Sunday, January 17, 2010

Vulpes et Caput Marmoreum (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 27. In LaFontaine, the fable is 4.14, Le Renard et le Buste.

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:

Clārī hominēs plērique quasi persōnae sunt; vulgus enim imperītōrum dēcipiunt. Quōs tamen asinus aspectū tantum iūdicāre potest, eōs vulpēs, hūc atque illūc velut versōs, penitus īnspicit; et, postquam intellēxit nihil illīs aliud esse quam speciem urbānitātemque, idem ait quod dē hērōis imāgine quondam dīxit. Haec autem concava et maior nātūrā erat. "Caput" inquit "pulcherrimum, animī autem prōrsus nihil!" Quot hominēs clārissimōs item imāginēs appellāre licet!



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):

Clari hómines pleríque quasi persónae sunt; vulgus enim imperitórum decípiunt. Quos tamen ásinus aspéctu tantum iudicáre potest, eos vulpes, huc atque illuc velut versos, pénitus ínspicit; et, postquam intelléxit nihil illis áliud esse quam spéciem urbanitatémque, idem ait quod de heróis imágine quondam dixit. Haec autem cóncava et maior natúra erat. "Caput" inquit "pulchérrimum, ánimi autem prorsus nihil!" Quot hómines claríssimos item imágines appelláre licet!



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:

Clari homines plerique
quasi personae sunt;
vulgus enim imperitorum decipiunt.
Quos tamen
asinus
aspectu tantum iudicare potest,
eos vulpes,
huc atque illuc velut versos,
penitus inspicit;
et, postquam intellexit
nihil illis aliud esse
quam speciem urbanitatemque,
idem ait
quod de herois imagine
quondam dixit.
Haec autem concava
et maior natura erat.
"Caput" inquit "pulcherrimum,
animi autem prorsus nihil!"
Quot homines clarissimos
item imagines appellare licet!



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