Fable of the Day (Greek): The Hunter and The Wolf

[Laura Gibbs]

Θηρευτὴς καὶ λύκος

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 6.

The Hunter and the Wolf = Perry 404 (English translation: Oxford Aesop 372)

Ἀνήρ τις θηρευτής, λύκον θεασάμενος προσβάλλοντα τῇ ποίμνῃ καὶ πλεῖστα τῶν προβάτων ὡς δυνατὸν διασπαράττοντα, τοῦτον εὐμηχάνως θηρεύει καὶ τοὺς κύνας αὐτῷ ἐπαφίησι, φθεγξάμενος πρὸς αὐτόν “ὦ δεινότατον θηρίον, ποῦ σου ἡ προλαβοῦσα ἰσχύς, ὅτι τοῖς κυσὶν ὅλως ἀντιστῆναι οὐκ ἠδυνήθης.”

Οὗτος δηλοῖ ὡς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἕκαστος ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ τέχνῃ καθέστηκε δόκιμος.

Segmented text for easier reading:

Ἀνήρ τις θηρευτής,

λύκον θεασάμενος

προσβάλλοντα τῇ ποίμνῃ

καὶ

πλεῖστα τῶν προβάτων

ὡς δυνατὸν

διασπαράττοντα,

τοῦτον εὐμηχάνως θηρεύει

καὶ τοὺς κύνας αὐτῷ ἐπαφίησι,

φθεγξάμενος πρὸς αὐτόν

“ὦ δεινότατον θηρίον,

ποῦ

σου ἡ προλαβοῦσα ἰσχύς,

ὅτι τοῖς κυσὶν

ὅλως ἀντιστῆναι οὐκ ἠδυνήθης.”

Οὗτος δηλοῖ ὡς

τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἕκαστος

ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ τέχνῃ

καθέστηκε δόκιμος.