Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Ursus et Viatores (Barlow)

SOURCE: Aesop’s Fables in Latin: Ancient Wit and Wisdom from the Animal Kingdom. For more information - including vocabulary lists and grammar comments - see the page for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons or accent marks - and read the text out loud until you feel comfortable and confident. Then, try reading the unmarked text at the bottom. It should be easy for you after practicing with the marked texts. :-)


MACRONS. Here is the text with macrons:

Amīcī duo, factō foedere, iter inceptantēs, Ursō obviam dabant. Alter ex Amīcīs trepidus arborem cōnscendit. Alter autem, cōnstrātus humī, sē mortuum simulābat et spīritum tōtum compressit. Accēdēns Ursus, ad faciem ōs admovēns et mortuum crēdēns, abībat, intactum relinquēns. Tandem dēscendēbat ex arbore Amīcus et, Socium accēdēns, percontātus est quid illī susurrāverat Ursus. Cui ille respondit, “Monēbat mē Ursus, ut dē falsīs et perfidīs Amīcīs in posterum cavērem.”



ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with ecclesiastical accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):

Amíci duo, facto foédere, iter inceptántes, Urso óbviam dabant. Alter ex Amícis trépidus árborem conscéndit. Alter autem, constrátus humi, se mórtuum simulábat et spíritum totum compréssit. Accédens Ursus, ad fáciem os ádmovens et mórtuum credens, abíbat, intáctum relínquens. Tandem descendébat ex árbore Amícus et, Sócium accédens, percontátus est quid illi susurráverat Ursus. Cui ille respóndit, “Monébat me Ursus, ut de falsis et pérfidis Amícis in pósterum cavérem.”


UNMARKED TEXT. Here is the unmarked text - after practicing with the marked text that you prefer, you should not have any trouble with the unmarked text:

Amici duo, facto foedere, iter inceptantes, Urso obviam dabant. Alter ex Amicis trepidus arborem conscendit. Alter autem, constratus humi, se mortuum simulabat et spiritum totum compressit. Accedens Ursus, ad faciem os admovens et mortuum credens, abibat, intactum relinquens. Tandem descendebat ex arbore Amicus et, Socium accedens, percontatus est quid illi susurraverat Ursus. Cui ille respondit, “Monebat me Ursus, ut de falsis et perfidis Amicis in posterum caverem.”



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source).