Phaedrus (Extra): Homo et Leo

You can read more about Phaedrus at Wikipedia, and here are all the Phaedrus poems I have posted at this blog, plus the reconstructed Phaedrus poems too. This reconstruction comes from the work of Marquard Gude, a.k.a. Gudius. I chose this poem today because I wrote a post about different versions of this same fable in English: The Hunter and the Lion, Disputing.

25. Homo et Leo

Homo et Leo

Homo certabat cum Leone, fortior

Quis esset, litisque huius testimonium

Dum quaerunt, ad sepulcrum tandem venerunt,

Elisis in quo ab homine pictum faucibus

Leonem ostendit, argumentum virium.

Leo respondit: humana hoc pictum manu:

Videres hominem deiectum, si pingere

Leones scirent. Sed ego testimonium

Dabo virtutis certius. Ad spectaculum

Induxit hominem; monstrans ubi bona fide

Enectos a leonibus homines ait:

Non est colorum testimoniis opus;

Hic exhibetur vera virtus actibus.

Colore frustra mendaces uti docet

Fabella, certa cum datur probatio.

Here is that poem written out in English prose order to help in reading:

homo certabat cum leone, 

quis esset fortior, 

et, 

dum quaerunt 

testimonium litis huius, 

tandem 

venerunt ad sepulcrum,

in quo

ostendit leonem

pictum ab homine

elisis faucibus, 

argumentum virium.

leo respondit,

"hoc pictum

humana manu;

videres 

deiectum hominem, 

si leones scirent pingere. 

sed ego 

dabo certius testimonium

virtutis."

ad spectaculum

induxit hominem; 

ubi,

monstrans 

bona fide

homines

enectos a leonibus,

ait,

"opus non est 

testimoniis colorum;

hic 

vera virtus exhibetur 

actibus."

fabella docet

mendaces uti colore

frustra, 

cum certa probatio datur.

This version of the fable emphasizes the contrast between art and truth, with the man adducing a work of art for his argument, while the lion presents a real spectacle as his proof. You can find out about other ways of telling this story here: The Hunter and the Lion, Disputing.

The meter is iambic:

Homo · certa·bat cum · Leo·ne, for·tior

Quis es·set, li·tisqu~ hui·us tes·timo·nium

Dum quae·runt, ad · sepul·crum tan·dem ve·nerunt,

Eli·sis in · qu~ ab homi·ne pic·tum fau·cibus

Leo·n~ osten·dit, ar·gumen·tum vi·rium.

Leo · respon·dit: hu·man~ hoc · pictum · manu:

Vide·res homi·nem de·iectum · si pin·gere

Leo·nes sci·rent. Sed e·go tes·timo·nium

Dabo · virtu·tis cer·tius. Ad · specta·culum

Indux·it hom·inem; mon·strans ubi · bona · fide

Enec·tos a · leo·nibus ho·mines · ait:

Non est · colo·rum tes·timo·niis · opus;

Hic ex·hibe·tur ve·ra vir·tus ac·tibus.

Colo·re frus·tra men·daces · uti · docet

Fabel·la, cer·ta cum · datur · proba·tio.

Here is an illustration by Walter Crane; you can see more illustrations here.