Gesta 41: Codrus rex Atheniensium

You can find more Latin stories at Centum.LauraGibbs.net,
and more Tiny Tales at 100Words.LauraGibbs.net.

Centum Verba: Codrus Rex Atheniensium

Codrus, rex Atheniensium, contra Doricos pugnaturus, congregavit exercitum et super eventu belli consuluit Apollinem. Cui responsum est quod aliter non vinceret nisi ipse gladio interiret hostili.

Dorici, hoc audito, dixerunt ne quis laederet Codrum. 

Codrus, mutato regis habitu, arma accepit et exercitum penetravit. Miles Doricus lancea eum usque ad cor penetravit, et sic per mortem suam populum suum de manibus inimicorum suorum liberavit. 

Tandem de morte eius factus est planctus magnus ex utraque populi parte.

Sic Iesus Christus sciens quod genus humanum non posset redimi nisi ipse moreretur, venit in bello contra diabolum, mutans habitum suum quando naturam humanam assumpsit.

image source

Notes: You can find this story in Valerius Maximus, and I've included that Latin text with a translation below. There is an English version of the Gesta story in Swan: Of the Conquests and Charity of Our Lord.

Here is the full version from the Gesta (I've included just the start of the allegorical part):

Cosdras imperator Atheniensium contra Dorenses pugnaturus congregavit exercitum, et super eventu belli consuluit Apollinem. Cui responsum est quod aliter non vinceret, nisi ipse gladio interiret hostili. Dorenses hoc audito dixerunt ne quis laederet corpus regis Cosdri. Quod postquam Cosdras cognovit, mutato regis habitu arma accepit et exercitum penetravit. Quod videns unus militum cum lancea eum usque ad cor penetravit et sic per mortem suam populum suum de manibus inimicorum suorum liberavit. Tandem de morte ejus factus est planctus magnus ex utraque populi parte.

Carissimi, sic dilectus dominus noster Iesus Christus consulto deo patre quod genus humanum non posset redimi, nisi si ipse moreretur, venit pugnaturus in bello isto contra diabolum. Et scies quod agnosceretur, mutavit habitum suum quando naturam humanam assumpsit.

Here's a 15th-century manuscript illustration from the Speculum humanae salvationis:

For comparison, here is Valerius Maximus:

Rex Atheniensium Codrus, cum ingenti hostium exercitu Attica regio debilitata ferro ignique vastaretur, diffidentia humani auxilii ad Apollinis Delphici oraculum confugit perque legatos sciscitatus est quonam modo tam grave illud bellum discuti posset. respondit deus ita finem ei fore, si ipse hostili manu occidisset. quod quidem non solum totis Athenis, sed in castris etiam contrariis percrebruit, eoque factum est ut ediceretur ne quis Codri corpus vulneraret. id postquam cognovit, depositis insignibus imperii famularem cultum induit ac pabulantium hostium globo se obiecit unumque ex his falce percussum in caedem suam conpulit. cuius interitu ne Athenae occiderent effectum est.

Here is Samuel Speed's 17th-century translation of Valerius Maximus: 

The King of the Athe∣nians, Codrus, when he saw his Territories wasted and invaded by vast numbers of his Enemies, despairing of humane assistance, sent to the Oracle of Apollo, and by his Embassadors desired to know, which way he might avoid that terrible War. The God returned for answer, that it would be ended when he fell by his Enemies hand. Which was not only spread about among his own People, but in the Camp of the Ene∣my: who thereupon commanded that not a man should touch the body of Codrus. Which when the King understood, he threw off his Royal Robes, and in a servile Habit threw himself into the midst of a Squadron of the Enemy, that were out a forraging, and wounding one of them with a scythe, provoked the souldier to kill him; by whose Death Athens escaped ruine. 

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Update to the Perdix story: Thanks to a reader for writing to ask about sources for this partridge legend; I completely forgot to include that information here. This story about the partridge forms part of the bestiary tradition (there is a lot of overlap between bestiary lore and the animals in the Gesta), and that bestiary tradition emerges from Roman natural history writers like Pliny. More information and references here at the wonderful bestiary.ca site: Perdix. You can read the Latin text of Pliny here. Even better: this is an actual animal behavior; more about that at Wikipedia: Distraction Display.
 

Gesta 36: Perdix et Venator

You can find more Latin stories at Centum.LauraGibbs.net,
and more Tiny Tales at 100Words.LauraGibbs.net.

Centum Verba: Perdix et Venator

Perdix habens pullos, sciens venatorem appropinquare nido, ut venatorem retrahat a pullis, venit prope venatorem et fingit se posse non volare. Venator insequitur paulatim; illa volat, et ipse post illam vadit, et sic semper facit donec elongatus est a pullis; et sic decipitur venator, quod nec perdicem nec pullos habet.
Venator est bonus Christianus, qui victum et vestitum cum labore acquirit. Sed mundus hominem non libenter sustinet; homo mundi vanitatem sequitur, et mundus illum ab amore dei et bonis operibus elongat. Deinde mors illum subtrahit a saeculo, et manet ille miser deceptus quia non habet mundum nec fructum bonorum operum.

(Wikimedia)

Notes: There is an English version in Swan: The Course of Human Life. The story is about a philosopher and a king, with the philosopher teaching the king about the meaning of life. The philosopher makes a long (LONG) speech, and it contains two exempla: one is the story of the mother bird and her chicks with its moralization (that's what I included here), and the second exemplum is the story of Alexander's horse Bucephalus. Since the story about the mother bird was so short, I was able to include the allegorical moralization, which might surprise you: instead of the mother bird being a positive exemplum, the focus is on the hunter, with the mother bird standing for the material world!

Update: Thanks to a reader for writing to ask about sources for this partridge legend; I completely forgot to include that information here. This story about the partridge forms part of the bestiary tradition (there is a lot of overlap between bestiary lore and the animals in the Gesta), and that bestiary tradition emerges from Roman natural history writers like Pliny. More information and references here at the wonderful bestiary.ca site: Perdix. You can read the Latin text of Pliny here. Even better: this is an actual animal behavior; more about that at Wikipedia: Distraction Display.

Here is the full version from the Gesta:

Perdix habens pullos suos, sciens venatorem appropinquare nido, ut venatorem retrahat a pullis, venit prope venatorem et fingit se posse non volare; quod venator credens esse verum, insequitur paulatim. lila volat, et ipse post illam vadit sperans illam capere, et sic semper facit, donec elongatus est a pullis; et sic decipitur venator, quod nec perdicem nec pullos habet.

Sic est de mundo. Venator, qui nido pullorum appropinquat, est bonus Christianus, qui victum et vestitum et alia cum labore acquirit. Sed mundus hominem non libenter sustinet, tali applaudit et simulat, ac si sequi velit, et semper cum honore manere; quod videns homo saepe ab operibus bonis recedit et mundi vanitatem sequitur, et tunc mundus illum ab amore dei et bonis operibus elongat. Deinde mors illum subtrahit a saeculo, et manet ille miser deceptus, quia non habet mundum, quem sequebatur, nec fructum bonorum operum, a quibus elongatur. Ecce quomodo mundus suis servitoribus reddit mercedem. Et hoc est, quod dicit Jacobus: Totus mundus in maligno positus est. Omne, quod est in mundo, aut est superbia vite et reliqua.

Gesta 28: Vetula et canicula eius

You can find more Latin stories at Centum.LauraGibbs.net,
and more Tiny Tales at 100Words.LauraGibbs.net.

Centum Verba: De uxore casta

Miles nobilem uxorem castam et decoram habebat. Ad peregrinandum perrexit, et uxor domi remansit. 

Iuvenis militis uxorem ardenti amore coepit amare, et saepe illuc ibat, sed nihil valuit: domina casta per omnia eum sprevit. 

Quodam die iuvenis dolens ac tristis obviam habuit vetulam sanctam reputatam quae causam eius tristitiae quaesivit. Iuvenis omnia narravit, et vetula ait, "Cum Dei adiutorio te curabo."

Vetula ista caniculam habebat, et panem sinapi confectum ei dedit; prae amaritudine oculi caniculae lacrimabantur.

Tunc ad domum dominae castae perrexit.

Domina caniculam lacrimantem respexit et admirabatur.

Vetula ei ait, "Haec canicula erat filia mea, casta nimis et decora. ...

Centum Verba: De vetulae filia

... Iuvenis quidam eam vehementer adamavit, sed adeo casta erat ut omnino sperneret eius amorem. Tantum dolens prae dolore, iuvenis mortuus est, pro qua culpa Deus convertit filiam meam in caniculam, sicut tu vides." 

Domina exclamavit, "Heu me! Simili modo me quidam iuvenis diligit et pro amore meo infirmatur." 

Vetula haec audiens ait, "Carissima domina, noli amorem iuvenis spernere ne forte et tu muteris in caniculam sicut filia mea."

Ait domina vetulae, "Bona matrona, adiuva me! Nolo in caniculam mutari! Rogo ut iuvenem ad me ducas."

Vetula perrexit et iuvenem secum duxit; cum domina dormivit, et sic per vetulam adulterium commisit.

illustration from Steinhowel's Aesop

Notes: You can find this story in Petrus Alphonsi and, as a result, it also appears in Steinhowels Aesop and its imitators in the section of stories taken from Petrus Alphonsi. There is an English version in Swan: Of the Execrable Devices of Old Women, and you can read William Caxton's English translation of the version in Petrus Alphonsi here: it has a cat instead of a dog!

Here is the full version from the Gesta:

Imperatrix quaedam erat, in cujus imperio erat quidam miles, qui nobilem uxorem et castam atque decoram habebat. 

Contingit quod miles ad peregrinandum perrexit, sed prius uxori dixerat, "Nullum custodem ultra tibi dimitto, quia satis credo quod non indiges." Parato comitatu abiit, uxor vero caste vivendo domi remansit. 

Accidit semel quod precibus compulsa cujusdam suae vicinae epulandi causa domum suam egrederetur, quo peracto ad propria remeavit. Quam quidam juvenis aspectam ardenti amore coepit amare et plurimos nuntios ad eam direxit cupiens ab illa quantum ardebat amari. Quibus contemptis eam penitus sprevit. 

Die vero se omnino contemptum videns adeo dolens efficitur quod infirmabatur. Saepe tarnen illuc ibat, sed nihil ei valuit eo quod domina per omnia eum sprevit. 

Accidit quodam die, quod versus ecclesiam perrexit dolens ac tristis, et obviam habuit quandam vetulam in proposito sanctam reputatam. Quae cum juvenem tristem vidisset, causam tantae tristitiae ab eo quaesivit. 

At ille, "Quid prodest mihi tibi narrare?"

At illa, "Carissime, quamdiu infirmus abscondit a medico suam infirmitatem, non poterit curari. Ideo ostende mihi causam tanti doloris! Cum Dei adjutorio te curabo."

Juvenis cum hoc audisset, ostendit ei, quomodo dominam dilexit. 

Ait vetula, "Perge cito ad domum tuam, quia infra breve tempus te curabo."

Hiis dictis juvenis ad domum perrexit et vetula ad propria remeavit. 

Vetula ista quandam caniculam habebat, quam duobus diebus jejunare coegit et die tertia panem synapi confectum caniculae jejunanti dedit. Quem cum gustasset, prae amaritudine oculi ejus lacrimabantur tota die. 

Tunc vetula ad domum dominae perrexit cum canicula, quam juvenis dilexit tantum. Statim a domina est honorifice suscepta eo quod reputabatur sancta. 

Dum autem adinvicem sederent, domina parvam caniculam lacrimantem respexit, admirabatur multum et quaesivit causam. 

Ait vetula, "Carissima amica, noli quaerere, quare lacrimatur, quia tantum dolorem habet, quod vix poterit tibi intimari."

Domina vero magis ac magis instigabat ut diceret. 

Cui vetula, "Haec canicula erat filia mea, casta nimis et decora, quam juvenis quidam vehementer adamavit, sed adeo casta erat ut omnino sperneret ejus amorem, unde juvenis tantum dolens prae dolore mortuus est, pro qua culpa Deus convertit filiam meam in caniculam, sicut tu vides." His dictis incepit vetula flere dicens, "Quotiens filia mea recolit, quod tarn pulchra puella erat, et modo est canicula, flet et consolari nequit, immo omnes ad fletum excitat prae nimio dolore."

Audiens haec domina intra se cogitabat, "Heu me! Simili modo me quidam juvenis diligit et pro amore meo infirmatur." Et totum processum vetulae narravit. 

Vetula haec audiens ait, "Carissima domina, noli amorem juvenis spernere, ne forte et tu muteris in caniculam sicut tilia mea, quod esset damnum intolerabile."

Ait domina vetulae, "Bona matrona, date mihi sanum consilium ut non sim canicula."

Quae ait, "Cito pro illo juvene mitte et voluntatem suam sine ulteriori dilatione facias."

At illa, "Rogo sanctitatem tuam ut pergas ad eum et tecum ducas. Scandalum enim posset esse, si alius ad eum accederet."

Cui vetula, "Tibi compacior et libenter tibi eum adducam."

Perrexit et juvenem secum duxit, et cum domina dormivit. Et sic per vetulam domina adulterium commisit.

Gesta 20: De Rege et Puero

You can find more Latin stories at Centum.LauraGibbs.net,
and more Tiny Tales at 100Words.LauraGibbs.net.

Centum Verba: Conradus Rex

Conradus regnavit, et quidam comes, iram regis metuens, cum uxore in silvam fugit. 

Dum in silva venaretur, Conradus in comitis tugurium advenit, nescius, nocte superveniente. 

Eadem nocte, comitis uxor filium peperit.

Conradus vocem audivit: "Accipe, accipe, accipe." Expergefactus a somno, cogitabat "Quid signat ista vox?" et statim obdormivit. 

Secunda vice audivit vocem: "Redde, redde, redde." Tremefactus est valde. "Quid est hoc?" Iterum obdormivit. 

Tertia vice audivit vocem: "Fuge, fuge, fuge, O rex! Hic puer gener tuus erit." Commota sunt omnia viscera regis. 

Mane surgens, duos armigeros ad se vocavit. "Parvulum auferte," imperavit, "et, per medium scindentes, cor eius mihi apportate." 

Centum Verba: Henricus Puer

Regis armigeri, conterriti, de gremio matris puerum rapuerunt,  sed, misericordia moti, in arbore reposuerunt ne a feris devoraretur, et, leporem scindentes, cor leporis regi detulerunt. 

Dux in silva transiens puerum vagientem audivit. Dum filium non haberet, puerum uxori attulit. Suum genitum fingentes, puerum Henricum vocaverunt. 

Henricus corpore pulcher erat, ore facundus et omnibus gratiosus.

Rex, cum videret ducis filium omnibus gratiosum, dubitare coepit ne post se regnaret et ne iste sit quem occidi mandaverat. Volens esse securus, reginae litteras manibus suis scripsit: "Mox ut istas litteras receperis, nuntium hunc necabis," et, Henricum ad se vocans, ei imperavit litteras reginae perferre.

Centum Verba: Regis Litterae

Henricus, ad reginam pergens, in ecclesia hospitatus est. 

Dum quiesceret, sacerdos, curiositate ductus, eius bursam aperuit. Litteras legens, scelus abhorruit. Radens subtiliter regis verba "Nuntium hunc necabis," scripsit "Filiam nostram in uxorem nuntio dabis." 

Cumque regina istas litteras legisset, regis sigillo munitas et de manu eius scriptas, nuptias celebravit et filiam Henrico in uxorem dedit.

Dum regi narraretur quod nuptiae filiae suae celebratae essent, obstupuit, sed, veritatem ab armigeris et duce et sacerdote comperiens, ordinationi Dei resistendum non esse vidit, sicut vox dixerat: "Hic puer gener tuus erit." 

Henricum igitur suum generum esse approbavit et post in imperio regnare instituit.

Pixabay

Notes: This folkloric motif dates back to ancient times, with the story of Bellerophon who was the bearer of a message that called for his own death. There is an English version of the Gesta story in Swan: Of Tribution and Anguish.

Here is the full version from the Gesta:

Conradus regnavit, cujus tempore erat quidam comes nomine Leopoldus, qui, iram regis metuens, cum uxore sua in silvam fugiens, in quodam tugurio latitabat. 

In qua silva memorata dum caesar Conradus venaretur nocte superveniente, in eodem tugurio ipsum oportuit hospitari. Cui hospita paregnans vicina existens partui decenter, ut potuit, stravit et necessaria ministravit. 

Eadem nocte mulier filium peperit et Caesar vocem audivit dicentem: "Accipe, accipe, accipe." Expergefactus ipse a somno totusque timidus et tremefactus ait intra se, "Quid signat ista vox: Accipe, accipe, accipe? Quid debes accipere?" cogitabat et statim obdormivit. 

Et ecce secunda vice audivit vocem dicentem ad ipsum: "Redde, redde, redde." Caesar expergefactus a somno contristatus est valde et ait inter se, "Quid est hoc? Primo audivi: Accipe, accipe, accipe, et nihil accepi; modo dicit: Redde, redde, redde. Quid debeo reddere, ex quo nihil accepi?" Caesar iterum incepit dormire. 

Et ecce tertia vice audivit vocem dicentem sibi: "Fuge, fuge, fuge, Conrade! Hic puer primogenitus gener tuus erit." Caesar vero cum talia audisset, commota sunt omnia viscera ejus. 

Mane vero surgens, duos armigeros suos secretarios ad se vocavit, dicens, "Ite et parvulum illum de manibus matris violenter auferte et ipsum per medium scindentes cor ejus mihi apportate." Conterriti euntes de gremio matris puerum rapuerunt, quem videntes elegantissimae formae misericordia moti ipsum super quandam arboris superficiem, ne a feris devoraretur, reposuerunt, et leporem scindentes, cor ejus Caesari detulerunt. 

Eodem die dum quidam dux inde transiret et puerum vagientem audiret, ipsum in gremio suo private nullo sciente accepit, et, dum filium non haberet, uxori attulit et nutriri eum fecit et a se et uxore sua genitum fingens, Henricum vocavit. 

Cum puer jam crevisset, erat corpore pulcher nimis, ore facundus et omnibus gratiosus. Quem cum tam decorum et prudentem vidit Caesar, a patre petiit, et in curia sua manere fecit. Sed cum videret puerum omnibus gratiosum et ab omnibus commendari, dubitare coepit, ne post se regnaret, et ne iste sit, quem occidi mandaverat. Volens igitur esse securus, litteras manibus suis scriptas uxori dirigit in hunc modum, "In quantum est tibi cara vita tua, mox ut istas litteras receperis, puerum hunc necabis."

Dum vero pergens in quandam ecclesiam hospitatus fuisset et super bancum quiesceret, et bursa, in qua erat littera, dependeret, sacerdos curiositate ductus, bursam aperuit et, legens, scelus abhorruit, et radens subtiliter, ubi dicebatur "Puerum hunc necabis," scripsit "Filiam nostram in uxorem ipsi dabis." 

Cumque regina istas litteras legisset et regis sigillo munitas videret et de manu imperatoris scriptas esse cognosceret, convocatis principibus nuptias celebravit, et suam filiam eidem in uxorem dedit; quae nuptie Aquisgrani celebratae sunt. 

Dum autem Caesari Conrado narraretur, quod solemniter nuptiae filiae suae essent celebratae, ille obstupuit, et cum a duobus armigeris et duce et sacerdote veritatem comperisset, ordinationi Dei resistendum non esse vidit, et ideo pro puero mittens eum esse suum generum approbavit et post in imperio regnare instituit.

Gesta 24: De Paradiso Ficto

You can find more Latin stories at Centum.LauraGibbs.net,
and more Tiny Tales at 100Words.LauraGibbs.net.

Centum Verba: De Paradiso Ficto

Magus erat qui habuit ortum pulcherrimum, in quo erant tot flores redolentes, tot fructus suaves, tot divitiae et deliciae quod valde delectabile fuit ibi esse. 

Hunc locum numquam volebat ostendere, nisi fatuis et inimicis suis. Et cum essent introducti, viderunt tot et tanta gaudia, quod mirabantur et instanter quaerebant, ut in illo poterant manere. 

Ille vero nulli consentiebat, nisi qui hereditatem ejus ei concederet. Fatui vero credebant quod esset paradisus in quo semper deberent permanere, et ei hereditatem illorum concesserunt. 

Magus vero de nocte surgebat, et eos dormientes invenit et occidit, et sic per ortum istum quasi infinita mala perpetravit.

(Tresco Abbey Gardens)

Notes: You can find this story in Sir John Mandeville (see below). There is an English version in Swan: Of the Suggestions of the Devil. Normally I include the full version from the Latin Gesta, but this story was only 103 words to start with; I just had to remove a few words to make it fit! So, instead of the Latin Gesta here, I'll include the version of this same legend in The Voyage and Travels of Sir John Mandeville (online at Project Gutenberg).

90. Of a rich man in Prester Johan's lande named Catolonapes and of his gardeine. IN an yle of Prester Johans land yt men call Miscorach, there was a rich man yt was called Catolonapes, he was ful rich & had a fair castel on a hil & strong, & he made a wal all about ye hill right strong & fayre, within he had a faire gardeine wherein were many trees bearing all maner of fruits yt he might find, & he had planted therein al maner of herbes of good smel and that bare flowers, & ther wer many faire wels, & by them was made many hals & chambers wel dight with gold & asure, & he had made there dyverse stories of beastes and birds yt song & turned by engin and orbage, as they had been quick, & he had in his gardeine al thing that might be to man solace & comfort, he had also in that gardeine maydens within ye age of xv yeare, ye fairest yt he myght find, & men children of the same age, & they were clothed with clothes of gold, & he sayd that they were aungels and he caused to be made certain hils, & enclosed them about with precious stones of Jaspy & christal & set in gold & pearls and other maner of stones, and he had made a coundute under ye earth, so that when he wold ye walls ran somtime with milke, somtime with wine, somtime honey, & this place is called Paradise & when any yong bacheler of ye countrey, knight or sqyer, cometh to him for solace and disport, he ledeth him into his paradise & sheweth them these things, as the songs of birds & his damosels and wels, & he did strike diverse Instruments of musyke, in a high tower that might be sene, and sayde they were the aungels of God, & that place was Paradise, that God hath graunted to those that beleved, when hee sayde thus, Dabo vobis terram fluentam lac & mel. That is to say, I shall giue you land flowing with mylk and hony. 

And then this rych man dyd these men drinke a maner of drinke, of which they were dronken, & he said to them if they wold dye for his sake & when they were dead they shold come to his paradise, and they should be of the age of those maydens, and shold dwell alway with them, and he shold put them in a fayrer paradise where they shold se god in his joy, and in his majesty & then they graunted to do that he wold, and he bad them go and sleay such a lord, or a man of the countrey that he was wroth with, and that they should haue no dread of no man and if they were slaine themselfe for his sake, he shold put them in his paradise when they were dead. 

And so went those bachelers to sleay great lordes of the countrey, & were slaine themselfe in hope to haue that Paradise, and thus was he avenged of his enimies through his desert, and when rich men of the countrey perceived this cautell and malice and the will of this Catolonapes, they gathered them to gither & assayled the castel & slew hym & destroyed all his goods and his faire places and riches that were in his paradise, and the place of the wales are there yet, and it is not long ago since it was destroyed.

A Journey Through Mandeville's Travels