Lesson 4: Reading

1. καλόν ἡσυχία.

kalon // hesuchia
beautiful // calmness

καλόν beautiful thing (neuter singular nominative)
ἡσυχία calmness (feminine singular nominative)

Translation:
Calmness is a beautiful thing.
A fine thing is calmness.

2. ἡ τοῦ σοφοῦ ψυχὴ ἥσυχός ἐστιν ἐν ταῖς τοῦ βίου συμφοραῖς.

he // tou sophou // psuche // hesuchos // estin // en tais // tou biou // sumphorais

the // of the wise // soul // calm // is // in the // of the life // vicissitudes

ἡ . . . ψθχὴ the . . . soul (feminine singular nominative)
τοῦ σοφοῦ of the wise (masculine singular genitive)
ἥσυχός calm (masculine singular nominative)
ἐστιν he/she/it is (cf. Lesson 12)
ἐν ταῖς . . . συμφοραῖς in the vicissitudes (feminine dative plural); note: C & P give "misfortune" but my professor, who dreamt in Greek, insisted on vicissitudes as the more accurate translation. I should ask Liddell & Scott what they think. . . .
τοῦ βίου of the life (masculine singular genitive)

Translation:
The soul of the wise is calm in the vicissitudes of life.
The wise man's soul is calm in the misfortunes of life.

3. ἅδικος πλοῦτος οὒποτε βέβαιός ἐστιν.

adikos // ploutos // oupote // bebaios // estin
unjust // wealth // never // secure // is

ἅδικος unjust (adj.; masc. sing. nom.)
πλοῦτος wealth (masc. sing. nom.)
οὒποτε never (adverb)
βέβαιός secure (adj.; masc. sing. nom.)
ἐστιν he / she / it is (cf. Lesson 12)

Translation:
Unjust wealth is never secure.
Ill-gotten gains are never secure.

4. φεῦγε τὴν τῶν κακῶν φιλίαν καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἒχθραν.

pheuge // ten // tōn kako̅n // philian // kai // ten // to̅n // agatho̅n // echthran
flee // the // of the evil/bad ones // friendship // and // the // of the // good // enmity

φεῦγε flee (imperative; 2nd person sing)
τὴν . . . φιλίαν the . . . friendship (fem.sing.accusative)
τῶν κακῶν of the evil ones/of the evils (pl. gen.)
καὶ and (conj.)
τὴν . . . ἒχθραν the . . . enmity (fem. sing. acc.)
τῶν ἀγαθῶν of the good ones/ of the goods (pl. gen.)

Translation:
Flee the friendship of the evil ones and the enmity of the good ones.

5. οἱ νόμοι ψυχὴ τῆς πολιτείας εἰσίν.

hoi nomoi // psuche // tes politeias // eisin
the laws // soul // of the government // are

οἱ νόμοι the laws (pl. masc. nom.)
ψυχὴ soul (sing. nom. fem.)
τῆς πολιτείας of the government (fem. sing. gen.)
εἰσίν they are (cf. Lesson 12)

Translation:
The laws are the soul of the government.

6. σκηνὴ πᾶς ὁ βίος.

skene // pas // ho bios
tent/stage building/stage // all // the life

σκηνὴ tent, stage building, stage
πᾶς all
ὁ βίος the life

Translation:
All life's a tent.
All life is a stage building.
All life's a stage.

7. ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος δῶρον τῶν θεῶν ἐστιν.

ho̅ // to̅n anthro̅po̅n // bios // do̅ron // to̅n // theo̅n // estin.
the // of the men // life // gift // of the gods // is

ὁ . . . βίος the . . . life (masc. sing. nom.)
τῶν ἀνθρώπων of the human beings (pl. gen.)
δῶρον gift (sing. neuter nom.)
τῶν θεῶν of the gods (pl. gen.)
ἐστιν he/she/it is (cf. Lesson 12)

Translation:
The life of human beings is a gift of the gods.

8. ἀνθρώπῳ σοφῷ ὁ κόσμος πατρίς ἐστιν.

anthro̅po̅ // sopho̅ // ho̅ kosmos // patris // estin.
to men // wise // the world // native land // is

ἀνθρώπῳ to a man (sing. masc. dat.)
σοφῷ wise (adj; sing. masc. dat.; modifies men)
ὁ κόσμος the world (also order and ornament; nom. masc. sing.)
πατρίς native land (sing. nom.)
ἐστιν he/she/it is

Translation:
To a wise man the world is (his) native land.

9. ἐν τῇ τῶν πολιτῶν εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀνδρείᾳ καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν δικαστῶν δικαιοσύνῇ ἡ τῆς πολιτείας ῥώμη ἐστίν.

en te to̅n polito̅n eusebeia kai en te to̅n stratio̅to̅n andreia kai en te to̅n dikasto̅n dikaiosune he tes politeias rhome estin.

in the citizens reverence and in the soldiers bravery/manliness and in the just men justice the of the government strength is


ἐν τῇ . . . εὐσεβείᾳ in the . . . reverence
τῶν πολιτῶν of the citizens
καὶ and
ἐν τῇ . . . ἀνδρείᾳ in the . . . bravery/manliness
τῶν στρατιωτῶν of the soldiers
καὶ and
ἐν τῇ . . . δικαιοσύνῇ in the justice
τῶν δικαστῶν of the just ones
ἡ . . . ῥώμη the . . . strength
τῆς πολιτείας of the government
ἐστίν he/she/it is

Translation:
In the reverence of the citizens and in the bravery of the soldiers and in the justice of the just men is the strength of the government.

10. τὰ δίκαια ἀεὶ καλά.

ta dikaia aei kala
the just ones/things always beautiful

τὰ δίκαια the just things
ἀεὶ always
καλά beautiful

Translation:
Just things are always beautiful.
Always beautiful are just things.

11. βεβαία ἡ πόλις ἧς δίκαιοι οἱ πολῖται.

bebaia he polis hes dikaioi hoi politai
secure the city in which just ones the citizens

βεβαία secure
ἡ πόλις the city
ἧς in which
δίκαιοι just ones
οἱ πολῖται the citizens

Translation:
Secure is the city in which the citizens are just.