I’ll describe the problem, and then ask a question.
I had lots of trouble on the very first phrase, quoted below, the bit before the first comma.
βραχυτάτῳ δ᾽ ἂν κεφαλαίῳ, τοῖς τε ξύμπασι καὶ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον, τῷδ᾽ ἂν μὴ προέσθαι ἡμᾶς μάθοιτε:
(From Thucydides, I.36.3)
I solved the problem by reading translations, and then by doing dictionary work on βραχυτάτῳ and κεφαλαίῳ. I searched the dictionary entries on the two words until I found a definition that matched the translation sense. A helpful translation was Thomas Hobbes “And to comprehend all in brief. . . .”
The dictionary definition that helped was this, under “κεφάλαιος”
- [select] the chief or main point, the sum of the matter, Pind., Thuc., etc.; ἐν κεφαλαίῳ, or ὡς ἐν κ., εἰπεῖν to speak summarily, Xen., etc.; ἐν κεφαλαίοις ὑπομνῆσαι, ἀποδεῖξαι, περιλαβεῖν τι Thuc.
Is there some other procedure I might have followed? I ask, because this is all I know to do when stumped.
Here are some ideas, beyond just dictionary searching.
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Searching for the same word in other contexts: ( Ex. using the tool at https://perseus.uchicago.edu/ )
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Making a best guess for now, and when you re-read, deciding whether you still feel the same
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Memorizing the sentence, and speaking it aloud communicatively from memory.
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Ignoring and moving on. If it’s important, you’ll see it again, and then your brain will be primed to pay attention to it in a way that it wouldn’t be if you “knew what it meant.”
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(When you do use the dictionary:) Look up the other examples in the section. It can be much more helpful to see the word in its natural contexts than to try to “learn” it from the gloss.
These are all things that I do myself and recommend. But what works for you is what works for you.
Also, have you ever checked out Morwood’s dictionary? It’s really perfect for reading. Here you’d get:
κεφάλαιον ου τό chief point, main thing; summary, sum, chief result; (of money) capital
And then when Morwood isn’t enough, the full LSJ is my own next step:
- chief or main point, κ. δὴ παιδείας λέγομεν τὴν ὀρθὴν τροφήν Pl.Lg.643c; esp. in speaking or writing, sum, gist of the matter, κεφάλαια λόγων Pi.P.4.116; κ. τοῦ παντὸς λόγου Men.Georg. 75, cf. Cic.Att.5.18.1; τὰ κ. συγγράφων Εὐριπίδῃ drawing up the heads of the play, Antiph.113.5: freq. in Prose, Th.4.50, Pl.Grg. 453a, etc.; κ. τῶν εἰρημένων Isoc.3.62, cf. 5.154; κ. τῆς οἰκονομίας Phld.Rh.1.68 S. (pl.); ἐν κεφαλαίῳ, or ὡς ἐν κ., εἰπεῖν to speak summarily, X.Cyr.6.3.18, Pl.Smp.186c, al.; ἐν κεφαλαίοις ὑπομνῆσαι, ἀποδείξειν, περιλαβεῖν τι, Th.6.87, Lys.13.33, Isoc.2.9; βραχυτάτῳ κ. μαθεῖν Th.1.36; τύπῳ καὶ ἐπὶ κεφαλαίου (v.l. -αίῳ), opp. ἀκριβέστερον, Arist.EN1107b14; ἐπὶ κ. Plb.1.65.5, 3.5.9; ἐπὶ κεφαλαίων D.19.315, etc.; esp. in an argument, summing up, ἐν κεφαλαίοις Pl.Ti. 26c; κεφαλαίῳ δέ . . , Lat. denique, Decr. ap. D.18.164; τὸ δ’ οὖν κ. ib.213; τὸ δὲ κ. τῶν λόγων, ἄνθρωπος εἶ Men.531.10; συναγαγεῖν τὸ κ. to sum up, Arist.Metaph. 1042a4.
Notice that Th.1.36 is included. If you’re reading on the free TLG version, you can look up the relevant quotations by clicking:
κεφάλαιον δὴ παιδείας λέγομεν τὴν ὀρθὴν τροφήν…
ἀλλὰ τούτων μὲν κεφάλαια λόγων ἴστε.
κεφάλαιόν ἐστι τοῦτο τοῦ παντὸς λόγου.
ὁ τὰ κεφάλαια συγγράφων Εὐριπίδῃ.
κεφάλαιον ἦν πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους, οὐ γιγνώσκειν ὅτι βούλονται…
καὶ ἡ πραγματεία αὐτῆς ἅπασα καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον εἰς τοῦτο τελευτᾷ…
Κεφάλαιον τῶν εἰρημένων: …
Ἀλλ’ ὅμως, ἔφη ὁ Κῦρος, τὸ πλῆθος ἡμῖν πρῶτον εἰπὲ ἐν κεφαλαίῳ.
ἔστι γὰρ ἰατρική, ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίῳ εἰπεῖν, ἐπιστήμη τῶν τοῦ σώματος ἐρωτικῶν…
καὶ ἔτι ἐν κεφαλαίοις ὑπομνήσαντες ἀξιώσομεν πείθειν
ἐγὼ οἶμαι ὑμῖν ἐν κεφαλαίοις ἀποδείξειν
…ἂν γὰρ ἐν κεφαλαίοις τὴν δύναμιν ὅλου τοῦ πράγματος καλῶς περιλάβωμεν…
βραχυτάτῳ δ’ ἂν κεφαλαίῳ, τοῖς τε ξύμπασι καὶ καθ’ ἕκαστον…
νῦν μὲν οὖν τύπῳ καὶ ἐπὶ κεφαλαίου λέγομεν…
ἐπὶ κεφαλαίου δὲ καὶ διὰ βραχέων αὐτοῦ ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἐξήγησιν κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πρόθεσιν
ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰς ἐπιφανεστάτας τῶν πράξεων ἐπὶ κεφαλαίου διεληλύθαμεν
Βούλομαι τοίνυν ὑμῖν ἐπανελθεῖν ἐπὶ κεφαλαίων ὃν τρόπον ὑμᾶς κατεπολιτεύσατο Φίλιππος…
νῦν οὖν, οὗπερ ἕνεκα πάντα ταῦτα εἴρηται, λέγειν εἰμὶ ἕτοιμος, ὦ Σώκρατες, μὴ μόνον ἐν κεφαλαίοις ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ ἤκουσα καθ’ ἕκαστον…
ἐπειδὴ Φίλιππος ἃς μὲν κατείληφε πόλεις τῶν ἀστυγειτόνων, τινὰς δὲ πορθεῖ, κεφαλαίῳ δ’ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀττικὴν παρασκευάζεται παραγίγνεσθαι
τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον τῶν λόγων, ἄνθρωπος εἶ, οὗ μεταβολὴν θᾶττον πρὸς ὕψος καὶ πάλιν ταπεινότητα ζῷον οὐδὲν λαμβάνει.
Ἐκ δὴ τῶν εἰρημένων συλλογίσασθαι δεῖ καὶ συναγαγόντας τὸ κεφάλαιον τέλος ἐπιθεῖναι
I would give a lot for an LSJ “quotebook” without any of the English discussion or glosses, but that instead simply included the Greek references as above (but with citation information).
Thanks to Joel for his generosity in giving me so much to think about. On Morwood’s dictionary, I do own it, but only recently have started using it. I am very glad to have this testimonial from Joel, who has recommended the Morwood dictionary before. I’m glad to have some new (to me) ideas about what to do with new expressions.
Morwood would be improved with tables of the forms. I thought I had the Latin forms learned, but I noticed recently that I have to check now and then. The Bantam New College Latin Dictionary, has such tables, which I find handy. This dictionary also translates the quotations, which I find very helpful. When reading Latin, I keep the Bantam nearby. I’ve worn out four or five copies.
I think Joel’s idea of a collection of quotations from LSJ is a great idea. I have had the same thought about the quotations, with their translations, in Smyth, as well as the Latin quotations in Allen & Greenough.
I think typing Greek quotations for about an hour a day, for a month or so, would greatly improve one’s typing in Greek. I have not yet called up enough hardihood to attempt this.