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---- Thomas via Marxism wrote ---- > > > https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hic_Rhodus,_hic_salta > > The phrase arises from the Latin form of Aesop's Fables (Gibbs 209; Perry 33: > Chambry 51), as translated from Ancient Greek "Αὐτοῦ γὰρ καὶ Ῥόδος καὶ > πήδημα" (literally) "Here is Rhodes, jump here!". In the fable, a boastful > athlete brags that he once achieved a stupendous long jump in competition on > the island of Rhodes. A bystander challenges him to dispense with the reports > of the witnesses and simply repeat his accomplishment on the spot: "Here is > Rhodes, jump here!" > > Proverb[edit] > > hic Rhodus, hic salta > 1.(politics) Prove what you can do, here and now. > You're quite correct. This is, of course, the origin of the phrase. But what Andrew is quoting below is a famous passage from "The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" and the not quite accurate translation is the English translation of the version given by Marx himself in his original text! > > -----Original Message----- > >From: Andrew Pollack via Marxism > > > >"Bourgeois revolutions, like those of the eighteenth century, storm more > >swiftly from success to success, their dramatic effects outdo each other, > >men and things seem set in sparkling diamonds, ecstasy is the order of the > >day – but they are short-lived, soon they have reached their zenith, and a > >long Katzenjammer [cat’s winge] takes hold of society before it learns to > >assimilate the results of its storm-and-stress period soberly. On the other > >hand, proletarian revolutions, like those of the nineteenth century, > >constantly criticize themselves, constantly interrupt themselves in their > >own course, return to the apparently accomplished, in order to begin anew; > >they deride with cruel thoroughness the half-measures, weaknesses, and > >paltriness of their first attempts, seem to throw down their opponents only > >so the latter may draw new strength from the earth and rise before them > >again more gigantic than ever, recoil constantly from the indefinite > >colossalness of their own goals – until a situation is created which makes > >all turning back impossible, and the conditions themselves call out: > >*Hic Rhodus, hic salta!"* > >[Here is the rose, here dance!] Here is the German original of the passage quoted by Andrew: Bürgerliche Revolutionen, wie die des achtzehnten Jahrhunderts, stürmen rascher von Erfolg zu Erfolg, ihre dramatischen Effekte überbieten sich, Menschen und Dinge scheinen in Feuerbrillanten gefaßt, die Ekstase ist der Geist jedes Tages; aber sie sind kurzlebig, bald haben sie ihren Höhepunkt erreicht, und ein langer Katzenjammer erfaßt die Gesellschaft, ehe sie die Resultate ihrer Drang- und Sturmperiode nüchtern sich aneignen lernt. Proletarische Revolutionen dagegen, wie die des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts, kritisieren beständig sich selbst, unterbrechen sich fortwährend in ihrem eignen Lauf, kommen auf das scheinbar Vollbrachte zurück, um es wieder von neuem anzufangen, verhöhnen grausam-gründlich die Halbheiten, Schwächen und Erbärmlichkeiten ihrer ersten Versuche, scheinen ihren Gegner nur niederzuwerfen, damit er neue Kräfte aus der Erde sauge und sich riesenhafter ihnen gegenüber wieder aufrichte, schrecken stets von neuem zurück vor der unbestimmten Ungeheuerlichkeit ihrer eigenen Zwecke, bis die Situation geschaffen ist, die jede Umkehr unmöglich macht, und die Verhältnisse selbst rufen Hic Rhodus, hic salta! Hier ist die Rose, hier tanze! Einde O'Callaghan _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
