ILIAS A.480-483
Chruses has prayed to Apollo to turn back his anger; hekatombs have been sacrificed. The Achaeans are returning to camp.
[size=150]οἱ δ’ ἱστὸν στήσαντ’ ἀνά θ’ ἱστία λευκὰ πέτασσαν·ἐν δ’ ἄνεμος πρῆσεν μέσον ἱστόον, ἀμφὶ δὲ κῦμαστείρῃ πορφύρεον μεγάλ’ ἴαχε νὴος ἰούσης·ἡ δ’ ἔθεεν κατὰ κῦμα διαπρῆσσουσα κέλευθον.[/size]
“And they raised the mast, and up they furled the white sails;
the wind filled in the middle of the sail, and all about the cut-water the
glittering waves roared large as the ship went;
and she sped down the waves, passing over the route.”
I have minimal exposure to sailing in my life, but whenever I read this passage I can hear the sail snapping open, the mast creaking, and the sound of the waves against the hull as the boat cuts through the water.
Which dialect of Greek is this? It isn’t Attic, is it?
Hey William,
I was up late last night and saw your post right after you made it. Had I been less tired I would have responded immediately.
The passage you quoted is one of my favorites too. But I find it more visually than aurally evocative. I see the white of the billowing sail and the deep blue (purple?) of the sea, both sparkling in brilliant sunshine. I can fairly feel the salt spray on my face.
It’s a lovely passage. Thank you for calling it to mind…what the deaf man sees…
Cordially,
Paul
[quote author=Lumen_et_umbra link=board=2;threadid=568;start=0#5109 date=1062268161]
Which dialect of Greek is this? It isn’t Attic, is it?
[/quote]
It’s Epic (aka Homeric) Greek.
Which bit clued you into its non-Atticness?
[quote author=Paul link=board=2;threadid=568;start=0#5114 date=1062273107]
billowing sail and the deep blue (purple?) of the sea,
[/quote]
The best explanation for [size=150]ποφύρεος[/size], which describes the royal purple dye extracted from shellfish, the sea and spurting blood, is by William Harris. He noticed once that the murex dye has a shimmering quality, and that this is probably what Homer had in mind when he described the sea (imagine light glinting off the waves) or spurting blood (oxygenated blood has a shiney quality, too) as [size=150]πορφύρεος
As for me, the first sign of non-atticness was the word for “wind”.
mu and nu are exchanged. In the first paragraph of Odysseia 12, genetive singular with -oio was another.
[quote author=William Annis link=board=2;threadid=568;start=0#5119 date=1062280882]
The best explanation for [size=150]ποφύρεος[/size], which describes the royal purple dye extracted from shellfish, the sea and spurting blood, is by William Harris. He noticed once that the murex dye has a shimmering quality, and that this is probably what Homer had in mind when he described the sea (imagine light glinting off the waves) or spurting blood (oxygenated blood has a shiney quality, too) as [size=150]πορφύρεος[/size], rather than the purple quality of the dye.
[/quote]
It really is an interesting word. Cunliffe relates it to the
verb [size=150]πορφύρω[/size]. His derivation suggests that the shimmering quality is something
observed in light reflected from moving or disturbed liquids.
Would that I could afford Chantraine…sigh.
[quote author=mingshey link=board=2;threadid=568;start=0#5121 date=1062291782]
As for me, the first sign of non-atticness was the word for “wind”.
mu and nu are exchanged.
[/quote]
That wasn’t non-atticness, that was a typo. :-\ Fixed.
[quote author=William Annis link=board=2;threadid=568;start=0#5125 date=1062304684]
That wasn’t non-atticness, that was a typo. :-\ Fixed.
[/quote]
D’oh! 
Master’s typo’s poison to beginners. 
lol, i tried to translate that passage myself, before looking at your translation. i didn’t get very far and was confused ???
it made sense after reading your translation, though 
. just hope my teacher will start us off with easier passages, when i go back to school (tomorrow’s first day back).
[quote author=Emma_85 link=board=2;threadid=568;start=0#5134 date=1062352353]
lol, i tried to translate that passage myself, before looking at your translation. i didn’t get very far and was confused ???
[/quote]
It’s a moderately tricky passage if you haven’t seen much Greek except Attic prose.
nearly only attic prose, yes. we’ve done nothing but plato for the last half year. i’m very excited that we’re going to be translating homer this year, though i’m worried a bit, too. i could just read plato and understand most of it, no need for translation, but this… :-<br />maybe it’s also because of the holidays and my brain doesn’t like the fact i’m ‘working’ it again, after not using it for a while 
.
Indeed. I have dyslexia with that word alone.
Master’s typo’s poison to beginners. >
More evidence you should always check what someone else is saying, master or not (not a master in my case… merely enthusiastic).