ouphrontis: For me, this Greek phrase sums up the life and persona of T.E. Lawrence. (I was crazy en
ouphrontis: For me, this Greek phrase sums up the life and persona of T.E. Lawrence. (I was crazy enough to have it permanently tattooed on my arm!) But what exactly do the words οu φροντiς mean? In essence the phrase means “no care” or “no worry”. After the war, T.E. changed his name to Shaw and moved into his small cottage called Clouds Hill in Dorset, where he carved those words above the door. Here are a couple quotes by T.E. himself… “In Athens was a gentleman called Hippocleides who became engaged to a rich merchant’s daughter: and they arranged him a slap-up and splendid marriage. The feast preceding it was too much for his poor head, though. He stood on his head on the table and did a leg-dance, which was objectionable in Greek dress. ‘Hippocleides, Hippocleides’ protested the shocked merchant ‘You dance your marriage off.’ 'Wyworri?’ said Hippocleides: and Herodotus tells the tale so beautifully that I put the jape on the architrave. It means that nothing in Clouds Hill is to be a care upon its inhabitant.” “Nothing in Clouds Hill is to be a care upon the world. While I have it there shall be nothing exquisite or unique in it. Nothing to anchor me.” In the the original Greek, Hippocleides replies Ou φροντiς Hippokleídēi which means Hippocleides doesn’t care. So in essence, Ou φροντiς Shaw of Dorset translates to Shaw of Dorset doesn’t care! Repost… -- source link