Neomon Grece vocatur bestia, ut Ysidorus dicit, eo quod odore suo et salubria ciborum et venenosa produntur. De quo Dracontius ait:
Predicit suillus vim cuiuscumque veneni.
Suillus a setis est appellatus, quia setas pro pilis habet in corpore. Hec bestia serpentes persequitur. Que cum adversus aspidem pugnat, caudam erigit, quam aspis maxime observat quasi minantem. Ad quam cum vim suam transfert aspis deceptus a bestia corripitur.
- Translation
- Vocabulary
- Notes
Concerning the neomon. The beast called neomon by the Greek language, as Isidore says, because both the health and the venom of its food are recognized by its own smell. Of which Dracontius said:
the swine-like animal predicts the strength of whatever venom.
The (one) called swine-like by its bristles, because it has bristles on its body instead of hair. This beast attacks serpents. When this beast fights against a snake, it raises its tail, which the snake certainly observes (the tail) as if threatening. When the snake shifts its strength to which (the tail), having been deceived it is snatched up by the beast.
appello, appellare, appellavi, appellatus 1 call; address; name
aspis, aspidis f. asp; viper
cauda, ae f. tail
corripio, corripere, corripui, correptus 3 snatch up; seize; grasp
cuiuscumque adv whatever, whoever
erigo, erigere, erexi, erectus 3 raise; erect; lift up
mino, minare, minavi, minatus 1 threaten; menace
pilus, i m. hair
praedico, praedicere, praedixi, praedictus 3 predict; warn; foretell
prodo, prodere, prodidi, proditus 3 recognize; reveal; uncover; bring forth
quasi adv. as if; as though
seta, ae f. bristle; coarse hair
suillus, suilla, suillum adj. swine-like
transfero, transferre, transtuli, translatus 3 shift; transfer; transport; carry across
Neomon: noun, also known as ichneumon in the Greek language, name for mongoose.
Grece: Graece, noun, refers to the Greek language, not the Greek people or culture.
Ysidorus: name, referring to Isidore of Seville, a scholar and Archbishop from Spain
Eo… odore… suo: ablative of means
Dracontius: name, referring to Blossius Aemilius Dracontius, a poet from Carthage
Pro: translated in this instance as “instead of”
Hec: haec
Que: quae but basically meaning haec
Cum: translated both times in this passage as “when” because it is not paired with an ablative
Minantem: acc, present active participle, referring to the tail of the mongoose