HALIEUTICA, V. 543-574 



let the long line go with it and urge on the boat 

 with their oars, following the path of the fleeing 

 Dolphin. But when it is weary and in evil case 

 ^vith grievous pains and struggles on the barbs of 

 iron, then being faint it comes to the surface, its 

 strong limbs weary, raised by the buoyant waves, 

 gasping its last. And the mother never leaves it 

 but always follows with it in its distress and when it 

 rises from the depths, like one who grieves and 

 mourns terribly. You would say you were beholding 

 the mourning of a mother when her city is sacked 

 by the foe and her children are haled away perforce 

 as the spoil of the spear. Even so she in sore grief 

 circles about her wounded child as if she herself 

 were suffering and wounded by the iron. Her other 

 child she falls upon to send it from her path and 

 urgently drives it away : " Flee, my child I for men 

 are foes, no longer friends to us, but they prepare 

 against us iron and capture : now even against the 

 Dolphins they array war, sinning against the truce 

 of the immortal gods and against the concord which 

 formerly we made with one another." So, voiceless 

 though she be, she speaks to her children. And one 

 she turns away to flee afar ; but the other, suffering 

 with it in its cruel suffering, she attends close to the 

 very boat and forsakes it not ; nor could one drive 

 away the mother if he tried either by striking her 

 or by any other form of terror, but along with the 

 child, when it is haled up the unhappy mother is 

 haled up also, till she comes into the hands of the 

 foe. Unkind and surely greatly sinful, these neither 

 have pity upon her when they see her distress nor 

 bend their heart of iron, but, smiting her also with 



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