A shipwrecked wealthy man is told to swim not pray.
Chambry (The Shipwrecked Man)
Note: The Chambry collection is published in Greek. AI was used to translate the Greek to this text:
A wealthy Athenian man was sailing together with some others. But when a violent storm arose and the ship was overturned, all the others swam away, but the Athenian kept invoking Athena at every moment, promising countless offerings if he should be saved.
One of his fellow castaways, swimming past, said to him: “With Athena, move your hands too!”
Indeed, we ourselves, along with calling upon the gods, must also take action for our own sakes. For it is preferable to gain the favor of the gods while acting energetically rather than, neglecting oneself, to be saved by divine powers alone. Those who fall into misfortune must themselves labor for their own safety and then ask the god for help.
How do you think an AI might simplify this fable? Here is one answer, and the illustration above was made from this simplification:
A rich Athenian, when shipwrecked, did nothing but pray to Athena and vow offerings if she saved him. A fellow survivor told him to also do something himself—to swim—rather than rely on prayer alone.
Moral
People in trouble must help themselves as well as ask the gods for aid.
Perry. #30