(no subject)

Tonight, embassy party. Strange. Very strange. Although the Hungarian First Secretary for Commercial Affairs is altogether a very well put-together sort of man, and the archaeological contingent were all very friendly, it was weird.

Very weird.

I'm not calling you a liar, just stop lying to me

Athens is chilly. The Institute building is lovely and airy, which is great for the summer. Right now, though, I'm finding it ironic that I'm huddling by a radiator in my jumper when in the same outside temperature at home I'd be wandering around the house in my shirtsleeves.

The embassy party last night, as I believe I mentioned, was weird. There were two quite bad musicians who only knew one reel, singing (off-key) nuns from Argentina, and many many people whom I did not know. Although I did manage to get introduced to several other archaeologists who were there for the free drink and food, and they were lovely people, but I ended up mostly hiding behind a couple of them, including a nice Bulgarian called Chavdar. (And talking to a Hungarian First Secretary called Zoltan, and trying not to talk to a strange man from the Mexican embassy who was admiring my jacket.)

I hate strange people. They are exhausting.

On the plus side, breakfast comprised lovely strawberries and Greek yoghurt and the maple syrup I brought from an Irish supermarket at great expense. All yoghurt should have maple syrup in it. Well, unless it's already flavoured.

Xenophon Economics 7.21-24

Xen. Ec. 7.21-24

[21] δεῖ δ᾽ αὖ, ἐπειδὰν ταῦτα εἰσενεχθῇ εἰς τὸ στεγνόν, καὶ τοῦ σώσοντος ταῦτα καὶ τοῦ ἐργασομένου δ᾽ ἃ τῶν στεγνῶν ἔργα δεόμενά ἐστι. στεγνῶν δὲ δεῖται καὶ ἡ τῶν νεογνῶν τέκνων παιδοτροφία, στεγνῶν δὲ καὶ αἱ ἐκ τοῦ καρποῦ σιτοποιίαι δέονται: ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἡ τῆς ἐσθῆτος ἐκ τῶν ἐρίων ἐργασία.

And again, whenever these things have been brought into the covered dwelling, it is also necessary for there to be someone keeping these safe and for there to be someone who will preserve the things needing work of the covered dwelling. And cover is needed also for the rearing of newborn children, and cover is also needed for the preparation of food from produce: and in a like manner the making of clothing from wool.

[22] ἐπεὶ δ᾽ ἀμφότερα ταῦτα καὶ ἔργων καὶ ἐπιμελείας δεῖται τά τε ἔνδον καὶ τὰ ἔξω, καὶ τὴν φύσιν, φάναι, εὐθὺς παρεσκεύασεν ὁ θεός, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, τὴν μὲν τῆς γυναικὸς ἐπὶ τὰ ἔνδον ἔργα καὶ ἐπιμελήματα, <τὴν δὲ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐπὶ τὰ ἔξω>.

And since both these things, the things within and the things outside, need work and care, and it is clear, as it seems to me, the god immediately prepared the nature of woman for the inside work and care, the nature of man for the outside work.

[23] ῥίγη μὲν γὰρ καὶ θάλπη καὶ ὁδοιπορίας καὶ στρατείας τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν μᾶλλον δύνασθαι καρτερεῖν κατεσκεύασεν: ὥστε τὰ ἔξω ἐπέταξεν αὐτῷ ἔργα: τῇ δὲ γυναικὶ ἧττον τὸ σῶμα δυνατὸν πρὸς ταῦτα φύσας τὰ ἔνδον ἔργα αὐτῇ, φάναι ἔφη, προστάξαι μοι δοκεῖ ὁ θεός.

For the body and breath of man is equipped to be able to bear patiently frost and heat and walking and campaigning: and so it imposed on him the outside work. To the woman, engendering her body less able for these, to her the god assigned the inside work," I said, "clearly it seems to me."

[24] εἰδὼς δὲ ὅτι τῇ γυναικὶ καὶ ἐνέφυσε καὶ προσέταξε τὴν τῶν νεογνῶν τέκνων τροφήν, καὶ τοῦ στέργειν τὰ νεογνὰ βρέφη πλέον αὐτῇ ἐδάσατο ἢ τῷ ἀνδρί.

And having known well that to the woman he assigned and implanted the feeding of newborn children, to her he shared a greater feeling of affection for newborn babes than to the man.