www.κτῆμα.org/blog

Sun, 21 Feb 2010

Gravedancing Greek

While Sam observes the Graystone house:

σοφιστής means "expert, wise person", or a member of the Sophist school of teachers of rhetoric. Sam seems to be using it sarcastically, as in "wise guy" or "you who think you know so much", although he appears to be using a nominative form where I expected a vocative (unless I just misheard the word).

Bureau chief to Duram: You're wrong about this, I own your ὄρχεις [orkheis] (18:20).
ὄρχεις means "testicles".

The knucklebones game given to Willie Adama was in fact common in Greece and other parts of the ancient world.

Sam slips backstage at Backtalk with Baxter Sarno (29:44):

As Sam and Joseph discuss Amanda Graystone's ride home:

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Sat, 20 Feb 2010

Reins of a Waterfall Greek

Willie in the Tauron tavern:
A rap song plays in the background of this scene some of whose lyrics are in Greek. The song is called "Voices of the Dead"; it can be heard in full at Bear McCreary’s blog. I'm still trying to puzzle out part of the lyrics. The phrase repeated throughout the song is αὕται εἰσί αἱ φωναί [hautai eisi hai phōnai], "these are the voices", which in the last line is completed: αὕται εἰσί αἱ φωναὶ τῶν τεθνηκότων [hautai eisi hai phōnai tōn tethnēkotōn], "these are the voices of the dead".

Sam, Larry, and Joseph at dinner:

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Mon, 08 Feb 2010

Caprica Greek Dialogue

Battlestar Galactica pulled a lot of verbal influence from the Ancient Greek world and language — Kara Thrace (the wild region north of Greece); Helo Agathon (a form of the word for “good” which was used as a name) and his wife Athena, the goddess; Lee “Apollo” Adama (the god); the Pythia, Apollo’s priestess at Delphi, etc, etc. In Caprica the Greek is even more obvious: The Tauronian language spoken onscreen is “real”, correct, Ancient Greek. I have tried to transcribe the Greek in the pilot episode and will continue to do so as time permits.

Sam Adama to Joseph, on the terrorist attack:

Sam Adama to the Defense Minister (during the assassination):

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Caprica Greek Dialogue — ”Rebirth”

On the memorial event:
“Looks like the Graystone people gave some money. Should be εὐπατρίδης [eupatridēs].” εὐπατρίδης literally means something like “of good parentage”; hence, “aristocratic”, “noble”.

Sam Adama and Willie in Little Tauron:

Joseph Adama to Willie:

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