Friday is for Funny Words

᾿Αλλα χάρις τῷ θεῷ κατὰ πάντων γὰρ (ο διαβολος) οὐκ ἴσχυσεν. ὁ γὰρ γενναιότατος Γερρμανικὸς ἐπερρώννυεν αὐτῶν τὴν δειλίαν διὰ τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ ὑπομονῆς. ὃς καὶ ἐπισήμως ἐθηριομάχησεν. βουλομένου γὰρ τοῦ ἀνθυπάτου πείθειν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγοντος τήν ἡλικίαν αὐτου κατοικτεῖραι, ἐαυτῶ ἐπεσπασατο τὸ θηρίον προσβιασάμενος, τὰχιον τοῦ ἀδίκου καὶ ἀνόμου βίου ἀπαλλαγῆναι βουλόμενος. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΟΝ ΠΟΛΥΚΑΡΠΟΥ 3.1

But thanks be to go God that the devil did not prevail against them all. For the most noble Germanicus encouraged the fearful ones through his own endurance. He also fought with beasts. The proconsul wished to persuade him by saying that he should give thought to his age. Though he dragged the beasts towards himself, desiring to be swiftly released from their lawless and unjust life. Martyrdom of Polycarp 3.1

This week’s funny word is ἐθηριομάχησεν – “he beast-fought”. Literal translations often sound odd or funny, but I really chuckled over this one when I first read it. “Beastfighting”.

~ by jmcmanaway on September 18, 2009.