Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Canis et Thesaurus (Phaedrus)

SOURCE: For a complete edition of Phaedrus with macrons, see the edition by J.H. Drake at GoogleBooks. This is fable 1.27 in Phaedrus. For parallel versions, see Perry 483.

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:

Haec rēs avārīs esse conveniēns potest,
et quī, humilēs nātī, dīcī locuplētēs student.
Hūmāna effodiēns ossa thēsaurum canis
invēnit, et, violārat quia Mānēs deōs,
iniecta est illī divitiārum cupiditās,
poenās ut sānctae religiōnī penderet.
Itaque, aurum dum custōdit oblītus cibī,
famē est cōnsūmptus. Quem stāns vulturius super
fertur locūtus "Ō canis, meritō iacēs,
quī concupistī subitō rēgālēs opēs,
triviō conceptus, ēdūcāte stercore."



PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:

Haec rēs avārīs conveniēns esse potest, et hīs quī, humilēs nātī, dīcī locuplētēs student. Canis, ossa hūmāna effodiēns, thēsaurum invēnit, et, quia deōs Mānēs violārat, divitiārum cupiditās illī iniecta est, ut poenās penderet religiōnī sānctae. Itaque, dum aurum custōdit, cibī oblītus, famē cōnsūmptus est. Vulturius, stāns super canem, fertur locūtus: Ō canis, stercore ēdūcāte, triviō conceptus, meritō iacēs, quī opēs rēgālēs subitō concupistī.


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):

Haec res aváris convéniens esse potest, et his qui, húmiles nati, dici locuplétes student. Canis, ossa humána effódiens, thesaúrum invénit, et, quia deos Manes violárat, divitiárum cupíditas illi iniécta est, ut poenas pénderet religióni sanctae. Ítaque, dum aurum custódit, cibi oblítus, fame consúmptus est. Vultúrius, stans super canem, fertur locútus: O canis, stércore educáte, trívio concéptus, mérito iaces, qui opes regáles súbito concupísti.


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):

Haec rēs· avā·rīs es·se con·veniēns· potest,
et qu~ humi·lēs nā·tī, dī·cī locu·plētēs· student.
Hūmā·n~ effodi·ēns os
·sa thē·saurum· canis
invē·nit, et,· violā·rat quia· Mānēs· deōs,
iniec·t~ est il·lī divi·tiā·rum cupi·ditās,
poenās· ut sānc·tae reli·giō·nī pen·deret.
Itaqu~ au·rum dum· custō·dit ob·lītus· cibī,
fam~ est· cōnsūmp·tus. Quem· stāns vul·turius· super
fertur· locū·tus Ō· canis,· meritō· iacēs,
quī con·cupis·tī subi·tō rē·gālēs· opēs,
triviō· concep·tus, ē·dūcā·te ster·core.


IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a vociferous vulture:


What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Haec res avaris conveniens esse potest, et his qui, humiles nati, dici locupletes student. Canis, ossa humana effodiens, thesaurum invenit, et, quia deos Manes violarat, divitiarum cupiditas illi iniecta est, ut poenas penderet religioni sanctae. Itaque, dum aurum custodit, cibi oblitus, fame consumptus est. Vulturius, stans super canem, fertur locutus: O canis, stercore educate, trivio conceptus, merito iaces, qui opes regales subito concupisti.