Today, we had to submit a paragraph written in the style of Thucydides. Thucydides is notorious for writing in an extremely periodic style, that is, unnecessarily long and grammatically complex sentences with many antitheses embedded in between.
We were given the following English paragraph to translate into Greek:
Many people in England at this time were angry and discontented. They felt that the new king was a foreigner and not worthy to be the ruler of so large a country. A conspiracy was therefore formed among the nobles, and they sent messengers to invite the son of their old king to free them. At first he was unwilling: he pointed out that he had neither forces nor money, and without these he could not hope to defeat his enemies. Later, however, the messengers returned and said that throughout the whole country many people were prepared either to contribute money or serve themselves as soldiers. On hearing this the prince promised to make the attempt, and a few days later he set out with a few friends.
My ONE SENTENCE, non-compounded rendition!
τῶν πολλῶν Βρετανῶν τότε ὀργιζομένων τε καὶ σχετλιαζόντων
διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀξιῶν τὸν νέον βασιλέα, βάρβαρον ὄντα, ἄρχειν τοσαύτης χώρας, οἱ
γνώριμοι οὖν συνωμοσίαν συστάντες ἔπεμψαν ἀγγέλους παρακαλοῦντας τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ πρόσθεν
βασιλέως ἵνα ἐλευθερώσῃ αὐτούς, ὅς πρῶτον μὲν ἄκων ὢν εἶπε ὡς οὐ ἔξεστι
νικήσειν τοὺς πολεμίους, ἔχων οὔτε στρατιώτας οὔτε χρήματα, ὕστερον δὲ ἀκούων ὅτι
οἱ ἀγγέλοι ἀνῆλθον λέγων τοὺς πολλοὺς διὰ τῆς πάσης χώρας ἐθέλειν ἢ εἰσενεγκεῖν
χρήματα ἢ στρατεύεσθαι, ὕστερον οὐ πολλῷ ἐπορεύθη μετὰ ὀλίγων φίλων ὑποσχόμενος
πειράσειν.
Here's what it literally says:
With many in England at this time (τοτε)
being angry and discontented because they did not deem the new king, being a
foreigner, to be worthy to be the ruler of so large a country, the nobles
therefore forming a conspiracy, sent messengers inviting (future participle -
Smyth 2009, 2065) the son of their old king to (ινα) free them, who, at first
(πρωτον μεν) being unwilling,
pointed out that it was not possible to defeat his enemies, having neither forces
nor money, but later (δε), hearing that (οτι because he is hearing a reported statement) the messengers
had returned saying that many people throughout the whole country were prepared
either to contribute money or serve as soldiers, a few days later
set out with a few friends after having promised to make the attempt.
This assignment was my crowning achievement after a whole semester of waking up at 5am three days a week to compose Greek. I have just completed my final assignment. There was absolutely no way I could have made it to the end without the faithful prayers of my family, friends, and mentors. Glad to be done with the toughest course of the program!
