Run In With Mr. Edwards

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
...
Quod scripsi, scripsi.

Jim

Sophocles was acquitted of insanity with this argument because of the beauty
of his tragedies. Are you sure you want to use what YOU wrote as a defense?

The quotation is generally ascribed to Pontius Pilate when he was asked to
change the inscription on the paper nailed to Christ's cross. And it *is*
Latin, not Greek.

Jim



"C J Campbell"
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

-
-"Jim Weir" wrote in message
.. .
- Quod scripsi, scripsi.
-
- Jim
-
-Sophocles was acquitted of insanity with this argument because of the beauty
-of his tragedies. Are you sure you want to use what YOU wrote as a defense?
-

Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
...
The quotation is generally ascribed to Pontius Pilate when he was asked to
change the inscription on the paper nailed to Christ's cross. And it *is*
Latin, not Greek.


That is true. I was thinking of a Latin commentary on Sophocles, but now I
have to look it up.

Actually, the phrase is not very good Latin or, rather, it takes
considerable poetic license. Translated somewhat loosely, it is "But what I
wrote, I wrote." IIRC the phrase attributed to Sophocles in the Latin
history was meant to say "But see what I have written" meaning that what he
had written was beautiful and could not be the product of an incompetent. It
is a play on words, using the made-up "scripsi" to mean both "see" and
"write." The "si" suffix is required to make "Quod" mean "but" or
(sometimes) "therefore."

Now I have to wonder if Pilate was quoting an earlier commentary. It would
have been a typically Roman thing to do, but the reference might have either
been lost on the Gospel writers or else (more likely) they would have
assumed that anyone reading the narrative would have recognized it. After
all, "It is written" is a strongly Semitic sentiment. Related would be the
declaration of the name of God: "I Am that I Am," first proclaimed from the
burning bush to Moses and then referred to by Jesus: "Before Abraham was I
Am" and "Who do men say that I Am?" We could then go into Christian
symbolism in modern pop literature, as in Popeye: "I am what I am," but then
I digress considerably, so we will leave it at that.

I don't think either you or I have the chops to criticize Pilate's Latin, which
he learned at his mother's knee and for the next forty years or so.

It is excellent Latin, and it is NOT translated loosely, it is "What I have
written, I have written." No poetic license is necessary.

Or, you can reflect on the New York cabbie that picked up a native NY'er who had
been away for a while and wanted a dinner of scrod more than anything in the
world. He asked the cabbie, "Where can I get scrod in this town?"

The cabbie answered back, "Buddy, I've hoid that question ten t'ousand times,
but that's the FOIST time I've ever hoid it in the plupoifect subjunctive."

End of discussion.

Jim


"C J Campbell"
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

-Actually, the phrase is not very good Latin or, rather, it takes
-considerable poetic license. Translated somewhat loosely, it is "But what I
-wrote, I wrote."


Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

I should also mention that I really don't remember that much of my high
school Latin, so if you go quoting any more Latin phrases don't assume that
I will understand them. :-)

I should also mention that I really don't remember that much of my high
school Latin, so if you go quoting any more Latin phrases don't assume
that
I will understand them. :-)

Hey, I was a post-Vatican II Catholic boy. No latin for me...

However, I CAN recite the entire Catholic Mass (circa 1964) verbatim, if
you'd like...

(Nowadays, this would be called "child abuse." Back then, it was called
"going to church every day.")

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Hey, I was a post-Vatican II Catholic boy. No latin for me...

However, I CAN recite the entire Catholic Mass (circa 1964) verbatim, if
you'd like...

Hey, there are still a bunch of us attending Mass every Sunday using the
1963 Tridentine Missal. Everything in latin but the homily, lots of
incense, the priest with his back to the congregation, having to kneel to
receive communion, the whole nine yards. And the music is at least 100
times better, since the latin mass had nearly 2,000 years to filter out all
the bad compositions and stuck only with the stuff that was really, really
good.

Actually, for full disclosure, I haven't done the 1963 mass since I got to
Pittsburgh in 1999. We moved into the same neighborhood as the Cathedral,
and I just couldn't resist singing there, even if they do use the weak
(IMHO) Vatican II format to perform the liturgy.


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On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 18:00:13 -0700, "C J Campbell"
wrote:

I should also mention that I really don't remember that much of my high
school Latin, so if you go quoting any more Latin phrases don't assume that
I will understand them. :-)

Ohnay etsway.

Don