List of Greek phrases

Categories: Lists of phrases | Greek language

List of Greek Phrases/Proverbs

Contents


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Αα

(h)a

Ἀγεωμέτρητος μηδεὶς εἰσίτω

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

Ἀεὶ Λιβύη φέρει τι κακόν / καινόν

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".)

Ἀεὶ κολοιὸς παρὰ κολοιῷ ἱζάνει

Aei koloios para koloiōi hizanei.
"A jackdaw is always found near a jackdaw", i.e. "birds of a feather flock together."

Ἀετοῦ γῆρας, κορυδοῦ νεότης

Aëtou gēras, korudou neotēs.
"An eagle's old age (is worth) a sparrow's youth".

Ἀνάγκᾳ δ’οὐδὲ θεοὶ μάχονται

Anankāi d'oude theoi makhontai.
"Even the Gods do not fight necessity", Simonides, 8, 20.

Ἄνθρωπος μέτρον

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

Ἅπαξ λεγόμενον

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

Ἄριστον μὲν ὕδωρ

Ariston men hydōr.
"Greatest however is water", Pindar, Olymp. 1, 1. Used as the inscription over the Pump Room at Bath.
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Ββ

b

Βρῶμα θεῶν

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

g

Γλαῦκ’ Ἀθήναζε / Γλαῦκ’ εἰς Ἀθήνας

Glauk’ Athēnazde / Glauk’ eis Athēnas.
"Owls to Athens", i.e. coals to Newcastle, ice to the Eskimos.

Γνῶθι σεαυτόν

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

d

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Εε

(h)e

Ἓν οἶδα ὅτι ουδὲν οἶδα

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

Ή τάν ή επι τάς

'He tan e epi tas

"Either with the shield on you, or you on your shield" - meaning "either you will win the battle, or you will die and then be carried back home on your shield". It was said by Spartan mothers to their sons before they went to a battle to prevent them from bailing.

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Θθ

th

Θάλασσα καὶ πῦρ καὶ γυνή, κακὰ τρία

Thalassa kai pūr kai gunē, kaka tria.
"Sea and fire and woman, three evils."
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Ιι

(h)i

Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς Σωτήρ

Iēsous Christos Theou Huios Sōtēr
"Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour." As an acronym: ΙΧΘΥΣ (Ichthys) — "fish".
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Κκ

k, c

Κακοῦ  κόρακος  κακὸν ὠόν

Kakou korakos kakon ōön.
"From a bad crow, a bad egg", i.e. like father, like son.

Κακός ἀνήρ μακρόβιος

Kakos anêr makrobios
"A bad man lives long"

Καλλίστῃ

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

Κύριε ἐλέησον

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

l

Λάθε βιώσας

Lathe biosas
"Live in obscurity", an Epicurean phrase.
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Μμ

m

Μὴ γένοιτο

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

Μηδέν Άγαν

Mēden agan.
"Nothing in excess" — a carving from the temple of Apollo at Delphi.

Μηκέτι ὑδροπότει, ἀλλ' οἴνῳ ὀλίγῳ χρῶ διὰ τὸν στόμαχόν σου καὶ τὰς πυκνάς σου ἀσθενείας

Drink no longer water, but take a little wine for thy stomach's sake, and thine often infirmities.
— I Timothy 5:23
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Νν

n

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Ξξ

x

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Οο

(h)o

Οὐ φροντὶς Ἱπποκλείδῃ

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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Ππ

p

Πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη

Pistis, elpis, agapē
"Faith, hope, (and) charity." (1 Corinthians, 13, 13.)
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Ρρ

r(h)

Ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς

Rhododaktylos Ēōs
"Rosy-fingered dawn." Occurs frequently in the Homeric poems.
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Σσ

s

Σπεῦδε βραδεώς

Speude bradeōs.
"Hasten slowly" (cf. Latin festina lente), "less haste, more speed".
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Ττ

t

Τὸ γὰρ ἡδὺ, ἐὰν πολύ, οὐ τι γὲ ἡδύ.

To gar hēdu, ean polu, ou ti ge hēdu.
"A sweet thing tasted too often is no longer sweet."
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Υυ

(h)u, (h)y

Ὕστερον πρότερον

Hysteron proteron
"The latter one first".
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Φφ

ph Φοβού τους Δαναούς και δώρα φέροντες

"Beware of the Danaous (Greeks), bearing gifts"

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Χχ

kh, ch

Khalepa ta kala. 'The good/beautiful/fine/honorable things are hard [to attain].' [cf Plato, Republic 4, 435c.]

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Ψψ

ps

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Ωω

(h)ō

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See also