Compositions based on the verb ἀρέσκειν.

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Stephen Hughes
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Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

Compositions based on the verb ἀρέσκειν.

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Would anyone like to join me in doing some compositions based on the New Testament constructions using ἀρέσκειν.

Precomposition discussion:
"Pleasing" is always done to God or people (18th century definition sentient beings), primarily done by people or in one case (Acts 6:5) a speech act (ὁ λόγος, NB ὑποθήκη in Hdt.8.58 could also be construed as a speech act) that a person has done. There is not the same range of usage that Modern Greek displays with things inanimate things like Μου αρέσει το παγωτό, "I like ice cream." In some passages there is an accompanying verb, perhaps expressing what is done that somebody finds pleasing. Matthew 14:6 καὶ ἤρεσεν τῷ Ἡρῴδῃ· may be a sort of impersonal "and her dancing (it) pleased Herod", or it may not. The verb is used in the both the perfective and imperfective aspect, it is used in the present and aorist and it is used with finite verbs, infinitives and participles (Mt.6:22 var.).

Would anybody like to add observations on how this construction is used idiomatically before we begin composition, or would somebody like to start?
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
cwconrad
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Re: Compositions based on the verb ἀρέσκειν.

Post by cwconrad »

Interesting query. I find particularly interesting the judgment expressed in BDAG "a favored term in the reciprocity-conscious Mediterranean world, and frequently used in honorary documents to express interest in accommodating others by meeting their needs or carrying out important obligations." It seems a more forceful expression than modern Fr. idiomatic impersonal plaîre or Italian piacere], more or less precisely equivalent to contemporary Latin impersonal placet. It seems to supplant, to some extent, the older usage of impersonal δοκεῖ + dative although this latter continues in use for formal decisions or resolutions.
οὔτοι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς πάντα θεοὶ θνητοῖς ὑπέδειξαν,
ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ ζητέοντες ἐφευρίσκουσιν ἄμεινον. (Xenophanes, Fragment 16)

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
Mark Lightman
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Joined: May 6th, 2011, 6:30 pm

Re: Compositions based on the verb ἀρέσκειν.

Post by Mark Lightman »

τὸ τὸν Τρὺμπ γενέσθαι τὸν τῆς Ἀμερίκης Πρόεδρον τῷ μὲν δήμῳ ἀρέσκει, τοῖς δὲ σοφοῖς οὔκ.
Wes Wood
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Joined: September 20th, 2013, 8:18 pm

Re: Compositions based on the verb ἀρέσκειν.

Post by Wes Wood »

ἐὰν δὲ μὴ δύνωμαι τὸ φόρον τὸ ἀπράγμονα ἀναγιγωώσκειν, τοὺτο ἐμοὶ οὐκ ἀρέσκει. :|
Ἀσπάζομαι μὲν καὶ φιλῶ, πείσομαι δὲ μᾶλλον τῷ θεῷ ἢ ὑμῖν.-Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους 29δ
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