--- title: "On Hunting · Κυνηγετικός" author: "Xenophon" translator: "Edgar Carew Marchant" languages: [grc, en] shelf: "Classical Greek" section: 9 of 13 url: https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-on-hunting/9/ cite: "Xenophon, tr. Edgar Carew Marchant, On Hunting · Κυνηγετικός, section 9. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-on-hunting/9/" --- # On Hunting · Κυνηγετικός *Xenophon, tr. Edgar Carew Marchant* Hunting with hounds, and its training in virtue. > Greek: ed. Edgar Carew Marchant, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0032.tlg014, CC BY-SA 4.0). > English: Edgar Carew Marchant, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0032.tlg014.perseus-eng2). Notes are not included. > Rows follow the references the two texts share (books, chapters and sections), cut where both reach the end of a sentence. ## 9. Chapter 9 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-on-hunting/9/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-on-hunting/9/#p-N [¶0] 1. For hunting fawns and deer use Indian hounds; for they are strong, big, speedy and plucky, and these qualities render them capable of hard work. Hunt the calves in spring, since they are born at that season. > Greek: 1. ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς νεβροὺς καὶ τὰς ἐλάφους κύνας εἶναι Ἰνδικάς· εἰσὶ γὰρ ἰσχυραί, μεγάλαι, ποδώκεις, οὐκ ἄψυχοι· ἔχουσαι δὲ ταῦτα ἱκαναὶ γίγνονται πονεῖν. τοὺς μὲν οὖν νεογνοὺς τῶν νεβρῶν τοῦ ἦρος θηρᾶν· ταύτην γὰρ τὴν ὥραν γίγνονται. [¶1] 2. First go to the meadows and reconnoitre, to discover where hinds are most plentiful. Wherever they are, let the keeper of the hounds go with the hounds and javelins to this place before daybreak and tie up the dogs to trees some distance off, so that they may not catch sight of the hinds and bark, and let him watch from a coign of vantage. > Greek: 2. κατασκέψασθαι δὲ προελθόντα εἰς τὰς ὀργάδας, οὗ εἰσιν ἔλαφοι πλεῖσται· ὅπου δʼ ἂν ὦσιν, ἔχοντα τὸν κυναγωγὸν τὰς κύνας καὶ ἀκόντια πρὸ ἡμέρας ἐλθόντα εἰς τὸν τόπον τοῦτον τὰς μὲν κύνας δῆσαι ἄπωθεν ἐκ τῆς ὕλης, ὅπως μή, ἂν ἴδωσι τὰς ἐλάφους, ὑλακτῶσιν, αὐτὸν δὲ σκοπιωρεῖσθαι. [¶2] 3. At daybreak he will see every dam leading her fawn to the place where she means to lay it. When they have put them down, suckled them, and looked about to make sure that they are not seen, they move away into the offing and watch their calves. > Greek: 3. ἅμα δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὄψεται ἀγούσας τοὺς νεβροὺς πρὸς τὸν τόπον οὗ ἂν μέλλῃ ἑκάστη τὸν ἑαυτῆς εὐνάσειν. κατακλίνασαι δὲ καὶ γάλα δοῦσαι καὶ διασκεψάμεναι μὴ ὁρῶνται ὑπό τινος, φυλάττει τὸν αὑτῆς ἑκάστη ἀπελθοῦσα εἰς τὸ ἀντιπέραν. [¶3] 4. On seeing this, let him loose the dogs, and taking the javelins approach the spot where he saw the nearest fawn laid, carefully observing the positions so as not to make a mistake, since they look quite different when approached from what they seemed to be at a distance. > Greek: 4. ἰδόντα δὲ ταῦτα τὰς μὲν κύνας λῦσαι, τὸν δὲ λαβόντα τὰ ἀκόντια προσιέναι ἐπὶ τὸν νεβρὸν τὸν πρῶτον, ὅπου εἶδεν εὐνασθέντα, τῶν τόπων ἐνθυμούμενον, ὅπως μὴ διαμαρτήσεται· πολὺ γὰρ ἀλλοιοῦνται τῇ ὄψει ἐγγὺς προσιόντι ἢ οἳ πόρρωθεν ἔδοξαν εἶναι. [¶4] 5. As soon as he sees the fawn, let him go close up to it. It will keep still, squeezing its body tight against the ground, and will let itself be lifted, bleating loudly, unless it is wet through, in which case it will not stay, since the rapid condensation of the moisture in its body by the cold causes it to make off. > Greek: 5. ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἴδῃ αὐτόν, προσιέναι ἐγγύς. ὁ δʼ ἕξει ἀτρέμα πιέσας ἑαυτὸν ἐπὶ γῆν καὶ ἐάσει ἀνελέσθαι, ἐὰν μὴ ἐφυσμένος ᾖ, βοῶν μέγα. τούτου δὲ γενομένου οὐ μενεῖ· ταχὺ γὰρ τὸ ὑγρόν, ὃ ἔχει ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ὑπὸ τοῦ ψυχροῦ συνιστάμενον ποιεῖ ἀποχωρεῖν αὐτόν. [¶5] 6. But it will be caught by the hounds if hotly pursued. Having taken it, let him give it to the net-keeper. It will cry out; and the sight and the sound between them will bring the hind running up to the holder, in her anxiety to rescue it. > Greek: 6. ἁλώσεται δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν κυνῶν σὺν πόνῳ διωκόμενος· λαβόντα δὲ δοῦναι τῷ ἀρκυωρῷ· ὁ δὲ βοήσεται· ἡ δʼ ἔλαφος τὰ μὲν ἰδοῦσα, τὰ δʼ ἀκούσασα, ἐπιδραμεῖται τῷ ἔχοντι αὐτὸν ζητοῦσα ἀφελέσθαι. [¶6] 7. That is the moment to set the hounds on her, and ply the javelms. Having settled this one, let him proceed to tackle the rest, hunting them in the same manner. > Greek: 7. ἐν δὲ τούτῳ τῷ καιρῷ ἐγκελεύειν ταῖς κυσὶ καὶ χρῆσθαι τοῖς ἀκοντίοις. κρατήσαντα δὲ τούτου πορεύεσθαι καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄλλους καὶ τῷ αὐτῷ εἴδει πρὸς αὐτοὺς χρῆσθαι τῆς θήρας. καὶ οἱ μὲν νέοι τῶν νεβρῶν οὕτως ἁλίσκονται· [¶7] 8. Young fawns are caught by this method; but big ones are difficult to catch. For they graze with their dams and other deer; and when pursued they make off in the midst of them, or sometimes in front, but rarely in the rear. > Greek: 8. οἱ δὲ ἤδη μεγάλοι χαλεπῶς· νέμονται γὰρ μετὰ τῶν μητέρων καὶ ἑτέρων ἐλάφων· καὶ ἀποχωροῦσιν, ὅταν διώκωνται, ἐν μέσαις, ὁτὲ δὲ πρόσθεν, ἐν δὲ τῷ ὄπισθεν ὀλιγάκις. [¶8] 9. The hinds trample on the hounds in their efforts to defend their fawns; consequently it is not easy to catch them, unless a man gets amongst them at once and scatters them, so that one of the fawns is isolated. > Greek: 9. αἱ δʼ ἔλαφοι τὰς κύνας ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀμυνόμεναι καταπατοῦσιν, ὥστʼ οὐκ εὐάλωτοί εἰσιν, ἐὰν μὴ προσμείξας τις εὐθὺς διασκεδάσῃ αὐτὰς ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων, ὥστε μονωθῆναί τινα αὐτῶν. [¶9] 10. The result of this strain on the hounds is that they are left behind in the first run; for the absence of the hinds fills the creature with terror, and the speed of fawns at that age is without parallel. But they are soon caught in the second or third run, since their bodies are still too young to stand the work. > Greek: 10. βιασθεῖσαι δὲ τοῦτο, τὸν μὲν πρῶτον δρόμον αἱ κύνες ἀπολείπονται· ἥ τε γὰρ ἀπουσία τῶν ἐλάφων ποιεῖ αὐτὸν περίφοβον, τό τε τάχος οὐδενὶ ἐοικός ἐστι τῶν τηλικούτων νεβρῶν· δευτέρῳ δὲ καὶ τρίτῳ δρόμῳ ταχὺ ἁλίσκονται· τὰ γὰρ σώματα αὐτῶν διὰ τὸ ἔτι νεαρὰ εἶναι τῷ πόνῳ οὐ δύναται ἀντέχειν. [¶10] 11. Caltrops are set for deer in the mountains, about meadows and streams and glades, in alleys and cultivated lands that they frequent. > Greek: 11. ἵστανται δὲ καὶ ποδοστράβαι ταῖς ἐλάφοις ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι, περὶ τοὺς λειμῶνας καὶ τὰ ῥεῖθρα καὶ τὰς νάπας, ἐν ταῖς διόδοις καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις πρὸς ὅ τι ἂν προσίῃ. [¶11] 12. The caltrops should be made of plaited yew, stripped of the bark, so as not to rot. They should have circular crowns, and the nails should be of iron and wood alternately, plaited into the rim, the iron nails being the longer, so that the wooden ones will yield to the foot and the others hurt it. > Greek: 12. χρὴ δὲ εἶναι τὰς ποδοστράβας σμίλακος πεπλεγμένας, μὴ περιφλοίους, ἵνα μὴ σήπωνται, τὰς δὲ στεφάνας εὐκύκλους ἐχούσας, καὶ τοὺς ἥλους ἐναλλὰξ σιδηροῦς τε καὶ ξυλίνους ἐγκαταπεπλεγμένους ἐν τῷ πλοκάνῳ· μείζους δὲ τοὺς σιδηροῦς, ὅπως ἂν οἱ μὲν ξύλινοι ὑπείκωσι τῷ ποδί, οἱ δὲ πιέζωσι. [¶12] 13. The noose of the cord to be laid on the crown and the cord itself should be of woven esparto, since this is rot-proof. The noose itself and the cord must be strong; and the clog attached must be of common or evergreen oak, twenty-seven inches long, not stripped of the bark, and three inches thick. > Greek: 13. τὸν δὲ βρόχον τῆς σειρίδος τὸν ἐπὶ τὴν στεφάνην ἐπιτεθησόμενον πεπλεγμένον σπάρτου καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν σειρίδα· ἔστι γὰρ ἀσηπτότατον τοῦτο. ὁ δὲ βρόχος αὐτὸς ἔστω στιφρὸς καὶ ἡ σειρίς· τὸ δὲ ξύλον τὸ ἐξαπτόμενον ἔστω μὲν δρυὸς ἢ πρίνου, μέγεθος τρισπίθαμον, περίφλοιον, πάχος παλαιστῆς. [¶13] 14. To set the caltrops make a round hole in the ground fifteen inches deep, of the same size at the top as the crowns of the traps, but tapering towards the bottom. Make shallow drills in the ground for the cord and the clog to lie in. > Greek: 14. ἱστάναι δὲ τὰς ποδοστράβας διελόντα τῆς γῆς βάθος πεντεπάλαστον, περιφερὲς δὲ τοῦτο, καὶ ἄνωθεν ἴσον ταῖς στεφάναις τῶν ποδοστραβῶν, εἰς δὲ τὸ κάτω ἀμειβόμενον στενότητι· διελεῖν δὲ καὶ τῇ σειρίδι καὶ τῷ ξύλῳ τῆς γῆς ὅσον ἵζεσθαι ἀμφοῖν. [¶14] 15. Having done this lay the caltrop on the hole a little below the surface, and level, and put the noose of the cord round the top. Having laid the cord and the clog in their places, lay spindle-wood twigs on the top, not letting them stick out beyond the circle, and on these any light leaves in season. > Greek: 15. ποιήσαντα δὲ ταῦτα ἐπὶ μὲν τὸ βάθος τὴν ποδοστράβην ἐπιθεῖναι κατωτέρω ἰσόπεδον, περὶ δὲ τὴν στέγην τὸν βρόχον τῆς σειρίδος· καὶ αὐτὴν καὶ τὸ ξύλον καθέντα εἰς τὴν χώραν τὴν ἑκατέρου, τῇ στέγῃ ἐπιθεῖναι δοκίδας ἀτρακτυλίδος μὴ ὑπερτεινούσας εἰς τὸ ἔξω, ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων πέταλα λεπτά, ὧν ἂν ἡ ὥρα ᾖ. [¶15] 16. Next throw some earth on them, beginning with the surface soil taken from the holes, and on top of this some unbroken soil from a distance, in order that the position may be completely concealed from the deer. Remove any earth remaining over to a place some distance from the caltrop; for if the deer smells earth recently disturbed, it shies; and it is not slow to smell it. > Greek: 16. μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο τῆς γῆς ἐπιβαλεῖν ἐπʼ αὐτὰ πρῶτον μὲν τὴν ἐπιπολῆς ἐξαιρεθεῖσαν ἐκ τῶν ὀρυγμάτων, ἄνωθεν δὲ ταύτης γῆς στερεᾶς τῆς ἄπωθεν, ἵνα ᾖ τῇ ἐλάφῳ ὅτι μάλιστα ἄδηλος ἡ στάσις· τὴν δὲ περιοῦσαν τῆς γῆς ἀποφέρειν πόρρω ἀπὸ τῆς ποδοστράβης· ἐὰν γὰρ ὀσφραίνηται νεωστὶ κεκινημένης, δυσωπεῖται· [¶16] 17. Accompanied by the hounds, inspect the traps set in the mountains, preferably at daybreak (but it should be done also at other times during the day), in the cultivated lands early. For in the mountains deer may be caught in the daytime as well as at night owing to the solitude; but on cultivated land only at night, because they are afraid of human beings in the daytime. > Greek: 17. ταχὺ δὲ ποιεῖ τοῦτο. ἐπισκοπεῖν δὲ ἔχοντα τὰς κύνας τὰς μὲν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν ἑστώσας, μάλιστα μὲν ἕωθεν, χρὴ δὲ καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἡμέρας, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἔργοις πρῴ. ἐν μὲν γὰρ τοῖς ὄρεσιν οὐ μόνον τῆς νυκτὸς ἁλίσκονται ἀλλὰ καὶ μεθʼ ἡμέραν διὰ τὴν ἐρημίαν· ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἔργοις τῆς νυκτὸς διὰ τὸ μεθʼ ἡμέραν πεφοβῆσθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. [¶17] 18. On coming across a caltrop upset, slip the hounds, give them a hark-forward, and follow along the track of the clog, noticing which way it runs. That will be clear enough for the most part: for the stones will be displaced and the trail of the clog will be obvious in the cultivated ground; and if the deer crosses rough places, there will be fragments of bark torn from the clog on the rocks, and the pursuit will be all the easier. > Greek: 18. ἐπειδὰν δὲ εὕρῃ ἀνεστραμμένην τὴν ποδοστράβην, μεταθεῖν ἐπιλύσαντα τὰς κύνας καὶ ἐπικελεύσαντα κατὰ τὸν ὁλκὸν τοῦ ξύλου, σκοπούμενον ὅποι ἂν φέρηται. ἔσται δὲ οὐκ ἄδηλον ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ· οἵ τε γὰρ λίθοι ἔσονται κεκινημένοι τά τʼ ἐπισύρματα τοῦ ξύλου καταφανῆ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις· ἐὰν δὲ τραχεῖς τόπους διαπερᾷ, αἱ πέτραι ἕξουσι τὸν φλοιὸν τοῦ ξύλου ἀφηρπασμένον καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο ῥᾴους αἱ μεταδρομαὶ ἔσονται. [¶18] 19. If the deer is caught by the fore-foot it will soon be taken, as it hits every part of its body and its face with the clog during the run; or if by the hindleg, the dragging of the clog hampers the whole body; and sometimes it dashes into forked branches of trees, and unless it breaks the cord, is caught on the spot. > Greek: 19. ἐὰν μὲν οὖν τοῦ προσθίου ποδὸς ἁλῷ, ταχὺ ληφθήσεται· ἐν γὰρ τῷ δρόμῳ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα τύπτει καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον· ἐὰν δὲ τοῦ ὄπισθεν, ἐφελκόμενον τὸ ξύλον ἐμποδὼν ὅλῳ ἐστὶ τῷ σώματι, ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ εἰς δίκρας τῆς ὕλης ἐμπίπτει φερόμενον, καὶ ἐὰν μὴ ἀπορρήξῃ τὴν σειρίδα, καταλαμβάνεται αὐτοῦ. [¶19] 20. But, whether you catch it in this way or by wearing it out, don’t go near it; for it will butt, if it’s a stag, and kick, and if it’s a hind, it will kick. So throw javelins at it from a distance. In the summer months they are also caught by pursuit without the aid of a caltrop; for they get dead beat, so that they are hit standing. When hard pressed, they will even plunge into the sea and into pools in their bewilderment; and occasionally they drop from want of breath. > Greek: 20. χρὴ δέ, ἐὰν οὕτως ἕλῃ ἢ περιγενόμενος πόνῳ, [ἐὰν μὲν ᾖ ἄρρην,] μὴ προσιέναι ἐγγύς· τοῖς γὰρ κέρασι παίει, ⟨ἐὰν μὲν ᾖ ἄρρην,⟩ καὶ τοῖν ποδοῖν· ἐὰν δὲ θήλεια, τοῖν ποδοῖν· ἄπωθεν οὖν ἀκοντίζειν. ἁλίσκονται δὲ καὶ ἄνευ ποδοστράβης διωκόμεναι, ὅταν ᾖ ἡ ὥρα θερινή· ἀπαγορεύουσι γὰρ σφόδρα, ὥστε ἑστῶσαι ἀκοντίζονται· ῥιπτοῦσι δὲ καὶ εἰς τὴν θάλατταν, ἐὰν κατέχωνται, καὶ εἰς τὰ ὕδατα ἀπορούμεναι· ὁτὲ δὲ διὰ δύσπνοιαν πίπτουσι.