24: De lupo et sue

The Wolf and the Sow

A wolf attempts to convince a pig to let him watch over her newly born litter so that she might rest. The pig sees through this ploy and sends the wolf away, and the moral emphasizes that the cautious behavior of the pig is one the reader should emulate.

Other versions: Perry 547

1  Vult lupus ut pariat mātūrum sūcula fētum: order: lupus vult ut sūcula pariat mātūrum fētum.

2  gregis: “litter,” obj. gen. after curam.

2  cūram ... habēre: "to care for." In Phaedrus (Appendix 19.2) the wolf offers to act as midwife.

3  Hāc cūrā careās: jussive subj. + abl.: "may you lack this care," i.e., "don't trouble yourself." 

3  ministrēs: “that you serve,” pres. subj in a noun clause after nolo.

4  vīscera: can imply that the pig is having a visceral reaction to the wolf or that even the piglets inside her are “shuddering” at the wolf’s pretended service.

5  Ī: 2nd sing. imperative > īre.

5  ut liceat mihi: “so that I may," purpose clause.

7  Prō nātīs nātūra iubet timuisse parentem: order: nātūra iubet parentem timuisse prō nātīs. Substitution of the perfect infinitive (timuisse) for the present infinitive (timēre) is not uncommon and metrically convenient.

8  fīne datō verbīs: “an end having been given to the words,” ablative absolute.

9  Tempore nōn omnī nōn omnibus omnia crēdās: order: crēdās nōn omnia omnibus nōn omnī tempore. "You should not entrust all things to all people on not every occasion." The word order emphasizes the negated words omnī and omnibus. Credo = "to consign to the custody or protection of, commit, entrust" + acc. + dat. (OLD credo 1).

10  Quī: “(He) who.”

10  crēditur: "is believed to be," i.e. "is," playing on the different senses of crēdō.