Βαυκίς και Φιλήμων

Zeus was a curious god and used to come down to earth to test the hospitality of its inhabitants. Because he did it openly and people knew he was a god, he was received with respect and admiration.

However, one day his curiosity reached the limit and he wondered if he would be welcome among men if he did not prove his true identity. In this way, he went on the adventure, but first he invited his son Hermes and he accepted.

They disguised themselves as humble travelers who just wanted a place to rest for a while. The first house they found was a very large and handsome one, but they refused entry on the pretext that it was not an inn.

The second house they found on the way looked like they were having a party, so they went to ask the host if they could join them for a while. The gentleman refused them entry and did not allow them to see anything, with the excuse that they were celebrating his daughter's wedding.

While they were walking with no destination in mind, because they were already tired and only receiving insults due to their appearance, they came across a small house that seemed to be falling to pieces. They decided to knock on the door.

When they opened the door, they found an elderly couple, Philemon and Baucis. This couple saw the condition and desperation of their guests and invited them to come to their house and rest for a while. Although that place was very humble, the couple offered the few things they had, such as soup, homemade drink and something else.

As Philemon was pouring the drink into his guests' glasses, he noticed that there was no more to drink, so he apologized to the guests saying that he could offer them nothing more. Suddenly, Zeus snapped his fingers and the vessel was filled with drink again. The couple were surprised and realized that they had two great gods as guests in their humble home.

Grateful for the couple's hospitality, Zeus granted them one wish. The elders said they wanted to die together when their time came. Zeus made it happen: first he flooded the city where they were not treated well, and then he created a temple dedicated to him, where they could spend the rest of their days together, until the day it was their turn to depart for the land of the shadows

Although many more years passed, the day came and the wish came true. Strolling hand in hand through the temple gardens the couple began to transform into trees as their roots intertwined. Philemon spoke his last words: "Farewell, my love." 

Explained by M. Vilademunt

Νῖσος καί Εὐρύαλος

The story unfolds during the war with the ancient inhabitants of Latium. Nisos and Euryalos were sent by Aeneas to go and find help. Aeneas gave the order that, when the enemies attacked them, they had to hide. A goddess named Juno warned Turn, the leader of the enemies, that Aeneas had left his companions. Then Turn decided to attack them, while Nisos and Euryalos hid.

The enemy soldiers were so convinced of their victory that they even fell asleep after getting drunk. Nisos and Euryalos decided to go into the enemy camp to kill as many soldiers as they could. Amidst the sleeping enemy bodies, they enjoyed themselves as they finished off their unsuspecting enemies until the reinforcement soldiers arrived.

Nisos and Euryalos began to run into the forest looking for a way to preserve life. In the midst of the chaos, Euryalos got lost and was captured by the soldiers, who began to surround him. When Nisos realizes that his beloved Euryalos is missing and surrounded by enemies, he starts running towards him to protect him. From the darkness he manages to shoot an arrow with his bow.

Even so, the enemies corner Euryalos and threaten him with death. Afterwards, Nisos comes to the light to defend his companion, but it is too late, since his beloved has been killed by Volscent (an enemy general). Imbued with fury Nisos rushes towards the enemies killing Volscent. With great effort he reaches where the corpse of his lover lies and embraces it under a cloud of enemy swords.

Explained by R. Aragón

Δευκαλίων καί Πύρρα

One very remote day the gods of Olympus decided to send a universal flood to wipe out all humans. All this species kept offending the gods and they considered that they had to eliminate them and build a new humanity, except for Deucalion and Pyrrha, the only ones who retained worship of the gods.

When the water level rose Deucalion and Pyrrha were in the sea in a very small boat, but out of danger. They reached Mount Etna, the only place that was not underwater.

Jupiter was worried, as only two innocents out of so many thousands of men had survived. Deucalion and Pyrrha built a temple to honor the gods. When they were already inside the temple, they saw a deity, who ordered them to cover their eyes. Because of loneliness both one and the other asked the gods to inflict the same punishment (death) or to give them more people.

The deity gave them some stones and told them to throw them back and so humanity would return. From the stones that Deucalion threw back men were born. From the stones that Pyrrha threw women were born. In this way, humanity was born from which we all come.

Explained by A. Catalá

Πύραμος και Θίσβη

Pyramus and Thisbe were neighbors who were in love with each other. Even so, due to the fault of their families they could not see each other. This made his desire increase more and more.

One day they found a wall through which they could see each other and talk. In one of these meetings they decided to escape at night and be able to see each other. They stayed in a mulberry tree. Thisbe went out first and arrived at the place agreed upon with Pyramus, who had not yet arrived. While Thisbe was waiting, she managed to see a lioness returning from hunting, covered in blood. She approached the lake to drink water and Thisbe took the opportunity to flee to a cave to protect herself from the lioness. Even so, in the middle of the flight the veil fell from her head. Then the lioness took him and left him destroyed with bites and covered in blood.

Shortly afterwards Pyramus arrived and found the veil covered in blood. Pyramus felt helpless at the thought that his lover had been killed by the lioness while she had been waiting for him. So great was his sense of guilt that he decided to stab himself with a dagger to end his life.

A few minutes later Thisbe came out of the cave and went to where they had agreed to meet. Without any trace of life she found the body of her dead lover. Since not even death could separate them, she stabbed herself with the same dagger and accompanied her beloved to the world of shadows.

Explained by I. Calvet

Ἠχώ και Νάρκισσος

Echo was a forest nymph. He really liked to chat and talk. One day, Echo distracted Hera a lot and Zeus took the opportunity to sleep with other women. Hera was very angry with Zeus and punished Echo by forbidding him to speak; she could only repeat the end of the sentences she heard. Echo was ashamed and locked herself in a cave.

In the same forest lived a very handsome boy. When I was little, a fortune teller said I would die if I saw you in a mirror; therefore he never knew of his own beauty. One day while walking, he came to the cave where Echo had been hiding. She saw him and fell in love with him at first sight, but she didn't dare to talk to him.

Narcissus got used to that route where he always walked. One day when Eco saw him, he started chasing him until Narcís noticed. Very angry he asked her what she was doing chasing him and she couldn't speak well. Echo asked the animals for help, who told Narcissus everything: that she loved him and that she was completely in love with him.

Narcissus laughed at her, and Echo went straight to her cave from which she never came out. They say she was so sad that she turned to stone. A Greek goddess punished Narcissus by making him very thirsty and go to a lake. When he saw his image reflected in the water, he wanted to hug her and fell into the water, where he drowned.

Explained by A. Matinyan

Φαέθων

Phaeton was the son of the Greek god Helios, and during an Olympic table, his friends began to waver at him, questioning his divine condition. He, completely outraged, went to complain to his father Helios, who offered to give him whatever he wanted to calm him down.

Phaethon thought he needed a revenge that would end all doubts forever. Therefore, he asked his father to let him drive the chariot of the sun for a single day. Helios was not very amused because he knew that Phaethon was not ready to guide the chariot of fire.

Despite this, Phaethon prepared to ride the chariot of fire in front of a crowd of followers. He took off the carriage with force and after a few minutes the horses ran wild, panicking Phaethon, who could not control them.

First it rose very high, causing the land to freeze, and then descended too low, causing fires and droughts that scorched the land. Finally, with no other option Helios had to intervene and threw one of his rays at the chariot to stop it. Phaeton fell from the chariot and drowned in the river Eridanus. Because of this his friends ended up transforming into swans, and his sisters crystallized in the amber tears of the poplars that were near the river.

Explained by S. Garzón

Περσεύς και Ἀνδρομέδα

Andromeda was the daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus, kings of Ethiopia. Cassiopeia angered the gods by claiming that she was more beautiful than the Nereids, nymphs of astonishing beauty in the Mediterranean Sea. To punish her, the gods sent a sea monster, called Cetus, to cause a thousand misfortunes to her people, unless they gave Andromeda in sacrifice.

Andromeda was finally chained to some rocks by the sea, where she would have been devoured by the sea monster Cetus. Even so, at the last moment Perseus arrived on his winged horse Pegasus. He removed Medusa's head from her magic handbag, rescued Andromeda and flew away on Pegasus. He brought her back to his parents and, as a reward, they gave him the hand of Andromeda to be his bride.

Over the years, Perseus and Andromeda married and had seven famous children.

Explained by M. Shamiram

De Socratis apologia

Bonum exemplum Graecum de faciunda oratione ad capiendam beneuolentiam omnium praesentium prima sententia apologiae Socratis scripta a philosopho Graeco Platone est:

Ὅτι μὲν ὑμεῖς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πεπόνθατε ὑπὸ τῶν ἐμῶν κατηγόρων, οὐκ οἶδα·

Quae sunt meliores orationes?

Cum quisquis de fabulis Graecis Latinisque cogitat, putare eas magnas pulcherrimasque esse potest, aut etiam ut haec fabulae inspiratae in aliis fabulis ex Aegypto, Babilonia multisque urbibus sunt. In hoc opere poteris legere aliqua exempla de comparationibus inter has fabulas, ut in fabula Urani, quae similaris est ad aliam ex Babilonia, in qua principalis persona -appellata Anu- etiam deus caeli est.

De uiro tito paruo et femina formosa

Estne certum quod amantes possunt ire ad lunam sine suis cordibus? Haec fabula de amore inter Mucium et Pirham tractat, duo amantes qui non faciebant amorem nisi infra lucem lunae ementes mala essent...

Mucius in forum ad inuocandum Cupidinem it quia puellam quae habitat quadam domu magna amat, sed illa magnum numerum pecuniarum habet! Igitur, necesse est Muccio audire huius uocem dei. Noster uir formosus inuocat deum Cupidinem dicens: "Oh Dei, opus est mihi ut audias uocem meam! Puellam quae appellatur Pirha amo. Haec tam formosa quam tua mater Venus est! Semper malum secum fert. Sua labra, cors corpusque possunt ducere quemdam non propter, sed procul mare. Qua de causa, mihi opus est ut ea me in breue tempore amet. Oh Dei Cupido, tibi hanc piram ad te laetum faciendum dono. Gratias tibi ago!" 

Iste nescuit Cupidinem fuisse in foro ambulantem et cantantem: "Sum unus deus qui amorem amicis et odium inimicis dat! Nescio quid facere possum nunc..." Tunc Cupido audiuit uocem Mucii inuocantis. Deus supra mortalem adiit et dixit: "Oh Muccii, tibi auxilium in hoc amore dabo, sed iubeo tibi ire ad templum Veneris et dare osculum Foedo (seruo crassisimo foedissimoque). Tace et perge ad illum!" Mucius tacet et progreditur. Tunc, autem, Cupido dixit: "Non omnis moriar inter amantes!". 

Pugna ultra eadem uitam

Subito sed, Iuppiter, pater eius (secundum illos, nam alii e Venere natus dicunt), de domu Olympica ad capiendam aliam mulierem descenditus profugusque uxore sua videt eum interrogatque: “Τί ποιεῖς εν ταύτῃ πολεῖ, φίλε;”. “O carissime pater, in hac fabula non licet Graece loqui, sed oportet ἀλλήλοις demus vocabula Latina”. “Igitur, cur ἀλλήλοις et non inter nos dixisti? Ad nullum usum est disputatio deorum! 

Qua de causa dixisti numquam moriturus?” “Cum ad hoc veni, istum mortalem iuvam meam poscendem putantemque me posse iuvare eum aspixi, sed pauci sciunt ut amor formosior est cum iidem humani pro hoc pugnant. “Sed quid facias postremo?” “Quod facimus cum Ariadna manebat in litore super saxa cupiebatque adire cum illo uiro qui suae patriae sine illa pergit: nihil, tantum σκοπεῖν αὐτοὺς. Dum ii dei inter se loquebantur, sciens iuvam dei non habeturum suo amori, Mucius progreditur ad forum tam currens quam potuit, sed paulo ante intrandum ad forum Piram per fores aedificii cum cutre in manibus exeuntem et fundentem eum in sua vestimenta aspicit. 

Lacrimae possedunt suos oculos ac magna cruor bracchia cruraque eius. Cadit super uiam, sine ui, sine aere in pectore. Et quasi anima eius exit e suo corpore per labra cum audiuit notam uocem: “Cur desinis”, inquit Ἀφροδίτη, “et non conaris pugnare pro illo?” “O mater Cupidinis, multa conatus sum, sed haec omnia sine frumentu. Quo usque tandem abutere, dea cara, amore meo?” “ Non sine motu dei agunt res, uide quam ad te nunc progreditur, care”.