Classics Notes Vocabulary for Tragedy Texts Notes
Running vocabulary and grammatical notes for three tragedies: the Agamemnon of Aeschylus, the Oedipus Tyrannos of Sophocles and the Medea of Euripides. ...
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Medea vocab
Nurse’s Prologue | |
---|---|
σκαφος | hull of a ship |
διαπετομαι | fly through |
κυανεος | dark (blue) |
Συμπληγαδες | the Clashers (πληγη) |
ναπη | glen |
ερετμοω | give oar to |
πυργος | tower, citadel |
ανδανω | please |
πολιτων | possibly dative attracted into genitive |
συμφερω | fit in with |
σωτηρια | security |
διχοστατεω | stand apart |
ευναζομαι | go to bed |
αισυμναω | govern |
δεξια | right hand |
αμοιβη | exchange, return, recompense |
κυρεω | meet with |
αλγηδων -ονος | pain |
υφιημι | send under, submit |
τηκω | melt, fuse, weld together, dissolve, waste away |
επει | ever since |
πετρος | stone |
νουθετεω | advise |
ακουει φιλων | she hears her friends |
η | or |
παλλευκος | all-white |
ην μη ποτε | except that sometimes, unless she ever |
δερη | neck, throat |
αποιμωζω | bewail loudly |
υπο + gen | cause/agency |
υπο συμφορας | from misfortune, taught by misfortune |
απολειπομαι | be abandoned |
οιον | what a valuable thing |
ευφραινω | cheer, gladden |
ανεχομαι | out up with, endure |
εγωδα | εγω οιδα |
δειμαινω | be afraid |
θηκτος | sharpened, whetted |
εστρωται | στρωννυμι perfect passive – spread |
ινα | where |
συμβαλων εχθραν αυτηι | engaging in enmity with her, clashing in enmity with her |
καλλινικον (μελος) | the song of fair victory |
αισεται | αειδω |
εκ τροχων πεπαυμενοι | having finished their running |
νεα φροντις | a young mind, a child’s mind |
Dialogue of Nurse and Tutor | |
ερημια | solitude, desert, wilderness |
κτημα | slave |
αγω ερημιαν | be alone |
θρεομαι | cry aloud, speak with anguish |
οπηδος | attendant |
χρηστος | good, trusty |
[to] χρηστοισι δουλοις – τα δεσποτων κακως πιτνοντα - [εστι] – ξυμφορα | |
ανθαπτομαι | lay hold of, grapple with, engage in |
μεσοω | be in middle, peak |
μεταγιγνωσκω | change one’s mind, repent, be sorry |
γενειον | beard |
πεσσος | gaming-table |
κοιρανος | king, ruler, commander |
κηδευμα | connection, alliance by marriage |
παλαια [κηδευματα] | supply the noun again |
εξαντλεω | draw out, endure to the end, see out |
προσφερω | add to |
ως μαλιστα | as much as possible |
ερημοω | keep in solitude, isolate |
ταυροομαι | become savage as a bull |
κατασκηπτω | rush down, fall upon |
Medea and the Nurse | |
μελεος | unhappy, miserable |
τοδε εκεινο | this is just what I feared, this is just what I was saying |
πελαζω | approach (πελασητε = 2pl future) |
φυλασσομαι | beware |
κινεω | stir up |
νεφος οιμωγης | cloud of lament |
δηλον | it is clear that… (εστι...ως...) |
αναπτω | light up, kindle, inflame |
μεγαλοσπλαγχνος | high-spirited |
δυσκαταπαυστος | hard to check, restless |
οδυρμος | lamentation |
ερρω | be lost, perish, disappear |
λημα | mind, will, desire, purpose |
χαλεπως | with difficulty |
μεταβαλλω | here: overcome, control |
αρχομαι | true passive here “being ruled” |
ληματα τυραννων [εστι] δεινα | |
εθιζω | accustom; pass: be accustomed |
οχυρος | firm, lasting, stout |
καταγηρασκω | grow old |
γουν | at any rate |
εστι + inf | it is possible to do X (ειη...) |
επι μη μεγαλοις | in moderate circumstances, in conditions of no greatness or excess |
λωστος: λωιων | more desirable, more agreeable |
πρωτα μεν- το ονομα των μετριων - νικαι - ειπειν | |
the name of what is moderate | |
ειπειν | epexegetic after νικαι |
[δευτερα] δε – χρησθαι - [εστι] λωστα μακρωι - βροτοισιν | |
χρησθαι | [των μετριων] supply |
τα υπερβαλλοντα | excessive prosperity/power |
δυναμαι | here: “holds sway”or “is able to create” |
ουδενα καιρος | (with) no proper measure |
απεδωκεν | subject is still τα υπερβαλλοντα |
Chorus A | |
ηπιος | gentle, mild, soothed |
αμφιπυλος | double-gated |
φιλια κεκραται | a tie of friendship has been blended |
λεκτρα | marriage |
τυραννων | royal |
τηκω | melt, waste |
παραθαλπω | comfort, cheer |
αιω | perceive |
αχα | ηχη: sound, noise |
μελπω | sing |
νυμφη | here: young wife |
απλατος | unapproachable, terrible |
ματαιος | foolish |
τις - [εστι]- ερως - τας απλατου κοιτας | |
τελευματα θανατου (subj) – σπευσει (verb, n. pl.) | |
χαρασσω | make pointed, sharpen, be angry |
δυρομαι | lament, bewail |
συνδικειν | tech. term – action of a 3rd party who assists in a court case by delivering supportive speech “will be your advocate” |
ευνητης | bedfellow, husband |
διακναιω | scrape to nothing, grind to destruction |
τολμωσι | 3pl |
προσθεν | unprovoked (before I’ve done anything) |
κασις | brother |
αποναιω | remove, send away, depart from |
ευκταιος | invoked in prayer |
ταμιας | dispenser, controller, guardian |
νενομισται | = νομιζω |
ουκ εστιν οπως | it is not possible that…; there is no way that… |
εν τινι μικρωι | in some small deed |
ομφη | voice |
ελθοι | subject = “she” (Medea) |
αυδαθεντων | just a passive participle of αυδαω |
εμον προθυμον | my eager goodwill |
ταδε | the situation here, out attitude |
κακοω | maltreat, distress (aorist optative singular) |
Nurse | |
επιδιδωμι | give in addition |
χαρις | favour |
δεργμα | look, glance |
τοκας | having just given birth, with cubs |
λεαινα | lioness |
αποταυροομαι | be like a bull |
very very literally: ‘she makes herself bull-like with respect to her gaze, so that it is the gaze of a lioness with newborn cubs’ | |
σκαιος | left, unlucky, unintelligent, misdirected |
αρμαρτοις | verb 2.s. optative |
θαλια | abundance, good cheer, festivity |
ειλαπινη | feast, banquet |
ευρισκω | invent |
υμνος | song not sleep! |
ακοη | hearing, sound |
αοιδη | song |
ακεομαι | heal, cure |
κερδος [εστι] | it would have been a gain for… |
τεινω | make tight, make shrill |
πληρωμα | full measure, satiety, fill, abundance |
παρον | at hand, being present |
πολυστονος | much-sighing, mournful |
αιω | perceive |
λιγυρος | clear, shrill |
μογερος | toiling, wretched, grievous |
αχος | pain, distress, grief |
προδοτης | betrayer, traitor |
κακονυμφος | ill-married, of unhappy wedlock |
θεοκλυτεω | call on the gods |
παθουσα | having suffered (αδικα παθη) |
νυχιος | nightly, by night, gloomy |
εβασεν | transitive (νιν = Medea) |
αντιπορος | on the opposite coast, over the sea-crossing |
αλμυρος | salty, briny |
απειρητος | without trial, untried, unattempted |
κλεις | gateway, closure |
Ποντος | the Black Sea |
Medea | |
σεμνος | haughty, pompous |
απο ομματων | out of the public gaze |
αφ ησυχου ποδος | by behaving quietly, by lack of visible public activity |
θυραιος | outside the door,... |
Buy the full version of these notes or essay plans and more in our Vocabulary for Tragedy Texts Notes.
Running vocabulary and grammatical notes for three tragedies: the Agamemnon of Aeschylus, the Oedipus Tyrannos of Sophocles and the Medea of Euripides. ...
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