Gesta Romanorum 23 de basilisco et speculo

Alexander regnavit, qui dominium totius mundi obtinuit. Accidit semel, quod grandem

exercitum collegit et quandam civitatem obsedit; qui in eodem loco plures milites et alios sine

aliquo vulnere amisit. Cum vero de hoc admiraretur, philosophos vocavit et ait eis: “Magistri,

quomodo potest hoc esse, quod subito sine vulnere milites mei moriuntur?”

At illi: “Mirum non est. Est quidam basilicus super murum, cuius aspectu milites

inficiuntur et moriuntur.”

Ait Alexander: “Et quale remedium est contra basiliscum?”

Cui dixerunt: “Optimum ponatur speculum elevatum intra exercitum et murum, ubi est

basiliscus; et cum basiliscus in speculo respexerit, reflexus eius intuitus ad se ipsum redibit, et

sic morietur.” Et sic factum est.

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admīror (1) – to wonder atAlexander, drī – m – Alexanderaliquō – adv – somewhereaspectus, ūs – m – vision, sightbasilicus, ī – m – basiliskdominium, ī – n – rule, dominionēlevō (1) – to raisegrandis, e – adj – old, greatīnficiō, ere, fēcī, fectum – to corrupt, infectintuitus, ūs – m – gaze, look

mīrus, a, um – adj – wonderfulobsideō, ēre, sēdī, sessum – to lay siegeobtineō, ere, uī, tum – to have, getphilosophus, ī – m – philosopherquod – conj – thatreflectō, ere, flexī, flexum – to turn back, reflectrēgnō (1) – to ruleremedium, ī – n – cure, medicinespeculum, ī – n – mirror

Title. Basiliscō – The basilisk was a monster whose gaze, like Medusa's, turned people into stone.

1. Alexander – Alexander the GreatAccidit semel, quod… – It happened one time that…; this is

a super medieval way of saying that.2. cīvitātem – city; another Medieval Latin thingquī – still Alexander herein eōdem locō – in the same place; the cīvitās already

mentioned3. Cum vero… – But when…dē hōc – of this; probably ok to ignore the preposition.

admīrārētur – he saw; imperfect subjunctive after cum.4. quod – that5. At illī – add in aiunt.8. Optimum pōnāntur… – The best thing would be to

place…; the literal option is awkward “Let the best mirror be placed…”. It's just not as idiomatic in English.

ubi – on the wall9. ēius – its, the basilisk's; proper use here, but…ad sē – to the basilisk; this shouldn't be reflexive, but it is

because Medieval Latin.