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:
Plērumque stultī, rīsum dum captant levem,
gravī dēstringunt aliōs contumēliā,
et sibi nocīvum concitant perīculum.
Asellus aprō cum fuisset obvius,
"Salvē" inquit "frāter." Ille indignāns repudiat
officium, et quaerit cūr sīc mentīrī velit.
Asinus dēmissō pēne "Similem sī negās
tibi mē esse, certē simile est hoc rōstrō tuō."
Aper, cum vellet facere generōsum impetum,
repressit īram et "Facilis vindicta est mihi:
sed inquinārī nōlō ignāvō sanguine."
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Plērumque stultī, dum rīsum levem captant, contumēliā gravī aliōs dēstringunt, et sibi concitant perīculum nocīvum. Asellus, cum aprō obvius fuisset, inquit: Salvē, frāter. Ille, indignāns, officium repudiat, et quaerit cūr sīc mentīrī velit. Asinus, pēne dēmissō: Sī negās mē tibi similem esse, certē hoc simile est rōstrō tuō. Aper, cum impetum generōsum facere vellet, īram repressit et inquit: Vindicta mihi facilis est, sed sanguine ignāvō inquinārī nōlō.
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):
Plerúmque stulti, dum risum levem captant, contumélia gravi álios destríngunt, et sibi cóncitant perículum nocívum. Aséllus, cum apro óbvius fuísset, inquit: Salve, frater. Ille, indígnans, offícium repúdiat, et quaerit cur sic mentíri velit. Ásinus, pene demísso: Si negas me tibi símilem esse, certe hoc símile est rostro tuo. Aper, cum ímpetum generósum fácere vellet, iram représsit et inquit: Vindícta mihi fácilis est, sed sánguine ignávo inquinári nolo.
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):
Plērum·que stul·tī, rīs·um dum· captant· levem,
gravī· dēstrin·gunt ali·ōs con·tumē·liā,
et sibi· nocī·vum con·citant· perī·culum.
Asel·lus ap·rō cum· fuis·set ob·vius,
Salv~ in·quit frā·ter. Il·l~ indig·nāns repu·diat
offici·~, et quae·rit cūr· sīc men·tīrī· velit.
Asinus· dēmis·sō pē·ne Simi·lem sī· negās
tibi m~ es·se, cer·tē simi·l~ est hoc· rōstrō· tuō.
Aper,· cum vel·let face·re gene·rōs~ im·petum,
repres·sit ī·r~ et: Faci·lis vin·dict~ est· mihi:
sed in·quinā·rī nō·l~ ignā·vō san·guine.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source).
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Plerumque stulti, dum risum levem captant, contumelia gravi alios destringunt, et sibi concitant periculum nocivum. Asellus, cum apro obvius fuisset, inquit: Salve, frater. Ille, indignans, officium repudiat, et quaerit cur sic mentiri velit. Asinus, pene demisso: Si negas me tibi similem esse, certe hoc simile est rostro tuo. Aper, cum impetum generosum facere vellet, iram repressit et inquit: Vindicta mihi facilis est, sed sanguine ignavo inquinari nolo.
