List of Greek phrases

From Academic Kids

List of Greek Phrases/Proverbs

Contents
Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω See also

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Αα

(h)a

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Ageōmetrētos mēdeis eisitō.

"Let no-one without knowledge of geometry enter". Motto over the entrance to Plato's Academy (quoted in Elias' coommentary on Aristotle's Categories.

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Aei Libyē pherei ti kakon / kainon.

"Libya always bears something evil / new", Aristotle, Historia Animailum. (Cf. Latin Ex Africa semper aliquid novi, "From Africa always something new".)

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Aei koloios para koloiōi hizanei.

"A jackdaw is always found near a jackdaw", i.e. birds of a kind flock together.

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A�tou gēras, korudou neotēs.

"An eagle's old age (is worth) a sparrow's youth".

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Anankāi d'oude theoi makhontai.

"Even the Gods do not fight necessity", Simonides, 8, 20.

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Anthrōpos metron.

"Man the measure (of all things)", motto of Protagoras.

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Hapax legomenon.

"Once said", i.e. a word that only occurs once in a text or body of literature.

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Ariston men hydōr.

"Greatest however is water", Pindar, Olymp. 1, 1. Used as the insription over the Pump Room at Bath.

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Ββ

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Brōma theōn.

"Food of the gods" — allegedly said by Nero of the poisoned mushrooms with which his mother Agrippina the younger murdered Claudius.

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Γγ

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Glauk� Athēnazde / Glauk� eis Athēnas.

"Owls to Athens", i.e. coals to Newcastle, ice to the Eskimos.

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Gnōthi seauton.

"Know thyself" — the motto over the entrance to the temple of Apollo at Delphi.

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Δδ

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Εε

(h)e

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Hen oida hoti ouden oida

"I know one thing, that I know nothing", (Socrates in Plato's Apology)

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Ζζ

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Ηη

(h)ē

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Θθ

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Thalassa kai pūr kai gunē, kaka tria.

"Sea and fire and woman, three evils."

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Ιι

(h)i

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Iēsous Christos Theou Huios Sōtēr

"Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour." As an acronym: ΙΧΘΥΣ (Ichthys) — "fish".

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Κκ

k, c

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Kakou korakos kakon ō�n.

"From a bad crow, a bad egg", i.e. like father, like son.

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Kakos an�r makrobios

"A bad man lives long"

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Kallistēi

"For the prettiest one", "To the most beautiful", from the myth of the golden apple.

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Kurie eleēson.

"Lord have mercy" — a very common phrase in Greek Orthodox liturgies, and also used in Greek (but transliterated as kyrie eleison) in the Roman Catholic Mass.

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Λλ

Λάθε βιώσας

Lathe biosas

"Live in obscurity", an Epicurean phrase.

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Μμ

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Mē genoito.

"Let it not be!" / "Heaven forfend!" — phrase used frequently by St Paul.

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Νν

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Ξξ

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Οο

(h)o

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Ou phrontis Hippokleidēi.

"Hippocleides doesn't care." From a story in Herodotus (6.129), in which Hippocleides loses the chance to marry Cleisthenes' daughter after getting drunk and dancing on his head. Herodotus says the phrase was a common expression in his own day.

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