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The Judgment of Animals in Classical Greece: Animal Sculpture and ...

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Proi5etai de\ kai\ th_n fu~san sfo&dra drimei=an kai\ to_ ou}ron e1xon o)smh&n, dio_ w3sper<br />

oi9 ku&nej o)sfrai/netai tw~n de/ndrwn: ou)rei= ga_r ai1rwn to_ ske/loj w3sper oi9 ku&nej.<br />

<strong>The</strong> lion is a carnivore like all others that are wild <strong>and</strong> saw-toothed. Its manner <strong>of</strong><br />

devour<strong>in</strong>g is violent, <strong>and</strong> it swallows much <strong>of</strong> its food without divid<strong>in</strong>g it up, <strong>and</strong> then<br />

goes without food for two or three days: it can do this because it is over-full. It does not<br />

dr<strong>in</strong>k much. It discharges excrement sparsely: it is voided every other day or at r<strong>and</strong>om<br />

<strong>in</strong>tervals, <strong>and</strong> is dry <strong>and</strong> desiccated like a dog’s. Also the w<strong>in</strong>d that it discharges is very<br />

pungent <strong>and</strong> its ur<strong>in</strong>e has a smell; hence the dogs sniff at the trees, for it ur<strong>in</strong>ates lift<strong>in</strong>g<br />

its leg like dogs.<br />

64<br />

Aristotle, Historia <strong>Animal</strong>ium 606b IV B.C.<br />

Text <strong>and</strong> translation: D. M. Balme, ed., tr., Aristotle XI. History <strong>of</strong> <strong><strong>Animal</strong>s</strong>. Books VII-X<br />

(Cambridge, Mass. <strong>and</strong> London, 1991).<br />

1Eti de\ le/ontej me\n e0n th|~ Eu)rw&ph ma~llon, kai\ th~j 0Eurw&phj e0n tw|~ metacu_ to&pw|<br />

tou~ 0Axelw|&ou kai\ Ne/ssou potamou~ mo&non:<br />

Whereas lions occur more <strong>in</strong> Europe (only <strong>in</strong> fact <strong>in</strong> that region <strong>of</strong> Europe that lies<br />

between the Achelous <strong>and</strong> Nessus), leopards on the other h<strong>and</strong> occur <strong>in</strong> Asia <strong>and</strong> not <strong>in</strong><br />

Europe.<br />

65<br />

Aristotle, Historia <strong>Animal</strong>ium 607a IV B.C.<br />

Text <strong>and</strong> translation: D. M. Balme, ed., tr., Aristotle XI. History <strong>of</strong> <strong><strong>Animal</strong>s</strong>. Books VII-X<br />

(Cambridge, Mass. <strong>and</strong> London, 1991).<br />

gi/netai de\ kai\ a1lla e0k mi/cewj mh_ o(m<strong>of</strong>u&lwn, w3sper kai\ e0n Kurh&nh|<br />

oi9 lu&koi mi/sgontai tai=j kusi\ kai\ gennw~si, kai\ e0c a)lw&pekoj kai\ kuno_j oi9<br />

Lakwnikoi/. Fasi\ de\ kai\ e0k tou~ ti/grioj kai\ kuno_j gi/nesqai tou_j 0Indikou&j, ou)k<br />

eu)qu_j d' a)ll' e0pi\ th~j tri/thj mi/cewj: to_ ga_r prw~ton gennhqe\n qhriw~dej gi/nesqai/<br />

fas<strong>in</strong>. 1Agontej de\ desmeu&ous<strong>in</strong> ei0j ta_j e0rhmi/aj ta_j ku&naj: kai\ pollai\<br />

katesqi/ontai, e0a_n mh_ tu&xh| o)rgw~n pro_j th_n o)xei/an to_ qhri/on.<br />

Other animals too are produced from the mix<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> different breeds, as <strong>in</strong> Cyrene the<br />

wolves mate with the dogs <strong>and</strong> generate young, <strong>and</strong> from fox <strong>and</strong> dog come the Laconian<br />

hounds. <strong>The</strong>y say too that the Indian hounds come from tiger <strong>and</strong> dog, not immediately,<br />

but after the third mat<strong>in</strong>g; for they say the first <strong>of</strong>fspr<strong>in</strong>g is like a savage beast. <strong>The</strong>y take<br />

the bitches to deserted places <strong>and</strong> tie them up; <strong>and</strong> many are devoured, if the wild animal<br />

does not happen to be excited for mat<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

66<br />

Aristotle, Historia <strong>Animal</strong>ium 608a IV B.C.<br />

362

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