A Centaur, A She-Goat, and an Ox….

Not an opening line from a joke, but more proverbs from the Suda.  As usual, if you want more, check out the impressive Suda-online.

“There’s no sense to Centaurs.” A proverb applied to impossible and silly things. There’s another version: “Your hair has no sense—you suppose I can’t think, but I am stupid on purpose.”

Νοῦς οὐκ ἔνι Κενταύροισι: παροιμία ἐπὶ τῶν ἀδυνάτων καὶ ἀνοήτων ταττομένη. καὶ ἄλλως· νοῦς οὐκ ἔνι ταῖς κόμαις ὑμῶν, ὅτε μ’ οὐ φρονεῖν νομίζετ’, ἐγὼ δ’ ἑκὼν ταῦτ’ ἠλιθιάζω.

“Aiks, aigos: also in a proverb: “The she-goat gives the blade”.

For when the Corinthians sacrifice in the temple to Hera Akraia which they say was founded by Medeia, the hired men hid the knife in the ground and pretended they forgot it. But the she-goat uncovered it with her feet.”

Αἴξ, αἰγός. καὶ παροιμία· ῾Η αἲξ δοῦσα τὴν μάχαιραν. Κορινθίων γὰρ ῞Ηρᾳ ᾿Ακραίᾳ θυόντων, ἣν λέγεται ἱδρῦσαι Μήδειαν, οἱ ἐν τῇ παρόχῳ μεμισθωμένοι γῇ κρύψαντες τὴν μάχαιραν ἐσκήπτοντο ἐπιλελῆσθαι. ἡ δὲ αἲξ αὐτὴν τοῖς ποσὶν ἀνεσκάλευσεν.

“An ox sits in the yard.”  A proverb concerning useless people.

Βοῦς ἐν αὐλίῳ κάθῃ: παροιμία ἐπὶ τῶν ἀχρήστων.