In our daily speech we use timeless phrases of popular wisdom, the origin of which most of us do not know.
These phrases hide a short story, with protagonists unknown to us, which on the one hand has something to teach us, and on the other hand vividly depicts the way of life and action of people of another era.
In most cases, this popular wisdom has its roots in Ancient Greece and Byzantium, thus proving the continuity of Hellenism, since we use the same phrases today.
People can change depending on the seasons, but at the same time, it is easy to see that in fact we share the same passions, fears, worries and hopes over time.
KNOCK ON WOOD
"Touch wood," said the ancient Greeks. Due to their belief that nymphs (Dryades / Amadryades) lived in the trees, they hit the wood of the tree trunk to invoke their protection, as the nymphs could fulfill the wishes of the people. This habit is common even today, when we hear something that we do not want to happen to us…
HERE IS RHODES, HERE IS THE JUMP
This proverbial expression comes from the myth of Aesop, "Anir kompastis", and is used for those who boast about something and support it, but are unable to prove what they are saying. According to the legend, an athlete who was in Athens constantly boasted that he had made a huge jump in competitions in Rhodes.
As no one believed him, he told the Athenians to go to Rhodes and ask the spectators of the games. Then an Athenian went to the sandpit, and by hand wrote the word "Rhodes" on the sand. Then he turned to the boastful athlete and said to him: "His gar and Rhodes and leap", which has remained as "here is Rhodes, here is the leap". The obvious meaning is that everyone has the opportunity to prove their potential at any time and there is no need to invoke mythical ancestors, achievements, etc.
DO NOT SHOCK MY CIRCLES
When the Romans conquered Syracuse in 212 BC, after three years of Greek resistance, some Roman soldiers entered Archimedes' house and found him drawing circles on the ground. Archimedes asked them to let him finish the solution of some great problem that concerned him, hence the circles on the ground.
That's why he told them the well-known "do not disturb my circles". The Roman soldier, however, unfortunately broke his circles, and killed Archimedes… !!!! But the phrase remained…
I CROWDED FROM THE THIRST.
A phrase derived from an ancient Greek myth. According to him, in a small mountain town in ancient Greece, the inhabitants once decided to make a sacrifice to the god Apollo. However, the water that they considered sacred and used in the sacrifices, was located between inaccessible gorges. So for this important sacrifice they had to send someone on this difficult and uphill route, to bring the "holy" water. Suddenly, a voice came from a nearby tree.
It was the voice of a crow who offered to take on this task. Despite the surprise that the inhabitants felt hearing the crow's voice, they decided to assign him the mission, since with his wings he would quickly and easily reach the source that ran this "sacred" water. So the people gave the crow a small bucket, he grabbed it with his fingernails and threw it in the sky towards the spring. The crow quickly reached the source.
Beside her he saw a fig tree full of figs, and delicately as he was he began to taste some figs. But the figs were unripe, and the crow decided to wait until they were ripe, forgetting the mission he had undertaken on behalf of the people. Finally, wait two whole days until the figs are ripe.
He ate a lot until at some point he remembered the real reason why he had come to the source. So he began to think, how would he justify his delay to the inhabitants of the city. Finally he filled the small jug with water, grabbed with his beak a large snake which he saw moving near the bushes and flew to the city.
When the crow arrived in the city, the inhabitants wanted to know why he was late to return with the water from the spring. The crow after dropping the jug and the snake, and claimed that the snake was sucking water from the spring, causing it to start drying.
Then he told them that when the snake fell asleep, he filled the jug with water and wrote the snake to present to the inhabitants. People believed him and killed the snake by hitting him with stones and sticks.
But this snake belonged to the god Apollo, and the god of light angrily decided to punish the crow for his lie. So from that day on, every time the crow tried to drink water from a spring, it ran out. This torment of the crow's thirst lasted for a long time, until Apollo took pity on him and made him a star in the sky. Since then, when someone was very thirsty, he would say the phrase "I was thirsty". And this phrase has remained to this day.
THE THIEF OF THE THIEF
Ancient Greek expression, (Alopecia to other alopecia). A proverb that was said about swindlers and even in cases where one of them tried to deceive another swindler.
FEAR OF DANAS AND BEARING GIFTS
Phrase used to indicate deceit. During the Trojan War, Laocoon, one of the Trojan priests of Apollo of Thymbra, warned his fellow Trojans, (in vain) not to accept the gift offered by the Greeks - the Danes - to the Trojans, when they supposedly decided to end it. their siege. The gift in question was, of course, the Trojan horse. A gift that proved deadly and destructive for the Trojans, and their favorite city, Troy.
HE THINKS TOO HIGH OF HIMSELF
It is an expression that may have come from Ancient Greece. The Spartans said it to annoy Agisilaos. Agisilaos loved his children very much and when they were young he played with them, riding like a horse, a reed. One day, however, a friend saw him in this position and Agisilaos begged him not to say anything to anyone. But he did not keep his word and said it to others, in order to spread slowly to everyone and reach our days, with a changed interpretation (we say it when we want to say about someone that they took the minds of the air).
YOUR NOSE EATS YOU, YOU WILL EAT WOOD
In ancient Greece it was believed that the "itching", the itching, that is, of the body, was a warning to the gods. They believed that when a person felt itchy on his feet, he would go on a trip. When his left palm ate him again, he would receive gifts. This prevention has remained until our years.
"My hand eats me, I will get money", we usually say when something like this happens. The ancients, however, considered it rude when it felt itchy on the back, neck, ears and nose. Once upon a time, for example, the king of Sparta, Agis, while having a war council with his leaders, suddenly saw one of them scratching his ear in the abstract. He immediately got up and dissolved the council. - We will definitely fail.
The gods warned Aristarchus. Let's postpone the campaign for later. The Spartans also believed that children who felt itchy on their noses would become bad warriors. So, when they saw any child scratching his nose, they punished him, so that he would not scratch it again. From this prevention came the phrase: "your nose eats you, you will eat wood".
PRASEIN HORSES
When someone in a conversation tells us things we disagree with or sound absurd, we tend to say, "What are you telling me?" These are disgusting and green horses. "So" green horses "are not green horses as many people believe, but an ancient Greek expression.
It comes from the active indefinite of the verb "do" and / or "do" (the two t, are replaced in the ancient by two s), which is "do" and / or "do" and the "horse" which are essentially the noun "reason" which means logic (in one of its meanings) with the a deprivation in front. Reason for the absurd, that is, Green horses, to do irrational things.
A SWALLOW DOES NOT BRING SPRING
In one of the myths of Aesop we read that a prodigal and wasteful young man, after eating all his property, had nothing left but his new thick outer cloak. So one day, when he accidentally saw a swallow flying out of his window, he imagined that winter had passed and that spring had come. He then sold the cloak as unnecessary.
But the winter cold had a different opinion and came back the next day more severe. The ancients used this phrase with the words: "a swallow is a bird". According to Aristotle: "Not a single swallow grows a single day". Also related is the phrase: "With a swallow, summer does not make, not even a bee honey" and "with a flower summer is not possible".
Crocodile Tears
When the crocodile wants to deceive its victim, it hides and makes some strange sounds, which look amazingly like a crying baby. So, those who listen to him, think that he is a child and run to help him… The crocodile then suddenly attacks and kills its victim.
In ancient Greece the crocodile was unknown, but the Greeks learned about it from the Phoenician merchants, who filled them with terror and admiration for the power and cunning of the crocodile. So, even though there were no crocodiles in Greece, the "crocodile tears", which we say today for those who cried falsely, is a purely ancient Greek phrase.
ARES MARES KOUKOUNARES
The Expression comes from ancient Greek curses. In the singular the word is Katara Kat-ara Over the years for purely auspicious reasons only "M" was added. That is: Kat-ara-mara. And so in modern Greek it became -ara-mara, ares mares, they also put the "hollow" homonymous word koukounares (aren't koukounaria hollow?) And this new phrase was created! we say it when we want to state that we heard something meaningless and without substance!
NECESSARY EVIL
We find this phrase for the first time in a verse of Menander (342-291 BC), which speaks of marriage. The poet writes that marriage "Or if they have the True purpose, it is evil, but necessary evil". That is: If we want to look at it in the light of truth, marriage is a bad thing, but a "necessary evil".
In another excerpt of Menander we read -perhaps as a consolation for the above- the following passage: "Always a doctor of the necessary bad times". Also: "immortal is a bad necessary woman". That is, woman is the eternal necessary evil.
BY VOICE ALSO THE DONKEY
In ancient times, when a donkey shouted before a battle began, it was thought that the gods were warning them of victory. Once Fokionas was preparing to attack the Macedonians of Philip, but he was not so sure about the result, because his soldiers were few.
Then he decided to postpone the attack for a few days, until they sent him the aids that the Athenians had promised him. But as he was about to order a retreat, he suddenly heard the voice of a donkey from his camp. - By the voice and the donkey! Fokionas was excited. And he ordered the attack to begin, with which he defeated the Macedonians. Since then the reason has remained, and we often say it, when we suddenly see a friend of ours, whom we did not expect.
HE DOES NOT SWEAT HIS EAR
We owe this phrase to the father of Medicine, Asclepius. When a young woman asked him how she could make the young man she liked to love her, he replied: "Lock him in a very warm room, he advised her, and if his ears sweat, he will love you. "If they do not sweat, do not educate unjustly." From this strange advice of Asclepius, the phrase "his ear does not sweat", which we usually say, for the unconscious and indifferent, remained until our years.
I GIVE PLACE TO WRATH.
Give place to anger ", a phrase that we find in" Antigone "by Sophocles (718):" he was angry and metastasized ". These are the words that Aemonas says to his father Creon, who insists on punishing Antigone, because he disobeyed his order and buried her brother Polyneikis. "He was" means he retreated, "I am angry and" instead of "and I am angry after giving", that is, and he changed his mind, that is, he gave way to anger.
In the "Eumenides" of Aeschylus (847) the goddess Athena says in the Dance (of the Eumenides): The word anger also has the meaning: of mood, of feelings, as here "I will give way to anger", I will give up and I will tolerate your moods , because you are older (Eurip. El. 80, Apost. 31) "anger is there" etc.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
When Socrates, at an advanced age, decided to learn the guitar, his friends teased him, saying: "Are you old enough to play the guitar?". And Socrates then replied: "Kallion late or ignorant (remain)".
HE TOOK HIS AIR.
This expression has remained from ancient Greece and specifically from the naval battles fought by the ancient Greeks. Whoever could make the most of the air could move faster and therefore win. So whoever took the air was the winner.
AIR!
In ancient Greece, when a battle began, warriors would fall on their opponent, shouting "dumb", a word that had no meaning, but was just a war cry. From this, however, came the word "alalazo" and the ancient phrase "ilolazon tin nikin". The change was also used in the newer wars, both for the animation of the warriors, especially in the attacks, and as a sign of victory, since the word "Alala" was replaced with the word "Air".
But again, what was the fact that made the word "Air" prevail like a war cry? During the siege of Ioannina (1912-13), the enemy shells, which hit against the fortified positions of our army, brought almost no result, apart from the strong air, created by the explosions all around. In each such failed shot, the Greek soldiers - but above all the legendary Tsoliades - all shouted together "Air!", Wanting in this way to express their joy for the enemy's failure / 1 Constitution of Evzoni). However, the word "Air" became a real symbol during the war of October 38, 28.
WE TOUCHED THEM
In ancient times, there were many women who drank a lot of wine, mixing their drink with a special powder, which made the wine more spicy. From this came the phrase "we stung".
THE GREAT TOMORROW
This proverbial phrase belongs to Plutarch, from the life of Plutarch referring to Pelopidas. It belongs to the Theban general Archias (4th century BC), a friend of the Spartans, when at a banquet someone sent him a letter containing the information that he was in danger from the Democrats and Pelopidas who had returned to Thebes secretly from Athens . We are in 379 BC.
Archias, on the feast and in his joy, on the intoxication of his power and authority, neglected to open it. Instead of opening the letter and reading it, he put it aside saying "tomorrow is great", meaning that tomorrow I will read the important things contained in this letter. That was his mistake. He and his friends were killed shortly afterwards.
DEUS EX MACHINA
With the phrase "from a machine god" we characterize a person or an event, which with its unexpected appearance, gives a solution or a new development in case of embarrassment or dilemma. The origin of this expression goes back to ancient Greek dramatic poetry and especially to tragedy. In particular, in several cases the tragic poet gradually led the evolution of the myth to a point of impasse, making finding a solution very difficult, if not impossible.
Then, in order for the play to reach an end, the following happened: a divine person was introduced into the myth, who with his intervention gave a solution to the impasse and the play could now be completed smoothly. The expression "the machine god" was introduced, because this divine person appeared on the stage of the theater with the help of the "machine", that is, a wooden crane, to appear to come from above, or sometimes from a hatch, if it were a god of Hades.
In essence, this is a case of surface (divine appearance to mortals), which occurred at the end of a tragedy, facilitating the tragic poet to give a natural solution to the myth of his work.
WE BREAKED THEM
The ancient Cretans on the eve of their wedding, gathered in a large room various clay jars and while singing and dancing, broke them one by one. This habit, over time, spread throughout Greece. Out of this habit came the phrase "we broke it" which we say after every fun.
HE EATS HIS NAILS FOR A FIGHT
One of the favorite spectacles of the Romans and later of the Byzantines, was free wrestling. Most of the wrestlers were slaves, coming out of the track hoping to win and be freed. In this free fight everything was allowed punches, kicks, spoons, even drowning. The only thing that was strictly forbidden was scratches.
The wrestler had to defeat his opponent, without causing him the slightest hack with his fingernails, which was not easy, as the fingernails of the slaves were large and hard from the heavy work they did. track, they began to cut them, as they could, with their teeth. From this fact came the phrase "eats his fingernails for quarrel".
FOR A FLEE JUMP
From the first century the communication of the Romans with the Asian world, resulted in the introduction of a multitude of ridiculous and humiliating superstitions, which flooded all the provinces of Italy. Those who were afraid of winking, resorted to witches, to exorcise them in a very strange way: These witches had some trained fleas, which jumped around a plate of water.
If the flea fell in and drowned, then the one who looked at him was the enemy. If the opposite happened - if he did not drown - then the wink was from a friend, which would pass quickly. A witch once pointed out to such a client such an enemy by his name. He went, found him and killed him. Thus began a terrible "feud" between two families, which lasted many years. However, from this dramatic episode, which was caused by a foolish prevention, the phrase "For a flea jump" came out and remained proverbial.
GAVE HIM THE SHOES IN HIS HAND
By this phrase we mean that we fire someone, we fire him for various reasons. This expression started from an old custom, which had its first application in Babylon.
When the king wanted to replace a lord, either because he was inadequate or because he had fallen into disfavor with some mistakes, he would send him a pair of old shoes with the name of the recipient written below. This custom was taken by the Babylonians and the Byzantines and maintained until the last years of the empire. The other phrase we say is relevant: "I write you in my old shoes". That is, I do not count on you, I do not give you value, importance, I ignore you