A fable from Aesop: The Philosopher, the Ants and Mercury

[ Aesop 620 BC - 560 BC, was a greek slave and fable author ]


A PHILOSOPHER witnessed from the shore the shipwreck of a vessel, of which the crew and passengers were all drowned. He inveighed against the injustice of Providence, which would for the sake of one criminal perchance sailing in the ship allow so many innocent persons to perish. As he was indulging in these reflections, he found himself surrounded by a whole army of Ants, near whose nest he was standing. One of them climbed up and stung him, and he immediately trampled them all to death with his foot. Mercury presented himself, and striking the Philosopher with his wand, said, "And are you indeed to make yourself a judge of the dealings of Providence, who hast thyself in a similar manner treated these poor Ants?'

N.B.

The sculpture at the top is "The Thinker" by Auguste Rodin. "The Thinker" was originally intended to provide the focal point of Rodin's first officially commissioned work, "The Gates of Hell" (1880). The pose, one of the artist's greatest achievements, quickly evolved into a more powerful and singular image of humanity inspired by the forces awakening within. [ Didn't Stallone make this statue even more famous a few years back when he posed in a similar fashion? ]

~ Rads