Aesop's Fables, translated by Laura Gibbs (2002)
166. SIMONIDES AND THE TWIN GODS
Perry 522 (Phaedrus
4.26)
Elsewhere I have described the great value people place on learning,
and now I will record for future reference how greatly learning is honoured
by the gods; this is another story about Simonides, whom I have spoken
of before.
In exchange for an agreed upon fee, the poet Simonides was to write a
victory ode for a certain boxer. Simonides accordingly sought out a place
of peace and quiet, but the unpromising subject matter hampered his artistic
impulse. As a result, Simonides relied on the usual poetic license, which
allowed him to include the gods Castor and Pollux as part of his poem,
alluding to the renown that the sons of Leda, those celestial twins, had
also enjoyed in boxing. Simonides' client praised the work but he paid
the poet only one third of the agreed upon fee. When Simonides demanded
the rest, his patron told him, 'Let the twins pay the rest, since their
praise occupies two thirds of the poem! Of course,' the man added, 'I
don't want people to think that you have been sent away in anger, so please
agree to come to my house for dinner this evening. I have invited all
my relatives, and I want you to be in their number as well.' Although
Simonides had been cheated and was still upset about the loss he had suffered,
he agreed to come, not wanting to harm his reputation by parting with
his patron on bad terms. The dinner hour arrived and Simonides took his
place at the table. The party sparkled with wine and good cheer, and the
house resounded with the delightful sounds of the extravagant banquet,
when all of a sudden two young men appeared. They were completely covered
with dust and sweat, and they had the bodies of supermen. They ordered
one of the servant boys to summon Simonides, urging him to be quick about
it, as it was a matter of great importance. The awestruck servant roused
Simonides, and the poet had barely moved one foot away from the dining
room when the structure suddenly collapsed, crushing everyone beneath
it. Meanwhile, there were no young men to be found at the door. When the
sequence of events became generally known, everyone realized that with
their presence, the gods had repaid the poet by saving his life in lieu
of a fee.
Note: Other accounts of this story focus on the aftermath of these
events: Simonides was able to identify all the victims of the disaster,
despite the fact that their bodies are mangled beyond recognition, because
he remembered where each person was sitting, using the technique of
the 'loci' or 'places,' a popular mnemonic device (see Cicero,
The Orator 2.86 and Quintilian,
Institutes 11.2.11 ff.). For Phaedrus's other story about the Greek
poet Simonides, see Fable 412.
 Source:
Aesop's Fables. A new translation by Laura
Gibbs.
Oxford University Press (World's Classics): Oxford, 2002.
NOTE: New
cover, with new ISBN, published in 2008; contents of book unchanged.
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