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Leo et Pastor

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The story of The Lion and The Shepherd is a poem from a medieval Romulus (rhymed). It is written in the Goliardic meter. You can find this poem, Romulus 2.8, along with other fables from the Romulus collections, at the aesopica.net website. The Perry number for this fable is Perry 563. This fable is best known as the story of "Androcles and The Lion." It was even made into a feature-length Hollywood film: Androcles and The Lion, made in 1952 (based on a play of the same name by George Bernard Shaw). There is a version of this story in prose form here: : Leo et Pastor (prose). You can see a 1501 woodcut illustration for this fable at the University of Mannheim website. You can find a translation of a different version of this fable (based on the medieval Latin writer Ademar) in Aesop's Fables, by Laura Gibbs (Oxford University Press, 2003).

   Use this Study Guide to organize your learning activities.

Here is the poem (click "play" icon for brief audio sample):

Nuper Leo nemora     trux perambulabat
Venandi cupidine,     sed currens calcabat
Spinam pedi transfigens;     unde claudicabat,
Et morbo medicos ex omni parte vocabat.

Quem cum nullus hominum     timens attendebat,
Hic ductus angustia     gressus dirigebat
Ad Pastorem pecorum,     quem procul videbat.
Quem tremens Pastor, terrore timens, fugiebat.

Leo linquens pecora     sequitur Pastorem,
Cauda sibi blandiens     et signans amorem.
Claudi pedis indicat     vulnus et languorem.
Condoluit Pastor, et cernit inesse dolorem.

Qui tandem novaculam     morbo procuravit.
Spinam secans extrahit     et pedem sanavit.
Omnem tergens maculam,     saniem purgavit,
Et Leo sanatus ad propria tecta meavit.

Accidit ut postea     Leo caperetur
Et in amphitheatro     captus clauderetur,
Ut coram principibus     ludens rideretur
Et damnandorum mortis vindex gereretur.

Non multum post talia     Pastor deprensatur
Et convictus crimine    vinclis religatur.
Bestiarum dentibus     praeda praeparatur,
Et Leo praedictus mox ad sibi missa paratur.

Leo, noscens medicum     Pastorem terreri,
Coepit ei protinus     parcens misereri.
Huic abegit bestias,     volens hunc tueri,
Nec permisit eum quoquam laesore moveri.

Custos carcerarius     audit rugientis
Rugitum Leunculi    Pastorem tuentis.
Pastor narrat meriti     casum praecedentis
Atque Leonis ope se salvatum miserentis.

Moralitas.
Rationis regula     recte comprobatur:
Utriusque miserens     uterque salvatur,
Quod suo benefico     quisquis obligatur,
Ut benefactori per nos merces tribuatur.

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

Nuper Leo trux nemora perambulabat, venandi cupidine	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.
sed currens calcabat spinam, transfigens pedi,
unde claudicabat, et, ex omni parte, medicos vocabat morbo.
Cum nullus hominum leonem attendebat, timens, hic ductus angustia, dirigebat gressus ad Pastorem pecorum, quem procul videbat.
Leonem tremens Pastor fugiebat, terrore timens.
Leo, linquens pecora, Pastorem sequitur, cauda sibi blandiens et signans amorem.
Claudi pedi vulnus et languorem indicat.
Pastor condoluit, et cernit dolorem inesse.
Tandem novaculam procuravit morbo, secans spinam extrahit et pedem sanavit.
Omnem maculam tergens, saniem purgavit, et Leo meavit ad propria tecta sanatus.
Postea accidit ut Leo caperetur et, captus, in amphitheatro clauderetur,
ut ludens rideretur coram principibus et gereretur vindex mortis damnandorum.
Non multum post talia, Pastor deprensatur et, crimine convictus, vinclis religatur.
Praeda praeparatur bestiarum dentibus, et Leo praedictus ad sibi missa mox paratur.
Noscens medicum Pastorem terreri, Leo protinus ei parcens coepit misereri.
Huic bestias abegit, volens hunc tueri, nec permisit eum moveri quoquam laesore.
Custos carcerarius audit rugitum rugientis Leunculi tuentis Pastorem.
Pastor narrat casum praecedentis meriti atque se salvatum ope Leonis miserentis.
Moralitas. Rationis regula comprobatur recta:
Utriusque miserens, uterque salvatur,
quod quisquis obligatur suo benefico, ut per nos tribuatur benefactori merces.