Should the last word be translated as "blessedness"?
μακαρισμόν makarismon is a form of the same word used to describe the gods in PD1: Τὸ μακάριον (makarion).
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, μ , μα^κα^ρ-ίνη , μα^κα^ρ-ισμός
Note that the LSJ definition cites VS52
See also
I found this at a translation website, but the last two letters of the word look different than in the above ancient Greek (in post 1 above)
μακαρισμός ὁ, pronouncing happy, blessing, Pl. R. 591d, Arist. Rh. 1367b33, Andronic. Pass. p. 570 M., Plu. 2.471c ; giving praise or thanks, Epicur. Sent.Vat. 52, Phld. D. 3 Fr. 86a.
Source:
This was the original translation site and it gave me four options and I just chose the first site which I posted link above.
the last two letters of the word look different than in the above ancient Greek (in post 1 above)
The endings of ancient Greek words are very mutable: case endings, conjugations, etc.
LSJ is *the* authority for definitions, too:
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, Α α,
I run into "happiness" most often as a translation of EYΔAIMONIA, whereas "blessedness" tends to be reserved for MAKAPION. However, they are intrinsically related Epicurean philosophy and both can imply the goal of pleasure.
Here's a pertinent excerpt from my letter to Menoikeus translation:
Another pivotal word here is μακαρίως which appears to have no certain etymology but seems possibly to be derived from the idea of being wealthy in a literal and/or figurative sense. The usual translation is something like "blessed, fortunate, wealthy, 'well-off'”. That being said, "happy" or as Saint-Andre says "completely happy" doesn't, in my view, provide the overall sense of satisfaction or completeness conveyed by a word like μακαρίως. Keep in mind that this is a form of the exact word used to describe the "blessed" beings talked about in Principal Doctrine 1: Τὸ μακάριον καὶ ἄφθαρτον οὔτε αὐτὸ πράγματα ἔχει οὔτε ἄλλῳ παρέχει· ὥστε οὔτε ὀργαῖς οὔτε χάρισι συνέχεται· ἐν ἀσθενεῖ γὰρ πᾶν τὸ τοιοῦτον.
"That which is blessed/completely happy/blissful and imperishable/indestructible has no troubles itself nor causes troubles for others; as a consequence, it is affected by neither anger nor gratitude; because all this would be an indication of weakness/sickness/lack of strength."
That Doctrine's μακάριον is rarely translated as simply "happy" but rather "blissful" and other superlatives like that.22,23,24
22
https://books.google.com/books?id=sPCww…ymology&f=false
23
http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/allsaintb.htm
24
Some other words:
φιλία (philia)
affectionate regard, friendship, usu. betw. equals
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, φι^λί-α
περιχορεύει (perikhoreuei)
To dance (χορεύει) around in a circle (περί)
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, περιχορ-εύω
I like the connotation that the word has of dancing in a group, in a dramatic or religious chorus of dancers, not in a solitary way.
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, χορός
οἰκουμένην (oikoumenēn)
the inhabited world, particularly that known to the ancient Greeks: (sub-polar) Europe, (western) Asia, and (northern and Saharan) Africa
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, οἰκουμέν-η
κηρύττουσα (kēruttousa)
Attic form of κηρῠ́σσω (kērússō)
δή • (dḗ) (discourse particle) + πᾶσιν
ἐγείρεσθαι (egeiresthai)
present mediopassive infinitive of ἐγείρω (egeírō)
rouse or stir oneself, be excited by passion, etc.,
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, ἐγείρω
