Fable of the Day (Greek): The Dog and The Blacksmiths

[Laura Gibbs]

Κύων καὶ χαλκεῖς

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 16.

The Dog and the Blacksmiths = Perry 415 (English translation: Oxford Aesop 380)

Ἦν τις κύων χαλκέων τινῶν ἐν οἰκίᾳ διάγων. κἀκείνων μὲν ἐργαζομένων οὗτος εἰς ὕπνον ἐτρέπετο, εἰς ἑστίασιν δὲ καθεζομένων ἐγίνετο ἔξυπνος καὶ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ κυρίοις χαριέντως προσεπέλαζεν. οἱ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔλεγον “πῶς τῷ μὲν ψόφῳ τῶν βαρυτάτων σφυρῶν οὐδ’ ὅλως ἐξυπνίζῃ, τῷ δὲ βραχυτάτῳ κρότῳ τῶν μυλοδόντων ταχέως διεγείρῃ;”

Οὗτος δηλοῖ ὡς καὶ ἄνθρωποι ἀνήκοοι, ἐφ’ οἷς δῆθεν ὠφελεῖσθαι καραδοκοῦσι, ταχέως τούτοις καὶ ὑπακούουσιν, ἐν οἷς δ’ ἀπαρέσκονται ἀπαθεῖς πάντῃ καθίστανται.

Segmented text for easier reading:

Ἦν τις κύων

χαλκέων τινῶν ἐν οἰκίᾳ

διάγων.

κἀκείνων μὲν ἐργαζομένων

οὗτος

εἰς ὕπνον ἐτρέπετο,

εἰς ἑστίασιν δὲ καθεζομένων

ἐγίνετο ἔξυπνος

καὶ

τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ κυρίοις

χαριέντως προσεπέλαζεν.

οἱ δὲ

πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔλεγον

“πῶς

τῷ μὲν ψόφῳ τῶν βαρυτάτων σφυρῶν

οὐδ’ ὅλως ἐξυπνίζῃ,

τῷ δὲ βραχυτάτῳ κρότῳ

τῶν μυλοδόντων

ταχέως διεγείρῃ;”

Οὗτος δηλοῖ ὡς

καὶ ἄνθρωποι ἀνήκοοι,

ἐφ’ οἷς δῆθεν

ὠφελεῖσθαι καραδοκοῦσι,

ταχέως τούτοις καὶ ὑπακούουσιν,

ἐν οἷς δ’

ἀπαρέσκονται

ἀπαθεῖς πάντῃ καθίστανται.