(no subject)
This morning, rappleart3 attempted to teach me some expressions in Classical Greek. So she told me a fable, and I kept interrupting, and... well, I promised her I'd tell her my version of it.
This started from the expression ou phrontes Hippocleides, which is apparently synonymous with I don't give a shit. Anyway, here we go!
The story behind Hippocleides, according to Herodotus (as told to me by rappleart3):
Back in ancient Sicyon there was a tyrant named Cleisthenes (not the famous Athenian, but his grandfather). He wanted to marry his daughter off to a good rich man, so he gathered such men from the country and had them live with him for awhile. It came down to two men: Megacles and Hippocleides.
At the final dinner, when Cleisthenes was going to announce who would marry his daughter, the two men had to show off some talent that would prove them worthy.
Hippocleides went first. He had the servants bring out a table and had the musicians start playing, and he got on the table and started dancing. He was kicking his legs up and dancing very foolishly. Well, imagine what the Greeks did and did not wear!
Cleisthenes was shocked, and he said to Hippocleides: "You just danced your marriage away!"
And Hippocleides said, "Ou phrontes Hippocleides." Hippocleides doesn't care.
And ever after that became an idiom for "I don't give a shit".
~*~*~*~
And now, the story according to a perverted slash author (that would be me):
Back in ancient Sicyon there was a tyrant named Cleisthenes (not the famous Athenian, but his grandfather). He wanted to marry his daughter off to a good rich man, so he gathered such men from the country and had them live with him for awhile. It was a happy time, and the suitors found many ways to "entertain themselves". There were only two men who refrained from taking part in this entertainment: Megacles and Hippocleides.
Megacles, supposedly, wanted to be Cleisthenes' son-in-law and heir. Because Cleisthenes was filthy rich, and his daughter could be closeted away and forgotten, like most Greek married women often were. Moreover, Megacles came from an old and well-respected family, and frolicking with other men was beneath his dignity.
Hippocleides, on the other hand, was smitten with Cleisthenes' son, and was too busy thinking up poems to woo the boy. So he ignored the entertainment in favour of more intellectual pursuits. But alas, the boy could not be swayed. He was dead-set on becoming the greatest dancer in all Greece!
Anyway, behold! Megacles and Hippocleides were told they had passed the test, and while the rollicking men were evicted, the two of them were invited to dinner. However, Cleisthenes insisted that , the two men had to show off some talent that would prove them worthy before announcing who would marry his daughter.
Hippocleides, having concocted a most cunning plan to persuade Cleisthenes's son into running away with him, went first. He had the servants bring out a table and had the musicians start playing, and he got on the table and started dancing. He was kicking his legs up and dancing very skilfully, at the same time displaying his assets for the boy to see. After all, he was very "proud" and those Greek boys did like a man who was, erm, "well off".
Cleisthenes was shocked, and he said to Hippocleides: "You just danced your marriage away!"
And Hippocleides said, "Ou phrontes Hippocleides." Hippocleides doesn't give a shit.
Because Cleisthenes' son was smiling at Hippocleides at last! And on that night, they eloped and lived happily ever after!
~*~*~*~
Tom Lehrer - Smut
This started from the expression ou phrontes Hippocleides, which is apparently synonymous with I don't give a shit. Anyway, here we go!
The story behind Hippocleides, according to Herodotus (as told to me by rappleart3):
Back in ancient Sicyon there was a tyrant named Cleisthenes (not the famous Athenian, but his grandfather). He wanted to marry his daughter off to a good rich man, so he gathered such men from the country and had them live with him for awhile. It came down to two men: Megacles and Hippocleides.
At the final dinner, when Cleisthenes was going to announce who would marry his daughter, the two men had to show off some talent that would prove them worthy.
Hippocleides went first. He had the servants bring out a table and had the musicians start playing, and he got on the table and started dancing. He was kicking his legs up and dancing very foolishly. Well, imagine what the Greeks did and did not wear!
Cleisthenes was shocked, and he said to Hippocleides: "You just danced your marriage away!"
And Hippocleides said, "Ou phrontes Hippocleides." Hippocleides doesn't care.
And ever after that became an idiom for "I don't give a shit".
~*~*~*~
And now, the story according to a perverted slash author (that would be me):
Back in ancient Sicyon there was a tyrant named Cleisthenes (not the famous Athenian, but his grandfather). He wanted to marry his daughter off to a good rich man, so he gathered such men from the country and had them live with him for awhile. It was a happy time, and the suitors found many ways to "entertain themselves". There were only two men who refrained from taking part in this entertainment: Megacles and Hippocleides.
Megacles, supposedly, wanted to be Cleisthenes' son-in-law and heir. Because Cleisthenes was filthy rich, and his daughter could be closeted away and forgotten, like most Greek married women often were. Moreover, Megacles came from an old and well-respected family, and frolicking with other men was beneath his dignity.
Hippocleides, on the other hand, was smitten with Cleisthenes' son, and was too busy thinking up poems to woo the boy. So he ignored the entertainment in favour of more intellectual pursuits. But alas, the boy could not be swayed. He was dead-set on becoming the greatest dancer in all Greece!
Anyway, behold! Megacles and Hippocleides were told they had passed the test, and while the rollicking men were evicted, the two of them were invited to dinner. However, Cleisthenes insisted that , the two men had to show off some talent that would prove them worthy before announcing who would marry his daughter.
Hippocleides, having concocted a most cunning plan to persuade Cleisthenes's son into running away with him, went first. He had the servants bring out a table and had the musicians start playing, and he got on the table and started dancing. He was kicking his legs up and dancing very skilfully, at the same time displaying his assets for the boy to see. After all, he was very "proud" and those Greek boys did like a man who was, erm, "well off".
Cleisthenes was shocked, and he said to Hippocleides: "You just danced your marriage away!"
And Hippocleides said, "Ou phrontes Hippocleides." Hippocleides doesn't give a shit.
Because Cleisthenes' son was smiling at Hippocleides at last! And on that night, they eloped and lived happily ever after!
~*~*~*~
Tom Lehrer - Smut