the Greek and ‘viri’ in the Latin. They are both denoting men and women by virtue of language. Just like many writers in our time would say ‘Men’ and actually mean ‘mankind;’ or write ‘mankind’ as meaning both men an women. Despite arguments to the contrary, which are valid for other reasons, Aesop’s meaning includes men and women in it.

So, remember your friends, friends.