Irenaeus Fable 97: Lepus et Vulpes, De Nobilitate

I've embarked on a new Latin fable project here at the Latin Via Fables blog: digitizing the 300 fables in the Mithologica sacro-profana, seu florilegium fabularum by P. Irenaeus, published in 1666, which has recently become available at GoogleBooks. For a complete index of the fables in the book, with links to the fables I've digitized so far, check out the Aesopus wiki page at Aesopus.PBwiki.com.

Today's fable is De Lepore et Vulpe, the story of the fox and the rabbit debating their respective virtues. This is another fable from Abstemius.

To make reading the fable easier, I've provided a segmented version of the story below.

Orta est aliquando contentio Vulpem inter et Leporem de nobilitate et praestantia. Ego te, dicebat Lepus Vulpi, praecello cursu. Ego te, respondebat Vulpes, mente. Ille: Sum te velocior pedibus. Ista: Ego ingenio, quo venatorum retia et plagas et canes saepius eludo, quam tu celeritate pedum. Docet non a dotibus corporis, sed mentis, metiendam cuiuscumque excellentiam.

Orta est aliquando
contentio
Vulpem inter et Leporem
de nobilitate et praestantia.
Ego te,
dicebat Lepus Vulpi,
praecello cursu.
Ego te,
respondebat Vulpes,
mente.
Ille:
Sum te velocior pedibus.
Ista:
Ego ingenio,
quo
venatorum retia
et plagas et canes
saepius eludo,
quam tu
celeritate pedum.
Docet
non a dotibus corporis,
sed mentis,
metiendam
cuiuscumque excellentiam.

Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) showing a sculpture of a fox and a rabbit; if you have time, visit the website to see some more wonderful artwork like this:

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Irenaeus Fable 96: Canis et Asinus, Socii

I've embarked on a new Latin fable project here at the Latin Via Fables blog: digitizing the 300 fables in the Mithologica sacro-profana, seu florilegium fabularum by P. Irenaeus, published in 1666, which has recently become available at GoogleBooks. For a complete index of the fables in the book, with links to the fables I've digitized so far, check out the Aesopus wiki page at Aesopus.PBwiki.com.

Today's fable is De Cane et Asino, the story of a dog who recruited a donkey as his ally in the war with the wolf. This is a funny little story that I have not seen anywhere else that I can remember; is anybody familiar with other sources for this story?

To make reading the fable easier, I've provided a segmented version of the story below.

Canis domesticus, de eorum genere quos vocant molossos, bellum gerens cum lupo, cum se viribus imparem crederet, socium pugnae sibi asciscendum putavit; et contemplatus de vicino Asinum, praegrandi corpore instructum, voce, tonitrui instar, rudentem, clitellis, velut thorace, armatum, inde reputans strenuum et bellicosum, rogavit in consortium pugnae, et, ut sperabat, certae victoriae. Acceptam habet invitationem Asinus, promittit se non defuturum. Ergo tali commilitone Canis factus audacior, provocat Lupum. Is descendit in arenam, sed ubi eum eminus conspexit Asinus, sine mora, proripit se e lycaeo et, concito cursu, horribiliter rudens et prae timore crepitans ac stercorans omnia, fugae praesidium sumit. Quod advertens Canis, et ipse fugit, dicens, Heu me infortunatum! Putavi Achillem habere, et inveni Thersitem. Certe a specie externa de quoquam minime est iudicandum.

Canis domesticus,
de eorum genere
quos vocant molossos,
bellum gerens cum lupo,
cum
se viribus imparem
crederet,
socium pugnae
sibi asciscendum
putavit;
et
contemplatus de vicino
Asinum,
praegrandi corpore instructum,
voce, tonitrui instar, rudentem,
clitellis, velut thorace, armatum,
inde reputans
strenuum et bellicosum,
rogavit
in consortium pugnae,
et, ut sperabat, certae victoriae.
Acceptam habet invitationem
Asinus,
promittit
se non defuturum.
Ergo
tali commilitone
Canis factus audacior,
provocat Lupum.
Is descendit in arenam,
sed ubi
eum eminus conspexit
Asinus,
sine mora,
proripit se e lycaeo
et,
concito cursu,
horribiliter rudens
et prae timore crepitans
ac stercorans omnia,
fugae praesidium sumit.
Quod advertens Canis,
et ipse fugit,
dicens,
Heu me infortunatum!
Putavi Achillem habere,
et inveni Thersitem.
Certe
a specie externa
de quoquam
minime est iudicandum.

Here's an illustration for the fable (image source), here's a funny picture of a real donkey-and-dog pair:

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Irenaeus Fable 95: Vulpes et Caput Humanum

I've embarked on a new Latin fable project here at the Latin Via Fables blog: digitizing the 300 fables in the Mithologica sacro-profana, seu florilegium fabularum by P. Irenaeus, published in 1666, which has recently become available at GoogleBooks. For a complete index of the fables in the book, with links to the fables I've digitized so far, check out the Aesopus wiki page at Aesopus.PBwiki.com.

Today's fable is De Vulpe et Capite humano, the story of a fox who found a human head (in this case, from a statue; in other versions, the fox finds an actor's mask). In Perry's indexing system, this is Perry 27.

To make reading the fable easier, I've provided a segmented version of the story below.

Vulpes, sculptoris officinam ingressa, reperit caput humanum ex marmore singulari artificio elaboratum, quod pedibus anterioribus, quasi manibus, amplexans et curiosius contemplans, exclamavit, O quale sine cerebro caput, magno cum sensu ac ingenio fabricatum, sensus licet et ingenii expers. Tales sunt plerumque homines specie externa corporis, aut fortunae indulgentia, seu munere, sublimes, ingenio autem ac virtute, hominum larvae atque umbrae.

Vulpes,
sculptoris officinam ingressa,
reperit caput humanum
ex marmore
singulari artificio elaboratum,
quod
pedibus anterioribus,
quasi manibus, amplexans
et curiosius contemplans,
exclamavit,
O quale sine cerebro caput,
magno cum sensu ac ingenio
fabricatum,
sensus licet
et ingenii expers.
Tales sunt
plerumque homines
specie externa corporis,
aut fortunae indulgentia,
seu munere,
sublimes,
ingenio autem ac virtute,
hominum larvae atque umbrae.

Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) by Walter Crane:

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.