READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons in verse form, or macrons in prose order, or accent marks in prose order, or focusing on the iambic meter. You will find materials for all of these options below. :-)
VERSE MACRONS. Here is the verse text with macrons (note that diutius is not marked as diūtius for reasons of meter):
Athēnae cum flōrērent aequīs lēgibus,
procāx lībērtās cīvitātem miscuit,
frēnumque solvit prīstinum licentia.
Hīc cōnspīrātīs factiōnum partibus
arcem tyrannus occupat Pīsistratus.
Cum trīstem servitūtem flērent Atticī,
nōn quia crūdēlis ille, sed quoniam grave
omne insuētīs onus, et coepissent querī,
Aesōpus tālem tum fābellam rettulit.
"Rānae, vagantēs līberīs palūdibus,
clāmōre māgnō rēgem petiēre ā Iove,
quī dissolūtōs mōrēs vī compēsceret.
Pater deōrum rīsit atque illīs dedit
parvum tigillum, mīssum quod subitō vadī
mōtū sonōque terruit pavidum genus.
Hōc mersum līmō cum iacēret diutius,
fōrte ūna tacitē prōfert ē stāgnō caput,
et explōrātō rēge cūnctās ēvocat.
Illae timōre positō certātim adnatant,
līgnumque suprā turba petulāns īnsilit.
Quod cum inquināssent omnī contumēliā,
alium rogantēs rēgem mīsēre ad Iovem,
inūtilis quoniam esset quī fuerat datus.
Tum mīsit illīs hydrum, quī dente asperō
corripere coepit singulās. Frūstrā necem
fugitant inertēs; vōcem praeclūdit metus.
Fūrtim igitur dant Mercuriō mandāta ad Iovem,
adflīctīs ut succurrat. Tunc contrā deus:
"Quia nōluistis vestrum ferre" inquit "bonum,
malum perferte." Vōs quoque, ō cīvēs," ait
"hōc sustinēte, māius nē veniat, malum."
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Cum Athēnae aequīs lēgibus flōrērent, procāx lībērtās cīvitātem miscuit, et licentia frēnum prīstinum solvit. Hīc, factiōnum partibus cōnspīrātīs, Pīsistratus tyrannus arcem occupat. Cum Atticī trīstem servitūtem flērent, nōn quia ille crūdēlis, sed quoniam insuētīs omne onus grave, et querī coepissent, tum Aesōpus tālem fābellam rettulit. "Rānae, līberīs palūdibus vagantēs, clāmōre māgnō ā Iove rēgem petiēre, quī dissolūtōs mōrēs vī compēsceret. Pater deōrum rīsit atque parvum tigillum illīs dedit, quod, subitō mīssum, vadī mōtū et sonō pavidum genus terruit. Cum hōc, līmō mersum, diutius iacēret, fōrte ūna caput ē stāgnō tacitē prōfert, et, rēge explōrātō, cūnctās ēvocat. Illae, timōre positō, certātim adnatant, et turba petulāns suprā līgnum īnsilit. Quod cum omnī contumēliā inquināssent, ad Iovem mīsēre, alium rēgem rogantēs quoniam inūtilis esset quī datus fuerat. Tum hydrum illīs mīsit, quī dente asperō singulās corripere coepit. Frūstrā inertēs necem fugitant; metus vōcem praeclūdit. Fūrtim igitur Mercuriō mandāta ad Iovem dant, ut adflīctīs succurrat. Tunc deus contrā inquit: "Quia bonum vestrum ferre nōluistis, malum perferte." Ait: Vōs quoque, ō cīvēs, hōc malum sustinēte, nē māius veniat."
STRESS (ACCENT) MARKS. Here is the prose text with accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):
Cum Athénae aequis légibus florérent, procax libértas civitátem míscuit, et licéntia frenum prístinum solvit. Hic, factiónum pártibus conspirátis, Pisístratus tyránnus arcem óccupat. Cum Áttici tristem servitútem flerent, non quia ille crudélis, sed quóniam insuétis omne onus grave, et queri coepíssent, tum Aesópus talem fabéllam réttulit. "Ranae, líberis palúdibus vagántes, clamóre magno a Iove regem petiére, qui dissolútos mores vi compésceret. Pater deórum risit atque parvum tigíllum illis dedit, quod, súbito missum, vadi motu et sono pávidum genus térruit. Cum hoc, limo mersum, diútius iacéret, forte una caput e stagno tácite profert, et, rege exploráto, cunctas évocat. Illae, timóre pósito, certátim ádnatant, et turba pétulans supra lignum ínsilit. Quod cum omni contumélia inquinássent, ad Iovem misére, álium regem rogántes quóniam inútilis esset qui datus fúerat. Tum hydrum illis misit, qui dente áspero síngulas corrípere coepit. Frustra inértes necem fúgitant; metus vocem praeclúdit. Furtim ígitur Mercúrio mandáta ad Iovem dant, ut adflíctis succúrrat. Tunc deus contra inquit: "Quia bonum vestrum ferre noluístis, malum perférte." Ait: Vos quoque, o cives, hoc malum sustinéte, ne maius véniat."
IAMBIC METER. Here is the verse text with some color coding to assist in the iambic meter. The disyllabic elements (iambs/spondees) are not marked, but the trisyllabic elements are color-coded: dactyls are red, anapests are purple, and tribrachs are green (as is any proceleusmaticus, although that is a rare creature):
Athē·nae cum· flōrē·rent ae·quīs lē·gibus,
procāx· lībēr·tās cī·vitā·tem mis·cuit,
frēnum·que sol·vit prī·stinum· licen·tia.
Hīc cōn·spīrā·tīs fac·tiō·num par·tibus
arcem· tyran·nus oc·cupat· Pīsis·tratus.
Cum trīs·tem ser·vitū·tem flē·rent At·ticī,
nōn quia· crūdē·lis il·le, sed· quoniam· grave
omn~ in·suē·tīs onus,· et coe·pissent· querī,
Aesō·pus tā·lem tum· fābel·lam ret·tulit.
Rānae,· vagan·tēs lī·berīs· palū·dibus,
clāmō·re māg·nō rē·gem peti·ēr~ ā· Iove,
quī dis·solū·tōs mō·rēs vī· compēs·ceret.
Pater· deō·rum rī·sit at·qu~ illīs· dedit
parvum· tigil·lum, mīs·sum quod· subitō· vadī
mōtū· sonō·que ter·ruit· pavidum· genus.
Hōc mer·sum lī·mō cum· iacē·ret diu·tius,
fōrt~ ū·na taci·tē prō·fert ē· stāgnō· caput,
et ex·plōrā·tō rē·ge cūnc·tās ē·vocat.
Illae· timō·re posi·tō cer·tāt~ ad·natant,
līgnum·que su·prā tur·ba petul·āns īn·silit.
Quod c~ in·quinās·sent om·nī con·tumē·liā,
alium· rogan·tēs rē·gem mī·sēr~ ad· Iovem,
inū·tilis· quoni~ es·set quī· fuerat· datus.
Tum mī·sit il·līs hy·drum, quī· dent~ as·perō
corripe·re coe·pit sin·gulās.· Frūstrā· necem
fugitant· iner·tēs; vō·cem prae·clūdit· metus.
Fūrt~ igi·tur dant· Mercuri·ō man·dāt~ ad· Iovem,
adflīc·tīs ut· succur·rat. Tunc· contrā· deus:
Quia nō·luis·tis ves·trum fer·r~ inquit· bonum,
malum· perfer·te. Vōs· quoqu~, ō· cīvēs,· ait
hōc sus·tinē·te, mā·ius nē· veniat,· malum.
IMAGE. For an illustration, here is an image from Steinhowel's Aesop which shows Jupiter throwing in the log (left) and then (right) the bird who is eating the frogs one by one - wiht one of the frogs trying to hide there under the log! Notice that over time Phaedrus's "hydrus" (water-snake) is replaced by some kind of water fowl, such as a stork, a heron, a crane, etc.
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Cum Athenae aequis legibus florerent, procax libertas civitatem miscuit, et licentia frenum pristinum solvit. Hic, factionum partibus conspiratis, Pisistratus tyrannus arcem occupat. Cum Attici tristem servitutem flerent, non quia ille crudelis, sed quoniam insuetis omne onus grave, et queri coepissent, tum Aesopus talem fabellam rettulit. "Ranae, liberis paludibus vagantes, clamore magno a Iove regem petiere, qui dissolutos mores vi compesceret. Pater deorum risit atque parvum tigillum illis dedit, quod, subito missum, vadi motu et sono pavidum genus terruit. Cum hoc, limo mersum, diutius iaceret, forte una caput e stagno tacite profert, et, rege explorato, cunctas evocat. Illae, timore posito, certatim adnatant, et turba petulans supra lignum insilit. Quod cum omni contumelia inquinassent, ad Iovem misere, alium regem rogantes quoniam inutilis esset qui datus fuerat. Tum hydrum illis misit, qui dente aspero singulas corripere coepit. Frustra inertes necem fugitant; metus vocem praecludit. Furtim igitur Mercurio mandata ad Iovem dant, ut adflictis succurrat. Tunc deus contra inquit: "Quia bonum vestrum ferre noluistis, malum perferte." Ait: Vos quoque, o cives, hoc malum sustinete, ne maius veniat."
