9 Comments
Aug 16Liked by Armand D'Angour

As you know, Cicero had a go at translating Simonides:

Dic, hospes, Spartae nos te hic vidisse iacentes

dum sanctis patriae legibus obsequimur.

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author

Yes! Not clear if Cicero translates the Greek version as given or with κοινοῖς (=patriae?).

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Aug 17Liked by Armand D'Angour

Go stranger and to Lacedaemon tell

That here, obeying her requests we fell.

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author

Nice!

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Got carried away by predictive texts

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Very interesting to read. Thank you.

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You take me back to primary school, probably aged about 9, where we sang the following song - I still recall the tune:

Leonidas is combing his hair.

King of Persia, beware, beware!

He has only a handful of men to spare

So Leonidas is combing his hair.

They all must die in the mountain there

But before they die they will do their share.

King of Persia, beware, beware

Leonidas is combing his hair!

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author

I don't know that one. Thank you!

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You’re welcome! It sent me down a Friday afternoon rabbit hole to find the source of this song that has lived in the back of my mind for 50+ years.

It is apparently from a book published exactly 100 years ago called Mighty Men by Eleanor Farjeon, a prolific children’s author and poet (1881-1965).

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