Mercury and the Man Bitten by an Ant
Esopo's "Mercury and the Man Bitten by an Ant" is a fable about a man who was bitten by an ant and sought the help of the god Mercury to cure his pain. Despite Mercury's efforts, the man remains in agony, illustrating the idea that even the gods are powerless against the smallest of creatures.
By Esopo · First published 1602 · Genre: Fable, Fantasy, Mythology · 128 words
First lines
A Man once saw a ship go down with all its crew, and commented severely on the injustice of the gods. "They care nothing for a man's character," said he, "but let the good and the bad go to their deaths together. " There was an ant-heap close by where he was standing, and, just as he spoke, he was bitten in the foot by an Ant. Turning in a temper to the ant-heap he stamped upon it and crushed hundreds of unoffending ants. Suddenly Mercury appeared, and belaboured him with his staff, saying as he did so, "You villain, where's your nice sense of justice now? "
What this Textopian page supports
Mercury and the Man Bitten by an Ant is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1602 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Esopo
- Date: 1602 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Fantasy, Mythology, Children's Literature, Fiction
- Length: 128 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Mercury and the Man Bitten by an Ant by Esopo
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
- The Snake And Jupiter by Esopo
- Demades And His Fable by Esopo
- The Stag And The Lion by Esopo
- The Stag And The Vine by Esopo
- The Ploughman And The Wolf by Esopo
- The Ass And The Mule by Esopo
Genres
- Fable — The title suggests an animal (ant) and a deity (Mercury), common elements in Esopo's fables. Also, Esopo is best known for his fables.
- Fantasy — Mercury is a Roman deity, which suggests fantasy elements, with the depiction of myths, magic, and supernatural phenomena.
- Mythology — Featuring the Roman deity Mercury in the title indicates possible mythic elements and themes
- Children's Literature — Esopo's fables often contain moral lessons and are traditionally children's literature.
Tags
fable · mythology · morality · ant · Mercury · animal characters · human nature · consequences · wisdom · deception · justice · allegory