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:
In prīncipātū commūtandō saepius
nīl praeter dominī nōmen mūtant pauperēs.
Id esse vērum, parva haec fābella indicat.
Asellum in prātō timidus pāscēbat senex.
Is hostium clāmōre subitō territus
suādēbat asinō fugere, nē possent capī.
At ille lentus "Quaesō, num bīnās mihi
clītellās impositūrum vīctōrem putās?"
Senex negāvit. "Ergō, quid rēfert meā
cui serviam, clītellās dum portem meās?"
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
In prīncipātū commūtandō saepius pauperēs nīl, praeter dominī nōmen, mūtant. Haec parva fābella indicat id vērum esse. Senex timidus asellum in prātō pāscēbat. Is, hostium clāmōre subitō territus, asinō fugere suādēbat, nē capī possent. At ille lentus "Quaesō, num putās vīctōrem clītellās bīnās mihi impositūrum?" Senex negāvit. "Ergō, quid rēfert meā cui serviam, dum clītellās meās portem?"
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):
In principátu commutándo saépius paúperes nil, praeter dómini nomen, mutant. Haec parva fabélla índicat id verum esse. Senex tímidus aséllum in prato pascébat. Is, hóstium clamóre súbito térritus, ásino fúgere suadébat, ne capi possent. At ille lentus "Quaeso, num putas victórem clitéllas binas mihi impositúrum?" Senex negávit. "Ergo, quid refert mea cui sérviam, dum clitéllas meas portem?"
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):
In prīn·cipā·tū com·mūtan·dō sae·pius
nīl prae·ter domi·nī nō·men mū·tant pau·perēs.
Id es·se vē·rum, parv~· haec fā·bell~ in·dicat.
Asell~· in prā·tō timi·dus pās·cēbat· senex.
Is hos·tium ·clāmō·re subi·tō ter·ritus
suādē·bat asi·nō fuge·re, nē· possent· capī.
At il·le len·tus: Quae·sō, num· bīnās· mihi
clītel·lās im·positū·rum vīc·tōrem· putās?
Senex· negā·vit. Er·gō, quid· rēfert· meā
cui ser·viam,· clītel·lās dum· portem· meās?
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing an old man and his donkey on the island of Naxos in Greece:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
In principatu commutando saepius pauperes nil, praeter domini nomen, mutant. Haec parva fabella indicat id verum esse. Senex timidus asellum in prato pascebat. Is, hostium clamore subito territus, asino fugere suadebat, ne capi possent. At ille lentus "Quaeso, num putas victorem clitellas binas mihi impositurum?" Senex negavit. "Ergo, quid refert mea cui serviam, dum clitellas meas portem?"
