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Leo et Equus

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Scroll down to find: Overview, Study Guide, Verse, Audio, and Segmented Prose Text

The story of The Lion and the Horse is a poem from a medieval Romulus (rhymed). It is written in the Goliardic meter. You can find this poem, Romulus 2.9, along with other fables from the Romulus collections, at the aesopica.net website. The Perry number for this fable is Perry 187. You can see a 1501 woodcut illustration for this fable at the University of Mannheim website. Sometimes this story is told about a lion and a horse, and other times the story is told about a wolf and a donkey. You can find translations of both versions in Aesop's Fables, by Laura Gibbs (Oxford University Press, 2003).

   Use this Study Guide to organize your learning activities.

Here is the poem in verse form:

Equus nuper pascuis     suis incedebat,
Ad quem, dolum simulans,     Leo veniebat,
Qui se fore medicum     prudentem promebat.
Haec ideo dixit, quod Equum mactare volebat.

Equus, ut insidias     Leonis videbat,
Falsi curam medici     cautus capiebat.
Dum medelam sumeret,     cogitans studebat
Qualiter insidias mortis vitare valebat.

Nimis, inquit, gaudeo     te talem tenere
Medicum, qui valeas     morbos amovere.
Succurrens quam totius,     rogo, miserere
Atque mei morbi causas accede videre.

Me currentem contigit     spinam percalcare,
Quae dum pedem transiit,     coepi claudicare.
Veni tanto vulneri     medelam donare,
Ut possim sanus tibi praemia multa parare.

Leo curans pedibus     Equi residebat.
Huc illuc inspiciens     caput submittebat.
Equus eius capiti     pedes feriebat,
Et totum pectus cum vertice conquatiebat.

Fugit Equus saliens,     cum Leo iaceret
Gravi pressus vulnere,     dicens plus valeret
Quod apertus afforet     hostis quam lateret
Insidiis plenus, nec pignus amoris haberet.

The following version puts the words in a more prose-like order so that it will be easier for you to read:

Equus nuper incedebat pascuis suis.	Additional grammar commentary to be added... meanwhile, if you have questions, use the Comments? Questions? Suggestions? link at the top or bottom of this page if you have a query. You might also want to look at these Tips on Using Segmented Texts.
Ad quem, dolum simulans, Leo veniebat, qui promebat se fore medicum prudentem.
Haec ideo dixit, quod volebat Equum mactare.
Equus, ut insidias Leonis videbat, cautus capiebat falsi medici curam.
Dum medelam sumeret, cogitans studebat qualiter insidias mortis vitare valebat.
Nimis, inquit, gaudeo te tenere talem medicum, qui valeas morbos amovere.
Rogo, miserere atque accede videre mei morbi causas, succurrens quam totius.
Contingit me currentem percalcare spinam, quae dum pedem transiit, coepi claudicare.
Veni donare medelam tanto vulneri, ut sanus possim parare tibi praemia multa.
Leo residebat, curans pedibus Equi.
Huc illuc inspiciens, caput submittebat.
Equus pedes feriebat eius capiti, et totum pectus cum vertice conquatiebat.
Saliens, Equus fugit, cum Leo iaceret, pressus gravi vulnere,
dicens: plus valeret quod afforet apertus hostis quam lateret plenus insidiis, nec haberet pignus amoris.

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