Zenobius 2.29

Eat the turtles yourselves, you who caught them

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English

Proverb

Eat the turtles yourselves, you who caught them

Explanation

fishermen once dragged up turtles in their nets and tried to share them with passers-by. Those who would not take them said to the fishermen, "Eat the turtles yourselves, you who caught them." Whence the saying turned into a proverb.

Greek

Proverb

Αὐτοὶ χελώνας ἔσθεθ’ οἵπερ εἵλετε

Explanation

ἁλιεῖς ποτε χελώνας ἀνασπάσαντες διὰ τῶν δικτύων, διένειμον τοῖς παριοῦσιν. Οἱ δὲ μὴ βουλόμενοι λαμβάνειν εἶπον τοῖς ἁλιεῦσιν, Αὐτοὶ χελώνας ἐσθίετε, οἵπερ εἵλετε. Ὅθεν εἰς παροιμίαν ὁ λόγος περιέστη.

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0098.tlg001.1st1K-grc1:2.29