Greek poets loved epithets: grey-eyed Athena, rosy-fingered Dawn, foam-born Aphrodite. English makes them with compound adjectives.
Hesiod’s Theogony · C1+
Part Four: Born from the Foam
Compound adjectives (foam-born, sea-girt, sun-drenched, golden-haired, laughter-loving, five-day, well-known, good-looking, heartwarming, long-awaited): C1+ language for the birth of Aphrodite, and the epithets of Greek poetry.
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SOPHIA
DEMETRIA
Like… chocolate-loving Demetria?
The story
After Hesiod’s Theogony, lines 188–206
What Kronos threw behind him fell into the sea, and white foam gathered round it. In the foam a girl grew, and the waves carried her past holy Kythera to sea-girt Cyprus.
There the golden-haired goddess stepped out, and grass grew under her slender feet. Gods and men call her Aphrodite, the foam-born; Kytherea; and laughter-loving Aphrodite.
Eros and Himeros, Love and Desire, went with her from the start. Her share among the gods was the whispers of girls, smiles, deceits, sweet delight, love and gentleness.
Under her slender feet the grass grew up.
Noun + participle
PHILO
Foam-born, sea-girt, sun-drenched, laughter-loving.
SOPHIA
Yes: noun + past participle (foam-born, hand-made, snow-covered) or noun + present participle (laughter-loving, time-consuming, English-speaking). Hyphen before the noun.
Adjective + noun + -ed; number + noun
DEMETRIA
The golden-haired goddess, after a five-day journey.
SOPHIA
golden-haired, blue-eyed, kind-hearted: the -ed is essential. And with numbers, the noun stays singular: a five-day journey, a ten-year-old girl.
Hyphens, and some fixed favourites
MARCOS
A well-known goddess, but her story is well known? Why?
SOPHIA
Before a noun: hyphen (a well-known story). After be: usually none (the story is well known). Fixed favourites: good-looking (not well-looking), long-awaited, heartwarming.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the story |
|---|---|---|
| noun + past participle | foam-born, sun-drenched | the foam-born goddess |
| noun + present participle | laughter-loving, time-consuming | laughter-loving Aphrodite |
| adjective + noun + -ed | golden-haired, blue-eyed | the golden-haired goddess |
| number + singular noun | a five-day journey | a ten-year-old boy |
| hyphen before a noun only | a well-known story / it is well known | a long-awaited arrival |
Practice
Answer all the questions, then press “Check my answers”. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Choose
Choose the correct form.
1. The ___ goddess rose from the sea.
2. A ___ girl (with blue eyes).
3. It was a ___ journey.
4. He is very ___.
5. The story is ___.
6. An ___ country (people there speak English).
B · Write
Write the correct form of the word in brackets, or the missing word.
7. Cyprus is a island. (sun / drench)
8. Her arrival was celebrated on Olympus. (long / await)
9. Hesiod calls her ‘ Aphrodite’. (laughter / love)
10. This task is very . (takes a lot of time)
C · Right or wrong?
Is it correct?
11. “She is a ten-years-old girl.”
12. “Kind-hearted people are rare.”
13. “A golden-hair goddess stepped out of the sea.”
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