Fable of the Day (Greek): The Dogs and The Lion-Skin

[Laura Gibbs]

Ὄφις πατούμενος

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 19.

The Dogs Gnawing The Lion-Skin = Perry 406 (English translation: Oxford Aesop 231)

Λέοντος δορὰν κύνες εὑρόντες διεσπάραττον ταύτην. τούτοις δὲ ἀλώπηξ ἰδοῦσα ἔφη “εἰ οὗτος ὁ λέων τοῖς ζῶσι συνῆν, εἴδετε ἂν τοὺς αὐτοῦ ὄνυχας ἰσχυροτέρους τῶν ὑμετέρων ὀδόντων.”

Οὗτος δηλοῖ πρὸς τοὺς τῶν ἐνδόξων καταφρονοῦντας, ὅταν τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ δόξης ἐκπίπτωσι.

Segmented text for easier reading:

Λέοντος δορὰν

κύνες εὑρόντες

διεσπάραττον ταύτην.

τούτοις δὲ

ἀλώπηξ

ἰδοῦσα ἔφη

“εἰ οὗτος ὁ λέων

τοῖς ζῶσι συνῆν,

εἴδετε ἂν

τοὺς αὐτοῦ ὄνυχας

ἰσχυροτέρους

τῶν ὑμετέρων ὀδόντων.”

Οὗτος δηλοῖ

πρὸς τοὺς

τῶν ἐνδόξων καταφρονοῦντας,

ὅταν

τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ δόξης

ἐκπίπτωσι.