Sunday, April 3

On mouses and frogs - help needed: Batrachomyomachia

I'm missing something here. What is the relationship between mouses and frogs?
Have a great Sunday!
Batrachomyomachia (‘battle of the frogs and mice’), a short Greek mockepic poem in the style of Homeric epic, sometimes attributed to Homer in antiquity and difficult to date but perhaps of the fifth century BC. The story derives from a fable of Aesop; a mouse Psīcharpax (‘crumb-stealer’) is invited by a frog Physignathos (‘puff-cheek’) son of Peleus to ride on his back to visit his watery kingdom. Unfortunately, at the sight of a water-snake the frog dives and the mouse is drowned. But the incident has been seen by another mouse, and a one-day Homeric war ensues between the mice and the frogs, in which the mice seem to be winning. At the request of Athena, Zeus intervenes, and having failed with thunderbolts sends crabs to quell the strife. I did read Iliad and don't remember. Time to reread it... but I like the Odyssey better.
Right: at National Geographic by anonymous.
Left: here.