21: De Attica Terra et Rege

In some manuscripts these fables are split into two segments; 21a and 21b. In others they are presented as two entirely separate fables, and still others present them as one united fable. The opening lines of this fable imply that they are to be taken together as one cohesive story with an inset fable, so we have presented it as such. At the beginning of the fable the Athenians beg for a king until they are ruled by a tyrant. And then Aesop enters the fable, and tells the story of frogs who beg for a king. First Jupiter gives the frogs a stick, but they are soon disenchanted with the king, and beg for another more animated king. In answer to their prayers, Jupiter gives them a snake, who, of course, begins to eat them. The frogs then plead with Jupiter yet again, asking that he deliver them from the snake, but Jupiter only laughs, telling them that he has granted their wishes. The moral of both fables is given at the end, and reminds the reader to be happy with what they have.

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sequi ... et pingere: “in order to follow and depict”; pres. inf. of purpose after nata.

Tangit: “it touches on.” 

quod fugias ... sequaris: “what road you should flee ... or what road you should follow”; pres. subj. in an indirect deliberative question.

rege:, “lacking a king”; ablative of separation after carens. All of the pairs of oxymorons in this section refer to the Athenians. 

absque iugo gessit iugum: “and without a yoke bore a yoke.”

Lībertās: lit., “freedom,” but could be also taken as, “the free state.” i.e. Athens. 

se sponte coegit: “compelled itself willingly” a paradox.

ob legem: “instead of law.”

ense: “stronger than a sword”; ablative of comparison after fortior.

ne libitum faceret: “lest it (i.e. the free plebs) should do whatever is pleasing”; impf. subj. in a negative purpose clause. Libitum is a supine acc. of libet. The negative purpose clause is set up by the clause rēgem plēbs lībera fēcit.

quae: “orders which”; acc. neut. pl. with the ancedent iussa.

levanda ... premenda: “what ought to be raised up ... what ought to be oppressed”; acc. pl. gerundives.

cives ... novelli: “citizens new under the law,” i.e. under a new law; a transferred epithet.

Quod leviter possent: “a thing which they could (endure) lightly”; impf. subj. in a relative clause of characteristic.

potuere: = potuerunt, “they were scarcely able” +inf.; apocope.

pati: “to endure”; pres. dep. inf.

Urbem trīste iugum querulā cervīce ferentem Aesōpus tetigit: reorder Aesopus tetigit urbem triste ferentem iugum querula cervice. Here tetigit has the sense of “arrived at.” Iugum is the direct object of the participle ferentem. 

querula cervice: “on its quarrelsome neck”; ablative of place.

cum auderet: “when nothing was daring”; impf. subj. in a cum circumstantial clause + infintive, laedere. One could also take this as a causal cum clause, “because,” or “since” nothing was daring to harm.” 

supplicuere: = supplicaverunt, “they prayed”; pf. (+ dat.).

ne forent: “that they not to be without a king”; impf. subj. in an indirect command after supplicuere.

huic voto: “to this wish”; dat. indirect object with rīsum dedit.

ausa: “the frog(s) having dared”; perf. part. dep. nom.

in amne sonum: sonum is the direct object of sensit. Lit., “felt a sound in the river.” The implication is that they felt a vibration in the river. 

Iove dante: “with Jupiter giving”; ablative absolute.

ictu: “by the blow”; ablative of means with moto. 

flumine moto: “with the river having been moved”; ablative absolute.

guttura rauca: direct object of demersit. “Submerged their hoarse throats,” i.e. caused them to submerge. 

placato metu: “with their fear having been placated,” “once their fear was placated;” ablative absolute.

rediere: = redierunt, “they returned”; pf. 

videre: = viderunt, “they saw”; pf. 

stando procul: “by standing far away”; gerund abl. of sto

pertimuere: = pertimuerunt. Lit., “they greatly feared,” but works well as, “they greatly revered.” 

Ut nōvēre: novere = noverunt. Ut here has the sense of ut primum, “as soon as they understood that” + indirect statement. 

per sē: “on its own.” 

Prō duce: “for a leader.”  

Iovi: dat. indirect object with fecerunt tertia vota.

hiante gula: “with his throat gaping open,” i.e. with his mouth gaping open; ablative absolute.

lacus: metonymy for all of the frogs in the lake.

Nōs: direct object of venter sepelit. They are imagining themselves being gobbled up and stuck in the snake’s stomach. 

esca: “we are the food”; nom. pred. with sumus. 

caedis: “the toil of slaughter”; gen. after opus.

quietis: “wealth of rest”; gen. after opes.

Ille: i.e. Jupiter, who one could imagine is very fed up with these frogs at this point. 

longa prece: lit., “obtained by long prayer,” but really has the sense of “obtained by many  prayers,” since we know that the frogs prayed to Jupiter multiple times; ablative of means.

vindicet: “let eternal fear avenge!”  pres. jussive subj. Its subject is eternus metus.

Omne bonī pretium: lit., “each value of good,” but works better if you take omne and boni together, “the value of each good”; boni is an objective gen.

nimiō in ūsū: lit.” in excessive use,” but works well as, “by excessive use.” With vilescit. 

malī gustu: “by the taste of evil.”

quis: = aliquis after si. 

quod habēre decet: “what he ought to have,” “what he should have,” direct object of habere. 

sit: pres. subj. jussive, “let him be happy”

habendo: lit., “in having (that),” with the sense of “because he has (that).”; gerund abl.

Alterīus non sit: “let him not be another’s,” i.e. let him not belong to another person.  Non is used where ne would normally be used with the pres. jussive subj.

suus: “able to be his own (master)”; nom. pred.