from our own (friends come) the arrows

English translation: betrayed from within

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	from our own (friends come) the arrows (Ex oikeion ta veli)
Selected answer:	betrayed from within
Entered by:	Nick Lingris

02:21 Oct 26, 2005

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Local confection

English term or phrase: from our own (friends come) the arrows

We have a saying in Greek taken from Virgil’s Aeneid (ii,410), and specifically the phrase “telis nostrorum obruimur”.

In my translation by James Rhoades it says: “Here first from the high temple *o’erwhelmed / With friendly darts*, most piteous slaughter falls / Upon us...”

In the John Dryden translation we have: “We from our friends receiv'd this fatal blow.”

In Matthew (10:36), there is something similar: “And a man’s foes will be those of his own household”.

The Greek saying “Ex oikeion ta veli”, literally “from our own (friends come) the arrows”, is quite common, though few are familiar with its provenance. It is usually used on its own to mean that the attacks come from the allies of the person concerned. It could very well be the title of a news story.

Greek dictionaries have rather weak glosses, ‘shots from our own side’ or ‘enmity within our intimate circle’. The closest English phrase I can think of is “stabbed in the back by one’s own friends / allies”, but it may be a bit strong. Another one is “stung by one’s own people”.

Is anyone familiar with a similar phrase, short and sweet and common, that would correspond to this? Thanks in advance for any help. I’ll go and lose some sleep over it now.

Nick Lingris KudoZ activity Questions: 20 (none open) Answers: 5465 United Kingdom
Local time: 12:58

to be betrayed from within

Explanation:
Ex oikeion ta veli

cheers

Selected response from:

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)

Grading comment

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +8

with friends like these who needs enemies

Alaa Zeineldine

4 +2

beware the enemy within

Chris Pott

(to fall victim to) friendly fire

Josephine79

4 +1

to be betrayed from within

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)

Et tu, Brute?” Even you, Brutus?

Veronica Prpic Uhing

we are our own worst enemies

RHELLER

Tell nothing to thy friend that thy enemy may not know.

Michael Barnett

ignorant friends worse than informed enemies

fareedeh ghassemi (X)

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

16 mins confidence:

we are our own worst enemies

Explanation:
-possibility

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Note added at 17 mins (2005-10-26 02:39:43 GMT)
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our own worst enemy - singular :-)

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 05:58
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 27

1 hr confidence:

Tell nothing to thy friend that thy enemy may not know.

Explanation:
I've seen Scottish variants of this.

Reference: http://www.anvari.org/fortune/Proverbs_3/123.html

Michael Barnett
Local time: 07:58
Native speaker of:

English

2 hrs confidence:

Et tu, Brute?” Even you, Brutus?

Explanation:
This one is quite common

“Et tu, Brute?” is used to express surprise and dismay at the treachery of a supposed friend.

A Latin sentence meaning “Even you, Brutus?” from the play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare. Caesar utters these words as he is being stabbed to death, having recognized his friend Brutus among the assassins.

http://www.bartleby.com/59/6/ettubrute.html

Greek - Kai su, teknon
Latin - Tu quoque, Brute, fili mi!
William Shakespeare: Et tu, Brut’e?

Veronica Prpic Uhing
United States
Local time: 06:58
Native speaker of: Croatian

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +8

with friends like these who needs enemies

Explanation:
not much to add.

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Note added at 3 hrs 57 mins (2005-10-26 06:19:35 GMT)
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Slightly off topic, there is a similar Arabic saying that roughly translates:
"Protect me from my friends O' God! As for my enemies, I can handle them."

Alaa Zeineldine
Egypt
Local time: 13:58
Native speaker of:

Arabic,

English

Notes to answerer

Asker: I would have chosen this one till Jane came along with what had been lurking somewhere in the murkiest depths of my mind. Thank you for suggesting not one, but two alternative expressions. Let me add a paraphrase: Heaven save us from our friends.

3 hrs confidence:

(to fall victim to) friendly fire

Explanation:
This is what they say in modern news bulletins for example about a British helicopter shot down by the Americans in Iraq - after all they are (supposed to be) on the same side.

The Italians have an interesting saying, but it doesn't quite fit: something like "God protect me from my friends"!

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Note added at 3 hrs 57 mins (2005-10-26 06:19:53 GMT)
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Friendly fire (or non-hostile fire) is a term originally adopted by the United States military in reference to an attack on friendly forces by other friendly forces, which may be deliberate (eg. incorrectly identifying the target as the enemy), or accidental (eg. missing the enemy and hitting "friendlies"). Friendly fire is contrasted with fire originating from enemy forces ("enemy fire"). In a friendly fire incident personnel may be killed, or material assets may be damaged or destroyed.

The British military refers to these incidents as blue on blue, which derives from wargaming exercises where friendly forces are "blue" and enemy forces are "red".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_fire

Josephine79
Local time: 13:58
Native speaker of:

English

5 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

beware the enemy within

Explanation:
A very common expression

Chris Pott
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:58
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

6 hrs confidence:

ignorant friends worse than informed enemies

Explanation:
There is a proverb in Persian language which says: ignorant friends are worse than informed enemies or vice versa informed enemies are better than ignorant friends.

fareedeh ghassemi (X)
Local time: 15:28

14 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

to be betrayed from within

Explanation:
Ex oikeion ta veli

cheers

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese
PRO pts in category: 4

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, thank you! That's the one I've been looking for.

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English translation: betrayed from within

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