by spiphany » Wed May 26, 2010 6:03 am
meh, unfortunately this story sounds familiar...
A couple of years a ago the University of Colorado completed its new law school complex, which includes a nice marble sign on the path by the entrance, inscribed with the motto of the university: λαμψατω το φως υμων
Apparently whoever was in charge with the inscription knew no Greek, because some of the letters were mixed up (I don't remember exactly what - it may have been π for μ, or w instead of ω, something like that)...in any case, I know one of my friends made a point of taking a photo to document the unfortunate state of affairs.
I'm not sure whether any of the classicists who noticed have been so kind as to inform the university of the mistake...as far as I know, the sign with its mangled Greek is still there.
IPHIGENIE: Kann uns zum Vaterland die Fremde werden?
ARKAS: Und dir ist fremd das Vaterland geworden.
IPHIGENIE: Das ist's, warum mein blutend Herz nicht heilt.
(Goethe, Iphigenie auf Tauris)