
Though perhaps not as significant as yesterday’s exegetical insight, I put myself to the task of translating Jacob’s tapestry from last night’s lost (that pause button is wonderful, isn’t it!).
So here goes. First I transcribed it into miniscules:
θεοι τοσα δοιεν οσα φρεσι σησι μενοινας
So it’s two clauses:
θεοι τοσα δοιεν
οσα φρεσι σησι μενοινας
The latter clause is a relative clause, with μενοινας as the main verb. It’s a standard progressive active indicative, 3nd singular from μενοινάω, “to desire eagerly, be bent on a thing” according to Middle Liddell. The adjective σησι is just a possessive, with φρεσι as its head noun. So the phrase is something like “whatever/as much as you desire for your heart.”
Now to the main clause. δοιεν took me awhile because it’s an optative (not used to those in the NT). But the root δο is your clue, and it’s listed in Great Scott: Aor. act opt. 3rd plural from διδωμι. I think τοσα is nueter plural, the antecedent of οσα.
So here is my translation
May the gods give [to you] as many things as you desire for you heart.
Or more idiomatically (removing the repetitive relative pronoun and treating the dative of advantage as idiomatic):
May the gods give to you all your heart’s desire.
Or you could just search on the transliteration in the Perseus Project (I assumed it was a quote from something). It’s from Homer, Od. 6.180. Here.
Update: The bottom line, by the way, is the following
θεοι δε τοι ολβια δοιεν
This one is much easier. ὄλβιος, α, ον, used substantively here, means “blessing,” or “riches”. This line is actually listed in Middle Liddell as an example, and is also from the Odyssey. So the translation:
And may the gods give you riches/blessing.



The times, they are a changing. One interesting, and in my opinion welcome, change is a new push by businesses and institutions to move to Open Source Software. Aside from the fact that most open source software is free, there are a whole host of other advantages worth considering. Two that stand out: (1) interpolability and (2) security. These are things every organization needs—you want people you like to be able to see and use the information you provide and you want people you don’t like to, well, not.

It’s been awhile since the last Strangelet, the Nerdlets.org repository of all wacky, weird, or unexpected news. But today marks a strange blast from the past. Those familiar terms like “CGA” and “Cobal” will be glad to learn that their nostalga for outdated games will soon be satisfied, curtosy of the iPhone.

