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:
Quīcumque āmīsit dignitātem prīstinam,
īgnāvīs etiam iocus est in cāsū gravī.
Dēfectus annīs et dēsertus vīribus
leō cum iacēret spīritum extrēmum trahēns,
aper fulmineīs ad eum vēnit dentibus,
et vindicāvit ictū veterem iniūriam.
Īnfestīs taurus mox cōnfōdit cornibus
hostīle corpus. Asinus, ut vīdit ferum
impūne laedī, calcibus frōntem extudit.
At ille exspīrāns "Fortēs indīgnē tulī
mihi īnsultāre: Tē, Nātūrae dēdecus,
quod ferre cōgor certē bis videor morī."
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Quīcumque dignitātem prīstinam āmīsit, in cāsū gravī etiam īgnāvīs iocus est. Leō, annīs dēfectus et vīribus dēsertus, cum iacēret, spīritum extrēmum trahēns, aper ad eum vēnit, dentibus fulmineīs, et iniūriam veterem ictū vindicāvit. Mox taurus cornibus īnfestīs corpus hostīle cōnfōdit. Asinus, ut vīdit ferum impūne laedī, frōntem calcibus extudit. At ille exspīrāns: Indīgnē tulī fortēs mihi īnsultāre; quod tē, Nātūrae dēdecus, ferre cōgor, certē videor bis morī.
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):
Quicúmque dignitátem prístinam amísit, in casu gravi étiam ignávis iocus est. Leo, annis deféctus et víribus desértus, cum iacéret, spíritum extrémum trahens, aper ad eum venit, déntibus fulmíneis, et iniúriam véterem ictu vindicávit. Mox taurus córnibus inféstis corpus hostíle confódit. Ásinus, ut vidit ferum impúne laedi, frontem cálcibus éxtudit. At ille exspírans: Indígne tuli fortes mihi insultáre; quod te, Natúrae dédecus, ferre cogor, certe vídeor bis mori.
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):
Quīcum·qu~ āmī·sit dig·nitā·tem prīs·tinam,
īgnā·vīs eti·am iocus· est in· cāsū· gravī.
Dēfec·tus an·nīs et· dēser·tus vī·ribus
leō· c~ iacē·ret spī·rit~ ex·trēmum· trahēns,
aper· fulmine·īs ad e·um vē·nit den·tibus,
et vin·dicā·vit ic·tū vete·r~ iniū·riam.
Īnfes·tīs tau·rus mox· cōnfō·dit cor·nibus
hostīl·e cor·pus. Asi·nus, ut· vīdit· ferum
impū·ne lae·dī, cal·cibus· frōnt~ ex·tudit.
At il·l~ exspī·rāns For·tēs in·dīgnē· tulī
mih~ īn·sultā·re: Tē,· Nātū·rae dē·decus,
quod fer·re cō·gor cer·tē bis· videor· morī.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source).
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Quicumque dignitatem pristinam amisit, in casu gravi etiam ignavis iocus est. Leo, annis defectus et viribus desertus, cum iaceret, spiritum extremum trahens, aper ad eum venit, dentibus fulmineis, et iniuriam veterem ictu vindicavit. Mox taurus cornibus infestis corpus hostile confodit. Asinus, ut vidit ferum impune laedi, frontem calcibus extudit. At ille exspirans: Indigne tuli fortes mihi insultare; quod te, Naturae dedecus, ferre cogor, certe videor bis mori.
