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Ancient

Cicero

Caeli quoque parentes di habendi sunt, Aether et Dies eorumque fratres et sorores, qui a genealogis antiquis sic nominantur, Amor Dolus ...

the parents of Caelus, the Aether and the Day, must be held to be gods, and their brothers and sisters, whom the ancient genealogists name Love, Guile,

Hyginus

Preface, 3.1

Ex Aethere et Terra Dolor Dolus ...

Aether and Earth: Dolor, Deceit (Dolus), ... (Grant)

From Ether and Earth came Pain, Deception, ... (Smith and Trzaskoma)

Phaedrus

Prometheus and Guile [= Perry 535]

On Truth and Falsehood

Once Prometheus, the moulder of a new generation, had shaped the figure of Truth with exquisite care, that she might duly award men their rights. When suddenly called away by the messenger of mighty Jove, he entrusted his workshop to the care of treacherous Guile, whom he had only recently taken into apprenticeship. The latter, inspired by rivalry, proceeded to fashion with cunning hand, while he still had time, an image of like appearance, of the same size, and similar in every limb. When this image was in place, almost all admirably wrought, he ran out of clay with which to make the feet. The master returned and Guile, in hasty fear and confusion, sat down in his own place. Prometheus marvelled at the great likeness of the image and hose to make it appear that his own skill deserved the credit. Accordingly, he put the two statues into the oven; and when they had been thoroughly baked and the breath of life had been poured into them sacred Truth advanced with decorous gait, but her abbreviated likeness stood fixed in her tracks. Thereupon the spurious image, which was, moreover, the handiwork of stealth, was called Falsehood; and when people declare that she has no feet I readily agree with them.

Now and then counterfeits bring men profit at the start, but in the long run the truth itself comes to light.

Modern

Gibbs

p. 244

Fable 530 (Phaedrus App. 5 = Perry 535)

Prometheus and Truth

Prometheus, that potter who gave shape to our new generation, decided one day to sculpt a statue of Truth, using all his skill so that she would be able to regulate people's behaviour. As he was working, an unexpected summons from mighty Jupiter called him away. Prometheus left cunning Trickery in charge of his workshop (Trickery had recently become one of the god's apprentices). Fired by ambition, Trickery used the time at his disposal to fashion with his sly fingers a figure of the same size and appearance as Truth with identical features. When he had almost completed the piece, which was truly remarkable, he ran out of clay to use for her feet. The master returned, so Trickery quickly sat down in his seat, quaking with fear. Prometheus was amazed at the similarity of the two statues and wanted it to seem as if all the credit were due to his own skill. Therefore, he put both statues in the kiln and when they had been thoroughly baked, he infused them both with life: sacred Truth walked with measured steps, while her unfinished twin stood stuck in her tracks. That forgery, that product of subterfuge, thus acquired the name of Falsehood, and I readily agree with people who say that she has no feet: every once in a while something that is false can start off successfully, but with time the Truth is sure to prevail.

Perry

p. 376

5-6

[Promethevs et Dolvs]

De ventate [sic: veritate] et mendacio

p. 377

PEROTTI'S APPENDIX

5–6 PROMETHEUS AND GUILE: On Truth and Falsehood

Once Prometheus, the moulder of a new generation, had shaped the figure of Truth with exquisite care, that she might duly award men their rights. When suddenly called away by the messenger of mighty Jove, he entrusted his workshop to the care of treacherous Guile, whom he had only recently taken into apprenticeship. The latter, inspired by rivalry, proceeded to fashion with cunning hand, while he still had time, an image of like appearance, of the same size, and similar in every limb. When this image was in place, almost all admirably wrought, he ran out of clay with which to make the feet. The master returned and Guile, in hasty fear and confusion, sat down in his own place. Prometheus marvelled at the great likeness of the image and [cont.]

p. 379

chose to make it appear that his own skill deserved the credit. Accordingly, he put the two statues into the oven; and when they had been thoroughly baked and the breath of life had been poured into them sacred Truth advanced with decorous gait, but her abbreviated likeness stood fixed in her tracks. Thereupon the spurious image, which was, moreover, the handiwork of stealth, was called Falsehood; and when people declare that she has no feet I readily agree with them.

Now and then counterfeits bring men profit at the start, but in the long run the truth itself comes to light.

p. 523

535 Prometheus and Guile: Ph App. 5–6.