Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Milvus Aegrotus (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:

Aegrōtus lectō dēcumbebat Mīlvus, iam fermē moriēns. Mātrem ōrat precātum īre deōs, multa prōmittēns, sī redīre ad salūtem licēret. Māter autem respondēbat nil opis spērandum ā diīs, quōrum sacra et āras rapīnīs tōties violāsset.



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):

Aegrótus lecto decumbébat Milvus, iam ferme móriens. Matrem orat precátum ire deos, multa promíttens, si redíre ad salútem licéret. Mater autem respondébat nil opis sperándum a diis, quórum sacra et aras rapínis tóties violásset.



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:

Aegrotus lecto decumbebat Milvus, iam ferme moriens. Matrem orat precatum ire deos, multa promittens, si redire ad salutem liceret. Mater autem respondebat nil opis sperandum a diis, quorum sacra et aras rapinis toties violasset.



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