46: De Lupo et Vulpe

Here the two villains meet again, but this time the fox is not so honest as in the other fable of the same name. The fox is envious of the prey that the wolf has caught and speaks sweetly to the wolf, trying to score a share for herself. The wolf sees through the fox’s guise and refuses to share his catch. The fox, sorely disappointed, finds the shepherd, and tells him the location of the wolf’s den, so that he can slay the wolf. The fox is then able to devour the wolf’s hoard, but her joy is short-lived, as she falls into a snare but an hour later. The moral of this fable is not unlike the previous fable in cautioning that an envious man will bring harm unto himself.

Perry 568

longo cibo: “from the long food,” an example of transferred epithet since the longo more properly goes with otia; ablative of cause.

tanto tempore: “for so great a time”; ablative of time within which, where we would expect an accusative.

cur ... non fueris: “why you have not been”; perf. subj. in an indirect question set up by mīror.

nequeō nōn memor esse: “I am not able to not be mindful,” i.e. I can’t forget.

vigilet: “let your care stay awake!” “let your care be on guard!”;  pres. jussive subj.

non cesses: “may you not cease”; pres. jussive subj. + inf. (precārī).

ne ... ruat: “pray that my life not be destroyed”; pres. subj. in a noun clause after precari.

Fraude munita: “you, having been armed with fraud”; fraude, abl. of means. Mūnīta, perf. part. nom.

falso melle: “cover with false sweetness”; ablative of means.

dolor: “our abundance is grief”; nom. pred. with cōpia nostra.

tibi: dat. of disadvantage.

furtivam gulam: “a stolen throat,” i.e. a throat intending to steal; transferred epithet.

spreta: “she, having been scorned”; perf. part. nom.

dolori: “suitable to her pain”; dat. after apta.

pecorum ducem: “the leader of the flocks,” i.e. a shepherd.

hīs verbīs: abl. of means. 

mūneris īnstar: “like a gift.” LS instar B 1 𝛃 

sit: “let your thanks be”; pres. jussive subj.

mihi: dat. of advantage

tuto in antro: “in a safe cave”; transferred epithet.

ista: i.e., the fox.

flōret: “is prosperous.” 

ad horam: “up to an hour.”

vīta nocēns: subject of flōret. Transferred epithet. The fox is living a “harmful life,” now that she’s turned in the wolf. 

casse retenta: “she, having been caught by a net”; retenta, perf. part. nom. Casse, abl. of means. 

nocuisse: “to have harmed,”; pf. inf. after impersonal nocet. Note the polyptoton.

mihi ... novivo: “harms harmful me”; dat. with nocet.

iure: “I fall justly”; ablative of manner.

cuius arte: “by whose cunning.” LS ars II. 

Vīvere dē raptō vītam rapit: “to live from plunder plunders life”; vīvere, subject of rapit.

īnstāns alterīus damnīs: “threatening harm of another,” i.e. threatening to harm another. 

alterius damnis … sua damna: synchysis: alterius with sua and damnis with damna; emphasizes the turning of harm of others into self-harm.