Ἐπιστολὴ βʹ — Περὶ τῶν γλωττῶν αʹ

Εὐχαριστῶ πάντα τὰ ἀναγιγνωσκόμενα τὴν ταύτην ἐπιστολὴν ἣν γέγραφα ἵνα χρήματα τινὰ ὑπό μου διέλθω· εἰμὶ μὲν οὖν Γερμανίαθεν, τὸ ἐμαυτῷ ὄνομα εἶναι Κλεόφιλος, δ’ούκουν τῆς Ἐλλάδας. καὶ οὐ τῆς Ἑλλάδας ὢν, ἡ ἑλληνικνή γλῶττα οὐκ ἐστὶ ἡ γλῶττα ἣν ἀπὸ γενεσέως μου λελάληκα, ταῦτα ἡ Γερμανικὴ οὖσα. Ἀλλ ̓ ἀγαθός μοι ἔφηνε ὤν περὶ τούτους χρήματα τοὺς ἐν τῇ Ἑλληνικῇ γλώττῃ λαλῆσαι ἵνα μὴ βάρβαροις εἶναι φαίνωμαι τὴν αὐτὴν γλῶτταν λάλουσα· οἷος τ’ εἴην τοῦτο ἐν ἄλλῃ γλώττῃ γράψαι, ἀλλὰ μὲν διὰ τόν με μαθεῖν τὴν ταύτην γλῶτταν, πειρῶμαι δ’οὖν ἐπιστολὴν τὴν γράψαι ἐν τῇ ἀρχαίᾳ Ἑλληνικῇ γλώττῃ. αλλὰ μὲν ὕπνῳ σχεδὸν ὤν οὐκ οἶδα πότερον τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐν τῇ νυκτῇ ταύτῃ τελέσαι δύναμαι ἢ οὔ, οὕτω χρήσομαι· καὶ εἰ δὲ μὴ γε τελῶ τὴν ἑτέρᾳ.

Περὶ μὲν τῶν χρημάτων τῆς τὰ νῦν οὐκ ἐθέλω γράψαι κακῶν πάνυ ὄντων καὶ ὅτι ἄλλοι ἄνθρωποι ὧν πλῆθος πολὺ τούτων ἔτι πόλλους λόγους γεγράφασιν· ἀντὶ τούτων δ’εθέλω περὶ τὰ τῶν γλωττῶν γράψαι καὶ δὴ καὶ δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν γλώσσας μαθεῖν φιλῶ, μάλιστα τὰς τῶν πάλαι. Πρῶτος μὲν θέλω ἐξηγήσασθαι δι’ ἃς αἰτίας ταύτην ἐπιστολὴν τὴν γράφω νῦν· πάντα δ’ἦρξε ἐν τῷ μ’ ἔτι εἶναι ἐν τῷ διδασκαλείῳ μόνον σχάμενον ἔτη δέκα τέτταρα. μήποτε μὲν γὰρ πεφίληκα ἐκεῖσε ἐλθεῖν καὶ δ’ουκοῦν τοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν διδασκάλων λελάληνται λόγους οὐκ ἤκουσα. οὕτως ἀντὶ τοῦ τοὺς λόγους ἀκοῦσαι γλώττας τινὰς ἐποίησα ἐμαυτοῦ ἢ ἔμαθον· καὶ τοῦ ποιούμενου καὶ μανθανομένου ἐμοῦ τὰς γλώττας, διδασκάλοι ἢ ἄλλοι ἀνθρώποι ἦλθόν μοι ἵνα ἐξεύρωσι τὶ ἔπραξα λεγόμενοι Διὰ τὶ οὐκ ἀκούεις ἡμῶν; ἀποροῦμεν ἰδόμενον εἰς σε μὴ εἰδότα ὃς ἂν πράττοις. Λέγε δὴ ὑμᾶς, ἀγαθέ Κλεόφιλε. Καὶ ἡ ἀπόκρισίς μου ταῦτα ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἐστίν.

Τὸ τὰς γλώττας μαθεῖν οὖν ἐστὶ πρᾶγμα περὶ οὗ ἀνθρώποι πόλλοι μ’ἠρωτήκασιν καὶ πόλλακις οὐκ ᾔδη ὃς ἂν ἀποκρίναιμι. οὐκοῦν νῦν ἐν ταύτῃ διελθεῖν πειρῶμαι πρῶτος μὲν διὰ τὶ τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν γλῶτταν μανθάνω, δεύτερος δὲ δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν ἄλλὰς γλώττας φιλῶ μαθεῖν καὶ ἄρξομαι περὶ τὴν τῆς Ἑλλάδας γλῶτταν γράψαι.

Λόγους ἀκοῦσαι ἢ ἀναγνῶσαι οἳ γεγράφαται ὑπὸ τῶν πρὶν ἡμῶν βεβιωκότων ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶ πρᾶγμα δεινὸν πάνυ. Μήποτε μὲν πεφιληκώς ἀναγιγνώσκειν τὰ βιβλία μετενηνοχότα δ’ἀεὶ βεβουλημένος λόγους παλαιοὺς ἀναγνῶσαι, οἷος τ’ ᾖν ἑλεῖν τὴν τῆς Ῥώμης γλῶτταν ἤ τὴν τῆς Ἑλλάδας· καὶ γὰρ βουλόμενος τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν μᾶλλον ἢ τὴν τῆς Ῥώμης εἷλον τήν. ἐγένετο μὲν οὖν ἐν τῷ μ’αὖθις εἶναι ἐν τῷ διδασκαλείῳ γεραιοτέρου γενομένου ἐμοῦ ὅτι διδάσκαλον τινὰ ἐλάβομεν ὅς τὴν ἀρχαίαν Ἑλληνικὴν γλῶτταν λαλῆσαι ἐδύνατο· καὶ ἐξευρηκότος ἐμοῦ αὐτὸν ἐπιστολὴν τινὰ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ γλώττῃ πέπομφα καὶ εἰληφότος αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀπεκρίθή μοι γράφων ὅτι Πάνυ δείνον ἐστὶ τὸ μαθεῖν τὴν γλῶττην σὸν. καὶ δὴ καὶ μὲν ἔξεστί μοι γράψαι ὅτι ἐν τῇ ἀποκρίσει οὗτος δ’ἐγραψε τινὰ βιβλία οἷος τ’ εἰμὶ χρᾶσθαι ἳνα τὴν γλῶτταν ἐν τρόπῳ κρείττονι μαθεῖν δυνῶμαι. ἓν μὲν τῶν ὑπὸ αὐτοῦ πεπεμμένον βιβλίων ἠγόρασα ἵνα τοῦτο τῷ μαθεῖν τὴν γλῶτταν χρῶμαι, λέγω δὲ περὶ τῆς Καινῆς Διαθήκης· ἐστὶ γὰρ δείνος πάνυ τὰς διδάχας αἳ μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐλαλήθησαν καὶ αἳ δ’ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων συνεγράφησαν ἐν τῇ ἀρχαίᾳ γλώττῃ ἀναγιγνώσκειν. ἀλλ’ ἄλλα βιβλία καὶ ἀναγινώσκω, λέγω περὶ τῶν μὲν Πλάτωνος ἢ δ’ Ἡροδότου περὶ οὖ ἀξιόλογος γράψαι ἐστὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ διαλέκτῳ ἀλλ’ ἐν τῇ Ἰωνικῇ τὰ βιβλία αὐτοῦ ἔγραψε· οὕτως τὸ τὰς αὐτοῦ ἀναγνῶσαι προσαγωγόν πάνυ ἐστίν.

Νῦν δ’οῦν πολλοῦ λόγου γεγραμμένου ἔξεστί μοι ταύτην τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τελέσαι· ἀλλ’ ἔτι περὶ τῶν ἄλλων γλωττῶν γράψαι βουλόμενος ἄλλην ἐπιστολὴν γράψα ἐν ᾗ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων λαλήσω.

Ἐρρωσο.

Eucharistō panta ta anagignōskomena tēn tautēn epistolēn hēn gegrapha hina chrēmata tina hypo mou dielthō; eimi men oun Germaniathen, to emautō onoma einai Kleophilos, d’oukoun tēs Elladas. kai ou tēs Helladas ōn, hē hellēniknē glōtta ouk esti hē glōtta hēn apo geneseōs mou lelalēka, tauta hē Germanikē ousa. All agathos moi ephēne ōn peri toutous chrēmata tous en tē Hellēnikē glōttē lalēsai hina mē barbarois einai phainōmai tēn autēn glōttan lalousa; hoios t’ eiēn touto en allē glōttē grapsai, alla men dia ton me mathein tēn tautēn glōttan, peirōmai d’oun epistolēn tēn grapsai en tē archaia Hellēnikē glōttē. alla men hypnō schedon ōn ouk oida poteron tēn epistolēn en tē nyktē tautē telesai dynamai ē ou, houtō chrēsomai; kai ei de mē ge telō tēn hetera.

Peri men tōn chrēmatōn tēs ta nyn ouk ethelō grapsai kakōn pany ontōn kai hoti alloi anthrōpoi hōn plēthos poly toutōn eti pollous logous gegraphasin; anti toutōn d’ethelō peri ta tōn glōttōn grapsai kai dē kai di’ hēn aitian glōssas mathein philō, malista tas tōn palai. Prōtos men thelō exēgēsasthai di’ has aitias tautēn epistolēn tēn graphō nyn; panta d’ērxe en tō m’ eti einai en tō didaskaleiō monon schamenon etē deka tettara. mēpote men gar pephilēka ekeise elthein kai d’oukoun tous hypo tōn didaskalōn lelalēntai logous ouk ēkousa. houtōs anti tou tous logous akousai glōttas tinas epoiēsa emautou ē emathon; kai tou poioumenou kai manthanomenou emou tas glōttas, didaskaloi ē alloi anthrōpoi ēlthon moi hina exeurōsi ti epraxa legomenoi Dia ti ouk akoueis hēmōn? aporoumen idomenon eis se mē eidota hos an prattois. Lege dē hymas, agathe Kleophile. Kai hē apokrisis mou tauta hē epistolē estin.

To tas glōttas mathein oun esti pragma peri hou anthrōpoi polloi m’ērōtēkasin kai pollakis ouk ēdē hos an apokrinaimi. oukoun nyn en tautē dielthein peirōmai prōtos men dia ti tēn Hellēnikēn glōttan manthanō, deuteros de di’ hēn aitian allas glōttas philō mathein kai arxomai peri tēn tēs Helladas glōttan grapsai.

Logous akousai ē anagnōsai hoi gegraphatai hypo tōn prin hēmōn bebiōkotōn anthrōpōn esti pragma deinon pany. Mēpote men pephilēkōs anagignōskein ta biblia metenēnochota d’aei beboulēmenos logous palaious anagnōsai, hoios t’ ēn helein tēn tēs Rhōmēs glōttan ē tēn tēs Helladas; kai gar boulomenos tēn Hellēnikēn mallon ē tēn tēs Rhōmēs heilon tēn. egeneto men oun en tō m’authis einai en tō didaskaleiō geraioterou genomenou emou hoti didaskalon tina elabomen hos tēn archaian Hellēnikēn glōttan lalēsai edynato; kai exeurēkotos emou auton epistolēn tina en tē autē glōttē pepompha kai eilēphotos autou tēn apekrithē moi graphōn hoti Pany deinon esti to mathein tēn glōttēn son. kai dē kai men exesti moi grapsai hoti en tē apokrisei houtos d’egrapse tina biblia hoios t’ eimi chrasthai hina tēn glōttan en tropō kreittoni mathein dynōmai. hen men tōn hypo autou pepemmenon bibliōn ēgorasa hina touto tō mathein tēn glōttan chrōmai, legō de peri tēs Kainēs Diathēkēs; esti gar deinos pany tas didachas hai men hypo tou Iēsou elalēthēsan kai hai d’hypo tōn apostolōn synegraphēsan en tē archaia glōttē anagignōskein. all’ alla biblia kai anaginōskō, legō peri tōn men Platōnos ē d’ Hērodotou peri ou axiologos grapsai esti hoti ouk en tē Attikē dialektō all’ en tē Iōnikē ta biblia autou egrapse; houtōs to tas autou anagnōsai prosagōgon pany estin.

Nyn d’oun pollou logou gegrammenou exesti moi tautēn tēn epistolēn telesai; all’ eti peri tōn allōn glōttōn grapsai boulomenos allēn epistolēn grapsa en hē peri tōn allōn lalēsō.

Errōso.

I greet all of those who are reading this letter which I have written so that I may explain a few matters about myself. My name is Marvin (Cleophilos) and, being from Germany and not Greece, this is not the language which I have spoken since my birth which, instead, is German. But it seemed nice to me to say these things in the Greek language so that I may not appear to be like a Barbarian by speaking their language; and even though I would have been able to write this letter in a different language, I will try to write it in Greek as it is the language I am currently learning. Considering, though, that it's already night and that sleep is already upon me, I am uncertain whether it will be possible for me to finish this letter or not; I will try nonetheless and, should I not be able to, I will finish it some other day.

I do not wish to write about current affairs as they are mostly wretched and since other people — whose number is large — have already written much about them. Instead, I would like to write about languages and why I like to learn them, especially those who are ancient. First, I would like to explain why I am now writing this letter and it all began whilst I was still in school, being a mere fourteen years old. I had never liked going there and I thus did not listen to what the teachers were saying; instead of listening, I made my own languages or studied some on my own. And during my learning and creating of languages, teachers and others would come to me — trying to ascertain what I was doing — asking, Why are you not listening to us? We are at a loss and do not know what to do looking at you and wondering what it is you might be doing. Tell us, Marvin. My answer is this letter.

The learning of languages is, thus, a matter about which many people have asked me and one which I frequently had no good answer to. Therefore, I will be trying to explain why it is that I am learning the Greek language and, secondly, what the reasons for my learning of other languages are; and I shall begin with the former.

Listening to or reading things which were written by people that lived (long) before us is a most interesting affair. I have never liked reading translated books and, always having had the desire to read ancient books, I was able to choose between Ancient Greek and Latin; and, liking Greek more, I picked that. It thus came to me during my being at school again — at which time, though, I was much older than before — that we got a teacher who was able to speak Ancient Greek; and after my having found out that fact I sent him an email in Greek and, upon his having received it, he sent me the following back, It is very cool that you are learning this language!. Additionally, I should, perhaps, mentioned that, in his answer, he also told me which books I could be using in order to learn the language in an improved manner. One of the books he had sent me so that I may learn the language using it was the Greek New Testament; for it is great to read the teachings which Jesus spoke and which were written down by the Apostles in the original, ancient language. But there are other books, too, which I am reading, namely those by Plato or Herodotus, about whom I find it prudent to write that he wrote in the Ionic instead of the Attic dialect. This makes reading his texts an interesting matter.

As I have now written a lot, I find it prudent to end this letter. But still wishing to speak about (my reasons for learning) other languages, I will be writing another letter about that very topic.

Regards.