43: De Equo et Asino

The Horse and the Donkey

A proud, fancily-equipped war-horse is slowed down in a narrow street by a donkey hauling a heavy load. The horse yells abuse at the donkey, which the donkey silently endures. Later, the war-horse, seriously injured in battle, is reduced to hauling a cart himself, now emaciated and stripped of all his finery. The donkey taunts him, asking where his former pride has gone. The high and mighty should not behave arrogantly to their social inferiors, since the powerful can sometimes become wretched.

Other versions:  Perry 565. Prose Romulus 52, pp. 166-72 Thiele.

1  falerīs: the breast collar and other trappings of a horse. Always plural. Ablative with gaudet. 

1  frēnō sellāque: abl. of cause with superbit.

2  ista ... arma: acc. pl., the items mentioned in the previous line.

2  quidem: "in fact," explaining the previous line.

3  vīcus artus: “a narrow street,” too narrow for the horse to pass. The donkey is slowing the horse down. For vīcus = "street," see DMLBS vicus II. 

4  vexat: the subject is onus, the direct object asellum.

4  onus: probably a cart, given what happens later (line 14).

4  tardat ... eundō: “hinders (the donkey) from going” any faster. Eundō is the gerund > eī īre.

4  tantus: this is the reading of the Wolfenbüttel manuscript as edited by Wright, which makes much better sense than natus, printed by both Foerster and Busdraghi. Pepin translates natus labor as "natural toil," which seems very strained.

5  Quod: "because."

5  sibi: the horse, reflexive because this whole clause is considered to be inside the inclamat clause, of which the horse is the subject.

5  claudit: "is blocking." The donkey is the subject.

5  asellō: dat. with inclāmat.

5  sonipēs: a poetic way to refer to a horse, literally “the noisy-hoofed one."

6  dominō ... tuō: dative with occurris. A very arrogant statement.

6  vīlis: "cheap," i.e., "of low rank or status" (DMLBS vilis 3), a highly insulting term.

7  Vix: "scarcely," "reluctantly," as if the horse had the full legal right to inflict punishment, but manages just barely, to restrain himself. More ludicrous arrogance, with an implied threat of violence which the donkey fully understands (see minīs in line 9 and mīnās in line 10).

7  dē tantī crīmine fastūs: “for the crime of such haughtiness.” Obvious arrogant distortion of the situation. The donkey was minding his own business.

8  cui via danda fuit lībera, dignus eram: order: dignus eram cui lībera via danda fuit. Walter's order throws emphasis on dignus eram.

8  dignus: "deserving," emphatic. The adjective is followed, as often, by a relative clause describing what the subject is the sort of person to deserve. In this case "I was (and am) the sort of person who deserved (and still does deserve, based on my social status) to be made way for." "You should have gotten out of my way." 

8  cui via danda fuit lībera: “to whom a free way ought to have been given,” passive periphrastic. Cui is a dative indirect object, rather than dative of agent, as the context makes clear.

9  supplicat: "bows to," "submits to" (rather than "beseeches," the normal meaning of the verb).

9  nūtat: a physical sign of submission.

9-10  silendō / tūtior: “safer by keeping quiet," gerund > sileō silēre.

10  et surdā praeterit aure minās: order: et praeterit minās surdā aure. "And he passes by the threats with a deaf ear," i.e., by ignoring the threats and simply moving out of the way.

11  dēclīnat: "declined," historical present (AG 469), as normal in these fables. As the Prose Romulus versions make clearer, the scene has shifted and some time has passed.

11  vincere certat: supply bellō.

13  falerīs, frēnō ... honestō: ablative of separation with prīvātur.

14  assiduō iugō: abl. of means with premit. 

14  raeda cruenta: nom. subject. The wagon is bloody because it has been eating into the horse's back.

15  tergum acuit: “sharpens his back.” i.e., makes his bones protrude.

15  ulcerat armōs: “makes his shoulders sore.” 

16  in ... iocōs: = iocārī, "to say in jest," "to mock." 

17  sōdēs: parenthetical, “if you please,” = sī audēs, a bit of mock politeness.

17  sella nītēns: “shining saddle.” 

18  ille nitor: “that sheen,” his formerly glossy coat and fancy tack. Note the call back to line 2 aureus ... nitor.

20  gradūs: “stride.” Modified by ēlātōs. His stride has changed as he’s suffered and aged.  

21-22  Stāre diū ... sufficit: "are sufficient to stand for long," i.e. "reliably endure for a long time," as the horse's experience shows.

21  nec vīs nec honor nec fōrma nec aetās: subjects of sufficit. Polysyndeton for emphasis. 

22  plūs ... placent: "are more pleasing," causing arrogant attitudes like that of the horse.  

23  sociōsque minōrēs: "lower class associates." The horse and the donkey will now be running in the same circles.

24  det:  jussive subjunctive. The donkey imagines the mockery will continue for a good long while.

25  Pennātīs ... bonīs: “winged (i.e., fleeting) goods," like those just mentioned; dat. after crede.

25-26  tē nūlla potestās / in miserōs armet: “let no power rouse you against wretched people,” pres. jussive subj.