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θεῖ δὲ ὁ λαγὼς ὑπό τε κυνῶν καὶ ἱππέων διωκόμενος, εἰ μὲν ἐκ πεδιάδος γῆς εἴη, ὠκύτερον τῶν ὀρείων λαγῶν, ἄτε μικρὸς τὸ σῶμα καὶ λεπτός: ἔνθεν τοι καὶ κοῦφον αὐτὸν εἶναι οὐκ ἀπεικός. σκιρτᾷ γοῦν τὰ πρῶτα ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ πηδᾷ, διαδύεται δὲ καὶ διὰ θάμνων ὀλισθηρῶς καὶ εὐκόλως καὶ διὰ παντὸς ἑλώδους τόπου: καὶ εἴ που πόαι βαθεῖαι, καὶ διὰ τούτων διεκπίπτει ῥᾳδίως. καὶ ὅπερ τοῖς λέουσί φασι τὴν ἀλκαίαν δύνασθαι πρὸς τὸ ἐγείρειν αὑτοὺς καὶ ἐποτρύνειν, τοῦτό τοι καὶ ἐκείνῳ τὰ ὦτά ἐστι, ῥύμης συνθήματα καὶ ἐγερτήρια δρόμου. ἀνακλίνει γοῦν [p. 327] κατὰ τῶν νώτων αὐτά, κέχρηται δὲ αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐλινύειν μηδὲ ὀκνεῖν οἷον μύωψι. δρόμον δὲ ἕνα καὶ εὐθὺν οὐ θεῖ, δεῦρο δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖσε παρακλίνει, καὶ ἐξελίττει τῇ καὶ τῇ, ἐκπλήττων τοὺς κύνας καὶ ἀπατῶν. ὅποι ποτὲ δ᾽ ἂν ὁρμήσῃ καὶ ἀπονεῦσαι θελήσῃ, κατ᾽ ἐκείνην τὴν ἐκτροπὴν κλίνει τῶν ὤτων τὸ ἕτερον, οἷον ἰθύνων ἑαυτῷ διὰ τούτου τὸν δρόμον. οὐ μὴν ἀναλίσκει τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν ἀταμιεύτως, τηρεῖ δὲ τοῦ διώκοντος τὴν ὁρμήν, καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ᾖ νωθής, οὐ πᾶν ἀνῆκε τὸ ἑαυτοῦ τάχος, ἀλλά τι καὶ ἀνέστειλεν, ὡς προεκθεῖν μὲν τοῦ κυνός, οὐ μὴν ἀπαγορεῦσαι ὑπὸ τοῦ συντόνου τοῦ δρόμου αὐτός. οἶδε γὰρ ἀμείνων ὤν, καὶ ὁρᾷ ἐς τὸ μὴ ὑπερπονεῖσθαί οἱ τὸν καιρὸν ὄντα. ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ὁ κύων ᾖ ὤκιστος, τηνικαῦτα
Claudii Aeliani de natura animalium libri xvii, varia historia, epistolae, fragmenta, Vol 1. Aelian. Rudolf Hercher. In Aedibus B.G. Teubneri. Lipsiae. 1864. Keyboarding.
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