Help to Translate Greek on Ancient Building (1 Viewer)

[PolarBear]

Cem needs a translation of this Greek writing on a Byzantine era building in Amasya, Northern Turkey

I believe we have a Greek member on the forum.

Here is the inscription on the building.

Thanks,

Randy

 

[nysoldiers]

"Best Souvlaki in town"

 

[MikeNick]

"Best Souvlaki in town"

Ask Thanasis 67.

 

[Warrior]

I'm half Greek and I'm stumped; Mike, you got anything?

 

[mikemiller1955]

I'm half Greek and I'm stumped; Mike, you got anything?

are you kidding...

all I remember is the Lord's Prayer from being an altar boy...
and that's from repetition...
a few phrases..."give me a kiss"...
and some curse words...^&grin
I can't speak or read Greek...
my Dad would only talk Greek to other Greeks when he didn't want me to know what he was saying...

I'm a white boy...^&grin

 

[zblang]

I only speak Greek fraternity!

 

[Alexander the Great]

I speak Greek fluently, it is my first language. The inscription is in ancient Greek.
You need someone with a degree is Greek philosophy in order to translate this...I will get it wrong if I try.

 

[jomartvr]

Randy,
If Cem knows the name of the archaeological site where this inscription is located, then you made be able to find a translation.
Benjamin

 

[PolarBear]

Randy,
If Cem knows the name of the archaeological site where this inscription is located, then you made be able to find a translation.
Benjamin

Cem gave me this location name:

Amasya, Northern Turkey

 

[PolarBear]

Randy,
If Cem knows the name of the archaeological site where this inscription is located, then you made be able to find a translation.
Benjamin

Amasya Castle?


Amasya Castle (Turkish: Amasya Kalesi), a.k.a. Harşene Castle, is a fortress located in Amasya, northern Turkey.[1][2]

The castle is located north of Amasya and the river Yeşilırmak on the steep rocks called Mount Harşene. It was attacked, ruined, changed hand and restored many times in the history during the Persian, Roman, Pontic and Byzantine era. The castle was severely ruined during the battles between the Romans and Pontics. It was substantially restored after the conquest of Amasya by the Ottomans in 1075, and remained in use until the 18th century when it lost its military importance.[2]

The castle has eight-level defensive emplacements outside the castle down to the Yeşilırmak bank. The top-level fortification is constructed in ashlar masonry while the defensive walls are made of rubble masonry. Named "Cilanbolu", a rock-carved gallery is situated in the middle of the castle. The underground stairway in 181 m (594 ft) length,[3] with 8 m (26 ft) diameter having 150 steps leads downward. Downside of the castle, ruins of a bastion and a mosque are situated. On the southern hillside, there are ruins of the "Kızlar Sarayı" (literally: the Maidens' Palace) used during the Ottoman period. At about 20–25 m (66–82 ft) height, 18 big and small tombs of the Pontic kings from the 3rd century BC are carved in limestone rock on a plain wall. The castle has four gates, named "Helkıs", "Saray", "Maydonos" and "Meydan". It includes dungeons, a cistern and a well.[1][2]

On about 800 m (2,600 ft) of the ancient fortress walls along Yeşilırmak, typical Amasya houses, hamams and mosques were built.[2]

Fleeing the invading troops of Timur (reigned 1370–1405), then Ottoman şehzade Çelebi Mehmed I took refuge in Amasya Castle.[1]

 

[jazzeum]

are you kidding...

all I remember is the Lord's Prayer from being an altar boy...
and that's from repetition...
a few phrases..."give me a kiss"...
and some curse words...^&grin
I can't speak or read Greek...
my Dad would only talk Greek to other Greeks when he didn't want me to know what he was saying...

I'm a white boy...^&grin

I hope you don’t take offense Mike but if you’re Greek, how did your family get the Miller name. That being said, when I was in high school there was a girl named Hope Miller and she was Jewish.

 

[mikemiller1955]

I hope you don’t take offense Mike but if you’re Greek, how did your family get the Miller name. That being said, when I was in high school there was a girl named Hope Miller and she was Jewish.

no offense Randy...
I'm 1/2 Greek (father)...1/2 German (mother)...
Miller is a pretty common name...

when my grandfather (Greek side) came to the US...
our name was Yerelogos...
or some spelling like that...
the Ellis Island immigration department could not spell it...
and asked what he did in Greece...
he was a miller of wheat...
so our name became Miller...
my sister did some extensive research on ancestry.com and confirmed all of this...

true story...

I have a cousin who's family came over...
his father was a water carrier...
his new US name became Waterman...

I met a guy years ago that was named Miller...
he was German...
he told me when his ancestors arrived in the US...
their name was Mueller...
he ended up with Miller...

 

[jazzeum]

Thanks Mike. Fascinating stories. I’m sure there are many stories of how people got their surnames.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Thanks Mike. Fascinating stories. I’m sure there are many stories of how people got their surnames.

Brad...
I don't know why I called you Randy...:redface2:
I was trying to get in touch with a roofer named Randy when I replied to you message...
sorry about that...

 

[Warrior]

are you kidding...

all I remember is the Lord's Prayer from being an altar boy...
and that's from repetition...
a few phrases..."give me a kiss"...
and some curse words...^&grin
I can't speak or read Greek...
my Dad would only talk Greek to other Greeks when he didn't want me to know what he was saying...

I'm a white boy...^&grin

Wow, we're brothers from another Mother; I know the Lord's Prayer too in Greek...………...plus some swear words...……….and yes, my Mother speaks Greek around other Greeks when she doesn't want me to know what is up.

My Mother went to Greece/Italy a number of years ago with my Dad and another couple. My Mom and her friend went into a shop in Athens and her friend was interested in an item, the store owner was babbling with a friend of his in Greek, completely ignoring my Mother and her friend...……..then he said to his friend in Greek "These American tourists are a pain in the !@#"...................my Mother lit him up like a Christmas tree; in Greek...….he had a look on his face like he didn't know whether to @#$ or wind his watch...……….one of my all time favorite stories............don't mess with Mama bear...……………..

 

[mikemiller1955]

Wow, we're brothers from another Mother; I know the Lord's Prayer too in Greek...………...plus some swear words...……….and yes, my Mother speaks Greek around other Greeks when she doesn't want me to know what is up.

My Mother went to Greece/Italy a number of years ago with my Dad and another couple. My Mom and her friend went into a shop in Athens and her friend was interested in an item, the store owner was babbling with a friend of his in Greek, completely ignoring my Mother and her friend...……..then he said to his friend in Greek "These American tourists are a pain in the !@#"...................my Mother lit him up like a Christmas tree; in Greek...….he had a look on his face like he didn't know whether to @#$ or wind his watch...……….one of my all time favorite stories............don't mess with Mama bear...……………..

George...

those old Greek ladies are tough beans to mess with!
they don't back down...
very out spoken and seem to relish arguments and confrontations...
always ready to call each other "a ****" at the drop of a hat...

nobody can roll their eyes like old Greek women when it comes to another woman's cooking...
my father used to volunteer cooking at the annual Greek festival helping prepare the food...
all the old Greek women cooking the sauce for the mousaka...pastitsio...etc...
he said they battled over it every year...
too much salt...not enough salt...
too much tomato...not enough tomato...
man...he said he would just step back or leave the kitchen til they settled it...

I used to love those Greek pastries...
the kourabiedes (powder cookies)...
the koulourakia...the twisted buttery coffee cookies...
the melomakaronas...the little biscuit cookies with brandy and cinnamon...
the baklava...honey...nuts and filo...
I even liked the Greek communion bread and wine...
I bet that's what gave me diabetes...^&grin

my experience with Greek women...
they are either beautiful or scary looking...
either a Helen of Troy...
or a frail little women always dressed in black with a mustache...^&grin

when I first met my aunt from up north around you guys...
I was about 18 years old...
she came walking up the driveway...
I said, "Dad...who is that?"
he said..."That's your aunt."
I swear...
I thought it was a longshoreman...^&grin
a very scary looking woman...

did you guys go to the Greek festivals...
and did your mama used to dance at the festivals?

 

[jomartvr]

Cem needs a translation of this Greek writing on a Byzantine era building in Amasya, Northern Turkey

I believe we have a Greek member on the forum.

Here is the inscription on the building.

Thanks,

Randy

Hi Randy,

This is an architectural element which was reused as a lintel in a post Byzantine fortress. Here are some pics, https://archnet.org/collections/1354/media_contents/127787
I also checked the journal Anatolian studies and came up with nothing.
Benjamin

 

[Warrior]

George...

those old Greek ladies are tough beans to mess with!
they don't back down...
very out spoken and seem to relish arguments and confrontations...
always ready to call each other "a ****" at the drop of a hat...

nobody can roll their eyes like old Greek women when it comes to another woman's cooking...
my father used to volunteer cooking at the annual Greek festival helping prepare the food...
all the old Greek women cooking the sauce for the mousaka...pastitsio...etc...
he said they battled over it every year...
too much salt...not enough salt...
too much tomato...not enough tomato...
man...he said he would just step back or leave the kitchen til they settled it...

I used to love those Greek pastries...
the kourabiedes (powder cookies)...
the koulourakia...the twisted buttery coffee cookies...
the melomakaronas...the little biscuit cookies with brandy and cinnamon...
the baklava...honey...nuts and filo...
I even liked the Greek communion bread and wine...
I bet that's what gave me diabetes...^&grin

my experience with Greek women...
they are either beautiful or scary looking...
either a Helen of Troy...
or a frail little women always dressed in black with a mustache...^&grin

when I first met my aunt from up north around you guys...
I was about 18 years old...
she came walking up the driveway...
I said, "Dad...who is that?"
he said..."That's your aunt."
I swear...
I thought it was a longshoreman...^&grin
a very scary looking woman...

did you guys go to the Greek festivals...
and did your mama used to dance at the festivals?

Mike,
I'm DYING from laughter over this, so 1000% correct.

A Greek couple that were friends of my parents when I was a kid were trying to fix me up with their daughter, they gave a picture of her to my parents for me to see, she was in the old country holding a donkey with a rope, when I looked at the picture and YIKES, she would make a freight train take a dirt road, I told my Mother "I'd rather go out with the donkey"...………………..:wink2:

Yeah, we went to the Greek festivals all the time when I was a kid, my Mother could dance up a storm, those Greek line dances were something else, her and my uncle Harry used to lead the way, she still is a good dancer at 86, my Mom looks great for her age, no cane, hearing aid, glasses, nothing, she still drives, cooks, cleans the house, she's a little dynamo...………..she's not your typical Greek lady all dressed in black, very Americanized, but speaks Greek...……………..no accent, you'd never know she's Greek...……………….

 

[PolarBear]

Ask Thanasis 67.

Thanks, I have emailed him


Randy

 

[PolarBear]

Hi Randy,

This is an architectural element which was reused as a lintel in a post Byzantine fortress. Here are some pics, https://archnet.org/collections/1354/media_contents/127787
I also checked the journal Anatolian studies and came up with nothing.
Benjamin

Benjamin
Absolutely Great Find:salute:::salute:::salute:::salute::
I see you are an academic in Anthropology & Archaeology.
I guessed that when you cited the Journal of Anatolian Studies
I am a retired Fine Arts Academic Librarian and Art Historian with a Ph.D. in Humanities from Syracuse University.
My specialty is 19th C American Art with a focus on Winslow Homer
Randy