Waltey

Prevod

A farmer, while digging trenches in his vineyard, lost his mattock and began asking whether one of the farmhands there had stolen it. They all denied it, and, not knowing what else to do, he took them all into town to make them swear an oath. For people suppose that the simple-minded gods live in the country, while those within the city walls are the true gods and see everything. As they entered the gates, they set down their bags and washed their feet at a fountain. Just then a herald proclaimed a reward of a thousand coins for information about sacred objects stolen from the god’s temple. Hearing this, the farmer said, “What a wasted journey! How could a god know who stole from anyone else when he cannot even identify his own thieves, but offers a reward to find out whether any mortal knows?” One should distrust those who promise what is beyond their power.

Izvirnik

Ἀνὴρ γεωργὸς ἀμπελῶνα ταφρεύων καὶ τὴν δίκελλαν ἀπολέσας ἀνεζήτει, μὴ τῶν παρόντων τήνδʼ ἔκλεψεν ἄγροικος. ἠρνεῖθ’ ἕκαστος· οὐκ ἔχων δʼ ὃ ποιήσει, εἰς τὴν πόλιν κατῆγε πάντας ὁρκώσων· τῶν γὰρ θεῶν δοκοῦσι τοὺς μὲν εὐήθεις ἀγροὺς κατοικεῖν, τοὺς δʼ ἐσωτέρω τείχους εἶναί τʼ ἀληθεῖς καὶ τὰ πάντʼ ἐποπτεύειν. ὡς δʼ εἰσιόντες τὰς πύλας ἐπὶ κρήνης τοὺς πόδας ἔνιζον κἀπέθεντο τὰς πήρας, κῆρυξ ἐφώνει χιλίας ἀριθμήσειν μήνυτρα σύλων, ὧν ὁ θεὸς ἐσυλήθη. ὁ δὲ τοῦτʼ ἀκούσας εἶπεν· ,,ὡς μάτην ἥκω! κλέπτας γὰρ ἄλλους πῶς θεός γʼ ἂν εἰδείη, ὃς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ φῶρας οὐχὶ γιγνώσκει, ζητεῖ δὲ μισθοῦ, μή τις οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων;“

Ὅτι χρὴ ἀπιστεῖν τοῖς ὑπισχνουμένοις ὧν οὐκ εἰσὶ δεσπόται.

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