gesta romanorum 116 – de unicornu et puteo et peccatore

Gesta Romanorum 116 de unicornu et puteo et peccatore Barlaam narrat, quod peccator est similis homini, qui, cum timeret unicornem, cecidit in baratrum. Dum autem caderet, arbustulam quandam apprehendit manibus, quae de fundo ascendebat, et aspiciens inferius vidit ad pedem arboris puteum taeterrimum et draconem horribillem arborem cingentem et eius casum ore aperto exspectantem. Duobus autem muribus, quorum unus erat albus et alter niger, arborem incessanter corrodentibus in radice sensit eam vacillare. IV quoque viperae albae a base, in qua pedem fixerat, procedentes totam foveam flatu suo mortifero toxicabant. Elevans autem oculos vidit exitum mellis de ramo arboris distillare oblitusque periculi, in quo undique positus erat, dulcedini illius se totum dedit. Quodam autem amico eius porrigenti sibi scalam, ut egrederetur, melle delectatus distulit et cadente arbore cecidit in os draconis, qui descendens in puteum ibi eum devoravit. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 apprehendō, ere, endī, ēnsum – to grab, take hold of arbustus, a, um – adj – filled with trees baratrum, ī – n – abyss, underworld Barlaam – indec m – Barlaam basis, is – f – pedestal, base corrōdō, ere, ōdī, ōsum – to chew (to bits) dēlectō (1) – to delight dēvorō (1) – to swallow, devour distillō (1) – to drip dracō, ōnis – m – dragon dulcēdō, dinis – f – sweetness ēlevō (1) – to raise exitus, ūs – m – exit, departure fīgō, ere, fīxī, fīxum – to fix, pierce flātus, ūs – m – breeze, breath fovea, ae – f – pit fundus, ī – m – bottom horribillis, e – adj – dreadful, terrifying incessanter – adv – incessantly mel, mellis – n – honey mortifer, era, erum – adj – deadly, fatal mūs, muris – m – mouse oblīvīscor, ī, oblītus sum – often + gen to forget peccātor, ōris – m – sinner porrigō, ere, rēxī, rēctum – to stretch out, extend puteus, ī – m – well, pit quod – conj – that rādīx, īcis – f – root rāmus, ī – m – branch scāla, ae – f – ladder, stairs (pl) taeter, tra, trum – adj – foul, offensive toxicō (1) – to (smear with) poison ūnicornis, e – adj – one horned vacillō (1) – to sway, stagger vīpera, ae – f – viper 1. similis – complement for this adjective in dative; this whole story is about the hominī, quī… cum – when; with imperfect subjunctive timēret ūnicornem – apparently a metaphorical representation of death 2. arbustulam quandam – some tree; quam + dam, m become n quae – the tree 3. puteum…dracōnem – not the object of ad; note lack of conjunction between pedem and puteum 4–5. Duobus…rādīce – a very long ablative absolute 5. arborem – direct object of corrōdentibus eam – the tree; subject of vacillāre 6. in quā – refers to the base prōcēdentēs – refers to the vīperae 7. ēlevāns – refers to the man; takes a direct object exitum mellis – a spot of honey; not quite literal though 8. oblītus – refers to the man; complement in genitive illīus – its; refers to the honey 8–9. quōdam…scālam – another huge ablative absolute 9. sibi – reflexive, refers to the man, not his friend distulit – 3rd sing. perfect of differō cadente arbore – ablative absolue 10. quī – the dragon eum – the man

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Yet another of the Gesta Romanorum noted for students. As always the Dickinson 1,000 are left out of the glossary.As always, this isnʻt just some clever tale, but a moral tale. To spell things out, the man is mankind; the unicorn is death; the pit is hell; the tree is life; the mice are day and night; the dragon is death; the four snakes are the four humors; the honey is the sweetness of sin; the dragon is the devil; and the friend is Jesus. If thatʻs not enough medieval imagery for you, I canʻt meet your needs.

TRANSCRIPT

Gesta Romanorum 116 de unicornu et puteo et peccatoreBarlaam narrat, quod peccator est similis homini, qui, cum timeret unicornem, cecidit in

baratrum. Dum autem caderet, arbustulam quandam apprehendit manibus, quae de fundo

ascendebat, et aspiciens inferius vidit ad pedem arboris puteum taeterrimum et draconem

horribillem arborem cingentem et eius casum ore aperto exspectantem. Duobus autem muribus,

quorum unus erat albus et alter niger, arborem incessanter corrodentibus in radice sensit eam

vacillare. IV quoque viperae albae a base, in qua pedem fixerat, procedentes totam foveam flatu

suo mortifero toxicabant. Elevans autem oculos vidit exitum mellis de ramo arboris distillare

oblitusque periculi, in quo undique positus erat, dulcedini illius se totum dedit. Quodam autem

amico eius porrigenti sibi scalam, ut egrederetur, melle delectatus distulit et cadente arbore

cecidit in os draconis, qui descendens in puteum ibi eum devoravit.

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apprehend, ere, end, nsum to grab, take hold ofarbustus, a, um adj filled with treesbaratrum, n abyss, underworldBarlaam indec m Barlaambasis, is f pedestal, basecorrd, ere, d, sum to chew (to bits)dlect (1) to delightdvor (1) to swallow, devourdistill (1) to dripdrac, nis m dragondulcd, dinis f sweetnesslev (1) to raiseexitus, s m exit, departurefg, ere, fx, fxum to fix, piercefltus, s m breeze, breathfovea, ae f pitfundus, m bottomhorribillis, e adj dreadful, terrifying

incessanter adv incessantlymel, mellis n honeymortifer, era, erum adj deadly, fatalms, muris m mouseoblvscor, , obltus sum often + gen to forgetpecctor, ris m sinnerporrig, ere, rx, rctum to stretch out, extendputeus, m well, pitquod conj thatrdx, cis f rootrmus, m branchscla, ae f ladder, stairs (pl)taeter, tra, trum adj foul, offensivetoxic (1) to (smear with) poisonnicornis, e adj one hornedvacill (1) to sway, staggervpera, ae f viper

1. similis complement for this adjective in dative; this whole story is about the homin, qu

cum when; with imperfect subjunctive timretnicornem apparently a metaphorical representation of

death2. arbustulam quandam some tree; quam + dam, m

become nquae the tree3. puteumdracnem not the object of ad; note lack of

conjunction between pedem and puteum45. Duobusrdce a very long ablative absolute5. arborem direct object of corrdentibuseam the tree; subject of vacillre

6. in qu refers to the baseprcdents refers to the vperae7. levns refers to the man; takes a direct objectexitum mellis a spot of honey; not quite literal though8. obltus refers to the man; complement in genitiveillus its; refers to the honey89. qudamsclam another huge ablative absolute9. sibi reflexive, refers to the man, not his frienddistulit 3rd sing. perfect of differcadente arbore ablative absolue10. qu the dragoneum the man