APAD：Beware of Greeks bearing gifts

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts

What's the origin of the phrase 'Beware of Greeks bearing gifts'?

An allusion to the story of the wooden horse of Troy, used by the Greeks to trick their way into the city. It is recorded in Virgil's Aeneid, Book 2, 19 BC:

"Do not trust the horse, Trojans. Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when they bring gifts."

Of course that English version is a translation. Another translation, by John Dryden, has "Trust not their presents, nor admit the horse."

The same thought was also recorded by Sophocles (496 - 406 BC), in Ajax:

Nought from the Greeks towards me hath sped well.
So now I find that ancient proverb true,
Foes' gifts are no gifts: profit bring they none.

 

The Classics are no longer widely taught or read, so this phrase is now little used, although it was resurrected in a sideways reference during a 1990s copyright dispute. There was considerable discussion then, in Internet chat rooms etc., regarding the company Compuserve, which owned the copyright to the GIF image format, and their possible intentions to restrict its use. Some people feared that they might be taken to law by Compuserve if they received and viewed GIF images without permission. The phrase "beware of geeks bearing gifs" was coined to sum that up.

所有跟帖： 

• “The Classics are no longer widely taught or read, so this -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 06:34:22

• phrase is now little used”, what a pity! -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 06:35:28

• That might open doors to innovations using part of it. -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 14:10:51

• Beware the man who comes bearing gifts and invoking -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 06:40:13

• flattering words. Proverbs 29 expresses similar thoughts... -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (2839 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 06:43:56

• 馬屁害人 -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 09:39:57

• 嗯嗯，不過真誠的讚美可以有。兩者的區別在於動機。馬P通常都帶有某種目的吧。 -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 10:31:01

• Love it! It's hard to over-stress the influence of the Iliad -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 14:09:43

• "geeks bearing gifs" Hahaha! -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 14:14:24

• geeks躺槍 -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 14:26:06

• We were not that innocent :-) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 14:29:02

• Yeah right, trojan virus -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 15:06:16

• 糖衣炮彈？ -妖妖靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/03/2024 postreply 20:24:53