Thursday, January 7, 2010

Asinus in Pelle Leonis (Porta Latina)

SOURCE: The text is taken from the Latin textbook Porta Latina: Fables of La Fontaine by Frank Gardner Moore, available at GoogleBooks. You can consult the textbook for vocabulary and also for notes on each fable. For more information and other versions of this fable, see Perry 188. In LaFontaine, the fable is 5.21, L' Ane vêtu de la peau du Lion.

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:

Asinus leōnis pelle indūtus terrōrem passim faciēbat, dum auriculae pars summa, male operta, dolum fallāciamque patefēcit. Tum fūstibus in pīstrīnum dētrūdī leōnem mirābantur rūsticī mendāciīs haud adsuētī. Hanc fābulam multī virī nōtissimī apud nōs vītā suā inlūstrant, quōrum virtūs ferē tōta ē cultū splendidō cōnstet.



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):

Ásinus leónis pelle indútus terrórem passim faciébat, dum aurículae pars summa, male opérta, dolum fallaciámque patefécit. Tum fústibus in pistrínum detrúdi leónem mirabántur rústici mendáciis haud adsuéti. Hanc fábulam multi viri notíssimi apud nos vita sua inlústrant, quorum virtus fere tota e cultu spléndido constet.



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; I've inserted spaces between the segments to make it easier to follow:

Asinus
leonis pelle indutus
terrorem passim faciebat,
dum auriculae pars summa,
male operta,
dolum fallaciamque patefecit.
Tum fustibus
in pistrinum detrudi leonem
mirabantur rustici
mendaciis haud adsueti.
Hanc fabulam
multi viri notissimi apud nos
vita sua inlustrant,
quorum virtus fere tota
e cultu splendido constet.



IMAGE. Here is the illustration of the fable by Aractingy: