the secret of happiness is freedom; the secret of freedom is courage –> τὸ εὔδαιμον τὸ ἐλεύθερον, τὸ δ' ἐλεύθερον τὸ εὔψυχον (Pericles via Thucydides 2.43)

[GotDesign01]

I would like to get some help in translating this quotation of Thucydides.  Please include an English transliteration for me.  If there are any questions, please e-mail me.

Thanks.

[billberg23]

Literally, it means "The happy is the free, and the free is the stout-hearted."
Transliteration:  to eudaimon to eleutheron, to d' eleutheron to eupsychon

[nickled]

I am a law student curious about the influence of Ancient Greek texts on modern U.S. political and legal thinking.  One of my favorite U.S. Supreme Court opinions is from Whitney v. California, 274 U. S. 357 (1927) in which Justice Brandeis discussed the meaning of free speech in modern democracy, noting our forefathers believed: "...liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty."  Enthralled by this profound quotation, I have traced it back to Pericles' Funeral Oration from Thucydides' History, book 2, ch. 43, but want to know exactly what Pericles said in Ancient Greek because I have found many modern translations and don't know which is correct.  Among the English translations I have found are:

"[esteeming] courage to be freedom and freedom to be happiness"
"[judging] happiness to be the fruit of freedom and freedom of valour"

I would be eternally grateful if anyone has access to the original Ancient Greek text and could provide the words/spelling in Ancient Greek as well as the English translation.  Thank you in advance for your time.

[billberg23]

This is an extremely popular quotation on our site.  See, for example, the secret of happiness is freedom; the secret of freedom is courage –> τὸ εὔδαιμον τὸ ἐλεύθερον, τὸ δ' ἐλεύθερον τὸ εὔψυχον (Pericles via Thucydides 2.43).

[nickled]

Thank you very much for the response, but I didn't see the quotation on the link you provided.  Did I miss something somewhere?  Again, many thanks.

[carikermoon]

Sorry, to bring up this thread again...but I was also trying to find an original Greek version of the History of the Peloponnesian War after having read translations by Thomas Hobbes and then by Richard Crawley.  Their subtle differences in that specific line--made famous by requotes--has my curiousity piqued.  Yes, I did follow the link to the tattoo thread which was interesting, but I am curious regarding the whole sentence in its context and not just the snippet which forms the tattoo.

Would you have any suggestions for finding the original Greek text?

Thanks!

[billberg23]

The entire text of Thucycides, with an abundance of commentary, is available through the Perseus project at Thucydides,  History of the Peloponnesian War, THE FIRST BOOK, chapter 1

Let me recommend to you the recent translation by Steven Lattimore (Hackett 1998).  Here is his rendering of the passage in question (2.43, p. 96):

The whole earth is the tomb of famous men, and not only inscriptions set up in their own country mark it, but even in foreign lands an unwritten memorial, present not in monument but in mind, abides within each man.  Emulate them now, judge that happiness is freedom and freedom courage, and do not stand aside from the dangers of war.

[gaius969]

Thank you! Can you please write me this quote in upper case?

τὸ εὔδαιμον τὸ ἐλεύθερον, τὸ δ' ἐλεύθερον τὸ εὔψυχον

[billberg23]

ΤΟ ΕΥΔΑΙΜΟΝ ΤΟ ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΟΝ ΤΟ ΔΕ ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΟΝ ΤΟ ΕΥΨΥΧΟΝ

[gaius969]

It looks much better in lower case. So can you tell me if is it OK if I write it on this way.



or

[billberg23]

Your first way (sideways vertical) is infinitely preferable!

[gaius969]

Thank you. Then, it will be first way. :)