Medieval Latin Online (University of Oklahoma)

Reading #1b (Ademar). Homo et Leo.

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You can also find an illustration of this fable from a book of Aesop's fables published in 1501.

Homo et leo, cum inter se quaererent quis eorum esset superior, et quaererent huius altercationis testimonium,	esset: subjunctive in indirect question altercationis, s.v. altercatio
	what were the man and the lion arguing about?
venerunt ad monumentum, ubi erat pictum quomodo ab homine suffocabatur leo; hanc ostendit homo picturam in testimonium.	pictum, s.v. pingo homo ostendit hanc pictum in testimonium
	why did the man show the lion this particular picture?
Cui leo: Hoc ab homine pictum est; nam si leo pingeret, nosset quomodo suffocasset hominem. Sed ego dabo tibi verum testimonium.	suffocasset: subjunctive in indirect question
	why did the lion reject this piece of evidence?
Induxit leo hominem in amphitheatrum et ostendit illi vera fide quo homo a leone suffocatur.	ostendit illi (homini) quo = quo modo (this combat between a man and a lion as a public spectacle shows the classical Roman origins of this story!)
	why did the lion take the man to the amphitheater?
Hinc dixit: Colorum non sunt opus testimonia, sed veritate facta.	hinc: temporal sense (hereupon, next) testimonia non sunt opus colorum; testimonia facta (sunt) veritate
	what did the lion say to the man then?
Mendacium colore compositum a veritate cito superari, ubi est certa probatio	mendacium (colore compositum) potest superari a veritate cito (= veritas cito superat mendacium) ubi = in hac fabula
	what is the moral of the story?

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Aesopus, 1505 (University of Mannheim; more information)

Modern Languages 4970 / MRS 4903: Medieval Latin. Spring 2003 Online Course at the University of Oklahoma. Visit http://www.ou.edu/online/ for more info.
Laura Gibbs, University of Oklahoma - Information Technology © 2003. laura-gibbs@ou.edu. Last updated: December 29, 2002 7:12 PM