Plutarch, De sollertia animalium, Harold Cherniss (Translator), William C. Helmbold (Translator), 34

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[34] The accounts given of the crocodile are similar in other respects, but the animal’s ability to estimate the right place goes beyond man’s power to guess or calculate the cause. Hence they affirm that this creature’s foreknowledge is divine and not rational. For neither to a greater or a less distance, but just so far as the Nile will spread that season and cover the land in flood, just so far does she go to deposit her eggs, with such accuracy that any farmer finding the eggs may know himself and predict to others how far the river will advance.¹ And her purpose in being so exact is to prevent either herself or her eggs getting wet when she sits on them. When they are hatched, the one which, upon emerging, does not immediately seize in its mouth anything that comes along, fly or midge or worm or straw or plant, the mother tears to pieces and bites to death²; but those that are bold and active she loves and tends, thus bestowing her affection by judgement, as the wisest of men think right, not by emotion.³

Furthermore, seals⁴ too bear their young on dry land and little by little induce their offspring to try the sea, then quickly take them out again. This they do often at intervals until the young are conditioned in this way to feel confidence and enjoy life in the sea.

Frogs in their coupling use a call, the so-called ololygon,⁵ a cry of wooing and mating. When the male has thus attracted the female, they wait for the night together, for they cannot consort in the water and during the day they are afraid to do so on land; but when the darkness falls, they come out and embrace with impunity. On other occasions when their cry is shrill, it is because they expect rain.⁶ And this is among the surest of signs.

De sollertia animalium. Plutarch. Harold Cherniss (Translator), William C. Helmbold (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1957.

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Current edition Perseus

Whether land or sea animals are cleverer (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. XII. Cherniss, Harold, and Helmbold, William C., translators. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1957 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Πότερα τῶν ζῴων φρονιμώτερα τὰ χερσαῖα ἢ τὰ ἔνυδρα Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol. VI. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1895.) — 34 focus

[34]

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τῶν δὲ κροκοδείλων τὰ μὲν ἄλλα παραπλήσια, τῆς δὲ χώρας; ὁ στοχασμὸς ἐπίνοιαν ἀνθρώπῳ τῆς αἰτίας οὐ δίδωσιν οὐδὲ συλλογισμὸν ὅθεν οὔ φασι λογικὴν ἀλλὰ μαντικὴν εἶναι τὴν παρὰ τούτου τοῦ θηρίου πρόγνωσιν οὔτε γὰρ πλέον οὔτε ἔλαττον ἐκβᾶς1ʼ ἀλλʼ ὅσον εἰς ὥραν ἔτους ὁ Νεῖλος αὐξηθεὶς ἐπικλύσει καὶ ἐπικρύψει τῆς γῆς, 5 ἐκεῖ τὰ ᾠὰ τίθησιν ὥστε τὸν ἐντυχόντα τῶν γεωργῶν αὐτόν τε γιγνώσκειν ἑτέροις τε φράζειν, ὁπόσον 982d αὐτοῖς ὁ ποταμὸς πρόεισιν· οὕτω συνεμετρήσατο, μὴ βρεχομένων αὐτὸς βρεχόμενος ἐπῳάζῃ. ἐκλαπέντων δὲ τῶν σκύμνων, ὃς ἂν εὐθὺς ἀναδὺς μὴ λάβῃ 10 τι τῶν προστυχόντων, ἢ μυῖαν ἢ σέριφον ἢ γῆς ἔντερον ἢ κάρφος ἢ βοτάνην τῷ στόματι, διασπαράξασα τοῦτον ἡ μήτηρ ἀπέκτεινε δακοῦσα· τὰ δὲ θυμοειδῆ καὶ δραστήρια στέργει καὶ περιέπει, καθάπερ οἱ σοφώτατοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀξιοῦσι, κρίσει 15 τὸ φιλεῖν οὐ πάθει νέμουσα. καὶ μὴν αἱ φῶκαι τίκτουσι μὲν ἐν τῷ ξηρῷ, κατὰ μικρὸν δὲ προάγουσαι τὰ σκυμνία γεύουσι τῆς θαλάττης καὶ ταχὺ πάλιν ἐξάγουσι καὶ τοῦτο πολλάκις ποιοῦσιν ἐν μέρει, μέχρι ἂν οὕτως ἐθιζόμενα θαρρήσῃ καὶ 20 982e στέρξῃ τὴν ἔναλον δίαιταν. οἱ δὲ βάτραχοι περὶ τὰς ὀχείας ἀνακλήσεσι χρῶνται, τὴν λεγομένην ποιοῦντες ὀλολυγόνα, φωνὴν ἐρωτικὴν καὶ γαμήλιον οὖσαν· ὅταν δὲ τὴν θήλειαν ὁ ἄρρην οὔτω προσαγάγηται, κοινῇ τὴν νύκτα παραμένουσιν· ἐν ὑγρῷ 25 μὲν γὰρ οὐ δύνανται, μεθʼ ἡμέραν δὲ δεδίασιν ἐπὶ γῆς μίγνυσθαι γενομένου δὲ σκότους, ἀδεῶς συμπλέκονται προϊόντες ἄλλως δὲ λαμπρύνουσι τὴν 982f φωνήν, ὑετὸν προσδεχόμενοι καὶ τοῦτο σημεῖον ἐν τοῖς βεβαιοτάτοις ἐστίν. 5

Translations (1)

Which are the most crafty, water-animals or those creatures that breed upon the land? Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. V. Goodwin, William W., editor; Philips, John, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1874.) — 34 focus

[34] Many observations like to these are made of the crocodile. But such is its skill in choosing a place for breeding, that no man can explain it by reason or conjecture. Whence it comes that the foreknowledge of this creature is imputed more to divinity than reason. For neither farther nor nearer, but just so far as the Nile that year will increase and cover the land, thither she goes forth and lays her eggs; which the countrymen finding, are able to tell one another how far the river will overflow that year. So truly does that animal measure for herself, that though she live in the water, she may lay her eggs dry. But the young ones being hatched, whichsoever of them, so soon as they are come to life, does not seize whatever comes next—either upon a fly, or a worm, or a straw, or a tuft of grass—with his mouth, the dam presently tears him to pieces with her teeth. But those that are fierce and active she loves and cherishes, according to the judgment of the wisest men, imparting her affection by the rules of judgment, not by the sway of passion.

The sea-calves also bring forth upon the dry lands; but then fetching out their young ones by degrees, they give them a taste of the sea-water, and presently lead them out again; and this they often do, till custom has made them bold, and brought them to love a sea life.

Frogs when they couple use a certain croaking invitation, which is commonly called ololygon; and when the male has thus enticed the female, they abide together all night. For in the water they cannot, and in the daytime they are afraid to engender upon the land, which in the night-time they do without control. At other times they croak more shrill and loud; and this is a sign of rain, and holds among the most assured prognostics of wet weather.

Notes on the current edition

Whether land or sea animals are cleverer

1. See Aelian, De Natura Animal. v. 52; and compare B. Evans, The Natural History of Nonsense, p. 33.

2. Cf. Aelian, De Natura Animal. ix. 3; contrast Pliny, Nat. Hist.x. 10; Antigonus, 46, of the sea eagle; Lucan, ix. 902 ff., of the eagle. See also Julian, Epistle 59 (383 c); 78 (418 d) with Wright’s note (L.C.L. vol. iii, p. 259, n. 2).

3. Apparently with reference to Theophrastus, frag. 74 ( cf. Mor. 482 b).

4. Cf. Aelian, De Natura Animal. ix. 9; Oppian, Hal. i. 686 ff.; Pliny, Nat. Hist. ix. 41.

5. See Gow on Theocritus, vii. 139; Boulenger, Animal Mysteries, pp. 67 f.

6. Cf. Mor. 912 c-d; Aratus, Phaenomena, 946 ff.; Cf. Aelian, De Natura Animal. vi. 19; ix. 13.

Plutarch De sollertia animalium 34

Harold Cherniss (Translator), William C. Helmbold (Translator)

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