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τὰ δὲ ἴδια τῶν ζῴων εἰδέναι οὐδὲ θεοὶ ὑπερορῶσιν. ἀκούω γοῦν Εὐρυσθένην καὶ Προκλέα τοὺς Ἀριστοδήμου τοῦ Ἀριστομάχου τοῦ Κλεόδα τοῦ Ὕλλου τοῦ Ἡρακλέους παῖδας βουλομένους ἄγεσθαι γυναῖκας ἐλθόντας ἐς Δελφοὺς τὸν θεὸν ἐρέσθαι τίνι ἂν κηδεύσαντες Ἑλλήνων ἢ βαρβάρων εἶτα μέντοι καλῶς καὶ εὐβούλως γῆμαι δόξαιεν, τὸν δὲ θεὸν αὐτοῖς ἀποκρίνασθαι ἐπανιέναι μὲν ἐς Λακεδαίμονα, ὑποστρέφειν δὲ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ταύτην, καθ᾽ ἣν καὶ ἀφίκοντο. ἐν ᾗ δ᾽ ἂν αὐτοῖς χώρᾳ τὸ ἀγριώτατον ἀπαντήσῃ ζῷον φέρον τὸ πραότατον, ἐνταῦθά τοι ἁρμόσασθαι γάμους: οὕτω γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἔσεσθαι λῷον. καὶ οἳ μὲν ἐπείθοντο, γίνονται δὲ κατὰ τὴν Κλεωναίων χώραν, ἐντυγχάνει δὲ αὐτοῖς λύκος φέρων ἄρνα ἔκ τινος ποίμνης αὐτὸν συνηρπακώς. συνέβαλον [p. 308] οὖν ἐκεῖνοι λέγειν ταῦτα τὰ ζῷα τὸν χρησμόν, καὶ ἡρμόσαντο τὰς Θερσάνδρου τοῦ Κλεωνύμου θυγατέρας δοκίμου ἀνδρός. εἰ δὲ οἱ θεοὶ ἴσασι τὸ ἡμερώτατον ζῷον καὶ τὸ ἀγριώτατον, οὐδὲ ἡμῖν ἐκμελὲς τὰς φύσεις αὐτῶν εἰδέναι.
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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