Friday, August 21, 2009

Leo Senex et Asinus (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:

Leō, longaevae senectūtis labōrāns vitiō et vīribus dēprīvātus, odiō et contemptuī fuit omnium ferārum. In quārum numerō Asinus (omnium animantium vīlissimus) appārēbat, et Leōnī imbellī calce minitātus est. Quod cum vīdisset Leō, suspīrāns inquit iustum fuisse ut tandem iniūriās suās ferae ulciscerentur, et ut iam odiō habērētur, quī ōlim omnibus metum intulisset.


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):

Leo, longáevae senectútis labórans vítio et víribus deprivátus, ódio et contémptui fuit ómnium ferárum. In quárum número Ásinus (ómnium animántium vilíssimus) apparébat, et Leóni imbélli calce minitátus est. Quod cum vidísset Leo, suspírans inquit iustum fuísse ut tandem iniúrias suas ferae ulcisceréntur, et ut iam ódio haberétur, qui olim ómnibus metum intulísset.


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:

Leo, longaevae senectutis laborans vitio et viribus deprivatus, odio et contemptui fuit omnium ferarum. In quarum numero Asinus (omnium animantium vilissimus) apparebat, et Leoni imbelli calce minitatus est. Quod cum vidisset Leo, suspirans inquit iustum fuisse ut tandem iniurias suas ferae ulciscerentur, et ut iam odio haberetur, qui olim omnibus metum intulisset.


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