40: De Rana et Bove

The Frog and the Ox

A frog is jealous of the large size of an ox, so she inflates herself. As she continues to try, her son asks her to stop. Increasingly upset at her lack of success, the frog swells so greatly that she bursts. The lesser should not wish to be compared to the greater.

Other versions: Perry 376, Prose Romulus.

1  Aequārī: “to be regarded as equal to," + dat., DMLBS aequare 1.d.

1  tumentī: “to the one swelling (herself up),” pres. ptc. used as a substantive, as below tumentum (3), īrātam (5).

2  prae: "in comparison to," a mostly post-classical and colloquial meaning of the word. 

2  nihil: supply es.

3  meliusque: “better,” but in context clearly “more,” or “larger.” 

3  premit: "stops," i.e., tries to stop (LS premo I.B.10.γ). The son is giving advice. In Phaedrus (1.24) the father asks the son if he is as big as the ox, and the son simply says no.

4  potes: "you can," i.e. "you might," a timely warning that goes unheeded.

7  Cum maiōre minor cōnferrī dēsinat: order: minor dēsinat cōnferrī cum maiōre. 

7  minor: "the smaller (person)," whether in size (as the frog) or (it is implied) social status. One of the prose Romulus versions makes it about wealth: ne pauper divitem imitari studeat ("the poor man should not imitate the rich man").

7  dēsinat:  jussive subj., "should cease."

7-8  sē / consulat: "should look out for himself," "should consider his own best interests." Classical Latin would use sibi rather than sē (LS consulo I.A.2).