all I know is that I know nothing → ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα

[billberg23]

Your pronunciation is fine!  You're obviously a Bithynian from the first century BCE.

Word-by-word meaning : Οὐδὲν (nothing) οἶδα (I know) πλὴν [except] αὐτὸ [itself] τοῦτο [that].

If you like, join our Greek queries on the Ancient Greek → English forum.  Just download the book by J.T. Allen at The First Year of Greek - James Turney Allen - Google Livres.

Ask all the questions you like.  Beginners welcome!  I don't think it makes much difference which version of Greek you learn first.  With your background in languages, you should slide right into ancient Greek!

[Brettmercier]

I'm glad to see I have talent in guessing pronunciation hehe ! Actually, my mother tongue is French, so I just read the quotation as I would in French. The fact that it worked shows an interesting link between the two languages (although it's probably a Greek--Latin--French link).

I'm curious, why Bithynian in particular ?

Merci !

[billberg23]

As you can imagine, the pronunciation of ancient Greek varied widely and wildly from time to time and from place to place.  Interesting that your pronunciation harks back to the first century B.C.  At that time, the Romans were just beginning to "civilize" the Gauls, and Greek was still pretty much the universal language ... Hmm, no wonder there's a connection ... (-:

[oberonsghost]

Aint it the truth!  That the more you think you know, the less you actually do know.....If ever you have the time, read IF Stone's "Trial of Socrates" for an interesting take on the trial and execution.....

Here's the text. 

Upper case is set in Lithos Pro. 



Lower case is set in Porson (like the Oxford Classical Texts ;)  )

[billberg23]

Lithos and Porson — an exquisite combo, Ghost!

If ever you have the time, read IF Stone's "Trial of Socrates" for an interesting take on the trial and execution.....

Yes, what a book!  I. F. Stone rules!!

[Brettmercier]

Porson is a beautiful font, thanks !

I just checked reviews for ''Trial of Socrates''. Socrates as a cold, willful, suicidal martyr, opposed to open society ? Interesting, I would be curious to read that.
Reminds me of an influential book from Karl Popper, ''Open Society and its Enemies''. If my memory serves me well, Popper argues that Plato was the totalitarian opposed to society, and the historical Socrates was the true libertarian, and the ultimate defender of open society.

Two very conflicting theories indeed ...

[vbd.]

I'm not sure you're interested, but for what it's worth...

On that same subject, you might wanna check out Robin Waterfield, Why Socrates Died: Dispelling the Myths. Here's a link to a review, and it's in French too. What else do you want? :-)

[Brettmercier]

Interesting, I'll make sure to have a look to that as well !

[The_AV8R]

After reading this forum, I went to get it done. It was november of last year.



I love it! I just wanted to thank you guys for helping in the translation, in in showing the correct accentuations.

[spiros]

I know that I know nothing → Ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα, Εν οίδα ότι ουδέν οίδα, ΕΝ ΟΙΔΑ ΟΤΙ ΟΥΔΕΝ ΟΙΔΑ

"I know that I know nothing" is a saying derived from Plato's account of the Greek philosopher Socrates. It is also called the Socratic paradox. The phrase is not one that Socrates himself is ever recorded as saying.

This saying is also connected or conflated with the answer to a question Socrates (according to Xenophon) or Chaerephon (according to Plato) is said to have posed to the Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi, in which the oracle stated something to the effect of "Socrates is the wisest."
I know that I know nothing - Wikipedia

[Jeannek326]

Hi i would like the following awesome Socrates quote translated into Greek for me please...

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing"

Thank you all!

-J

[billberg23]

See All I know is that I know nothing → Ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα, Εν οίδα ότι ουδέν οίδα, ΕΝ ΟΙΔΑ ΟΤΙ ΟΥΔΕΝ ΟΙΔΑ

[RoadPrintz]

During my misspent youth, I learned the phrase as ΟΙΔΑΟΤΙΟΥΚΟΙΔΑ.
and was told that it should be considered as containing a sly pun on ΟΤΙ. This could be either “that” or “that which” with the latter more commonly rendered as Ο ΤΙ. The translation would then be an amalgam of “I know that I don’t know” and “I know what I don’t know.”  While Attic Greek was well formed, the diacritical marks were not contemporaneously used and spacing between letters was quite variable, allowing a speaker or a scribe to draw out the pronunciation to ambiguity.