# Ancient Greek: Art for art's sake



## asi_es_la_vida

Can someone help me out a bit: can you show me what these phrases would actually have looked like in ancient greek, or offer a suggestion of where I can find that out? Thanks! 

Ars gratia artis
("Art for art's sake)

Mens sana in corpore sano
(Healthy mind in healthy body.)

Nihil Sine Deus.
("Nothing without God.)

Nosce te ipsum/
Temet nosce
("Know thyself!)


Nunc aut numquam
("Now or never")


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## modus.irrealis

Hi,



			
				asi_es_la_vida said:
			
		

> Nosce te ipsum/
> Temet nosce
> ("Know thyself!)


γνῶθι σεαυτόν (ΓΝΩΘΙ ΣΕΑΥΤΟΝ)

This is one I know because I had come across the Greek original before. If the others ones are originally translated from Greek and you know the source it should be easy to find. Otherwise, I guess someone would have to translate them.


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## Zanos

As far as I know only two of them have an equivalent in ancient greek

Mens sana in corpore sano
(Healthy mind in healthy body.) is "Γνώθι Σεαυτόν" 

Nosce te ipsum/
Temet nosce
("Know thyself!) would be "Νους υγιής εν σώματι υγιεί"

The other three don't exist in ancient greek
http://adrexia.livejournal.com/271628.html


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## ireney

Well, for most of them I did the translation myself so I cannot guarantee it's the best or how ancient Greeks would choose to say it but I think my translations are ok (hope someone checks them over; I am in a bit of a hurry so you never know). I have still to download a polytonic ancient Greek keyboard so I will pretend to scorn accents as signs used only during and after the Hellenistic times  

Nihil Sine Deus.
("Nothing without God.)
ΑΝΕΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΟΥΔΕΝ


Mens sana in corpore sano
(Healthy mind in healthy body.)
This is the only one I am sure about. It does come from ancient Greek you see 
ΝΟΥΣ ΥΓΙΗΣ ΕΝ ΣΩΜΑΤΙ ΥΓΙΕΙ


Ars gratia artis
("Art for art's sake)
ΤΕΧΝΗ ΤΕΧΝΗΣ ΧΑΡΙΝ

Nunc aut numquam
("Now or never")
ΝΥΝ Ή ΠΩΠΟΤΕ


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## skatoulitsa

modus.irrealis said:
			
		

> γνῶθι σεαυτόν (ΓΝΩΘΙ ΣΕΑΥΤΟΝ)



I think you are missing one of the tiny accent things:

γνῶθι σαὐτόν


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## modus.irrealis

skatoulitsa said:
			
		

> I think you are missing one of the tiny accent things:
> 
> γνῶθι σαὐτόν



The references I looked at have σεαυτόν. Maybe it's because my version has the form of the word that includes the ε, while you used the contracted (?) form. After some googling this looks like a difference between Greek and English practice, because my references also wrote σαυτόν with just the one accent.

A question for the people in Greece -- is it common to write Ancient Greek words and phrases in the monotonic accent system?


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## Zanos

modus.irrealis said:
			
		

> A question for the people in Greece -- is it common to write Ancient Greek words and phrases in the monotonic accent system?



I wouldn't say so.Unless a word or a phrase has survived and it's still in use in modern greek.In this case most Greek people would use the monotonic system.They don't have a choice anyway.Very few of us could put the ancient accents.Too complicated..


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## skatoulitsa

yeah, we don't use polytonic anymore. And I don't really remember the rules, so the "ε" could make the difference.
I just saw it somewhere like this.


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## asi_es_la_vida

If the others ones are originally translated from Greek and you know the source it should be easy to find. Otherwise, I guess someone would have to translate them.[/QUOTE]

I know nothing about Greek, but I seem to be finding a lot of different translations for the same things. Does anyone know of any place I might find a greek expert to help me find the most correct one for my purposes--especially with the accents? This is for a tattoo and so I don't want any mistakes. Maybe another website? Or maybe a book for beginners?


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## skatoulitsa

I haven't done any ancient greek since high school, and I was never good at it anyway, so I can't be of much help with the accents. There is a more specialized forum though that you may want to try:

Google: translatum forum


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## ireney

as es la vida, once you decide which one you want I can give you the right spelling with or without accents.

HOWEVER you should think about whether you do want the accents and aspirations. Ancient Greeks didn't use them before the Hellenistic times. If you want to, I can search a bit and find  pictures showing how writing looked back then.


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