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ὑπὸ τῶν ποιητῶν κεμὰς δραμεῖν μὲν ὠκίστη θυέλλης δίκην, ἰδεῖν δὲ ἄρα πυρρόθριξ καὶ λασιωτάτη: τὴν δὲ οὐρὰν λευκὴν ἔχει. εἴκασται δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς κυανοῦ βαφῇ. τὰ δὲ ὦτα τριχῶν ἀνάπλεω δασυτάτων. τὰ κέρατά τε αὐτῆς ἀντία καὶ ὡραῖα, ὡς ἐπιέναι μὲν τὴν θήραν, ἐν ταὐτῷ δὲ καὶ φοβεῖν ἅμα καὶ βλάπτεσθαι καλήν. αὕτη δὲ ἄρα ἡ κεμὰς οὐκ ἐπὶ γῆς μόνης τὴν τῶν ποδῶν ὠκύτητα ἐπιδείκνυται, ἀλλὰ ἐμπεσοῦσα καὶ ἐς ῥεῦμα ποταμοῦ ταῖς χηλαῖς τῶν ποδῶν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἐρέττουσα εἶτα μέντοι διακόπτει τὸ ῥεῦμα. χαίρει δὲ καὶ ἐν λίμνῃ νήξασθαι, καὶ ἐνταῦθά τοι καὶ τροφὴν ἴσχει, τεθηλός τε ἀεὶ θρύον καὶ κύπειρον δειπνεῖ. οὐκοῦν καὶ τὴν γαστέρα ἦρος ἀρχομένου πεπληρωμένην ὑπολαπάττει, καὶ τὰ οὔθατα καθῆκε καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἐξέθρεψε τὰ ἑαυτῆς βρέφη ἡ κεμάς. μῦρος δὲ ἄρα ἰχθὺς πυνθάνομαί ἐστιν. ἐξ ὅτου μὲν οὖν ἐσπάσατο τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ἐκείνην, εἰπεῖν [p. 349] οὐκ οἶδα: κέκληται δ᾽ οὖν ταύτῃ. λέγουσι δὲ αὐτὸν εἶναι θαλάττιον ὄφιν. ὀφθαλμὸς δὲ ἄρα ὁ τούτου ὁπότερος οὖν ἐξαιρεθεὶς καὶ περίαπτον γενόμενος ἀπαλλάττει ξηρᾶς ἄνθρωπον ὀφθαλμίας: τῷ δὲ ἄρα μύρῳ τῷδε ἀναφύεταί φασιν ὀφθαλμὸς ἕτερος. δεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν ἀπολῦσαι τὸν ἰχθὺν ζῶντα, ἢ μάτην τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἔχων φυλάττεις.
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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