I'm going on an adventure!

Your mum, pt. 2

Your mum

 

 

Or again, when in a dispute Metellus Nepos repeatedly asked Cicero “Who is your father?”, Cicero replied, “In your case, your mother has made this question rather difficult to answer.”

 

Μετέλλου δὲ Νέπωτος ἐν διαφορᾷ τινι πολλάκις λέγοντος “Τίς σοῦ πατήρ εστιν;” ὁ Κικέρων “Σοὶ ταύτην,” ἔφη, “τὴν ἀπόκρισιν ἡ μήτηρ χαλεπωτέραν ἐποίησεν.”

 

—Plutarch, Life of Cicero 26.6

Chat-up lines of the ancients, pt. 1

"Is that a book of erotic poetry in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?"

Democracy

 

 

Ἐν δεμοκρατίῃ εἰσὶν τῷ δήμῳ οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν ἐστιν ἄξιος. Κακῶς καὶ ἐμοὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν ἐστιν ἄξιος.

 

(En demokratíē eisin tô dḗmō hoi árchontes tôn estin áxios. Kakôs kai emoi hoi árchontes tôn estin áxios.)

 

In a democracy, people get the government they deserve. Unfortunately, I get the government they deserve, too.

 

—Woody Allen

Not entirely sure history has vindicated this one...

 

 

 Εἴ γάρ τις νομίζει ὅτι μείνων κλέος ἐκ τοῖς ποιήμασι Ἑλληνίκοις ἢ Ῥωμαίοις λαμβάνεται, κακῶς ἁμαρτάνει· ἥ μεν γλόττη Ἑλλήνικα ὑπὸ σχεδὸν πασῶν τῶν γενέων ἀναγιγνώσκεται, ἥ δε Ῥωμαῖα ἐν ἑαυτῆς τοῖς ὅροις σμίκροις στέγεται. Εἰ τοίνυν τὰ ὑπὸ ἡμῶν γεγόμενα τῆς τοῖς τέρμασι γῆς στέγενται, ὀφείλομεν ἐπιθῡμεῖν ὅτι εἰς τᾱς χώρᾱς, ἃς ἡμέτερα τὰ ὅπλα εἰσεληλύθᾱσι, ἡμῶν ὁ κλέος καὶ ἡ δόξα ἔρχονται ὁμῶς· ὅ γαρ τοῖς ἄνδρασι, ὧν γεγόμενα γράφενται, ἆθλόν ἐστι καλόν, καί ἐστιν ἀληθῶς τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις πρὸς τὴν ζώην καὶ κλέον μέγιστον κέντρον εἴς τε τὸν κίνδῡνόν τε τὸ κακόν.

(Eí gár tis nomízei hóti meínōn kléos ek toîs poiḗmasi Hellēníkois ē Rhōmaíois lambánetai, kakôs hamartánei: hḗ men glóttē Hellḗnika hypo schedon pasôn tôn genéōn anagignṓsketai, hḗ de Rhōmaîa en heautês toîs hórois smíkrois stégetai. Ei toínyn ta hypo hēmôn gegómena tês toîs térmasi gês stégentai, opheílomen epithӯmeîn hóti eis tās chṓrās, hās hēmétera ta hópla eiselēlýthāsi, hēmôn ho kléos kai hē dóxa érchontai homôs: hó gar toîs ándrasi, hôn gegómena gráphentai, âthlón esti kalón, kaí estin alēthôs toîs agōnizoménois pros tēn zṓēn kai kléon mégiston kéntron eís te ton kíndӯnón te to kakón.)

 

Nam si quis minorem gloriæ fructum putat ex Græcis versibus percipi quam ex Latinis, vehementer errat: propterea quod Græca leguntur in omnibus fere gentibus, Latina suis finibus, exiguis sane, continentur. Quare si res eæ, quas gessimus, orbis terrarium regionibus definiuntur, cupere debemus, quo manuum nostrarum tela pervenerint, eodem gloriam famamque penetrare: quod cum ipsis populis de quorum rebus scribitur, hæc ampla sunt, tum eis certe, qui de vita gloriæ causa dimicant, hoc maximum et periculorum incitamentum est et laborum.

 

For if anybody thinks that there is less glory to be gained from Greek verses than from Latin, he is gravely mistaken, for Greek is read by virtually all nations, whereas Latin is completely contained within its own limits, which are small enough. Therefore, as the things which we have done are bounded only by the limits of the world, we ought to wish that, wherever the arms of our men have been, there also our glory and fame should penetrate, because this is a magnificent reward for those whose achievements are written about, and is without doubt the greatest spur to both danger and hard work for those who struggle for life and glory.

 

—Cicero, Ἀντὶ Ἀρχίου τοῦ Ποιήτους (Pro Archia Poeta)

 

 

Their finest hour

 

 

Quod Dux Weygandus nominavit Prœlium Franciæ est finitum. Puto Prœlium Britanniæ incepturum esse. Hoc prœlio dependet salus Christianæ humanitatis; hoc dependent nostrimet Britannici mores, et longa continuatio institutorum nostrorum atque Imperii. Totum furoris et vis hostium citissime in nos venturum est: scit Hitlerus sibi aut nos in hac insula debellare aut bello vici. Si poterimus resistere, omnis Europa liberetur, et vita orbis progrediatur in lata, aprica montana. Sed si deërimus, tota orbs, Rebuspublicis Consociatis contentis, contentis omnibus quæ cognoveramus atque curavimus, demergetur in profundum novæ Aetatis Tenebrosæ, pravioris, et fortasse durabilioris, lucem propter scientiæ corruptæ. Nos ergo paremeus ad officia, et sic nos feramus, ut, si Imperium Britannicum et Respublica ejus in millennium durabunt, etiam dicent homines hanc fuisse horam optimam.

 

What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilisation; upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us: Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free, and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age, made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say this was their finest hour.

 

—Winston Churchill

Lives for others

 

 

Illa est mulier quæ pro aliis vivat. Alios indicant vultūs exagitati.

 

She’s the sort of woman who lives for others. You can tell the others by their hunted expressions.

 

—C. S. Lewis

Something religious for the Feast of St. Paul's Conversion

 

 

Σὲ Θεὸν ἐπαινοῦμεν· σὲ Κύριον εἶναι ὁμολογοῦμεν. Σὲ τὸν Πάτερα αἰώνιον πᾶσα ἡ γῆ σεβίζει. Σοὶ πάντες οἱ Ἀγγέλοι, σοὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ τοῦ κόσμου αἱ Ἐξουσίαι, σοὶ οἱ Χερουβεὶμ καὶ οἱ Σεραφεὶμ ἀπαυστῇ φονῇ βοῶσιν· Ἅγιος, Ἅγιος, Ἅγιος, Κύριε Θεὲ τῶν στρατῶν, γέμουσιν ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ τῷ σέβᾳ τοῦ ὀνόμου σοῦ. Σὲ λαμπρὸς ὁ χορὸς τῶν Ἀποστόλων, σὲ τῶν προφήτων πάντιμος ὁ σύλλογος, σὲ τῶν μαρτύρων λαμπρὸς ἐπαινοῦσιν ὁ στρατός. Σὲ διὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ὁμολογεῖ ἡ ἁγία Ἐκκλήσια, τὸν Πατέρα ἀπείρου σέβου, τὸν σεβιστέον σὸν ἀληθῆ καὶ μονογενῆ Υἱόν, Ἅγιον ὁμῶς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Παράκλητον. Σὺ εἶ ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῆς τιμῆς, ὦ Χρίστε· σὺ εἶ ὁ τοῦ Πατρὸς Υἱὸς αἰώνιος. Σύ, τοὺς ἐλευθεροῦν ὑφιστήσας ἀνθρώπους, οὐκ ἐμισήσας τὴν τῆς Παρθένου γαστέρα· σύ, τὴν πικρότην τοῦ θανάτου νικήσας, ἠνοίξας τοῖς σοῦ θεοσεβέσι τὴν Βασιλείαν τῶν Οὐρανῶν. Σὺ ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Θεοῦ καθίζει, ἐν τῇ τοῦ Πατρὸς λαμπρότῃ. Σὺ ἐλπίζει ἐπανέρξεσθαι, ὁ ἡμῶν Κριτής· σὲ ἀνθ’ ὧν αἰτούμεθα, τοὺς σοῦ δούλους βοήθει, τοὺς τῷ τιμίῳ αἷματι ἐλύσεσαι. Ἐν αἰωνιῷ ποιεῖ μετὰ τῶν σοῦ ἁγίων λαμπρότῃ ἀριθμεῖσθαι.

   Σῴζε τὸν σοῦ λαόν, ὧ Κύριε, καὶ εὐδαίμονα ποιεῖ τὴν σοῦ κληρονονμίαν· καὶ ἄρχε τούς, καὶ ἐξαίρε εἰς ἀΐδιον. Ἐν ἑκάστῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ μεγαλύνομεν σέ, καὶ ἐπαινοῦμεν τὸ σοῦ ὄνομα, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.

   Δίδου, ὦ Κύριε, ταύτῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἡμᾶς ἐκὸς τῆς ἁμαρτίης φυλάττειν. Ἡμᾶς ἐλέησον, Κύριε, ἡμᾶς ἐλέησον· εἴη ὁ ἔλεος σοῦ, Κύριε, ἐπὶ ἡμῖν, ὥσπερ ἠλπίσαμεν ἐπὶ σοῦ. Ἐπὶ σοῦ, Κύριε, ἠλπίσα· μὴ συγχοίμην εἰς ἀΐδιον.

 

(Se Theon epainoûmen: se Kýrion eînai homologoûmen. Se ton Pátera aiṓnion pâsa hē gê sebízei. Soi pántes hoi Angéloi, soi ho ouranos kai toû kósmou hai Exousíai, soi hoi Cheroubeim kai hoi Serapheim apaustê phonê boôsin: Hágios, Hágios, Hágios, Kýrie Theë tôn stratôn, gémousin ho ouranos kai hē gê tô sébā toû onómou soû. Se lampros ho choros tôn Apostólōn, se tôn prophḗtōn pántimos ho sýllogos, se tôn martýrōn lampros epainoûsin ho stratós. Se dia tês oikouménēs homologeî he hagía Ekklḗsia, ton Patéra apeírou sébou, ton sebistéon son alēthê kai monogenê Huión, Hágion homôs to Pneûma to Paráklēton. Sy eî ho Basileus tês timês, ô Chríste; sy eî ho toû Patros Huios aiṓnios. Sý, tous eleutheroûn hyphistḗsas anthrṓpous, ouk emisḗsas tēn tês Parthénou gastéra; sý, tēn pikrótēn toû thanátou nikḗsas, ēnoíxas toîs soû theosebési tēn Basileían tôn Ouranôn. Sy en dexiâ toû Theoû kathízei, en tê toû Patros lamprótē. Sy elpízei epanérxesthai, ho hēmôn Kritḗs: se anth’ hôn aitoúmetha, tous soû doúlous boḗthei, tous tô timíō haîmati elýsesai. En aiōniô poieî meta tôn soû hagíōn lamprótē arithmeîsthai.

   Sṓze ton soû laón, ô Kýrie, kai eudaímona poieî tēn soû klēronomían; kai árche toús, kai exaíre eis aḯdion. En hekástē tê hēméra megalýnomen sé, kai epainoûmen to soû ónoma, eis ton aiôna, kai eis tous aiônas tôn aiṓnōn.

   Dídou, ô Kýrie, taútē tê hēmérā hēmâs ekos tês hamartíēs phyláttein. Hēmâs eléēson, Kýrie, hēmâs eléēson; eíē ho éleos soû, Kýrie, epi hēmîn, hṓsper ēlpísamen epi soû. Epi soû, Kýrie, ēlpísa: mē synchoímēn eis aḯdion.)

 

Te Deum laudamus: te Dominum confitemur. Te æternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur. Tibi omnes Angeli, tibi cæli et universæ Potestates, tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabile voce proclamant: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth, pleni sunt cæli et terra majestatis gloriæ tuæ. Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus, te prophetarum laudabilis numerus, te martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus. Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia, Patrem immensæ majestatis, venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium, Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum. Tu Rex gloriæ, Christe; tu Patris sempiternus es Filius. Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, non horruisti Virginis uterum; tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regna cælorum. Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris. Judex crederis esse venturus: te ergo quæsumus, tuis famulis subveni, quos pretioso sanguine redemisti. Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.

   Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuæ; et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in æternum. Per singulos dies benedicimus te, et laudamus nomen tuum in sæculum, et in sæculum sæculi.

   Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire. Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri; fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te. In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in æternum.

 

We praise Thee, O God: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship Thee, the Father everlasting. To Thee all Angels cry aloud, the Heavens and all the powers therein; to Thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth, Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory. The glorious company of the Apostles praise Thee, the goodly fellowship of the prophets praise Thee, the noble army of martyrs praise Thee. The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge Thee, the Father of an infinite majesty; Thine honourable, true, and only Son; also the Holy Ghost, the comforter. Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ; Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man, Thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb; when Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, Thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge: we therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood. Make them to be numbered with Thy saints in glory everlasting.

   O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine heritage; govern them and lift them up for ever. Day by day we magnify Thee, and we worship Thy name, ever world without end.

   Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin. O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us; O Lord, let Thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in Thee. O Lord, in Thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

 

—St. Ambrose