Symphosius Riddle 29: Ericius

ALEXANDRAREIDER

Date: Fri 01 Jul 2022
Original text:

Plena domus spinis, parvi sed corporis hospes;
Incolumi dorso telis confixus acutis
Sustinet armatas segetes habitator inermis.

Translation:

A house full of spikes, but a guest of small body;
With an unharmed back, pierced by sharp points,
A defenceless inhabitant supports armed crops.

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Hedgehog


Notes:

This edition is based on Raymond T. Ohl, ed. The Enigmas of Symphosius. PhD dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, 1928.

If you're researching/studying this collection, you should also consult this excellent new edition: T. J. Leary, ed. Symphosius: The Aenigmata, An Introduction, Text and Commentary. London: Bloomsbury, 2014. Textual differences in that edition include:

  • Ordering: Leary orders Riddles 29-31 as: phoenix, ericius, peduculus, while also acknowledging the possibility of the order here


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