21: De ranis regem petentibus

The Frogs who Asked for a King

The Athenians, previously democratic in government, voluntarily accepted an absolute ruler (Pisistratus, not named). Though he was a good ruler, the Athenians chafed at obeying him. Aesop tells the Athenians the story of the frogs who begged Jupiter for a king. First Jupiter gave the frogs a log, but they were soon disenchanted with the king, and begged for another more animated one. Jupiter then gave them a water snake, who, of course, began to eat them. The frogs then pled with Jupiter yet again, asking that he deliver them from the snake, but Jupiter only laughed, telling them that he had granted their wishes. The moral reminds readers to be happy with what they have, and not to willingly give up political autonomy.

Also known as The Frogs who Desired a King, Perry 044

1  sequi ... et pingere: “in order to follow and depict,” pres. inf. of purpose after nata.

2  Tangit: “it touches on.” 

2  quod fugiās quodve sequāris iter: “what road you should flee and what road you should follow."

3  Rēge cārēns nec rēgis inops: "lacking a king (but) not without a king," (LS inops II.A.β). In this version of Athenian history, their kingless government was going well, because their sense civic virtue restrained the excesses of democratic license (see lines 5-6). In Phaedrus, the state is thrown into turmoil by unrestrained liberty (procax libertas civitatem miscuit).

3  sine lēge nec exlex: "without law but not lawless." A series of oxymorons describes Athenian kingless, yet peaceful, government. 

5  sē sponte coēgit: “controlled itself willingly," > cogo cogere.

6  ob lēgem: “due to (their acceptance of) the law."

6  ēnse: ablative of comparison after fortior.

7  nē libitum faceret: “lest it (i.e. the free plebs) should do whatever is pleasing”; impf. subj. in a negative purpose clause. Libitum is a supine acc. of libet. The negative purpose clause is set up by the clause rēgem plēbs lībera fēcit.

7  rēgem plēbs lībera fēcit: the reference is probably to the rise of the "tyrant" (absolute ruler) Pisistratus, who governed Athens in the mid-6th century BC and was known as a good ruler.

8  et, quae nōn potuit pellere, iussa tulit: "and they tolerated commands which they could not banish." Once they had made Pisistratus absolute ruler, they had to abide by his decisions.

9  lēnīre trucēs: "to placate the fierce (men)," i.e., calm political disputes. Other manuscripts read lenire bonos.

9  nocentēs: "criminals."

10  levanda levāns: "lifting up things that ought to be lifted up," i.e., rewarding merit.

11  Hōs onerat novitās: "the novelty (of this type of government) burdens these men," the Athenians, despite the benign effects of Pisistratus's rule. This will give Aesop the point for his fable about the frogs.

11  cīvēs in lēge novellī: “citizens new under the law,” i.e., under a new law; a transferred epithet.

12  Quod leviter possent: “a thing which they could (endure) lightly,” impf. subj. in a relative clause of characteristic.

12  potuēre: potuērunt.

12-13  Urbem trīste iugum querulā cervīce ferentem Aesōpus tetigit: reorder Aesopus tetigit urbem triste ferentem iugum querula cervice. Iugum is the direct object of the participle ferentem.

12  querulā cervice: “on its complaining neck,” ablative of place where.

13  tetigit: "touched on," "commented on," see above, tangit, line 2. 

15  Cum nihil audēret lūdentēs laedere rānās: “when nothing dared to harm the frolicking frogs" (Pepin). They were living free and easy, like the Athenians under the old democratic regime. 

16  supplicuēre: = supplicavērunt.

16  nē forent: impf. subj. in an indirect command aka substantive clause of purpose (AG 563) after supplicuēre.

17  huic vōtō: “to this wish,” dat. indirect object with rīsum dedit.

17-18  ausa ... rāna: “the frog(s) having dared,” perf. part. dep. nom., singular for plural.

18  sēnsit: “heard," "noticed." 

19  ictū: abl. of means.

20  dēmersit: "submerged," i.e., caused to hide underwater.

21  rediēre: rediērunt.

21  vidēre: vidērunt.

21  tigillum: = trabem.

22  standō procul: “standing far away,” gerund abl. > sto stāre. The use of the ablative gerund in place of the nominative participle (stantēs) is characteristic of medieval Latin. The construction would go on to dominate in Italian and other Romance languages.

22  pertimuēre: pertimuērunt, “they greatly feared,” or “they greatly revered.” 

23  Ut nōvēre: “as soon as they understood that” + indirect statement. ut = ut primum (LS ut II.B.1.a).

23  per sē: “on its own.” 

24  Prō duce: “for a leader.”  

26  hiante gulā: “with his throat gaping open,” i.e., with his mouth gaping open, ablative absolute.

26  obīre:  "to travel through" the lake.

27  lacus: metonymy for all of the frogs in the lake.

27  pie:  "merciful," DMLBS pius 2, an adjective normally applied to God or Christ, not Jupiter.

29  Nōs: direct object of venter sepelit. They are imagining themselves being gobbled up and stuck in the snake’s stomach. 

29  ēsca: nom. pred. with sumus. 

30  caedis opus: “the work of carnage," a poetic phrase perhaps borrowed from Statius, Thebaid 9.5.

30  quiētis opēs: “the riches of peace," i.e., of tranquil political conditions (OLD quies 6).

31  Ille: Jupiter, who, one could imagine, is very fed up with these frogs at this point.

31  refert: "replies," LS refero II.B.3.c.

31  longā prece: ablative of means with ēmptum.

31  ferte: "endure," "put up with."

32  vindicet: “let eternal fear avenge!”  pres. jussive subj. Its subject is eternus metus.

33  Omne bonī pretium: "every value of a good thing," i.e., "the value of every good thing."

33  nimiō in ūsū: lit.” in excessive use,” “by excessive use.” With vilescit. 

34  malī gustū: “by the taste of evil.”

35  quis: = aliquis after si. 

35  quod habēre decet: “what he ought to have,” “what he should have,” direct object of habēre. 

35  sit laetus: pres. subj. jussive, “let him be happy”.

35  habendō: lit., “in having (that),” with the sense of “because he has (that).” Gerund abl.

36  Alterīus non sit: “let him not be another’s,” i.e. let him not belong to another person, politically speaking, as a subject.  Non is used where ne would normally be used with the pres. jussive subj.

36  suus: “his own (master),” politically independent. Nom. pred.