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Epicurus' letter to a child

Posted: March 4th, 2020, 10:25 pm
by Peng Huiguo
From a man whom Origen unkindly and unfairly called a moron:

ἀφίγμεθα εἰς Λάμψακον ὑγιαίνοντες ἐγὼ καὶ Πυθοκλῆς καὶ Ἕρμαρχος καὶ Κτήσιππος,
καὶ ἐκεῖ κατειλήφαμεν ὑγιαίνοντας Θεμίσταν καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς φίλους.
εὖ δὲ ποιεῖς καὶ σὺ εἰ ὑγιαίνεις καὶ ἡ μάμμη σου καὶ πάπαι καὶ Μάτρωνι πάντα πείθῃ, ὥσπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν.
εὖ γὰρ ἴσθι, ἡ αἰτία, ὅτι καὶ ἐγὼ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες σε μέγα φιλοῦμεν, ὅτι τούτοις πείθῃ πάντα.

Λάμψακον: Lampsacus.
Πυθοκλῆς, Ἕρμαρχος, Κτήσιππος, Θεμίσταν, Μάτρωνι: Personal names.
κατειλήφαμεν: Perfect tense of καταλαμβάνω indicates Epicurus & co's objective in going to Lampsacus.
μάμμη, πάπα: Mommy, papa.
αἰτία: Vocative case, "my charge" as in "child in my care". Female too, so a girl. Expresses dutiful concern.
καί: So many of it here. Maybe its frequency in NT isn't all Hebraism, but also some down-talking.