.

Additional Reading Unit 5

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Introduction
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Unit 4

Unit 6

Unit Key 5


Unit 5

1 Proverbs

(i) κόραξ κόρακι φίλος. (ii) ἐν ταῖς θριξὶν ἡ σοφία. (iii) γάλα ὀρνίθων. (iv) λίθῳ λαλεῖς. (v) ἄφθονοι Μουσῶν θύραι.

2# ἄδικον ὁ πλοῦτος, πολλὰ δʼ οὐκ ὀρθῶς ποιεῖ.

3# ἐκ τῶν ὁμοίων οἱ κακοὶ γαμοῦσʼ ἀεί.

4 αἱ τρίχες ποιοῦσιν αἱ λευκαὶ φρονεῖν.

5 οὐ λέγειν εἶ δεινὸς ἀλλὰ σιγᾶν ἀδύνατος.

6# γέλως ἄκαιρος ἐν βροτοῖς δεινὸν κακόν.

7# ἄδικον τὸ λυπεῖν τοὺς φίλους ἑκουσίως.

8 τὸ μὲν σῶμα θνητόν, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ ἀθάνατος.

9# τὸ πολλὰ πράττειν ἐστὶ πανταχοῦ κακόν.

10 Barbarous Thracians

For the Greeks mankind was divided in two groups: themselves (῞Ελληνες) and non-Greeks (βάρβαροι). Though the term βάρβαροι was originally neutral, it came to acquire something of its modern connotations when the Greeks came into contact with various wild tribes, particularly those to the north.

οἱ δὲ Θρᾷκες, ἐπεὶ εἰς τὴν Μυκαλησσὸν ἧκον, τάς τε οἰκίας καὶ τὰ ἱερὰ ἐπόρθουν καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐφόνευον: τοὺς γὰρ γέροντας καὶ τοὺς νέους οὐκ εἴων ἀποφεύγειν, ἀλλὰ πάντας (all acc. pl. m.) ἑξῆς καὶ παῖδας καὶ γυναῖκας ἔκτεινον, καὶ προσέτι καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἔμψυχα. οἱ γὰρ Θρᾷκες ὁμοίως τοῖς μάλιστα βαρβάροις σφόδρα φονικοί εἰσιν. καὶ τότε ἄλλη τε ταραχὴ οὐκ ὀλίγη καὶ ἰδέα παντοία ἦν ὀλέθρου: ἐν γὰρ διδασκαλείῳ παίδων οὗ ἦσαν οἱ παῖδες πάντας ἐφόνευσαν. ἡ δὲ συμφορὰ ἡμῖν δοκεῖ παντελῶς ἀδόκητός τε καὶ δεινή.

11 Alcibiades attacks Byzantium

Alcibiades was the enfant terrible of Athenian politics during the Peloponnesian War but his ability was undisputed. In the following passage his success at Byzantium (modern Istanbul) is described.

καὶ τὸ τοῦ ʼΑλκιβιάδου ναυτικὸν ἐπὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον ἔπλευσε καὶ ἐφόβει τοὺς Βυζαντίους. ὅμως δὲ οἱ ἐν τῷ Βυζαντίῳ Πελοποννήσιοι καὶ Βοιωτοὶ τοὺς ναύτας ἔτρεψαν καὶ ἐδίωξαν εἰς τὰ πλοῖα πάλιν. ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ ἔνιοι τῶν ʼΑθηναίων ἔνδον ἤδη ἦσαν, ἐχώρουν ὁμόσε. ἐν δὲ τῇ μάχῃ ἐνίκησεν ὁ ʼΑλκιβιάδης, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων αἰχμάλωτοι ἦσαν πολλοί.


ἀδύνατος, -ον unable

ἄκαιρος, -ον ill-timed, inopportune

ἑκουσίως (adv.) willingly

Μυκαλησσός, -οῦ, ἡ Mycalessus (small town in Boeotia)

ἱερόν, -οῦ, τό temple

εἴων impf. of ἐάω, allow

ἑξῆς (adv.) one after another

προσέτι (adv.) in addition

ἔμψυχος, -ον living

ὁμοίως (adv.) in the same way as (+ dat.)

φονικός, -ή, -όν murderous

διδασκαλεῖον, -ου, τό school

ἀδόκητος, -ον unexpected

Βυζάντιον, -ου, τό Byzantium

ἔπλευσε aor. of πλέω, sail

φοβέω terrify

Βυζάντιος, -ου, ὁ Byzantian

ἔνιοι, -αι, -α some

χωρέω ὁμόσε come to close quarters, join battle

αἰχμάλωτος, -ου, ὁ prisoner

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(c) Gavin Betts, Alan Henry 2001