please suggest summer topics

Please suggest some summer topics for #metousia blog n patreon 

Ive been in hiatus trying to finish off several other things 

At one stage there was a slender chance I would be moving house or getting a summer part time job or both and also trying to start and manage an online course in medical admin

Buuuuuu t  

....

So possible topics summer seasshores the ocean beaches ? 

graphee

Graphee 

Some notes on 2 Timothy 3:16

This post expands on a recent tweet I made 

So you may have noticed self proclaimed  "biblical" or other Christians citing this verse in support of the doctrine of Scriptural Inerrancy.

In most translation the word Graphee is translated as scripture.

Whats often NOT pointed out by commentators who just cite the verse without explanation is that the word just means WRITING but also has other meanings.

In the NT it is usually used in the Gospels and Epistles to refer to the Old Testament and particularly to the Prophets.

The idea tbat Paul was claiming his writings were also divinely inspired or that this verse refers to the Bible as a whole is a HUMAN tradition. 

Paul was writing to Timothy about the Old Testament and how to use them combined with Faith 

Also the modern translations change a list into a paragraph

What Paul wrote in Greek:

All writing (OT implied reference to prior verse )

Godbreathed /inspired

And oophelimos profitable 

For teaching didaskalian

For evidence elegmon 

Evidence used in a court case that will be proven or disproven after discussion

Elegmov comes from the verb elegkhoo

For correction 

As literally a process of setting something set 

For education /training /culture the in righteousness 

So Paul is talking about using the Old Testament and Prophets and possibly some kind of ProtoGospel or record of Jesus

For its usefulness for instruction for evidence for correction for education 

In Righteousness 

Nowhere does he state a belief in biblical inerrancy.

He focuses in its use.

Yes you may read that verse differently but consider which characteristic Paul stated first 

USEFULNESS 

Usefulness towards reaching and maintaining a state of Righteousness 

And if you want to cross check what  I stated the Bible Hub website has a link for each word in that verse to Strong and Thayer and you can also check Logeion for secular usages or Liddell and Scott 

Finally consider this ?

 When Paul wrote that letter of advice to Timothy there was NO New Testament.

Should we really cite this verse to support biblical inerrancy? 

I may also type up these observations into a pdf and share it via my Patreon 

Women at a Fountain

 Women at a Fountain. 

Notice the detail of the artist rendering water with a GRAY slip and the robes unbound at the waist but clearly stitched at the shoulders and neck. The horizontal lines could be pleating from folding and ironing rather than formed by weaving. We also have an example of the meander pattern .

pdf collections SOON

I am trying to compile and edit my ever growing reference image collection into a series of pdfs or ebooks for publication via Patreon as pdfs.

They will be free $1or $5 depending on size and length.

So until I get more followers or something to announce or share this blog is on hiatus 

Go and scroll down to prior posts and leave comments please or visit my patreon 

Metousia.

Our Bodies Our Choices

 OUR BODIES OUR CHOICES 

How to say or write  it in Greek?

I choose sarkos instead of sooma because a certain issue is very physical and medical not just moral or theological and should be our PERSONAL CHOICE or CHOOSING whatever you decide.

note the middle participle from being genitive is the same for all genders 

I may put this up on DeviantArt Patreon and Redbubble too

 in a few different versions free to download or pay for a sticker.

If I do a PRO version and claim copyright the copyright is on my translation into Greek and the typographic design and if anyone thinks its exploitation of a current issue I'll be giving you a free version too and you are not paying my power or data bills?!

Edifying Classics for Christians

Edifying Classics for Christians 

It oftens saddens and annoys me to see self described "Christians" use the suffiency of scrpiture and sola scripture doctrines as an excuse not to read or study other useful classics Christian or Pagan that are quite edifying and useful.

The following works are all available in good modern translations 

Socrates Apology 

His defence of philosophy 

Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics 

The Dhammapada 

a Buddhist view of Ethics 

The Tao Te Ching 

Plutarchs Moralia 

These essays include writings on ethics and philosophy 

Boethius' Consolation

Kempis' Imitation of Christ 

I could aid to this list but these are classics that are particularly useful challenging and readable 

Finally please read some poetry apart from Psalms and your favorite church hymns! 

Other Mens Flowers is an excellent anthology compiled not by an Oxbridge professor but a British WW2 commander 

Trypanis Anthology of Greek Poetry from Homer to the 20th c. incuding byzantine christian poets  is also a good  introduction to the Greek Classics. 

If you can find a copy Waddells Mediaeval Latin Lyrics has Latin n English and includes secular and religious verse.

Now please you know who read something apart from Calvin.

If you must fixate on ibscure 17tth century writers Catholic or Protestant try Herbert ? 

good and goodness and galatians 5:22

Galatians 5: 22 includes one of THOSE Greek words. Yes by THOSE I mean one of those words that seems to vary in translation.

In Verse 22 khreestotees is followed by agathosunee and khreestotees and jhreestos generally get translated as kindness or gentefulness or some benefical or useful or honest.

Why is Paul using two words and not just aaying goodness?

Perhaps he is trying to point out goodness is not just a idea but also an action ?

It is part of a list of fruits of the spirit including love peace and  forbearance or longsuffering are alternative translations of makrothumia and then we have khreestotees followed by agathosunee and finally faith.

I suspect Paul is trying to express the idea of goodness leading to being useful king honest gentke and ethical and linking it to goodness as a general concept thats its something you have as a spiritual condition but also a gift expressed by actions ?

Or perhaps not? 

How do you interpret that word ? 

Thoughts on Ktisis

Some thoughts on Ktisis in late roman mosaics 

The earliest Ktisis found and dated so far comes from Antioch a city that is prone to earthquakes and geologists think from the 350s to the 550s there were an increased frequency of quakes. 

Ktisis doesny seem to be a Platonist Stoic or Christian concept yet suddenly for 2 centuries we see figures of women of high rank in public buildings or the public reception areas of large homes. 

The Villa Constantius the House of the 4 seasons in a church in a rebuilt Greek colony in Libya another site in Cyrenica and the House of Eustolis in Kourion on Cyprus all then parts of thr Eastern Empire and all in areas effected by eathquakes with particularly several quakes in 363 365 536 551.

I am thinking what we are seeing is an expression of Imperial Ideology in response to physical diasters ? 

Yes there is no textual evidence but I can see this being a way of saying WE WILL BUILD and renew and make things beautiful again. 

I will not be surprised if more Ltisis mosaics turn up limited to this time period perhaps hopefully with nearby dedications or inscriptions. 

Why Ktisis as a woman? 

Perhaps the idea was suggested by one of those many Byzantine princesses or Empresses who commissioned or repaired building and the inclusion in designs was a sign of an unrecorded political faction?

Yes its speculation but ...

Ill type up more details into a fuller article soon.

A Ktisis Medley

 A KTISIS MEDLEY

#ktisis #medley #images #hellenisticart 

KTISIS continues to fascinate me. 

She seems to be a Stoic concept however most of the images found so far were uncovered literally if they were floor mosaics from houses in Asia Minor and in "Late Antiquity" just over a period of a couple of centuries.

Was there some kind of local revival of Stoicism?

Greek Stoicism not Roman as the Ktisis image often appears as a set along with other personifications of Ideas and Virtues. And the style is very Hellenic. 

Anyway here is a medley of every image I have been happen to find online excepting a few of very poor quality.

Some day I will find the missing pieces of data I need and do a full length article or mini ebook 

If anyone knows of any frescoes of her let me know ?

The ruler may symbol the concept of a Canon a building guide or the idea of Ktisis as being building as the foundation of civilisation and creation ?

 

Easter Hiatus 2022

I am on Easter Break working on Sophokleas Garden and other Hellenika materials and of course reading the NT in Greek n English 

Visit my patreon 

Https://www.patreon.com/metousia 

Nine Muses From Elis

 I'm posting this artifact found in Elis in Greece to remind people that the identification with the Muses with certain symbols isn't just a Roman or Renaissance invention.

Its interesting also to note that the artifact shows both a LYRE and a KITHARA  and also for Apollo a very old tortoiseshell lyre rather than Eratos version which has a sounding board or sound box? 

Note that there are two different types of books with both a Scroll and a folding Tablet being shown.

I think this is a folding tablet rather than an early codex because of the black pages. The black could be slate or wax with dye added ? 

 Urania is shown as a star chart. 

Despite the damage there seems to be both types and possibly a third type of theatre mask: comedy tragedy and well the third is too damaged ....Melpomene is probably a Tragic Mask but but that leaves us with the question of whether Polyhymnia is a mask or a womans face. Her image could possibly be a reference to the use of women's choirs for some events such as religious festivals with associated choral competitions open to women.

You can get a larger version of this image from Wikipedia but there are very few comments on context.

This seems to be Hellenistic to me or late Classical given the limited color range?

KNOW YOURSELF

 KNOW YOURSELF 

Scholarship can be a form and method of developing insight if we actually apply and use certain principles?

gnwthi is an imperative verb  and the pronoun is se the accusative form  of se + auton self 

Is Classical Greek really so "Irregular"

 IS CLASSICAL GREEK 

Really So IRregular ?

#classicalgreek #greek #irregular 

So a few times a year I like to review basic Greek and I did a Google search to see what people thought was the most difficult aspect of learning Classical Greek and after understanding the Alphabet the other problem that came up several times was "IRREGULAR" forms?

Yes Greek has more suffixes and morphs than English. 

Yes you have to learn Moods and Cases and Conjugations and Genitive and Declensions

 but think for a moment!

Is Greek really that much worse than English?

Greek has less homophones. 

Even so called irregular verbs follow common patterns.

You say the verb to be?

Look again at English. Modern English forms of the verb TO BE  fuses two different Old English Germanic verbs wesan and beon and then goes and uses other verbs that once had different meanings like should and would and could  to express conditionals and a change of spoken tone can make a statement like "you should be reading" into an Imperative an Exhortation or a Question?

So the Greek Subjunctive Mood is that much worse? 

Is it such a terrible thing that phrases like the The Good Book and the Good Woman use two different forms of THE and have case endings? 

Muses in Ivory

 THE MUSES IN IVORY 

This piece is NOT the finest depiction of the Muses but it has a certain liveliness and definite energy.

Does it seem to you that they are dancing?

Have you visited Sophoklea's Garden YET?

 Have you visited Sophoklea's Garden YET?

Even if you have no interest in learning Greek could you take a minute to visit my Patreon and test read the educational materials and review them for me? Yes some of them are in the $1 tier but others are free. 

https://www.patreon.com/metousia 

Reverse Greek Test Five

 Todays Reverse Greek Test is the Opening lines of one of Euripides plays

#euripides #classicgreek #atticdrama #transliteration 

Can you guess which play it is and translate it?

Which god is speaking? 

Atlas ho khalkeoisi nootois ouranon 

theooon palaion oikon ektriboon theoon 

mias ephuse maian hee m<e> egeinato 

a few clues nootois shoulders back 

ektriboo rub or wear out 

mias is mia feminine form of one 

who is Atlas daughter 

who is his grandchild 

Also can you identify the Epic forms of one dative and one verb?

I may type up these lines and more of the prologue and post them onto metousia

which play is this 

Muses on a Sarcophagus

 #muses #sarcophagus 

I have no particular reason for sharing this expect its March which starts with an M and I have bits and piece sof left image files in a folder from prior websurf 

Enjoy 

REVERSE GREEK and Xenophon

 XENOPHON REVERSE GREEK

Here are the opening words of Xenophon's Anabasis transliterated into Roman ABC

dareiou kai parusatidas gignontai paides dou

 presbuteros men artakserksees neooteros de kuros 

My suggestion is that you test yourself or students by either reading it aloud or getting them to write it with Greek letters for practice? 

Welcome to Sophoklea's Garden

 NEWS

 I have added something new to my METOUSIA  #patreon

Its called 

SOPHOKLEA'S GARDEN

Lessons in Classical Greek 

These will be aimed at Absolute Beginners  who might not have any knowledge of other languages or grammar or linguistics.

Come and visit and review or make suggestions 

There will be still be separate pdfs you can use for yourself or students

Meanwhile I will be doing more Reverse Greek texts on this blog .

This Months Hellenika PDFs

This months pdfs for Patreon ar e part one of Sophoklea's Garden and a pdf with some of the Reverse Greek quotes from earlier blos 

Part 14 of Plutarchs Amatorious Commentary will appear in March 

So visit 

Metousia

REVERSE GREEK TEST THREE

 REVERSE GREEK TEST THREE 

#Classicalgreek #transliteration

This quote is from #Sophocles 

use it to test your students knowledge of the greek abc!

polla ta deina kouden anthroopou deinoteron pelei 

the kouden is kai ouden 

I will be posting a collection of these various quotes plus the greek originals on my metousia patreon

Reverse Greek Test Two

 REVERSE GREEK TEST TWO

#classicalgreek Greekalphabet #transliteration 

Here's something you can use to test yourself and students.

Why have I used the Englsih alphabet

Well apart from reminding people of how the poem SOUNDS you can use this and the other selections in the REVERSE GREEK TESTS series to test knowledge of the Greek alphabet and introduce students to Greek with a variety of short texts.

Deduke men a selanna                     (a = hee)

kai pleeiades mesai de 

nuktes para derkhet oora                    d(e) erkhet (i) 

egoo de mona kateudoo

This is part of a lost longer poem by a well known female poetess.

I'll be collecting all of these and compiling them into a pdf reader on my Metousia patreon

Reverse Greek Tests One

I said Ild revise basics in February and I had an idea for testing reading  basic greek ABG skills and introducing students to some texts

Heres the first one 

Meenin aeide thea peeleeiadeoo akhileeos

and if youre starting on lyric verse what poem is this from ?

Eelth eelthe khelidoon 

laotop tantrums are over

Last week I had just finished prepping something to post when my laptop had a major tantrum so Im behind AGAIN 

Anyway the laptop is working and Ild like to announce and remind you  that January and February posts are given over to reviewing Basics here and on the accompanying metousia patreon 

homonyms and homophones

Compared to English Classical Greek has far less homophones and homonyms. Moden Demotic Greek due to Iotacism is a whole other problem but Ancient Greek ... 

However there are a great many NEAR homonyms and homophones, words so similar the shift of an accent from one syllable to a following one can change the meaning.

The best known example is probably TI / tinos /tina 

meaning either any or some or an but also who or what .

There are others 

Words where aspirating an initial consonant is far more important than it is in English or a change of sound in a word shows it is  a different dialect or an older form.

Im compiling a list I will share on my Metousia Patreon soon 

can you guess where this was found ?

Can you guess where this was found ? 

Yes in Europe not Asia Minor or the Near East but somewhere where there were never Greek colonies and which was never part of the Byzantine Empire or one of the Diadochi realms?

Not in Italy or Greece and in a country where the majority language is NOT IndoEuropean !