Fable of the Day (Greek): The Rivers and The Sea

[Laura Gibbs]

Ποταμοὶ καὶ θάλασσα

Another fable from Syntipas - check out the GreekAesop wiki for more information about Syntipas and his fables! I've included the text and a segmented version here; for grammar notes and more information, please visit the wiki. You can keep up with the latest Bestiaria posts by using the RSS feed, or you can subscribe by email. And now, here is Syntipas, Fable 4.

The Rivers and the Sea = Perry 412 (English translation: Oxford Aesop 258)

Ποταμοὶ συνῆλθον ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν κατῃτιῶντο, λέγοντες αὐτῇ “διὰ τί ἡμᾶς, εἰσερχομένους ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι καὶ ὑπάρχοντας ποτίμους καὶ γλυκεῖς, ἁλμυροὺς ἀπεργάζῃ καὶ ἀπότους;” ἡ δὲ θάλασσα, ἰδοῦσα ὅτι αὐτῆς καταμέμφονται, λέγει πρὸς αὐτούς “μὴ ἔρχεσθε καὶ μὴ γίνεσθε ἁλμυροί.”

Οὗτος παρίστησι τοὺς ἀκαίρως τινὰς αἰτιωμένους καὶ παρ’ αὐτῶν μᾶλλον ὠφελουμένους.

Segmented text for easier reading:

Ποταμοὶ συνῆλθον ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ

καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν κατῃτιῶντο,

λέγοντες αὐτῇ

“διὰ τί ἡμᾶς,

εἰσερχομένους ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι

καὶ

ὑπάρχοντας ποτίμους καὶ γλυκεῖς,

ἁλμυροὺς ἀπεργάζῃ καὶ ἀπότους;”

ἡ δὲ θάλασσα,

ἰδοῦσα

ὅτι αὐτῆς καταμέμφονται,

λέγει πρὸς αὐτούς

“μὴ ἔρχεσθε

καὶ μὴ γίνεσθε ἁλμυροί.”

Οὗτος παρίστησι

τοὺς ἀκαίρως τινὰς αἰτιωμένους

καὶ

παρ’ αὐτῶν μᾶλλον ὠφελουμένους.