HOME | Barlow's Aesop: Previous Page - Next Page

 

DE SATYRO ET VIATORE

 

  Visit the Fable Discussion Page to leave your comments and get answers to your questions.

 

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

 

Introduction: The satyr is a character from Greek mythology. These creatures lives in the woodlands and in the mountains, and they were often depicted as having the upper body of a man and the lower body of a goat. Given that the satyr was himself a half-goat, half-man, it is perhaps somewhat ironic that in this fable the satyr is a bitter enemy of the man who is half-hot and half-cold (or so the foolish satyr thinks). For another fable about rescuing someone in the snow, see the story of the man who found a frozen snake. For another fable about words and deeds, see the story of the wolf who believed the nurse's words.

 

Latin Text:

 

Satyrus Viatorem, nive obrutum atque algore enectum, misertus ducit in antrum suum. Refocillantem manus anhelitu oris percontatur causam; "Ut calefiant," inquit. Postea, cum accumberent, sufflat Viator in polentam. Quod cur ita faceret interrogatus "Ut frigescat," inquit. Tunc continuo Satyrus Viatorem eiiciens: "Nolo (inquit) in meo ut sis antro, cui tam diversum est os."

 

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

 

Satyrus

Viatorem,

nive obrutum atque algore enectum,

misertus

ducit in antrum suum.

Refocillantem manus

anhelitu oris

percontatur causam;

"Ut calefiant," inquit.

Postea, cum accumberent,

sufflat Viator in polentam.

Quod cur ita faceret

interrogatus

"Ut frigescat," inquit.

Tunc continuo Satyrus

Viatorem eiiciens:

"Nolo (inquit)

in meo ut sis antro,

cui

tam diversum est os."

 

Translation: The Satyr took pity on a traveller who was overwhelmed by snow and laid low by ice, and led the man into his cave. As the man warmed his hands by blowing on them with his mouth, the satyr asked why he did this, and the man said, "so they grow warm." Then when they sat down to dinner, the traveller blew on his porridge. Asked why he did this, "to cool it," he said. Then straightaway the Satyr threw the traveller out, saying, "I don't want you to be in my cave, since your mouth goes this way and that way."

 

[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 35.

 

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.

 

 Create your own educational wiki!Support CommunityPublic, not yet premium Privacy Policy RSS