Expert: Maria - 6/3/2010

Question
Hi I'm looking for the quote "leave no stone unturned" in ancient greek..its by euripides..if you can find it it would really help..thank you

Answer
Hello,

“Πάντα  λίθον κίνει “ or  “Πάντα  κίνει  πέτρον” - whose literal meaning is “Turn every stone”-  is the ancient Greek text for the English translation “Leave no stone unturned”.

In Euripides Heraclidae,line 1002, we read however “πάντα κινῆσαι πέτρον“ (literally, “to have turned every stone”) where the word κινῆσαι (transliterated as "kinésai")  is an aorist  infinitive, i.e. a past infinitive, since this phrase is in a dialogue between Alcmene and Eurystheus who is saying that he has turned every stone, i.e. he has left nothing unattempted  in machinations to kill or exile Herakles, the son of Alkmene.

Finally I have to tell you that “Πάντα  λίθον κίνει “ or “Πάντα κίνει πέτρον” is an adage related to a legend which narrates that in 479 BC, when Xerxes made war on the Greeks, his  general Mardonius was defeated in a battle at Plataea. According to rumours, Mardonius had a lot of treasure hidden under his tent or close to it. But when Polycrates, a Theban, searched the tent, he found nothing. So, the Theban went to the oracle in Delphi, consulted the god Apollo  and got the enigmatical reply, “Πάντα  λίθον κίνει” ( literally, "Turn every stone").
According to this Greek legend, Polycrates went back, searched under the stones, and  found the treasure.

Best regards,
Maria
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Here’s the Latin transliteration of the ancient Greek text “Πάντα  λίθον κίνει “ or “Πάντα    κίνει  πέτρον“ both meaning "Turn every stone":
-“Pánta líthon kínei”  [“Πάντα  λίθον κίνει “ ]
-“Pánta kínei pétron” [“Πάντα    κίνει  πέτρον”].

Note that:

-Pánta  / Πάντα (accusative masculine singular of the adjective pãs/ πᾶς) = every

-líthon / λίθον (direct object in the accusative of lithos /  λίθος) = stone

-pétron / πέτρον (direct object in the accusative of pétros/  πέτρος) = stone

-kínei /  κίνει (2nd.person singular, imperative present of the verb kinéo/ κινέω) = turn