~ 149. The Justice of the Gods ~

Laura Gibbs · 149. The Justice of the Gods

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There was once a ship that sank into the ocean.
A man watching from the shore shouted, "The gods know no justice! Perhaps there was a criminal sailing on that ship, but they have killed everyone who was on board!"
As the man was speaking, an ant happened to bite him. Enraged, the man began stamping all the ants he could see.
The god Hermes then appeared and struck the man with his wand. "You are but as an ant in the eyes of the gods," he said, "and just as you have judged the ants, so we judge humankind."

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Inspired by: Mille Fabulae et Una, a collection of Latin fables that I've edited, free to read online. I am not translating the Latin here; instead, I am just telling a 100-word version of the fable.
Notes: This is fable 784 in the book, which is Perry 306.