Phaedrus 3.7: libertas.

What is better: independent and but little income or a good income as an employee – or slave within the Roman context. Morality is never far away in Phaedrus’ fables and as he had a background as a slave, the answer is obvious. But there is more: Phaedrus was from Macedonian – or maybe Thracian – origin. Both countries were firmly under Roman control. Could it be that this fable also had a political dimension?

Phaedrus, Fabulae 3, VII. Lupus ad Canem. Meter iambic.

Quam dulcis sit libertas breuiter proloquar.

Cani perpasto macie confectus lupus

forte occurrit; dein, salutati inuicem

ut restiterunt," Vnde sic, quaeso, nites?

Aut quo cibo fecisti tantum corporis?

Ego, qui sum longe fortior, pereo fame."

Canis simpliciter: "Eadem est condicio tibi,

praestare domino si par officium potes."

"Quod?" inquit ille. "Custos ut sis liminis,

a furibus tuearis et noctu domum.

Adfertur ultro panis; de mensa sua

dat ossa dominus; frusta iactat familia,

et quod fastidit quisque pulmentarium.

Sic sine labore uenter impletur meus."

"Ego uero sum paratus: nunc patior niues

imbresque in siluis asperam uitam trahens.

Quanto est facilius mihi sub tecto uiuere,

et otiosum largo satiari cibo!"

"Veni ergo mecum." Dum procedunt, aspicit

lupus a catena collum detritum cani.

"Vnde hoc, amice?" "Nil est." "Dic, sodes, tamen."

"Quia uideor acer, alligant me interdiu,

luce ut quiescam, et uigilem nox cum uenerit:

crepusculo solutus qua uisum est uagor."

"Age, abire si quo est animus, est licentia?"

"Non plane est" inquit. "Fruere quae laudas, canis;

regnare nolo, liber ut non sim mihi."

proloquor prolocutus: declare

perpastus: well fed

macies –es (f.): meagreness

conficio  confeci confectum: diminished , affected by

forte: by chanche

occurro occurri (occucurri) occursum (+ dat.): to meet

dein, salutati inuicem ut restiterunt: and next, when they halted for a mutual greeting (note that invicem is an adverb.)

unde sic nites?: from where do you shine that much? = why is it that you are so well fed?

tantum corperis: such a monster of a body

cibus: food

per-eo per-ii: to disappear, perish

simpliciter:  faithfully

tibi: is present for you

praesto officium: to fulfil a duty

par paris: equal, the same

si potes: if you want

custos ut etc: reply of the dog, `to be guardian of the entrance’ (Note that the speaker is not always indicated)

fur furis (m.): thief

tueor tutus: to guard

adfertur…meus: these lines are in some editions put between crepusculo…vagor and age…licentia, such as the that used for the translation below.

ultro: further, besides

frustum: piece, bit

fastidio: to feel disgust

pulmentarium: food

patior passus: to suffer

nix nivis (f.): snow

imber imbris (m.): (heavy) rain

vitam traho: to drag out one’s life

otiosus: doing nothing

satio (-are): to satiate, fill

a catena collum detritum: the neck rubbed away by the chain

Unde hoc?: How come?

sodes = si audes: please

acer acris: violent

alligo (-are): to bind, detain

luce: at day light

quiesco quievi: to rest

vigilo (-are): to watch, be awake

crepusculum: evening twilight, dusk

solvo solvi solutus: to release

qua visum est: where it seems (me well) = where I like it

vagor vagatus: to wander

abire si quo est animus, est licentia? = licentia est abiri siquo animus est?: is there license to go away wherever your mind is? (= wherever you like)

non plane est: certainly not

fruor fructus (here + acc.): to enjoy

canis: vocative

regnare nolo, liber ut non sim mihi: I don’t want to be king in order not to be free for my part (mihi dat. commodi)

Translation by Christopher Smart (1913)

The Dog and the Wolf

I will, as briefly as I may,
The sweets of liberty display.
A Wolf half famish'd, chanced to see
A Dog, as fat as dog could be:
For one day meeting on the road,
They mutual compliments bestowed:
" Prithee," says Isgrim, faint and weak,
"How came you so well fed and sleek ?
I starve, though stronger of the two."
" It will be just as well with you,"
The Dog quite cool and frank replied,
"If with my master you'll abide."
"For what ?" "Why merely to attend,
And from night thieves the door defend."
" I gladly will accept the post,
What! shall I bear with snow and frost
And all this rough inclement plight,
Rather than have a home at night,
And feed on plenty at my ease ?"
" Come, then, with me "-the Wolf agrees.
But as they went the mark he found,
Where the Dog's collar had been bound:
"What's this, my friend ?" "Why, nothing." "Nay,
Be more explicit, sir, I pray."
" I'm somewhat fierce and apt to bite,
Therefore they hold me pretty tight,
That in the day-time I may sleep,
And night by night my vigils keep.
At eveningtide they let me out,
And then I freely walk about:
Bread comes without a care of mine.
I from my master's table dine;
The servants throw me many a scrap,
With choice of pot-liquor to lap;
So, I've my bellyful, you find."
"But can you go where you've a mind?"
"Not always, to be flat and plain."
"Then, Dog, enjoy your post again,
For to remain this servile thing,
Old Isgrim would not be a king."

Phaedrus: Venus interrogates a hen.

The fables of Phaedrus, well-known nowadays, where hardly read during the Middle-Ages and the first printed edition (1596) was based on a single manuscript. The Italian bishop and Humanist Nicollò Perotti (1429-1480) had collected some manuscripts too, but it was not until 1831 that the best copy, containing 32 fables unknown before, was published. These did not constitute a separate book, but must have been part of the original five books. As it is impossible to decide where, they are printed as an appendix, the appendix Perottina.

The following fable gives a picture of how Romans – better: Roman men - thought about the fidelity of women. I have an excellent German school edition with commentary published in 1889. It does not contain this fable.

Phaedrus, Fabula, Appendix Perotinna XI. [Iuno, Venus et gallina]

De mulierum libidine

Cum castitatem Iuno laudaret suam,

iocunditatis causa non renuit Venus,

nullamque ut affirmaret esse illi parem

interrogasse sic gallinam dicitur:

"Dic, sodes, quanto possis satiari cibo?"

Respondit illa "Quidquid dederis, satis erit,

sic ut concedas pedibus aliquid scalpere."

"Ne scalpas" inquit "satis est modius tritici?

"Plane, immo nimium est, sed permitte scalpere."

"Ex toto ne quid scalpas, quid desideras?"

Tum denique illa fassa est naturae malum:

"Licet horreum mi pateat, ego scalpam tamen."

Risisse Iuno dicitur Veneris iocos,

quia per gallinam denotauit feminas.

castitas –atis: chastity

iocunditas –atis (f.): pleasure, joke

renuo renui (-ere): to deny, disapprove

nullam (feminam)

par, paris: equal

gallina: chicken

sodes (= si audes): please

satio (-are): to satisfy

cibus: food

scalpo scalpsi scalptum: to scratch

ne: in order not to

modius: corn measure (8.75 litre)

triticum: wheat

plane: sure

immo: in reality, and even

nimium: too much

ex toto: not at all

fateor fassus: to confess

denique: at last

licet: even if

horreum: barn

mi = mihi

denoto: to brand, scandalize

Translation HENRY THOMAS RILEY, B.A. (1887)

When Juno was praising her own chastity, Venus did not lose the opportunity of a joke, and, to show that there was no female equal to herself in that virtue, is said to have asked this question of the Hen: “Tell me, will you, with how much food could you be satisfied?” The hen replied: “Whatever you give me will be enough; but still you must let me scratch a bit with my feet.” “To keep you from scratching,” said the Goddess, “is a measure of wheat enough?” “Certainly; indeed it is too much; but still do allow me to scratch.” “In fine,” said Venus, “what do you require, on condition of not scratching at all?” Then at last the hen confessed the weak point in her nature: “Though a whole barn were open for me, still scratch I must.” Juno is said to have laughed at the joke of Venus, for by the Hen she meant the Female Sex.

Phaedrus 3.8: children quarelling.

When we think of fables, we naturally assume that animals are involved, but not every fable has animals as actors.  In the following fable a little brother and sister have a dispute – how familiar! It is to the father to settle the dispute and give them both advice. Though this fable has its own charm, it also reveals something about pedagogy in first century Rome. Nothing much has changed in the way disputes are settled -or rather ought to be settled - by parents.

Phaedrus 3.8: Soror ad Fratrem  (iambic meter)

Praecepto monitus saepe te considera.
Habebat quidam filiam turpissimam,
idemque insignem pulchra facie filium.
Hi speculum, in cathedra matris ut positum fuit,
pueriliter ludentes forte inspexerunt.
Hic se formosum iactat; illa irascitur
nec gloriantis sustinet fratris iocos,
accipiens (quid enim?) cuncta in contumeliam.
Ergo ad patrem decurrit laesura inuicem,
magnaque inuidia criminatur filium,
uir natus quod rem feminarum tetigerit.
Amplexus ille utrumque et carpens oscula
dulcemque in ambos caritatem partiens,
"Cotidie" inquit "speculo uos uti uolo,
tu formam ne corrumpas nequitiae malis,
tu faciem ut istam moribus uincas bonis."

praeceptum: rule, lesson

saepe: often

turpis: ugly

idemque: and also

insignis (+ abl,): distinguished, noted

facies –es (f.): often not `face’, but outward appearance

hi: the brother and sister

speculum: mirror

cathedra: seat with a cushion, especially used by women

ludi lusi lusum: to play

forte: by chance, accidently

inspexerunt: with the e of –erunt short, as is sometimes done by poets

formosum (esse)

iacto (-are): to boast

irascor iratus: to be angry

glorior gloriatus: to boast

sustineo sustinui sustentum: to bear, sustain

quid enim? How else? (another reading is quippe (of course) for quid enim?.)

in contumeliam: as an insult

laedo (laesi laesum) invicem: to revenge (laesura `about to’ etc.)

magna invidia (abl!) with great hate, grudge

criminor criminatus: to accuse

uir natus quod = quod vir natus (vir natus means `born as male’ i.e. her brother)

tango tetigi tactum: to touch

amplector amplexus: to embrace

carpo (carpsi carptum) oscula: to kiss

partior paritus: to share, divide

utor usus (+ abl.): to use

nequitiae malis: by the evil of wickedness

vincas: that you overcome

Translation by HENRY THOMAS RILEY, B.A. (1893)

Warn’d by our council, oft beware,

And look into yourself with care.

There was a certain father had

A homely girl and comely lad.

These being at their childish play

Within their mother’s room one day,

A looking-glass was in the chair,

And they beheld their faces there.

The boy grows prouder as he looks;

The girl is in a rage, nor brooks

Her boasting brother’s jests and sneers,

Affronted at each word she hears:

Then to her father down she flies,

And urges all she can devise

Against the boy, who could presume

To meddle in a lady’s room.

At which, embracing each in turn,

With most affectionate concern,

“My dears,” he says, “ye may not pass

A day without this useful glass;

You, lest you spoil a pretty face,

By doing things to your disgrace;

You, by good conduct to correct

Your form, and beautify defect.”

Phaedrus: The eagle and the crow.

An eagle (aquila) once held a tortoise (testitudo, f.) in the air, but as this animal was safely hidden in his shell, the eagle had no clue how to eat this creature. Then the eagle is advised by a crow (cornix, f.) to drop the tortoise on a rock to break the shell. Now the tortoise has no way to escape its fate.

This story is, like most of Phaedrus’ fables, based on Aesop, but with a difference: in Aesop version the tortoise asks the eagle to lift him in the air, as he wanted to fly. By leaving this out, Phaedrus makes the tortoise a completely innocent victim of the powerful eagle and its wicked advisor. Through the ages up to our time examples are easy to find.

Phaedrus 2.6, Aquila et Cornix.

Contra potentes nemo est munitus satis;

si vero accessit consiliator maleficus,

vis et nequitia quicquid oppugnant, ruit.

Aquila in sublime sustulit testudinem.

quae cum abdidisset cornea corpus domo

nec ullo pacto laedi posset condita,

venit per auras cornix et propter volans:

Opimam sane praedam rapuisti unguibus;

sed nisi monstraro quid sit faciendum tibi,

gravi nequiquam te lassabit pondere.

Promissa parte suadet, ut scopulum super

altis ab astris duram illidat corticem,

qua comminuta facile vescatur cibo.

Inducta verbis aquila, monitis paruit,

simul et magistrae large divisit dapem.

Sic tuta quae naturae fuerat munere,

impar duabus occidit tristi nece.

munio munivi munitum: to protect

satis: sufficiently

consiliator –oris (m.): counsellor

maleficus: wicked

quicquid …, ruit = quicquid ruit, (quod).. (everything falls down, what etc.)

nequitia: wickedness (vis refers to the potentes, nequitia to the consiliator maleficus)

in sublime: high in the air

abdo abdidi abditum: to hide (= condo)

corneus: made of horn

nec ullo pacto: in no way

laedo laesi laesum: to hurt, damage

propter (adv.): nearby

opimus: fat, plump

sane: indeed

praeda: booty

rapio rapui raptum: to snatch

unguis unguis (m.): nail, claw

monstraro = monstravero

nequiquam: in vain

lasso: to tire

pondus ponderis (n.) : weight

promissa parte: i.e. of the praeda

suadeo suasi suasum: to advise

scopulus: rock (scopulum super = super scopulum)

altis ab astris: from high in the air

illido illiso illisum: to dash to pieces

cortex cortices (m. and by poets f.): shell

qua comminuta: which having been broken (comminuo, ui utum)

vescor (+ abl.): to eat

cibus: food

inducta: lead

monitum: advice

pareo parui (+ dat.): to yield

simul: at once

magistrae: i.e. the cornex

large: generously

daps dapis (f.): meal

naturae munere: by work of nature

impar imparis (+ dat.): ill-matched

occidit from occĭdo , occĭdi, occāsum: to fall down

nex necis (f.): violent death

Translation by Christopher Smart (1912).

The Eagle, Carrion Crow, and Tortoise.

No soul can warrant life or right,

Secure from men of lawless might;

But if a knave's advice assist,

'Gainst fraud and force what can exist ?

An Eagle on a Tortoise fell,

And mounting bore him by the shell:

She with her house her body screens,

Nor can be hurt by any means.

A Carrion Crow came by that way,

" You've got," says she, " a luscious prey;

But soon its weight will make you rue,

Unless I show you what to do."

The captor promising a share,

She bids her from the upper air

To dash the shell against a rock,

Which would be sever'd by the shock.

The Eagle follows her behest,

Then feasts on turtle with his guest.

Thus she, whom Nature made so strong,

And safe against external wrong,

No match for force, and its allies,

To cruel death a victim dies.