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:
Victōrem fōrte gymnicī certāminis
iactantiōrem cum vīdisset Phryx sophus,
interrogāvit an plūs adversārius
valuisset ēius? Ille: "Nē istud dīxeris;
multō fuēre vīrēs māiōrēs meae."
"Quod" inquit "ergō, stulte, meruistī decus,
minus valentem sī vīcistī fortior?
Ferendus essēs, fōrte sī tē dīcerēs
superāsse, melior quī fuisset vīribus."
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Phryx sophus, cum gymnicī certāminis victōrem iactantiōrem fōrte vīdisset, interrogāvit an ēius adversārius plūs valuisset? Ille: "Nē istud dīxeris; vīrēs meae multō māiōrēs fuēre." Inquit: "Stulte! Quod ergō decus meruistī, sī tū, fortior, minus valentem vīcistī? Ferendus essēs, sī fōrte dīcerēs tē superāsse, quī vīribus melior fuisset."
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):
Phryx sophus, cum gýmnici certáminis victórem iactantiórem forte vidísset, interrogávit an eius adversárius plus valuísset? Ille: "Ne istud díxeris; vires meae multo maióres fuére." Inquit: "Stulte! Quod ergo decus meruísti, si tu, fórtior, minus valéntem vicísti? Feréndus esses, si forte díceres te superásse, qui víribus mélior fuísset."
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); for more information, here are some Notes on Iambic Meter.
Victō·rem fōr·te gym·nicī· certā·minis
iactan·tiō·rem cum· vīdis·set Phryx· sophus,
inter·rogā·vit an· plūs ad·versā·rius
valuis·set ē·ius? Il·le: "N~ is·tud dīx·eris;
multō· fuē·re vī·rēs mā·iōrēs· meae."
"Quod" in·quit "er·gō, stul·te, meru·istī· decus,
minus· valen·tem sī· vīcis·tī for·tior?
Feren·dus es·sēs, fōr·te sī· tē dī·cerēs
superās·se, meli·or quī· fuis·set vī·ribus."
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing a sand sculpture of an Olympic athlete - from the Chinese celebration of the Olympic games:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Phryx sophus, cum gymnici certaminis victorem iactantiorem forte vidisset, interrogavit an eius adversarius plus valuisset? Ille: "Ne istud dixeris; vires meae multo maiores fuere." Inquit: "Stulte! Quod ergo decus meruisti, si tu, fortior, minus valentem vicisti? Ferendus esses, si forte diceres te superasse, qui viribus melior fuisset."
