Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Canis Mordax (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:

Canī, saepius hominēs mordentī, illigāvit Dominus nolam, scīlicet ut sibi quisque cavēret. Canis, ratus virtūtī suae tribūtum hoc decus esse, populārēs omnēs dēspicit. Accēdit tandem ad hunc Canem aliquis, iam aetāte et auctōritāte gravis, monēns eum nē erret. “Nam ista nola (inquit) data est tibi in dēdecus, nōn in decus.”



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):

Cani, saépius hómines mordénti, illigávit Dóminus nolam, scílicet ut sibi quisque cavéret. Canis, ratus virtúti suae tribútum hoc decus esse, populáres omnes déspicit. Accédit tandem ad hunc Canem áliquis, iam aetáte et auctoritáte gravis, monens eum ne erret. “Nam ista nola (inquit) data est tibi in dédecus, non in decus.”


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:

Cani, saepius homines mordenti, illigavit Dominus nolam, scilicet ut sibi quisque caveret. Canis, ratus virtuti suae tributum hoc decus esse, populares omnes despicit. Accedit tandem ad hunc Canem aliquis, iam aetate et auctoritate gravis, monens eum ne erret. “Nam ista nola (inquit) data est tibi in dedecus, non in decus.”



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