Translation - Μετάφραση
Translation Assistance => Other language pairs => Greek→Italian Translation Forum => Topic started by: Giammy on 21 Nov, 2010, 03:45:53
-
Hi to everyone,
I'm italian and i'm looking since a long time for the orginal inscription on the Delphi temple.
Mine request is not about the italian translation of Γνώθι σαυτόν (i'm sorry if i wrote in the wrong section of the forum but it's quite hard to me understand your language and google translator it's not so accurate) ,instead i would like to know the entire original phrase in greek. I know this is just a piece of a longer inscription on the Apollo temple so I would be very grateful if someone could write me the entire exact phrase in ancient greek...
I've searched for it on several italian and english sites without results , could you please help me?
Thanks a lot
-
According to Pausanias (10.24.1), γνῶθι σαυτόν, together with its companion aphorism μηδὲν ἄγαν ("Nothing too much"), stood inscribed in the fore-temple of the Apollo temple at Delphi. We know of no longer context. The saying was traditionally ascribed to Chilon, a 6th-century BCE king of Sparta, who was numbered among the Seven Sages.
The two maxims came to be viewed as the "rules of life" for Greek culture. To "know yourself" meant to know your limitations, know that you are only human, and stand in awe of the gods. "Nothing too much" was a like admonition advising moderation in all things. Fortunately for the epic of Greek history, the Greeks have never paid really serious attention to either rule.
-
First of all thank you for your answer,I really appreciate it .
I believed that the phrase was just an excract from an original longer inscription but i must be wrong ! Wikipedia (i knew i wouldn't trust in it) report this in Italian as the inscription on the temple :
" Ti avverto, chiunque tu sia.
Oh tu che desideri sondare gli Arcani della Natura,
se non riuscirai a trovare dentro te stesso ciò che cerchi
non potrai trovarlo nemmeno fuori.
Se ignori le meraviglie della tua casa,
Come pretendi di trovare altre meraviglie?
In te si trova occulto il Tesoro degli Dei.
Oh! Uomo conosci te stesso e conoscerai l’Universo e gli Dei "
I will try to translate it in english (I hope it will be understandable)
"I warn you,whoever you are.
You that desire to probe tha Nature's Arcanes,
if you not be able to find in yourself what you are looking for
you be not able to find it neither outside.
If you ignore the wonders in your house,
how do you expect to find other wonders?
In you is hidden the Gods' Tresure.
Oh ! Man know thyself and you will know the Universe and the Gods"
And the translation with google in greek
Σας προειδοποιώ, όποιος κι αν είσαι.
Ω εσείς που θέλετε να εξερευνήσετε τα μυστήρια της φύσης,
εάν δεν μπορείτε να βρείτε μέσα σας αυτό που ψάχνετε
δεν μπορείτε να βρείτε ακόμη και έξω.
Αν αγνοήσετε τα θαύματα του σπιτιού σας,
Πώς περιμένετε να βρείτε άλλα θαύματα;
Σε εσάς είναι το κρυμμένο θησαυρό των Θεών.
Ω! Ο άνθρωπος γνώρισε τον εαυτό σου και να γνωρίζουν το Σύμπαν και τους Θεούς
This is the phrase I'm looking for. Could you help me to find the greek's original one and maybe give me some "true" informations about it?
Thanks for all
-
Oh ! Man know thyself and you will know the Universe and the Gods
This is one of those spurious quotations (usually attributed to the "Oracle at Delphi," sometimes to "Pythagoras") that fly about the Internet like airborne viruses. It is certainly not ancient, and I can't take it back any farther than the 20th century in English (which I suspect was the original language of composition; the Greek you quote is modern Greek). In any case, it has nothing in common with Chilon's sentiment (the god saying, "Know who you are: you're not me.").
-
So you're telling me that this is a fake?
I'm quite disapponited but i think is better to know the truth...
The only two phrases inscripted on fore-temple are γνῶθι σαυτόν and μηδὲν ἄγαν if I have understood.
I really thank you very much for your time and if you could write me the two phrases even in uppercase characters it would be perfect.
If you have some troubles with the meaning of some italian phrases I'll gladly return the service !
-
See Know thyself and thou wilt know the universe and the gods → Γνώθι σαυτόν και θα γνωρίσεις το σύμπαν και το θείον (https://www.translatum.gr/forum/index.php?topic=27629.0), where you'll also find my own translation of your phrase into ancient Greek. It's been a popular tattoo "quote," you see, for the past 3 years or so.
By the way, Giammy, welcome to the Forum!
-
Thank you very much ,you have been very useful !