μολὼν λαβέ: Difference between revisions
Κινδυνεύουσι γὰρ ὅσοι τυγχάνουσιν ὀρθῶς ἁπτόμενοι φιλοσοφίας λεληθέναι τοὺς ἄλλους ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄλλο αὐτοὶ ἐπιτηδεύουσιν ἢ ἀποθνῄσκειν τε καὶ τεθνάναι → Actually, the rest of us probably haven't realized that those who manage to pursue philosophy as it should be pursued are practicing nothing else but dying and being dead (Socrates via Plato, Phaedo 64a.5)
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|wketx=The phrase molon labe (Ancient Greek μολών λαβέ molṑn labé; reconstructed Ancient Greek pronunciation [molɔːn labé]; Modern Greek pronunciation [moˈlon laˈve]) means "Come and take". It is a classical expression of defiance reportedly spoken by King Leonidas I in response to the Persian army's demand that the Spartans surrender their weapons at the Battle of Thermopylae. It is an exemplary use of a laconic phrase. | |||
The first word, ''μολών'', is the aorist active participle (masculine, nominative, singular) of the Greek verb ''βλώσκω'' "to come", meaning "having come". The Root is evidently ΜΟΛ, so that βλώ-σκ-ω is apparently a contraction for μολώ-σκ-ω (the suffix -σκ, being a common specialized present stem inchoative suffix). The form ''λαβέ'' is the aorist active imperative (second person singular) of the verb [[λαμβάνω]], translated as "you take" with an emphasis since it is in the imperative form. That is to say, it is better represented in English as, "Take!" (with ''you singular'' understood, "you take"). | |||
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Latest revision as of 20:07, 8 November 2022
Greek to English
Wikipedia EN
The phrase molon labe (Ancient Greek μολών λαβέ molṑn labé; reconstructed Ancient Greek pronunciation [molɔːn labé]; Modern Greek pronunciation [moˈlon laˈve]) means "Come and take". It is a classical expression of defiance reportedly spoken by King Leonidas I in response to the Persian army's demand that the Spartans surrender their weapons at the Battle of Thermopylae. It is an exemplary use of a laconic phrase.
The first word, μολών, is the aorist active participle (masculine, nominative, singular) of the Greek verb βλώσκω "to come", meaning "having come". The Root is evidently ΜΟΛ, so that βλώ-σκ-ω is apparently a contraction for μολώ-σκ-ω (the suffix -σκ, being a common specialized present stem inchoative suffix). The form λαβέ is the aorist active imperative (second person singular) of the verb λαμβάνω, translated as "you take" with an emphasis since it is in the imperative form. That is to say, it is better represented in English as, "Take!" (with you singular understood, "you take").
