Ἀνδροκλῆς καὶ ὁ λέων (Androcles and the Lion) - An Ancient Greek Translation

"... But the cave was a den of the lion. When the lion returns, the one, Androcles, is afraid, the other, the lion, sees him gently, and begins to snuggle (him) because a stake was in the foot. Therefore he holds out in front the stake, and begs Androcles to assist. The man pulls out the stake from the foot. The become both strangers friends. Three years Androcles lives in this way. Then indeed men who chase him, arrest him and send (him) away into Rome. There they condemn that one. Food he will become to the beasts. But they were hunting somehow also that lion. They release the lion into the theatre with the man. The one man was not recognizing the lion, the other lion immediately was recognizing the man, and snuggles him. But later also the man was recognizing the same stranger as a friend and was embracing him. The spectators were amazed, and the ruler says to Androcles, and he teaches all. The people both understand the words and shout out. Therefore the man and the lion go away free." 

Ἀνδροκλῆς καὶ ὁ λέων

Δοῦλός τις Ἀνδροκλῆς ὀνόματι, χαλεπῷ δεσπότῃ δουλεύων ἐν Ῥώμῃ, τὴν ὠμότητα αὐτοῦ μὴ φέρων ἔφυγε καὶ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ἀπελθὼν ἐν σπηλαίῳ τινὶ κατεκρύβη. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ λέων μέγας καὶ φοβερὸς ἦλθεν, ὃς τὸν πόδα ὑψῶν καὶ στένων ὠδύρετο· ἐν γὰρ τῷ ποδὶ αὐτοῦ ἄκανθα μεγάλη ἐνῆν, ἥτις αὐτὸν ἔτρωγε καὶ ἐποίει πόνους ἀφόρητους. Ὁ Ἀνδροκλῆς, καίπερ δείσας τὸ πρῶτον, ὅμως ἐλεήσας τὸ θηρίον προσῆλθε καὶ τὴν ἄκανθαν ἐξεῖλε, καὶ τὸ τραῦμα καθαρὸν ποιήσας ἐθεράπευσε. Ὁ λέων δὲ εὐθὺς ἠσθάνετο τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς τοῦ πόνου καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα ὡς εὐεργέτην ἠσπάζετο, τὴν γλῶτταν ἐκτείνας καὶ τὴν χεῖρα λείχων, καὶ οὐκέτι ὡς θηρίον ἄγριον ἀλλ' ὡς κύων πιστὸς παρέμεινεν αὐτῷ. Ἐκ τούτου δὲ ὁ Ἀνδροκλῆς μετὰ τοῦ λέοντος ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ διῆγεν, καὶ ὁ λέων θήρας ἔφερεν αὐτῷ, ὥστε ἀμφότεροι εὐκόλως ἐβίουν.

Μετὰ δὲ χρόνον τινὰ ὁ Ἀνδροκλῆς, τὴν ἐρημίαν μισήσας, ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τοῦ σπηλαίου καὶ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐπανῆλθεν· ἀλλὰ ταχέως ὑπὸ τῶν Ῥωμαίων συλληφθεὶς ὡς δραπέτης δοῦλος εἰς τὸ ἀμφιθέατρον ἐδόθη, ἵνα ὑπὸ θηρίων καταβρωθῇ. Ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ δὲ πολλοὶ λέοντες ἐξήχθησαν κατ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ τελευταῖος ἦν ὁ μέγας ἐκεῖνος λέων ὁ πρότερον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. Ὅτε δὲ εἶδεν ὁ λέων τὸν Ἀνδροκλέα, εὐθὺς αὐτὸν ἀνεγνώρισε καὶ προσδραμὼν ἠσπάζετο αὐτὸν, τὴν οὐρὰν σείων καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τῷ στήθει αὐτοῦ προσθεὶς, ὥστε πάντες ἐθαύμαζον τὸ παράδοξον. Ὁ δὲ Καῖσαρ, τὸ θαῦμα ἰδών, τὸν Ἀνδροκλέα ἐκάλεσε καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἤρετο· ὁ δὲ Ἀνδροκλῆς πᾶσαν τὴν ἱστορίαν διηγήσατο. Τότε ὁ Καῖσαρ, θαυμάσας τὴν εὐεργεσίαν καὶ τὴν χάριν τοῦ λέοντος, ἀμφοτέρους ἠλευθέρωσε· καὶ ὁ Ἀνδροκλῆς μετὰ τοῦ λέοντος περιῄει τὴν πόλιν, καὶ πᾶς ὁ δῆμος ἐβόα· «Ἀνδροκλῆς καὶ ὁ λέων!»

Ἐπιμύθιον

Οὕτως ἡ εὐεργεσία οὐδέποτε ἀμνημονεύεται, οὐδὲ ὑπὸ θηρίων ἀγρίων· καὶ ἡ χάρις ἀνταποδίδοται ἐν καιρῷ δέοντι.

--------------------------

1- Here is a full modern reconstruction of the story of Androcles and the Lion (Ἀνδροκλῆς καὶ ὁ λέων) written in classical-style ancient Greek (Attic prose, as commonly used in educational or literary retellings today). This is not an ancient original from Aesop or any classical author — as explained before, no such direct Greek text survives from antiquity — but a faithful, idiomatic rendering in the style of classical Greek, based on the Latin account by Aulus Gellius (Attic Nights 5.14) and traditional fable adaptations.