List of Greek Phrases / Theta

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Theta

Θάλασσα ὕδωρ καθαρώτατον καὶ μιαρώτατον.

Sea water near the island of Samos
Θάλασσα ὕδωρ καθαρώτατον καὶ μιαρώτατον, ἰχθύσι μὲν πότιμον καὶ σωτήριον, ἀνθρώποις δὲ ἄπθοτον έκαὶ ὀ πθινν έκαν ὀνν ν.
Thalassa hydōr katharōtaton kai miarōtaton, ichtysi men potimon kai soterion, anthropois de apoton kai olethrion.
"Sea water is the purest and most hideous: it is drinkable and life-sustaining for fish, undrinkable and deadly for humans."

Statement by the philosopher Heraclitus about salty sea ​​water , which is inedible for humans, but at the same time is the basis of life for fish.

Another pair of opposites in Heraclitus can be found in the following statement:

" Τῷ οὖν τόξῳ ὄνομα βίος, ἔργον δὲ θάνατος. "
"The name for the bow [namely βιός ] is life [ βίος ], but its work is death." This play on words cannot be reproduced in German; for in the language of the Greek epics the bow is called βιός biós , whereas βίος bíos means life.

Θάλασσα καὶ πῦρ καὶ γυνή, κακὰ τρία.

Θάλασσα καὶ πῦρ καὶ γυνή, κακὰ τρία.
Thalassa kai pyr kai gynē, kaka tria.
"Sea and fire and women, three evils."
Latin “ Mare, ignis, mulier: tria sunt mala. "

This misogynistic saying describes the three most dangerous things in life and reflects the bad experiences of a seafaring people with the sea.

In this context one can also see the following proverbs:

  • "Fire, water and women are good servants, but bad masters."
Perhaps the Albanian proverb fits this: "Fire, water and governments know no mercy."
  • " Ισον εστίν οργή και θάλασσα και γυνή. "
"The wrath of the sea and the woman are alike."

In his book Misogyny (History of Misogyny ), Irish author and BBC journalist Jack Holland dates the origin of misogyny to the 8th century BC. BC and also names the eastern Mediterranean as the place of origin. In a review it says:

“At that time, a peasant who felt called to be a poet lived there - as the author disrespectfully describes him. What is meant is none other than Hesiodos, with whose 'Theogonia' Holland sees misogyny emerge, which is, however, too much of the 'honor' for the gentleman from the little village of Askra in Boeotia. "

In Hesiod's creation mythology theogony , Pandora , the beautiful evil , brings mischief to the men who have lived happily until then. Pandora and the biblical Eve brought ruin to humanity out of curiosity and were used to justify disdain for women.

Even more negative is the dictum of the epigrammarian Palladas of Alexandria, with which Prosper Mérimée introduces his novella about the young gypsy Carmen :

Πᾶσα γυνὴ χόλος ἐστίν ἔχει δ᾿ ἀγαθὰς δύο ὥρας τὴν μίαν ἐν θαλάμῳ, τὴν μίαν ἐν θανάτῳ.
“Every woman is like gall; it has only two good sides: one in bed, the other in death. "

Θάλαττα, θάλαττα.

Route of the Xenophon and the Ten Thousand
Θάλαττα, θάλαττα , picture by Granville Baker, 1901
Θάλαττα, θάλαττα.
Thalatta, thalatta.
"The sea, the sea!"

Famous literary and historical topos for a rescue after long hardship from Xenophon's anabasis . Xenophon describes how the army broke out on the arduous way back on the last chain of hills before the coast near Trebizond with the exclamation " θάλαττα, θάλαττα " and all soldiers were happy to finally see the sea again:

“On the fifth day they came to the mountain Theches (Zigana Dagh, 2650 m). When the first got up there was a loud shouting. Xenophon and the rearguard soldiers heard it and believed that enemies were attacking from the front. But when the calls got louder and louder and those who were coming up joined in, Xenophon said that something must be decisive. He jumped on the horse and wanted to hurry to the others with a division of riders. But immediately they heard the soldiers shouting: 'Thálatta, thálatta, the sea, the sea!' and how one passed the call on to the other. Now everything came into play, including the rear guard, even the draft animals and the horses had to come along. When everyone had reached the summit, they fell into each other's arms, including the colonels and captains, and tears ran down them. "

Heinrich Heine wrote a poem with the title Meergruß , the first stanza of which says:

Thalatta! Thalatta!
Greetings to me, you eternal sea!
Greetings ten thousand times,
From an exultant heart,
As once you were greeted by
ten thousand Greek hearts ,
misfortune-fighting, homeland-demanding,
world-famous Greek hearts .

Travelers from modern times confirm that you can actually see the sea from that point, but not a body of water, as in Heine's poem, but a streak of haze in the distance.

Θαλῆς δὲ πρῶτον εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐλθὼν μετήγαγεν εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα τὴν θεωρίαν ταύτην.

Θαλῆς δὲ πρῶτον εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐλθὼν μετήγαγεν εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα τὴν θεωρίαν ταύτην.
Thalēs de prōton eis Aigypton elthōn metēgagen eis tēn Hellada tēn theōrian tautēn.
"Thales came to Egypt first and brought this discipline with him to Hellas."

Finding that the philosopher and mathematician Thales first spent a time in Egypt and from there made the new discipline of geometry known in Greece.

His journey to Egypt, during which he is said to have familiarized himself with geometry, is narrated from his life. Then he traveled to the court of the Lydian king Sardis . There he did astronomy. He became known because he was born on May 28, 585 BC. Successfully predicted a solar eclipse . Using Thales it becomes clear that the path of knowledge about Egypt and Babylon reached Greek Asia Minor and from there to Greece.

The legend of how Thales is said to have measured the height of the pyramids of Gizeh is famous : He took a staff and compared it with the length of its shadow. With the same position of the sun, the length of the shadow of the pyramid to the height of the pyramid was in the same ratio as the rod to its shadow (application of the ray law ).

Θάνατος οὐδὲν διαφέρει τοῦ ζῆν.

Θάνατος οὐδὲν διαφέρει τοῦ ζῆν.
Thanatos ouden diapherei tou zēn.
"Death is no different from life."

Thales saw no difference between life and death.

Θαρρεῖτε γῆν ὁρῶ.

Θαρρεῖτε γῆν ὁρῶ.
Tharreite, gēn horō.
“Take courage! I see land. "

Comment by the Cynic Diogenes of Sinope when he was listening to a boring lecture and discovered that only half a page of text remained on the lecturer's scroll . This gave him hope that the lecture could not last much longer.

Θᾶττον ἔην λευκους κόρακας πτηνάς τε χελώνας.

Tortoiseshell ( Corvus albus )
Θᾶττον ἔην λευκους κόρακας πτηνάς τε χελώνας.
Thatton eēn leukous korakas ptēnas te chelōnas.
"The ravens are more likely to find themselves white, turtles winged."
Latin: “ Aut albus corvus prius, aut testudo volucris invenietur. "

The humanist Erasmus von Rotterdam writes in his collection of proverbs Adagia :

“In the first book 'Of the physical forces', Galen expresses himself disparagingly about a certain Lykos who neither joined the Erasistratos nor said the right thing himself: It is therefore obvious that Lykos expresses neither the right thing nor the opinion of the Erasistratos . It therefore resembles the well-known white raven, which because of its color cannot join the ravens and because of its size cannot join the pigeons. "

Erasmus takes the view that this expression applies to individualists who do not want to fit into the framework of the general beliefs.

In German, the idiomatic phrase white raven designates less a rare albino , but is a term for something that is characterized by its rarity. The Roman poet Juvenal used it in this sense :

“Felix illeg tamen corvo quoque rarior albo.”

"Such a lucky guy is even rarer than a white raven."

But a white raven is also a person who takes a different opinion.

Regardless of this, the African tortoise- shell bears the scientific name ( Corvus albus  = white raven) , but it is not completely white, but has a magpie-like design.

Θεία Εὐχαριστία

Leonardo da Vinci : The Last Supper
Θεία Εὐχαριστία
Theia Eucharistia.
"Divine Thanksgiving"

Greek name for the Lord's Supper , an act in the context of a Christian worship service that commemorates the death of Jesus Christ . The last meal of Jesus and the early Christian meal fellowship are presented in different versions in the New Testament and are given different names:

The word Eucharist is related to the modern Greek word for thank you, ευχαριστώ efcharisto .

Θέλει αρετή και τόλμη η ελευθερία.

Flag of Zakynthos
Θέλει αρετή και τόλμη η ελευθερία.
Theli areti ke tolmi i eleftheria.
"Freedom needs virtue and courage."

This motto ΘΕΛΕΙ ΑΡΕΤΗ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΛΜΗ Η ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑ , in capital letters on the flag of Zakynthos , the southernmost of the Ionian Islands , comes from the poet Dionysios Solomos , who lived on the island and wrote the poem Hymn to Freedom in 1823 , which became the Greek national anthem . The saying resembles a quote attributed to the ancient statesman and general Pericles :

"Fortunately you need freedom, to be free you need courage."

The seated figure depicted on the flag is Zakynthos ( Ζάκυνθος ), the mythical first inhabitant of the island, a son of Dardanos and grandson of Zeus .

Θεοὶ φύουσιν ἀνθρώποις φρένας.

Θεοὶ φύουσιν ἀνθρώποις φρένας, // πάντων ὅσ᾽ ἐστὶ κτημάτων ὑπέρτατον.
Theoi phyousin anthrōpois phrenas, // pantōn hos' estiktēmatōn hypertaton.
"The gods planted reason in man as the highest of all goods."

Quote from the tragedy Antigone by the poet Sophocles . Haimon , Antigone's fiancé and son of King Creon, tries to convince his father that Antigone's actions correspond to reason and the law of the gods.

But King Creon, who advocates an arrogant system of government without the ability to criticize, wants to avoid setting a precedent. Antigone has deserved her punishment by violating the forbidden burial of her brother Polynices , because the greatest evil is anarchy .

Haimon does not want to question the correctness of Creon's words, but he says there are other solutions as well. He points out that the people no longer stand behind him, just do not dare to speak out openly. He describes Antigone as "the most innocent of all women" and what Creon wants to punish as a violation of the law, as the "most beautiful act" that is worth a "golden gift of honor" .

Θεος νύ τίς ἐστι κοτήεις.

Atlas and Prometheus are serving their sentences imposed by Zeus ( black-figure vase , approx. 550 BC)
Θεος νύ τίς ἐστι κοτήεις.
Theos ny tis esti kotēis.
"I must be angry with one of the gods."
Latin " Deus quispiam iratus est. "

The humanist Erasmus von Rotterdam writes in his collection of proverbs Adagia to explain this quote from Canto 5 of the Iliad :

“However, it is more appealing when you go from the general to the particular, such as B: He writes poetry, but every single muse resents him. He sings, pursued by Apollo's anger. He defended his cause in an awkward manner and with the obvious resentment of the Peitho. Mars was not on our side in the fight. Neptune was kind to us in the seafaring. Mercury was probably hostile to me when I got involved with this villain. Persecuted by the wrath of Venus, he begets children: when one gives birth to ugly sons. Against Minerva's will: when someone practices an art with little skill. "

In ancient times, the gods' grudges against large people and families were often shown on stage.

A defender against the grudges of the gods is Prometheus , the friend and founder of human culture. Zeus had Prometheus caught and dragged to the Caucasus, where he tied him to a rock over an abyss and let the eagle Aithon eat his liver.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe takes up this theme in his hymn Prometheus . From the very first verse, Prometheus addresses Zeus with a rebellious sounding "you" :

Cover your sky, Zeus,
with cloud haze,
And practice like a boy who
decapitates thistles,
On oaks and mountain tops;

Θεοτόκε Παρθένε, χαῖρε.

Fra Angelico : The English greeting , 1433–34
Θεοτόκε Παρθένε, χαῖρε.
Theotoke Parthene, chaire.
" Theotokos and Virgin, rejoice."

Beginning of the Ave Maria in the Eastern Church , known in the Western Church in the Latin form " Ave María, gratia plena " ( "Hail Mary, full of grace." ).

The first part of the prayer is the address of Mary by the Archangel Gabriel during the Annunciation and Elisabeth during the visit of Mary. The second part is a request added in the 13th century that deals with assistance in the hour of death.

After the Lord's Prayer , the Ave Maria is one of the most widely spoken prayers in Christianity and with this it is part of the rosary prayer.

Θεοτόκος

Θεοτόκος
Theotókos
"Theotokos"

The title of the Mother of God ( Latin Dei Genitrix ), German also Mother of God ( Mater Dei ), is an honorary title for Mary , the mother of Jesus Christ . It contains the Christian belief that Jesus of Nazareth, worshiped as the Son of God , was both true God and true man.

θέρος, τρύγος, πόλεμος.

θέρος, τρύγος, πόλεμος.
Theros, trygos, polemos.
"Summer, autumn, war."

Ancient Greek proverb referring to Spartan warfare .

Θεῶν ἐν γούνασι κεῖται.

Θεῶν ἐν γούνασι κεῖται.
Theōn en gounasi keitai.
"That lies in the lap of the gods."

Quote from the Iliad and the Odyssey . Homer wants to express that only the gods know what the fate of a person is. For example, the Odyssey says:

If only in that form Odysseus appeared to the suitors!
Soon their lives would be cut short and their marriage embittered!
But this rests in the bosom of the blessed gods,
Whether he returns to his homeland and one day
revenge will be rewarded in this palace or not.

In the lap of the gods ( english In the Lap of the Gods ) is a song Freddie Mercury , an example of the characteristic, high vocals.

Θνατοῖσι μὴ φῦναι φέριστον.

Roman grave altar depicting the myth of Cleobis and Biton
Θνατοῖσι μὴ φῦναι φέριστον.
Thnatoisi mē phynai pheriston.
"For mortals, not being born is best."

Expression of the Greek pessimism about which Norbert Wokart writes in his book Die Sandalen des Empedokles :

“Because of this saying, which runs like a leitmotif through the entire literature and philosophy of ancient Greece, the Greeks have been accused of pessimism. They certainly suffered from life, and the transience of man, his frailty and vulnerability, cast such gloomy shadows on them that life sometimes seemed futile to them. This experience of corporeality must be all the more serious as it was not tempered by any hope of redemption; for the Greek faith promised people no consolation here in life or there in death. "

It is a statement by the choral lyricist Bakchylides , who takes up the contempt for existence of Theognis of Megara :

Of all things, it is best
   not to be born for the inhabitants of the earth and not to see the rays of the bright sun,
but born to reach the gates of Hades as quickly as possible
   and to lie (in the grave), (after having) much earth on you heaped (has).

The story writer Herodotus tells the little story of the brothers Kleobis and Biton , the sons of a herapriestess, who - because the bulls were out in the pasture - pulled their mother's heavy cult cart to the temple themselves. Proud of her sons, the priestess asked the goddess Hera to grant the young men what was best for the people. The two went to sleep in the temple and never woke up. To quote from Gerhard Fink :

"God showed them that it was better for a person to be dead than to live."

The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche tells the old legend that King Midas hunted the wise Silenus in the forest for a long time . When he finally caught it, Midas asks what is the very best for humans:

“The demon is silent, rigid and immobile; until he finally bursts into these words, forced by the king, laughing loudly: 'Wretched day-olds, children of chance and hardship, what do you force me to tell you that not hearing is the most beneficial for you? The very best is completely unattainable for you: not to be born, not to be, to be nothing. But the second best thing for you is - to die soon. '"

See also: Ζωῆς πονηρᾶς θάνατος αἱρετώτερος. ( "Death is preferable to a bad life." )

Θνητὰ φρόνει.

Θνητὰ φρόνει.
Thnēta phronei.
"Remember that you are mortal!"

One of the temple inscriptions of the Temple of Apollo in Delphi , which are considered the sayings of the famous seven wise men (see Greek pessimism ).

The Latin version is known here again: Memento mori . The thought has had an impact until modern times. At the beginning of the 19th century, some men carried a small object in their pocket or on a watch chain to remind them of their own mortality.

Θουκυδίδης Ἀθηναῖος

Θουκυδίδης Ἀθηναῖος ξυνέγραψε τὸν πόλεμον τῶν Πελοποννησίων καὶ Ἀθηναίων ...
Thoukydidēs Athenaios xynegrapse tone polemon tōn Peloponnesiōn kai Athēnaiōn…
"The Athenian Thucydides described the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians ..."

First sentence of the description of the Peloponnesian War by the general and historian Thucydides , probably the most important historian of antiquity. When the Peloponnesian War broke out between Athens and Sparta in 431 BC. Thucydides was about 30 years old. Recognizing its importance early on, he began to keep records of it.

The following famous quotations come from this work, the original title of which has not survived:

Θυμὲ θύμ '.

Θυμὲ θύμ '.
Thyme, thym '.
"Heart, my heart!"

Beginning of a war poem by the poet Archilochus , whose first verses in the German translation read as follows:

Heart, my heart, emerge again
from the sea of ​​misery!
Throw
your chest into the fray, restrain your disaster.

This poem had a strong impact on world literature and was also taken up by Johann Wolfgang Goethe in his poem Neue Liebe, neue Leben , which begins like this:

Heart, my heart, what's that supposed to give
What is it that troubles you so much?
What a strange new life!
I do not recognize you anymore.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hippolytus , Ref. Haer. IX. 10
  2. ↑ DK A 22 B 48
  3. ↑ literaturkritik.de
  4. ^ Marion Giebel : Thalatta, thalatta - the sea, the sea! Xenophon and the Odyssey of the Ten Thousand ( Memento from September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ↑ staff.uni-mainz.de
  6. ↑ Procl. in Eucl. 65.3
  7. ↑ a b Erasmus of Rotterdam : Selected writings . Volume 7. Scientific Book Society. 1972
  8. ↑ Sophocles : Antigone , 683f.
  9. ^ Gospel according to Luke , 1:28
  10. ↑ Gospel according to Luke, 1:42
  11. ↑ Iliad, 17,514; 20,435
  12. ^ Odyssey , 1,267; 1,400; 16, 129
  13. ↑ gottwein.de
  14. ↑ Norbert Wokart: The sandals of Empedocles . Berlin: Aufbau Taschenbuch Verlag, 2001. ISBN 3-7466-8056-5
  15. ^ Gerhard Fink: The Greek language
  16. ^ Gerhard Fink: The Greek language
  17. ↑ Friedrich Nietzsche : The birth of tragedy from the spirit of music
  18. ^ Peloponnesian War, 2, 37
  19. ↑ Horst Rüdiger : Greek lyric poets . Artemis-Verlag, Zurich 1949, p. 72 f.
  20. ↑ New Love, New Life (Wikisource)