Anonymous
(ID: dhpTu2o5)
10/17/2025, 7:42:54 PM
No.519130764
[Report]
>>519131242
>>519132422
>>519134093
Yes paidia does mean child
https://www.reddit.com/r/AmmonHillman/comments/1d7y5p9/ammons_translation_of_neaniskos/
I can't find any other instances in ancient Greek texts where his translation of "νεάνισκος" indicates "boy," but plenty where it indicates "young man."
While νεάνισκος does contain the diminutive suffix -ισκος, it is not used to denote a young boy, but rather a young man or youth.
I'm no expert at this but a simple search reveals the Greeks had words for different stages of growth:
παῖς (pais) - boy, child
μειράκιον (meirakion) - adolescent, teenage boy
νεάνισκος (neāniskos) - young man, youth
ἀνήρ (anēr) - adult man
Furthermore, when reading references to Ganymede and boys you find (pais) and not (neāniskos).
Παιδοφιλεῖν δέ τι τερπνόν, ἐπεί ποτε καὶ Γανυμήδους ἠράσατο Κρονίδης ἀθανάτων βασιλεύς, ἁρπάξας δ᾽ ἐς Ὄλυμπον ἀνήγαγε, καί μιν ἔθηκε δαίμονα παιδείης ἄνθος ἔχοντ᾽ ἐρατόν. οὕτω μὴ θαύμαζε, Σιμωνίδη, οὕνεκα κἀγὼ ἐξεφάνην καλοῦ παιδὸς ἔρωτι δαμείς.
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0477%3Avolume%3D1%3Atext%3D11%3Asection%3D2
Translation:
"To love boys is something delightful, since once the son of Cronus, the king of the immortals, also loved Ganymede. He seized him and brought him to Olympus, and made him a divine being, possessing the lovely bloom of youth. So do not be surprised, Simonides, that I too have been overcome by love for a beautiful boy."
I can't find any other instances in ancient Greek texts where his translation of "νεάνισκος" indicates "boy," but plenty where it indicates "young man."
While νεάνισκος does contain the diminutive suffix -ισκος, it is not used to denote a young boy, but rather a young man or youth.
I'm no expert at this but a simple search reveals the Greeks had words for different stages of growth:
παῖς (pais) - boy, child
μειράκιον (meirakion) - adolescent, teenage boy
νεάνισκος (neāniskos) - young man, youth
ἀνήρ (anēr) - adult man
Furthermore, when reading references to Ganymede and boys you find (pais) and not (neāniskos).
Παιδοφιλεῖν δέ τι τερπνόν, ἐπεί ποτε καὶ Γανυμήδους ἠράσατο Κρονίδης ἀθανάτων βασιλεύς, ἁρπάξας δ᾽ ἐς Ὄλυμπον ἀνήγαγε, καί μιν ἔθηκε δαίμονα παιδείης ἄνθος ἔχοντ᾽ ἐρατόν. οὕτω μὴ θαύμαζε, Σιμωνίδη, οὕνεκα κἀγὼ ἐξεφάνην καλοῦ παιδὸς ἔρωτι δαμείς.
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0477%3Avolume%3D1%3Atext%3D11%3Asection%3D2
Translation:
"To love boys is something delightful, since once the son of Cronus, the king of the immortals, also loved Ganymede. He seized him and brought him to Olympus, and made him a divine being, possessing the lovely bloom of youth. So do not be surprised, Simonides, that I too have been overcome by love for a beautiful boy."