batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l4847-l4860
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l4847-l4860
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: THE FARMER AND HIS DOGS / THE EAGLE AND THE FOX / THE BUTCHER AND HIS CUSTOMERS
/ HERCULES AND MINERVA; lines 4847-4860
start: '4847'
end: '4860'
translation: Aesop's Fables; a new translation
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: '"that which you see before you is the apple of discord"'
summary: 'Hercules encounters a small object like an apple on a narrow road. When
he stamps on it and then strikes it with his club, it grows until it blocks the
road. Minerva appears and explains that it is the apple of discord: left alone
it remains small, but violence makes it swell.'
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Hercules is travelling along a narrow road.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: He sees on the ground in front of him an object that appears to be an apple.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Hercules stamps on the object with his heel as he passes.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: Instead of being crushed, the object doubles in size.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: When Hercules attacks the object again and strikes it with his club, it swells
to an enormous size and blocks the whole road.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: Hercules drops his club and looks at the object in amazement.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: Minerva appears and tells Hercules to leave it alone.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: Minerva identifies the object as the apple of discord and says that non-interference
keeps it small, while violence makes it swell.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Hercules
description: A traveller on a narrow road who stamps on and strikes the apple-like
object.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Minerva
description: A divine figure who appears and explains the nature of the apple of
discord to Hercules.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: traveller who responds with force
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Hercules travels the road, stamps on the object, and later strikes it with
his club.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: divine explainer and admonisher
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Minerva appears, tells Hercules to leave the object alone, and explains that
violence makes it grow.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: apple of discord
literal_form: An apple-like object lying on the road, later identified by Minerva
as the apple of discord.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: sym:2
label: club
literal_form: Hercules' club, used to strike the apple-like object and then dropped.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: blocked narrow road
literal_form: A narrow road that becomes blocked by the enlarged apple of discord.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Hercules encounters and attacks the apple-like object
summary: On a narrow road, Hercules sees an object like an apple, stamps on it,
and then strikes it with his club when it grows rather than breaks.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Minerva explains the apple of discord
summary: After the object swells until it blocks the road, Hercules drops his club.
Minerva appears and explains that the object grows through violent meddling but
remains small if left alone.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: discord grows when met with violence
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The apple of discord remains small if not meddled with but swells when Hercules
uses force against it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents this as a fable lesson rather than as an extended
mythic narrative.
- id: motif:2
label: divine wisdom restrains destructive action
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Minerva appears and gives explanatory counsel that redirects Hercules away
from violent action.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy link to wisdom is broad; the passage does not use the word
wisdom.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 4847-4851
quote_or_summary: Hercules travels on a narrow road, sees on the ground an object
that appears to be an apple, and stamps on it with his heel.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 4851-4855
quote_or_summary: The object is not crushed; it doubles in size, and when Hercules
strikes it with his club it swells enormously and blocks the whole road.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 4855-4857
quote_or_summary: Hercules drops his club and looks in amazement; Minerva appears
and tells him to leave it alone.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: quote
locator: lines 4857-4860
quote_or_summary: Minerva says it is the "apple of discord" and explains that if
it is not meddled with it remains small, but violence makes it swell.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; brief quotation and summary.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The literal sequence and figures are explicit. Motif labels are inferred
from Minerva's explanation and should be reviewed for taxonomy fit.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
No comparison claims added because the supplied passage does not itself establish a cross-textual or historical comparison beyond naming the apple of discord.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l4847-l4860
passage_sha256=052f2a02308858099066abea4355c2b018849b9ccadda1982a0718ae57c7a659