Hellenioi

[Anastasios Helios]

I study Greek in my spare time, and it's not too bad. Russian is definitely more difficult.

[keravnos]

Modern greek are quite easy, as the sounds are very much the same, (in a what-you-read-is-what-it-sounds-like) and once you know the rules, you will be able to read Greek in no time and let others understand what you mean. Now, the great difficulty seems to be (For English speakers that is) that clauses are still used in Greek. That takes some getting used to.

Still, Hellenioi is so rare, it is like it isn't used at all. "Ελληνες" or "Hellenes" on the other hand is and has been the norm since just after Homer.

(Prior to that it was Danaoi, Argeioi-Homeric names. Sellas->Hellas was a region in Epeiros, which gave its name to the whole country. Or so the legends tell us).

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Modern greek are quite easy, as the sounds are very much the same, (in a what-you-read-is-what-it-sounds-like) and once you know the rules, you will be able to read Greek in no time and let others understand what you mean. Now, the great difficulty seems to be (For English speakers that is) that clauses are still used in Greek. That takes some getting used to.

That sounds interesting. Is there a big difference between modern Greek and ancient Greek? What do you mean with clauses?

Oh please can you tell what "King of Makedonia" means exactly in Greek? I fear it's a bit wrong what I wrote under my username.

No I mean why in ancient times do most of the civs have ioi on the end.

I think this is just the plural for Greek words ending with -os.

[abou]

Do you mean a translation? If that is the case, then probably Basileus Makedonias.

[keravnos]

That sounds interesting. Is there a big difference between modern Greek and ancient Greek? What do you mean with clauses?

Ok, let me try to explain...

"ΚΑΛΛΙΠΥΓΟΣ ΓΥΝΗ"=woman with a nice "rear end" (in ancient greek)
The pronunciation of that would be...
- [kal-li-pu(u as in "Utah")-gos gu-ne-e" (e as in "nest")]

"KΑΛΛΙΠΥΓΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΑ"=woman with a nice "rear end" (in modern greek)
- [ka-li-pi-yos (y as in "yes") yi-ne-ka]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

"KΑΛΛΙΠΥΓΟΣ" was the colloquial name of Aphrodite in Syracuse. In fact, not many called her otherwise. This is one part of my ancestry that always makes me laugh when I think about it.

Short list (as an example) of what has changed from Ancient to modern
Double ll(λλ), gg(γγ) or pp(ππ) are pronounced as one in modern greek
ai=e in pronounciation
eu=ef or av in pronounciation
au=af or av in pronounciation.

Clause=mistake of mine. Declension/inflection is the word. It is the different ways in which every word can be written/pronounced according to different uses of the word. An example, the singular of "ANHΡ"=man in all clauses in ancient, modern greek, and an attempt of parallels between that and modern english. Notice that most modern languages have done away with it entirely. Modern greek has them (declensions), but they are vastly simplified from the Ancient greek, and also dotiki (one of them) has been abolished. Ancient Indian (Sanskrit) has 8.

Ancient Greek--------------Modern Greek-----------Modern English
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ο ΑΝΗΡ----------------------Ο ΑΝΔΡΑΣ------------------Man
ΤΟΥ ΑΝΔΡΟΣ----------------ΤΟΥ ΑΝΔΡΑ-----------------Man's
ΤΩΙ ΑΝΔΡΙ----------------------------------------------------
ΤΟΝ ΑΝΔΡΑ-----------------ΤΟΝ ΑΝΔΡΑ-----------------------
Ω ΑΝΕΡ---------------------Ω ΑΝΔΡΑ-----------------------

-> Note that this is a very short response. Just a "heads up" if you will of the whole thing. A lot more can be spoken/written etc.

-> There are many things that illiterate catholic priests/ or vengeful Romani have blamed us Greeks over the years, and the fact that Greek language is difficult is one of them. Modern Greek isn't difficult, as a former girlfriend of mine who wasn't greek had been able to learn them in about a year. She was smart, true, but I honestly think that the difficulty of Greek language is vastly overestimated.

[Thaatu]

"KΑΛΛΙΠΥΓΟΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΑ"=woman with a nice "rear end" (in modern greek)
- [ka-li-pi-yos (y as in "yes") yi-ne-ka]

Thanks keravnos! I'll be sure to try it the next time I visit Greece. Results may vary.

[Cataphract_Of_The_City]

Thanks keravnos! I'll be sure to try it the next time I visit Greece. Results may vary.

Don't. Nobody will understand that. Keravnos was using an ancient Greek phrase to demonstrate ancient and modern Greek pronunciations.

[Tiberius Nero]

Do you mean a translation? If that is the case, then probably Basileus Makedonias.

Yes, although basileus Makedonon ("King of the Macedonians") is probably how it would be phrased by the ancients (one is king of a people, not of a territory).

[Teleklos Archelaou]

Great to hear strategy problems arising from playing a lot of EB multiplayer battles. Good to know you guys are getting something extra out of it - we members really never play multiplayer battles though.

Anastasios - those signature banners like the one you are using are just for EB team members.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

@keravnos:

Thank you for the explanation. We have that cases in German as well, so this is not a too big problem.

I'll change my usertitle to Basileus Makedonias then.