Hi! Welcome to “Dusty Phrases.” You will find below an ancient phrase in one language or another, along with its English translation. You may also find the power to inspire your friends or provoke dread among your enemies.
For other examples, visit HERE:
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Greek:
μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος
οὐλομένην
(Latinized): menin aeide thea peleiadeo achilleos
English:
Rage. Sing, goddess, of the wrath of Peleus’ son Achilles
This is a phrase that I recommend memorizing (preferably in Greek, but English if you must) and then dropping on unsuspecting people when the conversational opportunity arises. It’s a banger.
[Read the rest of my site for more tips on being unrelatable unbelievable in small talk situations.]
This line is of course the first line of Homer’s epic The Illiad. It’s widely believed that this was written in roughly 800 BC, concerning the Trojan War, which according to Eratosthenes was fought between 1194–1184 BC. To put this in some perspective, reading this story and studying (or hearing it performed) was just standard for the educated in the Roman Empire, and for them it was ancient history.
Modern historians cast doubt on the historicity of Troy and the war, but archaeology has covered quite a bit of distance in the last century or so proving both. A few years ago, a group of archaeologists claimed to have found the Trojan Horse itself. Whether that was real, or not, they aren’t doing the work without some belief that they’ll find things.
One more fun fact about all of this: The ancient dating for the time frame of the Trojan War overlaps the modern dating of the Bronze Age Collapse throughout the Mediterranean, the end of several civilizations, and the appearance of the enigmatic “Sea Peoples” in the historical record. Is it all connected? Probably.
Anyway, The Illiad is fantastic. I recommend reading the book, but if you’re no up for that, the movie Troy is not that bad, either.
I assume most of my readers will take up the task of memorizing this line in both ancient Greek and modern English. I mean, you made it this far, why not? If you want help with the pronunciation of the Greek, I come bearing gifts:
