Expert: Maria - 9/8/2010

Question
Hi Maria.  I am making an Epicurean themed desktop wallpaper
for my computer and need some help with a few translations.
Firstly, could you translate Άφοβον ο θεός,
ανύποπτον ο θάνατος into English please.  Secondly, I need
the Ancient Greek for "neither harm nor be harmed", or to
put it another way "do not harm anyone or be harmed",
(Epicurean version of the "golden rule").  Lastly, I want to
use the old Roman epitaph "Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo",
(which I believe means "I was not, I was, I am not, I do not
care), but I would like to use the present/future tense ("I
was not, I am, I will not be, I do not care").  Am I correct  
in thinking it should be "Non fui, sum, non ero, non curo"?

Thanks for your help.  I really appreciate it.


Answer
Hello,

the literal translation of  Άφοβον ὁ θεός, ανύποπτον ὁ θάνατος we read in the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus  is: “The deity does not cause fear, the death does not cause risk” just to denote that men should not fear the deity nor death, so that they can banish the fear of the gods and of death and live without anxiety about having an unpleasant afterlife.

As for the Ancient Greek for "neither harm nor be harmed", or "do not harm anyone or be harmed", here it is :
Μὴ  ἀδίκει  μὴ δῆτ᾽ ἀδικήσῃ.

Finally your adaptation of the old Roman epitaph "Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo" (I was not, I was, I am not, I don't care) sounds exactly as you say, i.e.:

“Non fui, sum, non ero, non curo” just meaning "I was not, I am, I will not be, I do not care".

Best regards,
Maria