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Note on translation

Started by Cain, April 16, 2009, 10:40:39 AM

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Cain

http://www.principiadiscordia.com/book/31.php

QuoteShould you find that your own revelations of The Goddess become substantially different that the revelations of Mal-2, then perhaps the Goddess has plans for you as an Episkopos, and you might consider creating your own sect from scratch, unhindered. Episkoposes are not competing with each other, and they are all POEE priests anyway (as soon as I locate them). The point is that Episkoposes are developing separate paths to the Erisian mountain top.

Its probably fair to assume here that Thornley and Hill were here using Episkopos in its current understanding, of Greek for "bishop".  That would seem to make sense, in the context.

However, I was reading a book on espionage and information gathering in the Classical Greek world the other day (like you do) and it turns out that in Homer, the word episkopos could as often mean "spy" or "overseer", the latter one which eventually led to the bishop use.  When you break down the word, it actually kinda makes sense.  Agents or military units who took part in surveillance of a particular area were referred to as Spokoi, and according to Aeneas Tactitus, should be competent to report on the "enemy's preparations, his numbers, his line of march, and the other movements of his army."

Epi, on the other hand, means "on top of", "over" or "additional to".

In the Illiad, Homer occasionally referred to Odysseus, Diomedes and Dolon by the term episkopoi, though its often considered he was referring to kataskopoi.  Kataskopoi is a word with a range of meanings, encompassing those serving in a vanguard (also called prodromoi), those reconnoitering with a small team or alone or an offcial investigator and spies (usually but not always infiltration agents, rather than "agents  in place"  or  "provocateurs").

In the Athenian Empire, episkopoi also referred to roving officials with wide-ranging powers, who were appointed by the Boule, or Athenian citizens council who oversaw day to day administrative duties of the city.  The episkopos' role was to check the administration of subject allies, and other nations and cities under Athenian control (especially those whose loyalty was suspect).  There is also suggestions in certain Greek texts that episkopoi not only reported to military and civilian leaders in Athens, but proxenoi as well.  Proxenoi were citizens of one city-state, called to represent the interests of another in their own city-state.  So to use a modern day example, an American chosen by the Chinese, to represent Chinese interests in the USA.  An unusual, but officially recognized position, which it is suggested, at least in the case of the Athenian empire, operated as an informal intelligence gathering network.

So yeah.  Dunno if this has any relevance or impact, but just a little bit of info there for you.

hooplala

Very useful information!  Thanks Cain.
"Soon all of us will have special names" — Professor Brian O'Blivion

"Now's not the time to get silly, so wear your big boots and jump on the garbage clowns." — Bob Dylan?

"Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)"
— Walt Whitman

Telarus

That is very, very interesting. Thanks!
Telarus, KSC,
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