Archives for July 2007
State Ban on Texting While Driving Proposed - New York Times
If u can rd ths whle u r drvng, u may be brking the law.
Or at least that is what one state senator in New York is proposing. This week, Sen. Carl Marcellino, a Republican from Syosset, announced a bill that would make it illegal […]
¶ Posted July 18, 2007 § Legal ‡ Comments (24)
As the army nears Babylon, battle with the Great King seems inevitable. Cyrus wants to encourage his Greek troops, with praise and promises of rewards.
Reading and understanding the Greek is one thing. Translating it into understandable, even moderately well-flowing, English is a whole other challenge.
There are subtleties of vocabulary that resist translation. Xenophon uses […]
¶ Posted § Ancient Greek ‡ Comments Off
After Orontas brief trial (not presented here), he is found guilty and “put out of the way.”
About this, Cyrus said to those present, “This man has done such things and says such things. First you, Clearchus, tell us your view as to what seems best.” Clearchus said the following: “For my part, I recommend that […]
¶ Posted July 17, 2007 § Ancient Greek ‡ Comments (2)
Now in central Mesopotamia, not far from Babylon, the Persian capital, Cyrus encounters the King’s scouts. And this gives a pretext for one of the Persians, Orontas, to make his move.
A detail of Orontas’ arrest tells us much. Cyrus orders 3,000 Greek hoplites (a quarter of his entire Greek force) to take up positions around […]
¶ Posted July 16, 2007 § Ancient Greek ‡ Comments Off
Dictionary.com/Word of the Day Archive - triskaidekaphobia
Triskaidekaphobia is from Greek treiskaideka, triskaideka, thirteen (treis - three, kai - and, deka - ten) phobos, fear.
¶ Posted July 14, 2007 § Ancient Greek ‡ Comments (4)
The fragility of Cyrus’ whole enterprise is highlighted, by Cyrus himself, in this passage. Clearchus, a harsh disciplinarian, causes a riot by flogging one of Menon’s soldiers. And the forces of the two Greek generals were about ready to fight it out, when Cyrus intervened. His rebuke is very telling. He and […]
¶ Posted § Ancient Greek ‡ Comments Off
Marching along the Euphrates river valley could be a difficult challenge for an ancient army, and, as Xenophon explains, Cyrus had reason to hurry.
There’s another connection to the Bible in this passage. The Persian nobles wore “many-colored tunics,” (as I rendered it), which brings to mind Joseph’s “coat of many colors.” And when I checked […]
¶ Posted July 13, 2007 § Ancient Greek ‡ Comments (2)
Marching through the desert country along the Euphrates river, the Greeks in Cyrus army find unusual animals, and not much food.
When I came across the term onoi agrioi, I was delighted to figure it out. Already knowing that agrioi means ‘wild,’ it seemed that onoi agrioi had to be a ‘wild donkeys,’ or the etymologically […]
¶ Posted July 12, 2007 § Ancient Greek ‡ Comments (3)
Safe Banana - the new Banana Guard
Do you take a banana to work , or with you when playing sport?
Do your children take a banana to school?
Fed up when they end up bruised, squashed, black and squishy?
¶ Posted July 11, 2007 § Humor & Entertainment ‡ Comments (2)
Baby mammoth find promises breakthrough
The discovery of a baby mammoth preserved in the Russian permafrost gives researchers their best chance yet to build a genetic map of a species extinct since the Ice Age, a Russian scientist said on Wednesday.
“It’s a lovely little baby mammoth indeed, found in perfect condition,” said Alexei Tikhonov, deputy […]
¶ Posted § Evolution, Animals & Pets ‡ Comments Off
Cyrus’ army arrives at the Euphrates river, where, he had no choice but to announce his real purpose - to march against the Great King. The Greek mercenaries, being rather “mercenary,” demand more money. One of the generals, Menon, takes advantage of the indecision, to secure advantage for himself and his men.
After this Cyrus marched […]
¶ Posted § Ancient Greek ‡ Comments Off
With his mercenary army on the east coast of the Mediterranean, and his intention (i.e. to attack his brother, the Great King of Persia) still undeclared, two leading Greek generals desert Cyrus.
And Xenias the Arcadian and Pasion of Megara embarked in merchant ships, only taking their most valuable possessions, and sailed away, because, it seemed […]
¶ Posted July 10, 2007 § Ancient Greek ‡ Comments (1)
The Gates of Cilicia and Syria
In lines 1-5 of this chapter, Cyrus’ army moves down the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, still in the extreme upper northeastern corner, in ancient Cilicia, near the modern Turkey-Syria border. More Greek reinforcements arrive.
Starting in line 4, there is a detailed description of The Gates of Cilicia and Syria, […]
¶ Posted July 9, 2007 § Ancient Greek ‡ Comments Off
Clearchus - The Original Concern Troll
In this chapter, the Greek mercenaries (while at Tarsus on the Mediterranean coast) foresee that Cyrus, in fact, plans to march against the Great King, his brother, the King of Persia. This is more than they bargained for. Clearchus, one of the leading Greek generals, is pelted with stones by […]
¶ Posted July 8, 2007 § Ancient Greek ‡ Comments Off
Commenter AFE notes: Xenophon and his Greeks were the original guys with no exit strategy for a war in the Middle East. They attacked Persia, and had all their eggs in the Cyrus basket. When he was killed, they were SOL.
Or perhaps, Cyrus had all his eggs in the Greek basket. […]
¶ Posted July 7, 2007 § Ancient Greek ‡ Comments Off
