Ceremony Reading in Greek?

peaches85

Hi ladies!  I don't think I've ever posted here before, but I have a question that hopefully someone can help me out with...

FI and I are incoporating our different religions and cultures into our ceremony.  One of the elements we're including is three readings by three family members (each in a different language - Spanish, Greek, and English ).  We've already figured out a reading in Spanish and one in English , but we're having trouble coming up with one in Greek.  We don't want it to be anything from the Bible or overly religious... just something about marriage and/or love that can be read in Greek.

Any suggestions?  TIA!!

GJones27

Hmm... I'm Greek.  But I'm really uneducated about the classics, and unlike most Protestants, Greek Orthodox people like me can't quote from the Bible very well.  Have you looked at anything Aristotle or Plato has written?  They have written some stuff about soulmates, I think.  Otherwise, anything from the Bible will do, as it was originally written in Greek. 

Sorry I can't be of more help!  I'm very fortunate everything is prescribed for me for my Orthodox Christian ceremony, as I wouldn't know what readings to do.

iamjoesgurl

I can't really help but wanted to ask if you are going to interpret or have the interpretations in a program?  If I was there, I would want to know what the readers are saying. I just thought I would make the suggestion in case you hadn't already considered that.

lil_miss_latinist

I don't typically post here, but I saw your post and thought I might be able to help. I'm a Classics major, so I have a fairly decent knowledge of Ancient Greek.

I would suggest a passage from Plutarch's Moralia, Section 138, which is advice to a bride and groom. This comes from the 20th subsection. Here's the English:

Plato asserts that the state is prosperous and happy in which the people hear "mine" and "not mine" most rarely uttered, the reason being that the citizens, so far as in them lies, treat all things of real importance as common property. Much more should such expressions be eliminated from the married state; save that, as physicians tell us that blows on the left side of the body record the sensation on the right side, so, in the same way, it is a lovely thing for the wife to sympathize with her husband's concerns and the husband with the wife's, so that, as ropes, by being intertwined, get strength from each other, thus, by the due contribution of goodwill in corresponding measure by each member, the copartnership may be preserved through the joint action of both. For Nature unites us through the commingling of our bodies, in order that, by taking and blending together a portion derived from each member of a pair, the offspring which she produces may be common to both, so that neither can define or distinguish his own or the other's part therein.

CN: Plato says that people are happiest when the word "mine" is used as little as possible. It should be the same way in a marriage, where the partners are so inseperable as to not be distinguishable from each other.

It would take a little bit of searching to find the original Greek text, but I could look it up for you if that sounds like something you want to have read. I also have a copy of the New Testament in Greek, so I can look up a verse or passage if you decide to go that route (Old Testament is originally in Hebrew, so has to be NT.)

Sorry for the novel. HTH!

peaches85

lil_miss - You are AMAZING!!!  I love that passage by Plutarch!  If you're able to find it in Greek that would be fantastic.

Also, if you happen to find something just in passing that you like from the New Testament, I'd appreciate that too.

However, please don't go out of your way for anything!  Just the fact that you took the time to respond so thoroughly is more than enough!

Thank you a million times over!

lil_miss_latinist

Thanks Peaches!

I'm headed to the library to get some texts tonight, so I can grab Plutarch and transcribe it for you.

I'm going to type it in a font called SPIonic, the usual Greek font for Microsoft office. You can download it here: http://tinyurl.com/jrxqv

You will be able to copy and paste what I've typed out, open it in Word, and change the font to SPIonic. Then, you can print out and give the text to your reader. What I've typed will look like pure gibberish, but be sure to copy everything, including random punctuation! 

I'll post again tonight or tomorrow! You can post any Bible verses you want as well.

peaches85

Oh my god!  I don't know you, but I love you!  Haha  

Thank you again for everything!  I'm downloading the font right this minute.

lil_miss_latinist

Ok, peaches, here's the text:

o( Pla/twn fhsi\n eu)dai/mona kai\ makari/an ei]nai po/lin, e)n h[| ‘to_ e)mo_n kai\ to_ ou)k e)mo_n’ h#kista fqeggome\nwn a)kou/si dia_ to_ koinoi~v w(s e!ni ma/lista xrh=sqai toi~v a)ci/oiv spoudh=v tou_v poli/tav/ polu_ de_ ma~llon e)k ga/mou dei~ th_n toiau/thn fwnh_n a)nh|rh=sqai. plh_n w#sper oi( i)atroi_ le/gousi ta_v tw~n euwnu/mwn plhga_v th_n ai1sqhsin e)n toi~v decioi!s a)nafe/rein, ou#tw th_n yunai~ka toi~v tou~ a)ndro_v sumpaqei=n kalo_n kai_ to_n a!ndra toi~v th~v gunaiko/v, i#n’ w#sper oi( desmoi_ kata_ th_n e)pallacin i)su_n di’ a)llh/lwn lamba/nousin, ou#tws e(kate/rou th\n eu!oian a)nti/strofon a)podido/ntov h( koinwni/a sw/|zhtai di’ a)mfoi~n. kai\ ga_r h( fu/siv mi/gnusi dia_ tw~n swma/twn h(mav, i#n’ e)c e(kate/rwn me/rov labou=sa kai\ sugxe/asa koino_n a)mfote/roiv a)podw|~ to_ gennw/menon, w#ste mhde/teron diori/sai mhde\ diakri=nai to_ i!dion h! to_ a)llo/trion.

Be sure to copy it exactly, no matter how crazy it may look. With SPIonic, you should be able to see the Greek letters in  your browser, but definitely in a word processor. 

Let me know if you have any questions or problems!

peaches85

Got it!  It actually shows up in Greek on TK.  :-) 

Thank you again for everything... you're honestly like a Godsend!

PS - You should come to the July 2011 board!  You and I are only a day off from one another.