Monday 29 October 2012

Theta Words Four


Theta Words Four

θρᾶνος bench but so also is θρῆνυς.

θρίδαξ - ακος Lettuce

θρῖναξ - ακος is a trident a spear or fork with three points or prongs

Words beginning with τ often changed to θ.
Remember θ was pronounced /t h/ in Classical Greek.

Θρόνος was not just a bench but a chair or throne.

θυγάτηρ daughter. A θυγατριδῆ was a grand-daughter, daughter of a daughter, a θυγατριδοῦς a maternal grandson, and a θυγάτριον a ittle daughter or small girl.

θῡμός is smoke soul breath life passion energy but θύμος is the herb THYME.

Θύννος Tunny Tuna the fsh that rushes Θύνω

Θύω had two meanings or perhaps was two separate verbs that contracted to have the same sound?

The first meaning was to offer or sacrifice to the gods. Remember that meat offerings were usually burnt and cooked with the gods consuming the energy the fumes rising to the skies and humans picnicking on the rest.

The second meaning was to rush dart or race along like a school of fish or a storm through the skies.

Friday 26 October 2012

Theta Words Three


Theta Words Three

Θήβη Θῆβαι Thebes the name of several cities all possibly named after Thebes in Egypt if you accept the thoery Thebes is a distortion of a Egyptian phrase referring to Waset, Thebes as the place of power. Another name for Thebes as a city state rather than just the city was Θηβαΐς

θήγω sharpen whet a blade or tool also to provoke or irritate.

θηλάζω nurse suckle

θήρ a wild beast a predator a monster hence θηρίον animals that are hunted animals in general

θησαυρός treasure valuables thing splaced in storage because valued

- θι locative affix meaning place at in the fields at home at Troy

θίασος company or group of celebrants or revellers especially of a god like Eros or Dionysios

θλίβω press hard oppress afflict distress hence θλῖψις pressure oppression

θνήσκω die be dying dead

θόλος is a building or chamber with a dome or vault and a round sun hat θολία but θολός is thick dark mud or squid ink and θολερός turbid muddy troubled

Saturday 20 October 2012

The Return of Hephaestus

 Hephaestus 
also spelt Hephaistos
is usually depicted  as a mature man garbed as a smith as in this vase painting.


There is however another theme used in Greek art called the Return of Hephaestus in which Dionysos is persuading a very young Hephaestus to  return to Olympus.



Some scholars believe the prescence of satyrs in these paintings means that there may have been a reactment of the return as part of Dionysiac rituals and that it was a theme for Satyr plays that are now missing.

i am inclined to believe both explanations are plausible.

In an era when there were no photography or print making I can see merchants and other people bringing home from Athens ceramics as gifts and saying ... and the procession looked like this ... while rotating their prize souvenir to show the images.

These elaborate ceramics may have functioned as a memory or educational aid?


Friday 12 October 2012


 Theta Words Two

θείνω strike dash
θεία aunt and θεῖος uncle Note the accent and that this refers to to a relative on either side of the side unlike Latin which has separate words to indicate if the relative is on the father's or mother's side of a family.
θέλγω enchant charm use magic spell bind cheat
θελκτήρ or θέλκτωρ charmer enchanter θέλκτρον θελκτήριον spell enchantment charm
θέμις the goddess of Justice and Law Note θεσμός
- θεν suffix added to nouns to show Motion FROM a Place
Θερμός heat warmth hot warm boiling
θέτις Sea goddess Nereid mother of Achilles wife of Peleus daughter of Oceanus
θέω run race fly and of things circular like a rim
θεωρέω look AT view behold observe be a spectator contemplate consider

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Theta Words One


 Theta Words One

θᾶκος ὁ seat chair θᾱκέω to sit take a seat but θάσσω is to sit but to sit idly lounge about?
θάλαμος inner chamber bedroom dwelling lair den θαλάμιος belonging to the chamber
θάλασσα the sea Attic θάλαττα
θάλλω bloom flourish shoot grow sell be rich abundant prosper
so Θάλεια the Muse of Comedy
θάμνος a bush or shrub
θαρσέω Attic θαρρέω be courageous confident positive note also verb θαρσύνω
θάρσος or θράσος Attic θάρρος τό courage boldness confidence
θάσος an island
θάσσων however is the COMPARATIVE form of ταχύς to be quicker faster swifter
θαῦμα wonder marvel surprise astonishment note also Ionic θῶμα Verb θαυμάζω
Note the similar Verbs θάομαι wonder at admire gaze upon look at see and θεάομαι
so θέᾱτρον a theatre is a place for viewing