Biblical Readings

In this argument about Christian love, just as believers love God and his child,

ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅταν τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπῶμεν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ποιῶμεν. αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν· καὶ αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ βαρεῖαι οὐκ εἰσίν.

1 Jn. 5:2-3

Classical Readings

1. Aristotle summarizes the argument that there is an infinite number of atoms:

ἐπεὶ διαφέρει τὰ σώματα σχήμασιν, ἄπειρα δὲ τὰ σχήματα, ἄπειρα καὶ τὰ ἁπλᾶ σώματά φασιν εἶναι.

Aristotle 303a10-12

2. Aristotle is here discussing what stars are made of. He believes that stars are made up of the same substance as their surroundings. He then mentions that others similarly believe that stars are made up of upper air (ἀήρ), which is fiery, so that:

τὸ ἄνω σῶμα πῦρ εἶναί φασιν.

Aristotle On the Heavens 289a17

3. Aristotle is studying the problem of what basic element produces all the others. In summarizing the problem, he says that the primary element must be the most refined one (λεπτομερέστερον) and mentions that some people conclude this element is fire:

ἐπεὶ οὖν φασὶ πάντων τῶν σωμάτων τὸ πῦρ λεπτότατον εἶναι.

Aristotle On the Heavens 303b20

4. In one of Plato’s dialogues, Socrates is getting ready to relate an old Egyptian story about the origin of writing. He says that there was an old god to whom the Ibis bird was sacred and:

[he says that] αὐτῷ δὲ ὄνομα τῷ δαίμονι εἶναι Θεύθ.

Plato Phaedrus 274c

5. In this comedy, the women of Athens have taken control of the government and implemented a communal state. All citizens are supposed to bring their property downtown to be distributed equally. In this scene, a Neighbor is getting his things ready, but another Man is cynical about the idea:

NEIGHBOR λέγουσι γοῦν ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς.

MAN λέξουσι γάρ.

NEIGHBOR καί φασιν οἴσειν...

MAN φήσουσι γάρ.

NEIGHBOR ἀπολεῖς ἀπιστῶν πάντ’.

MAN ἀπιστήσουσι γάρ.

NEIGHBOR ὁ Ζεύς σέ γ’ ἐπιτρίψειεν.

MAN ἐπιτρίψουσι γάρ. οἴσειν δοκεῖς τιν’, ὅστις αὐτῶν νοῦν ἔχει; οὐ γὰρ πάτριον τοῦτ’ ἐστίν. ἀλλὰ λαμβάνειν ἡμᾶς μόνον δεῖ νὴ Δία· καὶ γὰρ οἱ θεοί.

Aristophanes Ecclesiazusae 773-83

6. In his history of the Peloponnesian War (fought primarily between the πόλεις of Athens and Sparta), Thucydides documents the terms of a treaty made between the Spartans and the Persians in 412 BC (8.18, which we have already translated). He also reports this revised version from several months later. The language of this version is structured to say that the agreement (ξυνθῆκαι) is so-and-so, with the specifics (starting with ἐπὶ ταύτας μὴ ἰέναι…, not go into/ against these (lands)) in indirect discourse.

Ξυνθῆκαι Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ τῶν ξυμμάχων πρὸς βασιλέα Δαρεῖον καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς βασιλέως καὶ Τισσαφέρνην [are] κατὰ τάδε. ὁπόση χώρα καὶ πόλεις βασιλέως εἰσὶ Δαρείου ἢ τοῦ πατρὸς ἦσαν ἢ τῶν προγόνων, ἐπὶ ταύτας μὴ ἰέναι ἐπὶ πολέμῳ μηδὲ κακῷ μηδενὶ μήτε Λακεδαιμονίους μήτε τοὺς ξυμμάχους τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίων, μηδὲ φόρους πράσσεσθαι ἐκ τῶν πόλεων τούτων μήτε Λακεδαιμονίους μήτε τοὺς ξυμμάχους τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίων· μηδὲ Δαρεῖον βασιλέα μηδὲ ὧν βασιλεὺς ἄρχει ἐπὶ Λακεδαιμονίους μηδὲ τοὺς ξυμμάχους ἰέναι ἐπὶ πολέμῳ μηδὲ κακῷ μηδενί. ... τὸν δὲ πόλεμον τὸν πρὸς Ἀθηναίους καὶ τοὺς ξυμμάχους κοινῇ ἀμφοτέρους πολεμεῖν· ἢν δὲ κατάλυσιν ποιῶνται, κοινῇ ἀμφοτέρους ποιεῖσθαι.

Thucydides 8.37

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