Zenobius 4.41
On the aging horse cast the smaller wheels
English
Proverb
On the aging horse cast the smaller wheels
Explanation
Crates the comic poet mentions it in his Samians. It is set down for those who through old age need rest and respite. It is said from war-horses, on which when they aged they used to brand the so-called trysippion — an iron little wheel (a kind of public stamp) which they heated and applied to the horses' jaws.
Greek
Proverb
Ἵππῳ γηράσκοντι τὰ μείονα κύκλ’ ἐπίβαλλε
Explanation
ταύτης μέμνηται Κράτης ὁ κωμικὸς Συμίοις. Τάττεται δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν διὰ γῆρας ῥᾳστώνης δεομένων τινὸς καὶ ἀναπαύλης. Εἴρηται δὲ ἀπὸ στρατιωτικῶν ἵππων, οἷς γηράσκουσιν ἐπέβαλλον τὸ καλούμενον τρυσίππιον· ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο σιδηροῦς τροχίσκος, (οἱονεὶ δημόσιος ὡς χαρακτὴρ τροχίσκος) ὃν ἐκπυροῦντες ἐπέβαλον ταῖς σιαγόσι τῶν ἵππων.
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0098.tlg001.1st1K-grc1:4.41