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ἐμοὶ δὲ αἴσχιστον δοκεῖ, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, φιλίαν μὲν τοῖς ζῴοις πρὸς ἄλληλα εἶναι, μὴ μόνοις τοῖς συννόμοις αὐτῶν μηδὲ μὴν τοῖς ὁμογενέσιν, ἤδη δὲ καὶ τοῖς μηδὲν προσήκουσί σφισι κατὰ τὸ κοινὸν γένος. ταῖς γοῦν αἰξὶν αἱ οἶς φίλιαι, περιστερᾷ δὲ πρὸς τρυγόνα [p. 132] φιλία, φίλα δὲ ἀλλήλοις νοοῦσι φάτται τε καὶ πέρδικες, ἀλκυόνα δὲ καὶ κηρύλον ποθοῦντε ἀλλήλω πάλαι ἴσμεν, κορώνην τε ἐρωδιῷ φίλα νοεῖν καὶ λάρον τῷ καλουμένῳ κολοιῷ καὶ ἰκτίνῳ ἅρπην. πολεμοῦσι δὲ αἰώνιον πόλεμον καὶ ἄσπονδον ὡς εἰπεῖν κορῶναί τε καὶ γλαῦκες: πολέμιοι δὲ ἄρα εἰσὶν ἰκτῖνός τε καὶ κόραξ, καὶ πυραλλὶς πρὸς τρυγόνα, καὶ βρένθος καὶ λάρος, πάλιν τε ὁ χλωρεὺς πρὸς τρυγόνα, καὶ αἰγυπιοὶ καὶ ἀετοί, καὶ κύκνοι καὶ δράκοντες, καὶ πρὸς βουβαλίδας καὶ ταύρους λέοντες. ἔχθιστα δὲ ἄρα ἐλέφας καὶ δράκων ἦν, καὶ πρὸς ἀσπίδα ὁ ἰχνεύμων, ὁ δὲ αἴγιθος τῷ ὄνῳ: ὃ μὲν γὰρ ὠγκήσατο, ῥήγνυται δὲ τῷ αἰγίθῳ τὰ ᾠά, καὶ οἱ νεοττοὶ ἐκπίπτουσιν ἀτελεῖς: ὃ δὲ τιμωρῶν τοῖς τέκνοις ἐπιπηδᾷ τῶν ὄνων τοῖς ἕλκεσι, καὶ ἐσθίει αὐτά. μισεῖ δὲ ἀλώπηξ κίρκον καὶ ταῦρος κόρακα, καὶ ὁ ἄνθος τὸν ἵππον. χρὴ δὲ εἰδέναι τὸν πεπαιδευμένον καὶ μηδὲν μάτην ἀκούοντα ὅτι καὶ δελφὶς φαλαίνῃ διάφορος, λάβρακές γε μὴν κεστρεῦσι, μύραιναι δὲ γόγγροις, καὶ ἄλλα ἄλλοις.
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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