57: De Institore et Asino

The moral of this fable endorses seeking revenge; an ass wishes for death because he is treated so cruelly by his master. The fable, however, notes that pain might live on beyond death, because the ass’s hide might be used to make small drums, and therefore he will continue to be beaten. The moral then states that man cannot find rest in death, but instead in seeking revenge.

Perry 164

festinus: “in haste”; nom. pred., but also works as adv., “hastily.”  

petit: institor is the subject. 

lucro: “seeks the markets for a profit”; dative of purpose with fora. 

asellō: dative with īnstat.

pressus ... premit: “he pressed him pressed by his burden.”

fuste: “strikes him with a stick”; ablative of means.

nece promittente: “death promising”; ablative absolute.

nece complētā: “but with death having been complete”; ablative absolute.

tonante manu: “with a thundering hand”; ablative of means.

haec ... haec: “this is struck and that,” i.e., the skin as sieve and drum, respectively; nom. subject. The implication is that the donkey will continue to be beaten even after his death, if his hide is turned into a drum. 

Cui: dative with nocet. 

sua vita: nom. subj. of nocet. 

caveat: “let him beware to break life,” i.e., commit suicide; pres. jussive subj with rumpere vitam. 

sibi: dative of disadvantage, “for himself,” and/or dative of possession, “his.” 

Nōn nece, sed meritī iūre: abl.of pl. where with the in understood or abl. of means with quiēscit homō, “not in death, but in deserved justice.”