The Vatican Mythographers

Second Mythographer

second mythographer n 1. Where Fable Got Its Name. Poets gave a name to fables from fando, ‘‘speaking,’’ since they are not deeds that have been done, but only invented in speech. Thus, they were introduced so that a certain representation of the life of human beings might be recognized in the conversations of imaginary dumb animals among themselves. Tradition has it that Alcmaeon of Croton first invented fables, and they are only called Aesopic because he practiced this art among the Phrygians. Moreover, fables are either Aesopic or Lybistic .1 They are Aesopic when the dumb animals are imagined to have conversed among themselves, or things converse that do not have a soul, such as cities, trees, mountains, rocks, and streams. They are Lybistic when it is imagined that there is verbal communication of men with beasts or of beasts with men. Poets invented certain fables for the sake of amusing; they expounded certain ones that pertain to the nature of things and some pertaining to the morals of human beings. Those invented for the sake of amusing are the kind that men commonly tell, or such as Plautus and Terence composed . Men invented fables pertaining to the nature of things. The lame Vulcan story is an example, since by nature fire is never perfectly straight. Men invented fables such as that three-shaped beast the Chimaera : a lion above, a serpent below, a she-goat in the middle.2 Through this they wanted to distinguish the ages of men, whose early youth is wild and rough, like a lion; whose half-way point in life is most perspicuous , like a she-goat, because it sees most sharply; then old age, subject to constant misfortunes, like a serpent. So also they invented the fable of the Hippocentaur, that is, a man mingled with a horse, to represent the swiftness of human life, since it is well known that a horse is very swift. Men invented fables pertaining to morals, such as in Horace when a mouse speaks to a mouse and a weasel speaks to a little fox, so that after the story has been made up according to what is done, the true meaning 101 102 the second mythographer is given. So too are such fables of Aesop concluded with a moral, as also in the Book of Judges. There the woods sought a king for themselves and spoke to the olive and the fig and the vine and the bramble. Certainly, this entire story is invented according to morals, so that after the story has been made up, it arrives at the point intended in its true meaning. Demosthenes the orator also used a fable against Philip, who demanded that the Athenians hand over ten orators to him and he would leave their country. Demosthenes made up this fable to dissuade them: once upon a time, a wolf wanted to beguile the attentiveness of the shepherds. He urged them to join him in friendship, but on this condition, that the dogs, the cause of their strife, would be handed over under the law to the wolves. In hope of security, the shepherds agreed and gave the dogs, whom they had as the most watchful guardians of their sheep. Then, with all fear removed, the wolves tore to pieces everything that was in the shepherds’ flocks, not only for their satiety, but really for their pleasure . The leaders of the people asked Philip how much more easily he also could overpower a city deprived of its guardians. 2. On the Different Names of the Gods. Those whom the pagans revere and call gods are said to have been men once, and they began to worship them after death because of their way of life or the merits of each one. Examples include Isis in Egypt, Jupiter on Crete, Juba among the Moors, Faunus in Latium, Quirinus among the Romans, Minerva among the Athenians, Juno on Samos, Venus on Paphos, Vulcan on Lemnos, Liber on Naxos, Apollo in Delphi. Indeed, poets took up their praises and transported them to the heavens in the poems they composed. Moreover, the gods were named after their deeds, such as Mercury, since he presides over merchandise, and Liber, who presides over liberty. Also, statues were set up to certain brave men or founders of cities. When they died, those who loved them did this so that they might have some solace...