60: De cive et equite

Fable 60: About a Citizen and a Knight

This fable is about a citizen and a knight who are both doing well under the rule of a king. The knight becomes jealous of the citizen and accuses him of embezzling and challenges him to a duel. The citizen is an older man and looks for a champion to fight in his place. A farmer who works his land represents him. At the end of the fable, the farmer becomes the old man’s heir. This is the longest fable in the collection. 

Perry

1  Cīvis, eques: the two main characters; a citizen and a knight. 

proelia: object of dispēnsat as the verb in this clause. 

Invidiae: take as genitive with fax.

genīs: dat. with perflāta.

Flammīs: abl. of pl. where with in understood because of innata.

honōre senis: honōre is an abl. of cause, “because of the old man’s honor.” i.e. because of the honor given to the old man. 

fīgit: the subject here is the younger man, i.e. the knight. 

trucēs dē cīve susurrōs: “savage whispers about the citizen.” 

crēvit sua cōpia furtīs: “his own fortune has increased from theft(s).” i.e. he has made his money through theft. 

Est: take with recīsa, “has been skimmed off.”  

dē cēnsū tuō: “from your census.” i.e. he’s implying that the citizen has stolen from the king’s treasury. 

gāza: the use of the word gāza here is also a bit loaded, since it can mean “treasure,” but it often means “royal treasury.” Here the gāza belongs to the knight as sua implies, but the word choice and the phrase dē cēnsū tuō tell the reader that the citizen is trying to sow seeds of doubt in the king’s mind. 

manū: abl. of means. The implication is that the knight is offering to duel the old man. 

sua facta fatērī hunc faciam: “I will make it (so) that this one (i.e. the citizen) confesses his own deeds.” Sua facta is in one manuscript, and sua furta in another. But, “confess his own thefts” makes sense too. 

bellō iūdice: abl. abs. 

tūtus: one manuscript has tūtus, “I will be safe.” Another has vērus, “I will be true.”

Cum moveant obiecta senem: concessive cum clause, “although the charges brought against the old man upset the old man.” Obiecta is the subject of moveant with senem as the direct object, but obiecta also takes senem as a direct object. DMLBS obiciere 3. B. 

plūs hunc movet: “upsets him more.” The placement of plūs emphasizes the repetition of movet. 

dēbilis aetās: plūs can also be doing double duty due to its word placement and can be turning dēbilis aetās into a sort of quasi comparative, “weaker old age.” 

seniī crīmine vīsus hebes: “his vision is weak because of the crime of old age.” Crīmine is an abl. of cause. The word choice is a bit unusual as you would expect something like vitium. 

senī: dative with parcunt. 

prō sene: “on behalf of the old man.” 

cui nūllīus odor faenoris: “for whom the stench of no money lending.” i.e. the citizen is not permitted to buy someone to take his place in the fight. A friend has to agree to fight on his behalf. The implication is that he cannot buy a champion, since he has been accused of embezzling. 

Mendīcat pugilem: “he begs for a champion.” 

quī pugnet: relative clause of characteristic. 

vīsō turbine: abl. abs.

et quis amet, quis nōn: take after docet as what is taught.  

meritīs: abl. of means, “with favors.” 

longa diēs: metaphorical for his long life. 

Dē tot amīcōrum populō: “from so great a population of friends.” 

dedī: supply opem as the direct object. 

Rēbar: “I was thinking” + indirect statement. 

pāce: abl. with fruī.

pācī: dative with congruit. 

Hostī meō: dative.  

pepigēre: = pepigērunt. 

arma parum nōvī: “I know weapons a little,” or “I know little (of) weapons.” 

tōtum: adverbial, “entirely.”

armīs: dative with praebuit. 

Est mihi: dative of possession, “I have.” 

eī: dative of possession, “he has.” 

Nīl mihi praebet opem: “in no way does my wealth benefit me.” Further emphasizing the point that the citizen cannot pay a champion. 

nisi: “except.” 

Corporis eclīpsim: “the eclipsing of his body.” i.e. the weakening of his body. 

altī cōpia cordis: “the wealth of a deep (i.e. strong) heart.” 

fragilī manū: abl. of means with peccat. 

Sī turpēs nitidae mendāx īnfāmia vītae īnfīgit maculās: reorder Sī mendāx īnfāmia īnfīgit turpēs maculās nitidae vītae. Infīgit often takes an accusative + dative, “to fix (acc) on (dat)” or “to attach (acc) to (dat).” 

arva novat: “tills the fields.” i.e. he’s a tenant farmer, hence he “knows his fields.” 

est mihi: dative of possession, “I have.” 

inhiant: “are eager.” Literally are standing there with their mouths gaping open, but it works well, as they are eager to fight.  

mente manūque sibi: “each with respect to his own mind and hand.” Mente manūque are abl. of respect. Sibi is a dative of possession. 

Est equitī foedum: “it’s shameful for the knight.” 

quod stet: this is what is shameful for the knight, “that he stand (still).” i.e. that he does not immediately start fighting. He’s eager to go. 

quod pugnet arātor: another thing that is shameful for the knight: “that the farmer fight.” The implication is that this knight is pretty arrogant and does not want to lose to a farmer. He wants to strike the first blow. 

putat vīctum nī cito vincat eum: “he considers that he has been conquered if he does not beat him quickly.” The knight wants to pulverize this farmer as quickly as possible. 

Nīl dē sē retinet virtūs: the dextera prōdiga is the subject of retinet in this clause, “(the knight’s wasteful right hand) retains none of its own virtue.” Virtūs is genitive with nīl.  

oblīta futūrī: agrees with dextera prōdiga. “Forgetful of the future,” or “having forgotten about the future.” The implication is that the knight’s wasteful right hand expends all of his energy early on with no regard for saving any of his strength for the future.  

Ictus ipse: “he himself having struck (himself).” i.e. the knight was in such a fury to hit the farmer that he hit himself in the process. 

suōs: can take both with sterilēs and in ūsūs. This line is heaving reflexive to emphasize how much damage the knight is doing to himself in trying to quickly dispatch the farmer. 

sterilēs expendit: supply opēs from the previous line. 

feriēns hostem sē magis ipse ferit: “striking himself more than he struck the enemy.” A very funny line. Emphasizing how ineffective the knight’s fighting style is. 

dum locus expēnse dētur et hōra sūa: “until his opportunity and his moment very much arises.” lit., “is very much given.”

mōtū fallit: “he dodges.” 

armīs temperat ictus: “he parries.” 

frontis utrumque iubar: subject of praedīcitque minās. “And both of the lights of his forehead.” i.e. “both of his eyes.” 

Dormītāns: “acting as if he is sleepy.” 

cessāns: “acting as if he is hesitant.” 

metuēns: “acting as if he is afraid.” 

notatque locum: “and looks for an opportunity.” 

Haec mora: take crēditur with this clause and then supply esse. “This delay is believed to be.” 

arte: abl. with fruēns.

iners: a clever pun here, since the farmer is “using skill, but seems to be unskilled.” 

vīcisse putāns: “thinking that he has won.”

ab ōre suō: “from his face” or “from his brow” rather than “from his mouth.”

moram nescit: supply esse. “The knight is unaware that it’s only a delay.” 

speculāta: the subject now shifts to the rūstica clāva. i.e. a weapon that the farmer is carrying. 

cubitī nōdum: “the point of his elbow.” i.e. his funny bone.

Huius plāga locī: “a blow of this place.” i.e. “a blow in this place.” i.e. having been struck in the funny bone. 

sēque cadente: abl. abs. “While he himself (i.e. the knight) is falling).” 

sedet: the subject is the farmer. One assumes that he takes a seat because he assumes that he won the duel, but it was seen as bad form to sit down before the duel was officially declared over. The farmer is obviously not aware of this. His simplicitās is invoked in the next line. But then the farmer steadfastly refuses to stand back up unless the knight will stand back up. 

surgere velle: indirect statement governed by negat. 

negat: although the protasis of this clause had a subjunctive verb (surgat), the apodosis has an indicative. Showing that the farmer has no inclination of moving. 

Sedeās: supply si, another mixed condition from the farmer with a subjunctive in the protasis and an indicative in the indicative. 

equitīque morantī: dative with imperat. 

aut surgat aut superātus eat: subj. after imperat, “either to get up or to go away beaten.” 

Haeret eques: “the knight stays put.” 

Pugna cadit: “the fight ends.” 

ōrdō reī: “the situation as it unfolded.” 

Inscīsum nōdā duellum: “tie up this truncated duel.” The implication being that they were robbed of the full duel. 

Dēdecus explānet ille vel ille suum: “the one will reveal his own dishonor or the other will reveal his.” 

Pugna redit: “the fight resumes.” 

velut ante sedēbat: “just as he was sitting previously.”

Dum stāre negās: “as long as you refuse to stand.” 

prōmptus: adv., “immediately.” 

Aut pugnēs aut fuge: subj then imperative, “either you should fight or flee!” 

Surgat: jussive subjunctive.

Caderet, sī surgere vellet: present contrary to fact condition, “if he (i.e. the knight) were wanting to get up (but he doesn’t), he would be struck down.” The implication is that if the knight got up, the farmer would strike him down immediately. 

Tē decet aut illum vīctī sibi pōnere nōmen: “it will be fitting for you or for him to apply the name of the conquered to yourself.” DMLBS pono 14.

turpe ferīre: supply est, “it’s shameful to strike.” 

mihi, tibi: datives with turpe.  

sedendō morī: “to die by sitting down.” 

Parcē: supply me. 

supplicō: supply te. 

Victor, abī: “go away, victor!” 

Laeta novat fortūna: “a happy outcome finds.” 

plūs cōnfert odiō: grātia is the subject, “contributes more than hate.” Plūs is adv. modifying cōnfert. Odiō is an abl. of comparison.  

fraude: abl. of comparison, supply plūs cōnfert.