The Fables of the Anonymous Brancatian Rhetorician is a title unattested in the standard manuscript traditions and scholarly literature concerning the ancient Greek fable. While attributed to the legendary fabulist Aesop, the designation itself appears to be a modern descriptive label rather than the name of a known ancient collection. The core Aesopic corpus, comprising brief prose tales offering moral and practical wisdom, is preserved primarily through later medieval compilations such as the Collectio Augustana, as well as through the verse adaptations of Babrius and Phaedrus. The themes suggested for this unattested collection, including social criticism, the consequences of folly, and the value of prudence, are entirely consistent with the broader Aesopic tradition. However, the work is not documented among the recognized families of fable manuscripts or recensions, and its historical status and influence remain unverified.
| 1 (t) | ΜΥΡΜΗΞ ΚΑΙ ΤΕΤΤΙΞ μύρμηξ καὶ τέττιξ ἐν ὥρᾳ θερειτάτῃ ὁ μὲν ἐπόνει, ὁ δὲ ᾖδε. καὶ τοῦ μὲν πονοῦντος μύρμηκος οἱ θῖνες καὶ οἱ σωροὶ καὶ θημῶνες ἑωρῶντο πολλοί, τῷ ψάλλοντι δὲ τέττιγι κενεὸς ἦν ὁ πόνος. ἐπεὶ δὲ χειμὼν ἦν καὶ οὐκ ἦσαν λείρια ἄνθη, προσῆλθεν ὁ τέττιξ τῷ μύρμηκι ζητῶν, ᾧ τραφήσεται. ἤρετο δὲ ὁ μύρμηξ τὸν τέττιγα· „ὦ ἑταῖρε, διατί μὴ ἔχεις, ᾧ τραφήσῃ; οὐκ ἐν θέρει συνηγηχόεις τὸ αὔταρκες;“ ὁ δὲ ἀπελογήσατο· „οὐκοῦν, ὦ ἑταῖρε· ἀπησχόλημαι γὰρ τῷ ᾄδειν.“ ἔφη δ’ ὁ μύρμηξ· „νῦν χόρευε καὶ κρότει.“ ΚΥΩΝ ΚΡΕΑΣ ΦΕΡΩΝ Αἴσωπος ὁ μυθοποιὸς τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἀπληστίαν ἀνακόπτειν αἱρούμενος τοιοῦτό τι ἀναπλάττει μυθάριον, ὡς κρεωβόρος κύων κρέας ἡρπακὼς καὶ μήπω τοῦτο κατεδηδοκώς, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν ἔχων ἐμπεπηγὸς παρὰ ποταμὸν ᾔει. |
| 2 (t) | στὰς δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ὄχθης καὶ ἐπικύψας τῷ ὕδατι ἕτερον ἔδοξεν ἑωρακέναι κύνα κρέας ὅμοιον καὶ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος φέροντα. παραυτίκα γοῦν τῇ λαιμαργίᾳ νικώμενος κατὰ τῆς φαινομένης σκιᾶς πλατὺ καὶ λάβρον ἐπέχανε. καὶ ὃ μὲν κατεῖχε κρέας εὐθὺς ἀπώλεσεν ἐμπεσὸν εἰς τὸ ῥεῦμα τοῦ ποταμοῦ, τοῦ δὲ φανέντος κρέως οὐχ ἥπτετο, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἦν ἀληθές. ἔχασκεν οὐκοῦν εἰς μάτην οὐδὲν φέρων, βροτοὶ καθάπερ ἅρπαγές τε καὶ φαγοὶ πάντα προσανάλωσαν ἐξ ἀπληστίας. ΕΡΙΦΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΛΥΚΟΣ ΑΥΛΩΝ ἔριφός ποτε τῶν καιρῶν τῆς οἰκείας ποίμνης χωρισθεῖσα ὑπὸ λύκου ὠμηστοῦ ἐδιώκετο. |
| 3 (t) | ἐπιστραφεῖσα γοῦν ἡ ἔριφος τῷ λύκῳ φησίν· „ὦ λύκε, ἐπεὶ μέλλω 〈σὸν〉 γενέσθαι βρωτόν, ἵνα μὴ ἀδόξως ἐκλίπω τὸν βίον, αὔλησον, ἵνα ὀρχήσωμαι.“ τοῦ λύκου δὲ αὐλοῦντος καὶ τῆς ἐρίφου ὀρχουμένης οἱ κύνες ἀκούσαντες τὸν λύκον ἐδίωκον. ὁ δὲ φεύγων καὶ οἰμώζων ἔλεγεν· „οὐκ ἔδει με τὸν ταλαίπωρον αὐλητὴν μιμεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ πέπονθα δίκαι’ ὄντως, ἃ ἐπεπόνθειν. τοῦ γὰρ αὐλεῖν ἔρωτα ἐσχηκὼς νῦν ὑπὸ κυνῶν ἐκδιώκομαι.“ |