Φαύλη κηλίς
trivial stain
Translated by David Whitehead9 May 2006Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
"Alexander was fearful that his fleet would be destroyed, and that this not trivial stain, following on from his great achievements, might obliterate the whole of his good fortune; yet his constant desire to accomplish something new and extraordinary prevailed".1 So a "[not] trivial stain" [means one] not commonplace.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Φαύλη κηλίς· Ἀρριανός· ἐδεδίει μὴ διαφθαρῇ ὁ στόλος Ἀλεξάνδρου, καὶ οὐ φαύλη κηλὶς αὕτη τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ τοῖσι μεγάλοισιν ἐπιγενομένη τὴν πᾶσαν εὐτυχίαν αὐτοῦ ἀφανίσοι· ἀλλ' ἐκνικῆσαι γὰρ αὐτῷ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τοῦ καινόν τι ἀεὶ καὶ ἄτοπον ἐργάζεσθαι. φαύλη οὖν κηλὶς οὐχ ἡ τυχοῦσα.
Betacode
*fau/lh khli/s: *)arriano/s: e)dedi/ei mh\ diafqarh=| o( sto/los *)aleca/ndrou, kai\ ou) fau/lh khli\s au(/th toi=s e)/rgois au)tou= toi=si mega/loisin e)pigenome/nh th\n pa=san eu)tuxi/an au)tou= a)fani/soi: a)ll' e)knikh=sai ga\r au)tw=| th\n e)piqumi/an tou= kaino/n ti a)ei\ kai\ a)/topon e)rga/zesqai. fau/lh ou)=n khli\s ou)x h( tuxou=sa.
Notes (1)
- For Alexander see generally alpha 1121. For "stain" see kappa 1511.
- 1Arrian, Indica 20.2. ↩
Neighbouring entries
Revision history4 revisions · last 15 Jan 2023
- tweaked translation — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- augmented notes and keywords — David Whitehead
- cosmetics, status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead