Lesson 3 | Iota subscript, Accents, Breathings, Sounds

 

 

Iota subscript

 

Sometimes, the vowels α, η, ω   may have a sign under them in the form of a small ι, usually in the syllable at the end of the word. This is known as an iota subscript, and need not be pronounced.

However, it is never used under a capital letter.

In such cases it is written adjacent to the capital, and is called an iota adscript, and still need not be pronounced.

 

Accents

There are three forms of accent:

• acute  (`)  (οξεία – oxia)

• grave (΄) (Βαρεία – varia)

• circumflex (~) (Περισπωμένη – perispomeni)

However, this may have been different in life in Ancient Greece, and the way in which accents affected pronunciation remains unascertained; the usual way to read them aloud is to raise the pitch of the syllable on which you find any accents.

 If a diphthong has an accent, it is placed on its second vowel.

Breathings

When a word begins with a vowel, this initial vowel must have on it a breathing, which resembles a small comma.

There are two types of breathing:

 

• smooth: (᾿)  Ψιλή (Psili)

ὀλιγαρχία	oligarchy
᾿Ηλέκτρα	Electra

 • rough: (῾) Δασεία (Dasia)

ἑξάγωνον	hexagon
῾Ελένη	Helen

 

They are not interchangeable

All words beginning with an upsilon have a rough breathing.

ὑπόθεσις

hypothesis

 

All words beginning with rho (ρ) have a rough breathing

 

ῥητορική	rhetoric
ῥυθμός	rhythm

If a smooth breathing (᾿) is used, the pronunciation is not affected.

But if a rough breathing (῾) is used, this is pronounced as if there were an initial h.

In diphthongs, the same rule for breathings applies: put it on the second letter, but pronounce it as if it were on the first one.

A vowel can have both a breathing and an accent. In this case the breathing is written before the acute or grave, or below if it is a circumflex.

If the initial vowel is a capital, any breathing or accent that would be found on it is written to the left of the top of the letter.

 

Practice: Pronounce the Words Below.

Quantity	Greek	Equivalent
ᾱ, α	δρᾶμα	drama
η, ο	δῆμος	people
ῑ, α, ω	νῑκάω	I conquer
α, ω, ο	ἄνθρωπος	human
ῡ, ω	λύω	I free
α, ι, ᾱ	καρδίᾱ	heart
ε, ε, ο	ἕτερος	other
ι, ο	βίος	life
ο, η, ο	Ὅμηρος	Homer
α, υ, α, ο	ἀδύνατος	unable

 

PLATO "PROTAGORAS"(320d – 321B5)

THE BEGINNING OF MAN'S CREATION

There was once a time when gods existed, but mortal races did not exist. And when the time predetermined by fate for their birth came for them too, they are molded by the gods in the earth from a mixture of earth and fire, and from what is mixed with earth and fire.

And when the time came to bring them to light, gods ordered Prometheus and Epimetheus to adorn and distribute to each of them means of protection as they deserved. Epimetheus then begs Prometheus to let him do the distribution. "And since," he said, "I do the sharing, do the inspection";

So after convincing him, he makes the distribution. So by distributing, to others gave power without speed, but he supplied the weakest with speed; He also equipped others, and because he did not give some physical equipment he devised some other ability to save them.

Those, indeed,which enclosed in a small body, he gave to them the ability to flee by flying or to dwell in the earth; and what he did greatly, by this he himself again saved; So he shared the other qualities by balancing the differences. All this he sophisticated, because he was very careful in order not to let any race disappear. And having provided them enough to avoid mutual annihilation,he was wise means protective of the changes of weather sent by Zeus, covering them with dense hair and solid skins, capable of protecting from the cold, suitable for the heat,and also, when they go to sleep, let them themselves be a mattress and a covering exclusively theirs and natural, and tying some with hooves, and others [with hair and] with skin hard and insenstive.

After this he gave different kind of food to each, to other greens from the ground, to other tree fruits, and to other roots; In some he left their food to be the flesh of other animals and reduced reproduction in carnivores, while in those eaten by them, he increased it, thus ensuring perpetuation in their species.