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Aesop's Fables: Babrius

Babrius 102 = Perry 334

Λέων τις ἐβασίλευεν οὐχὶ θυμώδης
οὐδ' ὠμὸς οὐδὲ πάντα τῇ βίῃ χαίρων,
πρηῢς δὲ καὶ δίκαιος ὥς τις ἀνθρώπων.
ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκείνου φασὶ δὴ δυναστείης
τῶν ἀγρίων ἀγυρμὸς ἐγεγόνει ζώων,
δίκας τε δοῦναι καὶ λαβεῖν παρ' ἀλλήλων.
τὰ ζῷα πάντα δ' ὡς ὑπέσχον εὐθύνας,
λύκος μὲν ἀρνί, πάρδαλις δ' ἐπ' αἰγάγρῳ,
ἐλάφῳ δὲ τίγρις, πάντα δ' εἶχεν εἰρήνην,
ὁ πτὼξ λαγωὸς εἶπεν "ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ταύτην
τὴν ἡμέρην ἀεί ποτ' ηὐχόμην, ἥτις
καὶ τοῖς βιαίοις φοβερὰ τἀσθενῆ θήσει."


Ben Perry, Babrius and Phaedrus (Loeb). This edition contains the Greek texts of Babrius, with a facing English translation, and an extensive index covering the Greek and Latin fable tradition. This book is an absolute must for anyone interested in the Aesopic fable tradition. Invaluable.