Dum enim pugnant, naturae ductu terram feriunt, et plumas [237] circum collum erigunt, pennasque caudae, quantum possunt, sursum, atque d<e>orsum vibrant, assilientes interim, quo magis calcaribus suis, quae ob id ceu tela in cruribus agnata, teste Plinio[1], agnoscunt, hostem feriant: unde legas apud antiquissimum Lucilium[2] hos vel versus, vel versuum fragmenta.

Gallinaceus cum victor se Gallus honeste

Sustulit in digitos, primoresque erigit ungues.

For while fighting they strike the earth on natural instinct and erect the plumes around their necks, vibrating the feathers of their tail up and down as much as they can, in the meantime launching an attack they wound the enemy chiefly with their spurs, which, as Pliny reports, because of this they realize to be as weapons grown on their legs: hence you may read in the very ancient Lucilius these either verses, or fragments of verses:

When a rooster is victorious he leans on his toes with dignity,

and raises the forepart of his nails.

Ubi, teste Nonio, primores ungues pro anterioribus dixit: quod non putem, cum non iis unguibus, sed calcaribus dimicent, quae etsi in posterioribus tibiarum partibus fere sita sint, inter insiliendum tamen, cum scilicet adversarios feriunt, iis ita uti norunt, ac si ad anteriora locata forent. Ab eiusmodi certamine vulgare extat adagium: Gallus insilit, in eum, qui semel victus redintegrat certamen: quod sane saevissimum conspicitur: unde dicebat D. Augustinus[3]: Cum ecce ante fores advertimus Gallos Gallinaceos ineuntes pugnam nimis acrem. Et paulo post pugnam ita describit: Ut in eiusdem ipsis Gallis erat videre intenta proiectius capita, inflatas comas, vehementes ictus, cautissimas evitationes, et in omni motu animalium rationis expertium nihil non decorum: quippe alia ratione desuper omnia moderante: postremo legem ipsam victoris, superbum cantum, et membra in unum quasi orbem collecta, velut in fastum dominationis.

Where, according to Nonius Marcellus, he said primores nails for the fore nails: which I do not believe, because they fight not with these nails but with spurs, which, although located at the rear of tarsometatarsus, nevertheless, when they are attacking, that is, when striking their adversaries, they learnt to use them as located in front. From such a manner of fighting a common proverb arises: The rooster is attacking, said of him who, once as been defeated, renews the combat: which is regarded as a very relentless thing indeed: hence St. Augustine said: When, lo, in front of the threshold we observe the roosters beginning a too much fierce fight. And, a little later, he thus describes the combat: As in his own roosters it was possible to see the heads stretched forward more markedly, their hackle swollen, the violent strokes, the very quick standing aside, and in every motion of these animals unprovided with reason there was nothing improper: since another kind of reason is guiding from above everything: in short, the law itself of the victor, the proud crow and the limbs gathered together, so to say, in a circular movement, as in an ostentation of absolute power.

Sed doctissime idem certamen hisce versibus quam breviter Angelus Politianus[4] complexus est:

Et regnum sibi Marte parant, quippe obvia rostris

Rostra ferunt, crebrisque acuunt assaltibus iras.

Ignescunt animis, et calcem calce repulsant

Infesto: adversumque, affligunt pectore pectus.

Victor ovans, cantu palmam testatur, et hosti

Insultans victo, pavidum pede calcat iniquo.

Ille silet, latebrasque petit, dominumque superbum

Ferre gemit: comes it merito plebs caetera regi.

But Angelo Poliziano summarized very cleverly and briefly such a combat in these verses: And they get the kingdom for themselves by means of fighting as they strike beaks to beaks and sharpen their anger with frequent assaults. They burn in spirit and drive back the heel with a hostile heel, and hit with the breast the opposite breast. The jubilant victor declares the victory by his crowing, and leaping on the defeated enemy he tramples the faint-hearted with his cruel foot. The latter keeps silent seeking a hiding place, and moans because he must stand a haughty master: the rest of the flock of necessity goes along with the king.

Quanquam etenim Gallus animal natura pugnax est, ac magnanimum, ut diximus, ubi tamen se sentit imparem in conflictu, mire deiectus, ac supplex profugit, seseque occultat pudore suffusus, risum spectatoribus movens. Ita apud Theocritum[5] {Amyntas} <Amicus> Pollucem ad certamen provocans. Tuus, inquit, ego, tu meus (nimirum victus) vocabere, quia φοινικολόφων, id est, alitum rubricristatarum talia sunt certamina. Signum autem victi, inquit D. Augustinus[6], elatas a cervice pennulas, et in voce, atque motu<,> deforme{,} totum et eo ipso naturae legibus, nescio quo<d> concinnum, et pulchrum.

Although the rooster is a pugnacious animal by nature, and magnanimous, as I said, nevertheless when in a combat is feeling himself inferior he flees very disheartened and suppliant, and hides himself filled with shame, arousing the laughter of the observers. Thus in Theocritus, Amycus, when challenging Pollux to a contest, says: I shall be called yours, you shall be called mine (victim, of course), because such are the contests of the phoinikolóphøn, that is, of red-combed birds. St. Augustine says: The signal of the conquered are the ruffled feathers of the neck, and in the voice and in the moving manner, a total deformation, and just because of this, according to the laws of nature, something of graceful and beautiful is lying.

Idem scribunt Plinius[7], et Aelianus[8]: quorum {hic} <ille>: Quod si, inquit, palma contingit, statim in victoria canunt, seque ipsi principes testantur. Victus occultatur silens, aegreque servitium patitur, et plebs tamen aeque superba graditur, ardua cervice, cristis celsa. Caelumque sola volucrum {aspicit, crebro} <aspicit crebra,> in sublime caudam quoque falcatam erigens. {Ille} <Hic> vero clarius: Quod si, inquit, cum altero pugnans vincatur, idcirco non canit, quod ex illa mala pugna spiritus fracti illi vocem supprimant. Cuius offensionis verecundia confusus in primam quamque latebram sese occultat. Sed si ex certamine victoriam reportavit, tum oculorum eminentia, tum cervice erecta simul et cantus contentione insolenter effertur et triumphantis similis est.

Pliny and Aelian say the same thing: the former writes: But if the palm of victory falls to them, they immediately sing as triumphant, immediately proclaim themselves as sovereigns. That who has been defeated hides in silence and reluctantly suffers the subjugation, however even the common flock, equally proud, walks with head held high, with erect comb. And the rooster is the only bird looking often at the sky, rising upwards also the sickle shaped tail. But the latter says more clearly: But if he has been beaten in combat with another, he does not sing because the broken pride by that bad fight makes him lose his voice. Troubled by the shame of such a setback he hides himself in the first hole coming within range. But if from the combat he achieved the victory, both by the prominence of the eyes and by holding the neck upright along with a crowing doggedness he haughty boasts and becomes similar to a triumphant.

Hallucinatur igitur alibi Aristophanis interpres, quando a Gallo victo victorem insectari scribit. Fugere autem victum ipsum Aristophanem minime latuisse, ex proverbiali istoc, quod alibi[9] protulit, dicto, est manifestum Πτήοσει[10] Φρύνιχος ὥσπερ ἀλέκτωρ, id est, horret Phrynichus sicut Gallus. Fuit autem hic Phrynichus[11] Melanthae filius, Atheniensis tragoediarum scriptor, quem Athenienses mille drachmis mulctarunt, quod Milesiorum excidium tragoedia complexus esset. Meminit eiusdem adagii Plutarchus[12], qui cum antea fuisset ferox{,} et insolens<,>[13] ex Socratis familiaritate, cuius singularem integritatem suspiciebat, coepit esse mansuetus ac modestus. Citat autem hunc senarium[14] e quopiam poeta.

Ἔπτηξ'ἀλέκτωρ ὡς κλίνας πτερόν, id est,

Pavidus refugit more Gallinacei

Cum victus alas ille submittit suas.

The interpreter of Aristophanes therefore goes astray elsewhere when writes that the conqueror is chased by the defeated rooster. That Aristophanes was not in the dark about the fact that the defeated flees is clear from this proverbial saying he quoted in a work Ptëosei Phrýnichos høsper aléktør, that is, Phrynichus quakes like a rooster. Well, this Phrynichus was son of Melantha and an Athenian writer of tragedies whom the Athenians fined a thousand drachmas because he described in a tragedy - The defeat of Miletus – the mass slaughter of the inhabitants of Miletus. Plutarch mentions the same adage, because he - Alcibiades - while formerly had been arrogant and insolent, thanks to the close friendship with Socrates whose was admiring the singular integrity he began to be quiet and moderate. For Plutarch cites this iambic trimeter from some poet:

Éptëx’aléktør høs klínas pterón, that is,

He flees frightened like a rooster

When, defeated, lets down its wings.

Usurpatur vero id adagium in male affectum, et commotum, aut etiam pavitantem. Πτήσσειν enim Graecis fugitare significat, atque expavescere. Peculialiter autem de avibus dicitur. Similiter superatus es a Gallo quopiam: iocus[15] proverbialis dicitur in servos, qui dominos a tergo sequuntur, supplices videlicet, et abiecti, cuiusmodi nimirum solent esse Galli superati in pugna. Non tamen animositate vincuntur hae alites, sed viribus, et eleganter antiquissimus Ion poeta Tragicus[16] his versibus ostendit.

Nec iam corpore, utroque, et ocello

Ictibus obtuso ille fatiscit,

[238] Robore sed labente gemiscit

Et vivus servire recusat.

Actually this adage is used for a person who is troubled, worried, or even frightened. For ptëssein for Greeks means to flee as well as to withdraw frightened. It is said particularly of birds. Similarly they say You have been defeated by some rooster as a proverbial joke for servants following behind their masters, that is, suppliant and humble, as roosters beaten in combat are accustomed to behave. These birds are not, however, overcome by boldness of spirit but by strength, and Ion from Chios, the very ancient tragic poet, pointed this out elegantly in these verses:

And when the body and both small eyes

have been struck by the blows, he never leaves off,

but for failing strength he groans

and he refuses to be a living slave.