Ζῶμεν γὰρ οὐχ ὡς θέλομεν ἀλλ' ὡς δυνάμεθα
for we live not as we wish but as we can
Translated by A. G. Kozak11 Oct 1999Vetting: high6 revisions
Translation
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ζῶμεν γὰρ οὐχ ὡς θέλομεν, ἀλλ' ὡς δυνάμεθα· ἐπὶ τῶν μὴ κατὰ προαίρεσιν ζώντων. κέχρηται Πλάτων ἐν Ἱππίᾳ.
Betacode
*zw=men ga\r ou)x w(s qe/lomen, a)ll' w(s duna/meqa: e)pi\ tw=n mh\ kata\ proai/resin zw/ntwn. ke/xrhtai *pla/twn e)n *(ippi/a|.
Notes (1)
- 1Plato, Hippias Major 301C (web address 1). Plato expresses the proverb as follows: "Hippias, this is how human affairs stand: it's not what one wants, but what one is able to do, as people so often say, speaking proverbially." The proverb is also preserved by the paroemiographers (e.g. Zenobius 4.16); and see generally Tosi (cited under alpha 378) no.1544. ↩
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
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Revision history6 revisions · last 20 Jan 2022
- note tweak — David Whitehead
- upgraded link — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- cosmetics — Catharine Roth
- supplied headword; added keyword; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — A. G. Kozak