Greek Composition 4x4 Challenge

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Stephen Hughes
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Greek Composition 4x4 Challenge

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Here are four words that occur four times each in the New Testament that I think might be challenging to combine into a composition. If you would like to compose something for general comment - long or short - and then choose another 4 words for the next challenge in turn, that would be welcome.

My first four words are:
  • τὸ ἑρπετόν,
  • τὸ μεσονύκτιον,
  • ὁμιλεῖν,
  • ἡ στενοχωρία.
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
Wes Wood
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Re: Greek Composition 4x4 Challenge

Post by Wes Wood »

Challenge accepted. Expect a reply by 10:00 CST.
Ἀσπάζομαι μὲν καὶ φιλῶ, πείσομαι δὲ μᾶλλον τῷ θεῷ ἢ ὑμῖν.-Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους 29δ
cwconrad
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Re: Greek Composition 4x4 Challenge

Post by cwconrad »

Wes Wood wrote:Challenge accepted. Expect a reply by 10:00 CST.
Wes has another hour; it's 10:00 a.m. EST at the moment. Meanwhile:

μόγις προσπορεύεται ὁ γέρων ὥσπερ ἑρπετὸν διὰ τῆς στενοχωρίας, οὐδ’ ἔστιν ὁτῷ ὁμιλεῖν δύναιτ’ ἄν, μόνος ὑπάγων ἐν σκότει· μεσονύκτιον γάρ ἐστιν, οὐδὲ φαίνει ἡ σελήνη.
οὔτοι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς πάντα θεοὶ θνητοῖς ὑπέδειξαν,
ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ ζητέοντες ἐφευρίσκουσιν ἄμεινον. (Xenophanes, Fragment 16)

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
Wes Wood
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Joined: September 20th, 2013, 8:18 pm

Re: Greek Composition 4x4 Challenge

Post by Wes Wood »

Oops. I meant this evening after work, but in reality I should be able to post it before 6:00 PM CST. Sorry for the confusion. I hope to give the task some length, but I don't yet know how well or how many times I will work the words into the story. I guess we shall see.
Ἀσπάζομαι μὲν καὶ φιλῶ, πείσομαι δὲ μᾶλλον τῷ θεῷ ἢ ὑμῖν.-Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους 29δ
Wes Wood
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Re: Greek Composition 4x4 Challenge

Post by Wes Wood »

Be Gentle! I'm not sure that I have used στενοχωρία correctly, but I attempted some word play any way. :oops:

ἑρπετόν τις βαίνει εἴς οἴκον καί κρύπτεται ἐν ποτήριῳ. ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ ἀνὴρ καί γύνη αὐτοῦ ὁμίλουσιν τέκνοις αὐτῶν και οὐ γινώσκουσιν. μετὰ βραχὺ κατάκεινται καί εἰς ὕπνον πίπτουσιν. περὶ τὸ μεσονύκτιον ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐγείρει διὰ τὸ διψῆν αὐτον. περιπάτει εἰς τὸ ὀπτάνιον καὶ γεμίζει τὸ ποτήριον ὕδατος. ἀλλὰ οὐ βλέπει τὸ ἑρπέτον καὶ πίνει ἐκ τοῦ ποτηρίου. τὸ ἐν τῷ ποτηρίῳ ἑρπετόν βαίνει εἰς τό στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸ ποτήριον τε καὶ ἑρπετόν καταπίπτει. ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ακούει τὸν ἐκ τοῦ ὀπτανίου ψόφον καὶ βαίνει πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς. Τὶς ἐστιν ὁ ψόφος; ἆρα γινώσκεις μετά τὸ μεσονύκτιον ἐστιν; γὰρ ἡ γύνη οὐ βλέπει τὸ ἑρπετόν. ὁ ἄνθρωπος αποκρίνεται, ἑρπετόν ἐν τῷ ποτηρίῳ μοῦ ἦν. τὰ ἑρπετά προλέγει τὰς στενοχωρίας ἀλλὰ ἐστιν στενοχωρία εἰς ἀνθρώποις.
Ἀσπάζομαι μὲν καὶ φιλῶ, πείσομαι δὲ μᾶλλον τῷ θεῷ ἢ ὑμῖν.-Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους 29δ
Paul-Nitz
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Location: Sussex, Wisconsin

Re: Greek Composition 4x4 Challenge

Post by Paul-Nitz »

Well done, Wes.
Wes Wood wrote: τὰ ἑρπετά προλέγει τὰς στενοχωρίας ἀλλὰ ἐστιν στενοχωρία εἰς ἀνθρώποις.
I didn't entirely understand the προλεγει punch line. Explain it to me.
Here's my pseudo-Aesop fable:

The Snake Βoasts to the Lizard

(1) ὁ ὄφις ἐκαυχάσατο βιόν αὐτοῦ. πρός ἑρεπτόν ἔφη· ὅμοιος μοι εἶ ἀλλ’ ἐμοὶ βίον βελτίονα. (2) ἐν μεσονυκτίῳ ἁρπάζω μῦς. (3) ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ κεῖμαι ἐπὶ λίθων καὶ ὀπιλῶ φίλοις μου. (4) σύ δὲ ἐν στενοχωρίαις εἶ. (5) νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν δεῖ σε ἁρπάζειν κώνωπα πολλούς. (6) ἀποκριθεῖς τὸ ἑρπετόν εἴπεν· βίος τοῦ ὄφεος καλός ἐστίν! ἀλλ’ οὐ εἴπας οὐδέν περὶ ἀνθρώπων. (7) οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἔχοντες πόδας οὐ φοβοῦνται με ἔχοντα πόδας. (8) ἐν οἴκοις αὐτοῖς ἀφιᾶσι ἐμὲ φαγεῖν πάντας κώνωπα αὐτῶν καὶ ὀμιλοῦν φίλοις μου. (9) ἀλλὰ διώκουσι σε εἰς θάνατον ἔσω ἦ ἕξω οἴκου. (10) ἆρα τίς ἔχει στενοχωρίας;

  • (1) Not sure about this form: ἐκαυχάσατο
    (2) Kalos Software tells me μῦς is Acc Pl. (as well as Nom Sg)
    (5) I used κώνωψ (gnat) but wanted "fly."
    (7) Does this work? My intent was: "Since men have feet, they don't fear me because I have feet."
    (8) Kalos Software tells me ἀφίασι but Buth Morphologia and Hopperizer tell me ἀφιᾶσι.
Seems to me, "milling about" must have its roots in ομιλεῖν. And "herpes" was the the creeping disease (ἕρπειν to creep).
Paul D. Nitz - Lilongwe Malawi
Jonathan Robie
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Re: Greek Composition 4x4 Challenge

Post by Jonathan Robie »

Here's a proverb based on Proverbs 23:31 and Genesis 3:14:

μὴ ὁμιλεῖτε ἑρπετοῖς καὶ μὴ ὁμιλεῖτε ἐν στενοχωρίαις, ἀλλὰ ὁμιλεῖτε ἀνθρώποις δικαίοις καὶ ὁμιλεῖτε ἐν περιπάτοις· ἐὰν γὰρ εἰς ἑρπετά
δῷς τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου, ἐπὶ τῷ στήθει σου καὶ τῇ κοιλίᾳ πορεύσῃ καὶ γῆν φαγῇ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς σου.

(And yes, this is meant as humor ....)
ἐξίσταντο δὲ πάντες καὶ διηποροῦντο, ἄλλος πρὸς ἄλλον λέγοντες, τί θέλει τοῦτο εἶναι;
http://jonathanrobie.biblicalhumanities.org/
Thomas Dolhanty
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Location: west coast of Canada

Re: Greek Composition 4x4 Challenge

Post by Thomas Dolhanty »

Too many words, likely. Too many mistakes for sure. Too much indicative, no doubt. But here is what time permits for me today.

τὰ ἐρπετὰ δύνανται λαλεῖν. τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ῥῆμα τῶν ἀλωπέκων ἐπὶ βορρᾶ τὴς γῆς μου. ἐρπετὸν αἱ ἀλώπεκες οὐ μὴ εἶδον αλλὰ πρὸ τούτου ἔτη πολλὰ αὐτοὶ ἤκουσαν τὰ πετεινὰ ὁμιλοῦντα περὶ τῶν ἐρπετῶν. τὰ πετεινὰ κατ᾽ ἐνιαυτὸν πέτονται πρὸς τὸν νότον. τὰ πολλὰ ἑωρακότα καὶ ἃ ἑωράκασιν ὁμιλοῦσι πρὸς ἀλλήλους. ἐν τῷ ὁμιλεῖν αὐτοὺς αἱ ἀλώπεκες ἀκούουσιν.

ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις χειμῶνος ταῖς στενοχωρίαις πολλαῖς, ὅλη ἡ γῆ καλυπτομένη χιόνι καὶ σκότει αἱ δὲ ἀλώπεκες ἐν γῇ βορρᾶ ἀναπαυόμεναι ἐν τοῖς σπηλαίοις αὐτῶν καὶ ὁμιλεῖν αὐτοὺς περὶ ῆς γλώσσης τῶν ἐρπετῶν τοῦ νότου. οὕτως αἱ δὲ ἀλώπεκες ευκαιρουσιν τὰς ἡμέρας χειμῶνος ἐν τῇ γῇ τοῦ μεσονύκτιου τοῦ πολλοῦ. τοῦτο βοηθεῖ ποιῆσαι τὸν καιρὸν παρελθεῖν ταχέως ἄχρι ὁ ἥλιος ἐπιστρέψει. τότε τὰ ἐρπετὰ τοῦ νότου εἰσιν ἐπιλελησμένα. τότε πάντα τὰ ῥήματὰ εἰσιν περὶ τῶν μυῶν τῶν πλησίον καὶ τοῦ δεῖπνου τοῦ ἑξῆς.
γράφω μαθεῖν
Jonathan Robie
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Re: Greek Composition 4x4 Challenge

Post by Jonathan Robie »

Here's a first sentence ... I'm not sure if this is should continue more like a Luke narrative or more like "two guys walk into a bar" ...

καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ μεσονυκτίῳ, ὁμιλοῦσιν ἑρπετοῖς δύο ἐν τῃ στενοχωριᾲ ...
ἐξίσταντο δὲ πάντες καὶ διηποροῦντο, ἄλλος πρὸς ἄλλον λέγοντες, τί θέλει τοῦτο εἶναι;
http://jonathanrobie.biblicalhumanities.org/
Jonathan Robie
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Location: Durham, NC
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Re: Greek Composition 4x4 Challenge

Post by Jonathan Robie »

Stephen Hughes wrote:... and then choose another 4 words for the next challenge in turn ...
  • μάστιξ
  • ἀλέκτωρ
  • περικαλύπτω
  • πλουτίζω
ἐξίσταντο δὲ πάντες καὶ διηποροῦντο, ἄλλος πρὸς ἄλλον λέγοντες, τί θέλει τοῦτο εἶναι;
http://jonathanrobie.biblicalhumanities.org/
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