Θαλῆς
Thales
Translated by Catharine Roth7 Nov 2005Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
The naturalist philosopher, who predicted the eclipse of the sun in the reign of Darius.1
And Aristophanes says, "The man [is] a Thales." Meaning [he is] great in astronomy. [The name*qalh=s ] is declined *qalou= [in the genitive]; but [the form] *qa/lhs [has the genitive] *qa/lhtos .2 But one should note that [as] from the nominative *qalh=s , like *(ermh=s , [accusative] *(ermh=n , Aristophanes declined [the name] *qalh=n [in the accusative]. Also *(erme/as like *qale/as .3 The name is pronounced in two different ways: with barytone accent *qa/lhs , like *xre/mhs , from which the genitive [is] *qa/lhtos like *xre/mhtos .4
And Aristophanes says, "The man [is] a Thales." Meaning [he is] great in astronomy. [The name
Greek original · Adler’s text
Θαλῆς, ὁ φυσικὸς φιλόσοφος, ἐπὶ Δαρείου προειπὼν τὴν τοῦ ἡλίου ἔκλειψιν. καὶ Ἀριστοφάνης φησίν, ἄνθρωπος Θαλῆς. ἀντὶ τοῦ ἄκρος τὴν ἀστρονομίαν. κλίνεται δὲ Θαλοῦ· Θάλης δὲ Θάλητος. παρατηρητέον δέ, ὡς ὅτι ἀπ' εὐθείας τῆς Θαλῆς, ὡς Ἑρμῆς Ἑρμῆν, Θαλῆν ἔκλινεν Ἀριστοφάνης. καὶ Ἑρμέας ὡς Θαλέας. διχῶς δὲ τοὔνομα ἐκφωνητέον· βαρυτόνως μὲν Θάλης, ὡς Χρέμης, οὗ ἡ γενικὴ Θάλητος, ὡς Χρέμητος.
Betacode
*qalh=s, o( fusiko\s filo/sofos, e)pi\ *darei/ou proeipw\n th\n tou= h(li/ou e)/kleiyin. kai\ *)aristofa/nhs fhsi/n, a)/nqrwpos *qalh=s. a)nti\ tou= a)/kros th\n a)stronomi/an. kli/netai de\ *qalou=: *qa/lhs de\ *qa/lhtos. parathrhte/on de/, w(s o(/ti a)p' eu)qei/as th=s *qalh=s, w(s *(ermh=s *(ermh=n, *qalh=n e)/klinen *)aristofa/nhs. kai\ *(erme/as w(s *qale/as. dixw=s de\ tou)/noma e)kfwnhte/on: baruto/nws me\n *qa/lhs, w(s *xre/mhs, ou(= h( genikh\ *qa/lhtos, w(s *xre/mhtos.
Notes (4)
- 1See already theta 17. The specific eclipse in question here has been dated to 585 BCE, which places Th. far earlier than the reign of Darius I of Persia (delta 72, delta 73). ↩
- 2Aristophanes, Birds 1009 (web address 1), with scholion; cf. theta 20 ↩
- 3But
*(erme/as and*qale/as are attested only in grammarians and lexicography. ↩ - 4From a scholion on Aristophanes, Clouds 180 (web address 2). "Barytone accent" means that the name is not accented on the last syllable. The sentence should go on to mention the second pronunciation with circumflex accent on the last syllable. ↩
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
- Web address 2 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from3 entries
- θ17ΘαλῆςThalesSon of Examyas and Kleobouline; Milesian, but as Herodotos [says] Phoenician. He lived before the time of Kroisos, in the 35th Olympiad, but according to Phlegon he was already known in the 7th. He wrote on astronomical…
- θ19ΘαλῆςThales'[Thales] frees Thales from money'.
- θ20ΘάληςThales[*qa/lhs], [genitive] *qa/lhtos; but *qalh=s, [genitive] *qalou=.
Neighbouring entries
Revision history5 revisions · last 27 Sep 2018
- Revised — Catharine Roth
- tweaked translation, added links — Catharine Roth
- expanded notes — Catharine Roth
- tweaking — David Whitehead
- augmented n.1; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Catharine Roth