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DE LEONE, ASINO ET GALLO

 

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Source: Aesop's Fables, 1687 (illustrated by Francis Barlow).

 

Introduction: This fable is based on a rather odd belief: according to the ancient Greeks, lions were terrified of the sound of a rooster crowing! This same notion is also repeated by the ancient Roman poet, Lucretius. In this fable, the lion runs away because he is afraid of the sound of the rooster. The poor donkey doesn't quite understand what is going on, and this leads to a fatal mistake on his part. The donkeky realizes too late that, by nature, he is no match for a lion. For other fables about donkeys and lions, see the story of the old lion and the donkey or the story of the donkey dressed in the lion skin.

 

Latin Text:

 

Gallus aliquando cum Asino pascebatur, Leone autem aggresso Asinum, Gallus exclamavit, et Leo, qui Galli vocem timet, fugere incipit. Asinus, ratus propter se fugere, aggressus est Leonem; ut vero procul a gallicinio persecutus est, conversus Leo Asinum devoravit, qui moriens clamabat, "Iusta passus sum, ex pugnacibus enim non natus parentibus, quamobrem in aciem irrui?"

 

Here is a segmented version to help you see the grammatical patterns:

 

Gallus

aliquando cum Asino pascebatur,

Leone autem aggresso Asinum,

Gallus exclamavit,

et Leo,

qui Galli vocem timet,

fugere incipit.

Asinus,

ratus

propter se fugere,

aggressus est Leonem;

ut vero

procul a gallicinio

persecutus est,

conversus Leo

Asinum devoravit,

qui moriens clamabat,

"Iusta passus sum,

ex pugnacibus enim non natus parentibus,

quamobrem in aciem irrui?"

 

Translation: A rooster was once grazing together with a donkey. A lion, however, attacked the donkey. The rooster crowed and the lion, who is afraid of the rooster's crowing, took off in flight. The donkey, thinking that the lion was running away from him, ran after the lion. As in fact the donkey followed the lion far beyond the range of the rooster's crowing, the lion turned around and devoured that donkey. As he was dying, the donkey shouted, "I suffer justly, given that I was not born of combative parents, why did I rush into the line of battle?"

 

[This translation is meant as a help in understanding the story, not as a "crib" for the Latin. I have not hesitated to change the syntax to make it flow more smoothly in English, altering the verb tense consistently to narrative past tense, etc.]

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 82.

 

Related Links: Crossword Puzzle

 

Illustration: Here is an illustration from this edition, by the renowned artist Francis Barlow; click on the image for a larger view.

 

 

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