Close enough?

How do I work out the meaning of a Greek text? How can I best understand the forms and vocabulary in this particular text?
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Wes Wood
Posts: 692
Joined: September 20th, 2013, 8:18 pm

Close enough?

Post by Wes Wood »

While looking at the different uses of ἐσθίω, I stumbled upon, and then over, the passage below. I don't know the context and I don't think it is possible--for me at least--to figure out exactly what is being said without it, but I am wondering if I have a general sense of it.
ὅθεν οὐδὲ τὴν θήραν αὐτῶν παρῆλθεν ὁ ζωγράφος, ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἔχεται τοῦ ποδός, ἡ δὲ ἄκρου τοῦ πτεροῦ, ἡ δὲ ἐσθίεται τῆς κεφαλῆς, ἀσπαίρουσι δὲ πειρώμεναι διαφυγεῖν: ὅμως οὐ ταράττουσιν οὐδὲ διαλύουσι τὸν ἱστόν.
“From which the painter has not passed by their hunt, for one is being held by the foot, and [another] by the top of the wing, and another’s head is being eaten, and they are panting from trying to escape: still they are not disturbing nor breaking up the web[?].”
Ἀσπάζομαι μὲν καὶ φιλῶ, πείσομαι δὲ μᾶλλον τῷ θεῷ ἢ ὑμῖν.-Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους 29δ
Stephen Hughes
Posts: 3323
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

Re: Close enough?

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Philostr. Maj. Im. 2.28. The last few lines.
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
Wes Wood
Posts: 692
Joined: September 20th, 2013, 8:18 pm

Re: Close enough?

Post by Wes Wood »

Sorry for the late response, Stephen. Thank you for finding that reference. You seem to be much better at such things than am I. :oops: With the entire passage in front of me, it didn't seem as bad. Thanks again!
Ἀσπάζομαι μὲν καὶ φιλῶ, πείσομαι δὲ μᾶλλον τῷ θεῷ ἢ ὑμῖν.-Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους 29δ
Stephen Hughes
Posts: 3323
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

Re: Close enough?

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Wes Wood wrote:Sorry for the late response, Stephen. Thank you for finding that reference. You seem to be much better at such things than am I. :oops: With the entire passage in front of me, it didn't seem as bad. Thanks again!
Perhaps the big "G" works better from this side of the North Pacific. :lol:

Seriously, though, if you want to find a reference, cut-and-paste the most unfamiliar looking phrase from the passage into an efficient search-engine and it usually comes up. Occasionally, omitting the little words results in finding really obscure things in scanned, but not yet digitalised works.
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
Wes Wood
Posts: 692
Joined: September 20th, 2013, 8:18 pm

Re: Close enough?

Post by Wes Wood »

I did at least put the phrase in duckduckgo and yahoo before I posted, but I didn't get any hits. It may be a difference in search engines and Google appears to be better. However, I only use google at work where I must use a chromebook or log into google drive. For what it's worth, my post on Bgreek is the only that shows up in my results from yahoo even now. :lol:
Ἀσπάζομαι μὲν καὶ φιλῶ, πείσομαι δὲ μᾶλλον τῷ θεῷ ἢ ὑμῖν.-Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους 29δ
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