# Running naked through the streets shouting, "Eureka!"  So?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-naked-through-the-streets-shouting-eureka-so/717849>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 16, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-naked-through-the-streets-shouting-eureka-so/717849 "2015-04-16T17:37:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-naked-through-the-streets-shouting-eureka-so/717849/21 "2015-04-18T00:11:42Z")

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> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> From what I’ve heard, it would have been considered unseemly but not obscene. The ancient Greeks didn’t have an issue with nudity but they did feel there were rules of decorum. Being naked in a public bath or while wrestling with your best buddy was fine - expected even, so you’d probably get a disapproving look for not being nude. But you were supposed to wear clothes on public streets so running down one naked would be seen as wrong…

Social status was a factor too; slaves were usually displayed naked at market, and often worked naked pending on their job (miner, agriculture labor, prostitute, etc.) The Romans usually stripped criminals naked prior to public executions or corporal punishment.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-naked-through-the-streets-shouting-eureka-so/717849/22 "2015-04-18T19:55:51Z")

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> [@purplehorseshoe](#):
>
> … I’d love it \*more \*if we could get a pronunciation guide. 😃

Since we’re talking Ancient Greek here, it’s not too hard to figure out, as it is mostly phonetic.

For a really basic version, you can map the letters to their Latin equivalents. κοιτάξουμε πουλί μου, σκύλες becomes koitaxoume pouli mou skules. The consonants are pronounced the same as in English. The four vowels a e i o are like they are in the words father, let, liege, spoke, respectively… The vowel u is as in French or u-umlaut in other languages, and the diphthongs oi and ou are pronounced as in the words join and youth, respectively.

With IPA, it becomes [koitaksume puli mu skyles], which may be easier. Just remember that [y] is that French u and no letters are silent.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-naked-through-the-streets-shouting-eureka-so/717849/23 "2015-04-18T20:02:31Z")

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I did not mention the marks on top of the letters. Those could be stress marks or rising tone marks. I’m not sure, since they render one way in one font and a different way in another font. You can read about them [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Greek). The lack of such marks is one thing Modern Greek has over the earlier stuff.

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-naked-through-the-streets-shouting-eureka-so/717849/24 "2015-04-18T21:02:06Z")

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> [@BigT](#):
>
> With IPA, it becomes [koitaksume puli mu skyles], which may be easier.

Yeah, try yelling that while you are running.  
🙂

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