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λέγει Εὔδημος, ἐν Παγγαίῳ τῷ Θρᾳκίῳ κοίτῃ λέοντος ἐρήμῳ φυλακῆς ἐπιστᾶσαν ἄρκτον τοὺς σκύμνους τοῦ λέοντος διαφθεῖραι διὰ τὸ μικρούς τε εἶναι [p. 68] ἔτι καὶ ἀμῦναι σφίσιν ἀδυνάτους. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀφίκοντο ἔκ τινος ἄγρας ὅ τε πατὴρ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ, καὶ εἶδον τοὺς παῖδας ἐν ταῖς φοναῖς, οἷα εἰκὸς ἤλγουν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἄρκτον ἵεντο: ἣ δὲ δείσασα εἴς τι δένδρον ᾗ ποδῶν εἶχεν ἀνέθει, καὶ καθῆστο τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν τὴν ἐξ ἐκείνων ἐκκλῖναι πειρωμένη. ὡς δὲ ἐδόκουν τοῦ τιμωρήσασθαι τὸν λυμεῶνα ἥκειν δεῦρο, ἐνταῦθα ἡ μὲν λέαινα οὐ λείπει τὴν φυλακήν, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὸ τῷ πρέμνῳ καθῆστο ἐλλοχῶσα καὶ ὕφαιμον ἄνω βλέπουσα, ὁ δὲ λέων, οἷα ἀδημονῶν καὶ ἀλύων ὑπὸ τοῦ ἄχους, ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν ἠλᾶτο, καὶ ἀνδρὶ ὑλουργῷ περιτυγχάνει: ὃ δὲ ἔδεισε καὶ ἀφίησι τὸν πέλεκυν, τὸ δὲ θηρίον ὁ λέων ἔσαινέ τε καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἀνατείνας ἠσπάζετο, ὡς οἷός τε ἦν, καὶ τῇ γλώττῃ τὸ πρόσωπον ἐφαίδρυνεν αὐτῷ. καὶ ἐκεῖνος ὑπεθάρρησεν, ὅ τε λέων περιβαλών οἱ τὴν οὐρὰν ἦγεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀφέντα τὸν πέλεκυν οὐκ εἴα, ἀλλὰ ἐσήμαινε τῷ ποδὶ ἀνελέσθαι. ὡς δὲ οὐ συνίει, ὃ δὲ τῷ στόματι ἐλάβετο, καὶ ὤρεξέν οἱ, καὶ εἵπετο ἐκεῖνος, ἄγει τε αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ αὔλιον. καὶ ἡ λέαινα ὡς εἶδε, καὶ αὐτὴ προσελθοῦσα ὑπέσαινε, καὶ ἑώρα οἰκτρόν, καὶ ἀνέβλεπε πρὸς τὴν ἄρκτον. συνιδὼν οὖν ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ συμβαλὼν ἠδικῆσθαί τι τούτους ἐξ ἐκείνης, ὡς εἶχε ῥώμης τε καὶ χειρῶν, ἐξέκοψε τὸ δένδρον. καὶ τὸ μὲν ἀνετράπη, ἣ δὲ κατηνέχθη: καὶ διεσπάσαντό γε οἱ θῆρες αὐτήν. τὸν δὲ ἄνθρωπον ὁ λέων ἀπαθῆ τε καὶ ἀσινῆ πάλιν ἐπανήγαγεν ἐς τὸν χῶρον, οὗ πρότερον ἐνέτυχεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀπέδωκε τῇ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑλοτομίᾳ.
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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