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Aesop's Fables: Babrius

Babrius 127 = Perry 313

-- Ὁ Ζεὺς τὸν Ἑρμῆν ὀστράκοισιν ἐγγράψαι
ἁμαρτίας τε κἀδικήματ' ἀνθρώπων
ἐκέλευσε κἀς κιβωτὸν αὐτὰ σωρεύειν
σταθεῖσαν αὐτοῦ πλησίην, ἐρευνήσας --
ὅπως ἑκάστου τὰς δίκας ἀναπράσσῃ.
τῶν ὀστράκων δὲ κεχυμένων ἐπ' ἀλλήλοις
τὸ μὲν βράδιον τὸ δὲ τάχιον ἐμπίπτει
εἰς τοῦ Διὸς τὰς χεῖρας, εἴ ποτ' εὐθύνοι.
τῶν οὖν πονηρῶν οὐ προσῆκε θαυμάζειν
ἢν θᾶσσον ἀδικῶν ὀψέ τις κακῶς πράσσῃ.


Ben Perry, Babrius and Phaedrus (Loeb). This edition contains the Greek texts of Babrius, with a facing English translation, and an extensive index covering the Greek and Latin fable tradition. This book is an absolute must for anyone interested in the Aesopic fable tradition. Invaluable.