Saturday, December 19, 2009

Muli Duo et Latrones (Porta Latina)

SOURCE: The text is taken from the Latin textbook Porta Latina: Fables of La Fontaine by Frank Gardner Moore, available at GoogleBooks. You can consult the textbook for vocabulary and also for notes on each fable. For more information and other versions of this fable, see Perry 491. In LaFontaine, the fable is 1.4, Les deux Mulets.

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:

Mūlī duo - avēnam alter, alter argentum - portābant. Hic, oneris suī cōnscius, quod nūllō pretiō dēpōnere vellet, sublātīs pedibus superbus ambulābat, cum quateret tintinnābulum. Subitō latrōnēs adsunt, quī argentī causā impetū factō hunc frēnīs arreptīs sistunt; resistentem prīmō, tum gementem suspīrantemque fūstibus male mulcant. "Num hoc," inquit "mihi prōmittēbant? Alter ille, quī mē sequitur, ex periculō sē ēripuit, in quod ipse incidī ut perīrem!" Tum alter "Haud semper," inquit, "summum mūnus sustinēre prōdest. Sī dominus tuus pīstor tantum esset, ut meus, haud ita dolērēs."



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):

Muli duo - avénam alter, alter argéntum - portábant. Hic, óneris sui cónscius, quod nullo prétio depónere vellet, sublátis pédibus supérbus ambulábat, cum quáteret tintinnábulum. Súbito latrónes adsunt, qui argénti causa ímpetu facto hunc frenis arréptis sistunt; resisténtem primo, tum geméntem suspirantémque fústibus male mulcant. "Num hoc," inquit "mihi promittébant? Alter ille, qui me séquitur, ex perículo se erípuit, in quod ipse íncidi ut perírem!" Tum alter "Haud semper," inquit, "summum munus sustinére prodest. Si dóminus tuus pistor tantum esset, ut meus, haud ita doléres."



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; I've inserted spaces between the segments to make it easier to follow:

Muli duo -
avenam alter, alter argentum -
portabant.
Hic, oneris sui conscius,
quod nullo pretio deponere vellet,
sublatis pedibus
superbus ambulabat,
cum quateret tintinnabulum.
Subito latrones adsunt,
qui
argenti causa
impetu facto
hunc frenis arreptis sistunt;
resistentem primo,
tum gementem suspirantemque
fustibus male mulcant.
"Num hoc," inquit "mihi promittebant?
Alter ille,
qui me sequitur,
ex periculo se eripuit,
in quod
ipse incidi
ut perirem!"
Tum alter
"Haud semper," inquit,
"summum munus sustinere prodest.
Si dominus tuus
pistor tantum esset, ut meus,
haud ita doleres."



IMAGE. Here is the illustration of the fable by Aractingy: