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τῷ λύκῳ ὁ τράχηλος ἐς βραχὺ συνῆκται. οὔκουν οἷός τέ ἐστιν ἐπιστραφῆναι, ὁρᾷ δὲ ἐς τὸ πρόσω ἀεί: εἰ δὲ βούλοιτό ποτε ἐς τοὐπίσω θεάσασθαι, πᾶς ἐπιστρέφεται. ὀξυωπέστατον δέ ἐστι ζῴων, καὶ μέντοι καὶ νύκτωρ καὶ σελήνης οὐκ οὔσης ὃ δὲ ὁρᾷ. ἔνθεν τοι καὶ λυκόφως κέκληται ὁ καιρὸς οὗτος τῆς νυκτός, ἐν ᾧ μόνος ἐκεῖνος τὸ φῶς ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως λαχὼν ἔχει. δοκεῖ δέ μοι καὶ Ὅμηρος λέγειν ἀμφιλύκην νύκτα καθ᾽ ἣν δὴ βλέποντες λύκοι βαδίζουσι. λέγουσι δὲ φίλον Ἡλίῳ εἶναι αὐτόν, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα ἐς τιμὴν τὴν τοῦ ζῴου κεκλῆσθαι καὶ τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν λυκάβαντα εἰσὶν οἳ λέγουσι. χαίρειν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τὸν Ἀπόλλω λόγος, καὶ ἡ αἰτία διαρρέουσα καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἀφίκετο. τὸν γάρ τοι θεὸν τοῦτον τεχθῆναί φασι [p. 256] τῆς Λητοῦς μεταβαλούσης τὸ εἶδος ἐς λύκαιναν. ταύτῃ τοι λέγει καὶ Ὅμηρος λυκηγενέι κλυτοτόξῳ: ταύτῃ τοι καὶ ἐν Δελφοῖς ἀνακεῖσθαι λύκον πέπυσμαι χαλκοῦν τὴν τῆς Λητοῦς ὠδῖνα αἰνιττόμενον. οἳ δὲ οὐ διὰ τοῦτό φασιν ἀλλὰ ἐπεὶ κλαπέντα ἀναθήματα ἐκ τοῦ νεὼ καὶ κατορυχθέντα ὑπὸ τῶν ἱεροσύλων λύκος κατεμήνυσε. παρελθὼν γὰρ ἐς τὸν νεὼν καὶ τῶν προφητῶν τινα τῆς ἐσθῆτος τῆς ἱερᾶς ἑλκύσας τῷ στόματι καὶ προσαγαγὼν μέχρι τοῦ τόπου ἐν ᾧ τὰ ἀναθήματα ἐκέκρυπτο εἶτα τοῖς προσθίοις ὤρυττεν αὐτόν.
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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