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:
Successus ad perniciem multōs dēvocat.
Aesōpō quīdam petulāns lapidem impēgerat.
"Tantō" inquit "melior!" Assem deinde illī dedit
sīc prōsecūtus: "Plūs nōn habeō mehercule,
sed unde accipere possīs mōnstrābō tibi.
Venit ecce dīves et potēns; huic similiter
impinge lapidem, et dīgnum accipiēs praemium."
Persuāsus ille fēcit quod monitus fuit,
sed spēs fefellit impudentem audāciam;
comprēnsus namque poenās persolvit cruce.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Successus multōs dēvocat ad perniciem. Quīdam petulāns lapidem Aesōpō impēgerat. Inquit: "Tantō melior!" Deinde assem illī dedit, sīc prōsecūtus: "Plūs nōn habeō, mehercule, sed tibi mōnstrābō unde accipere possīs. Ecce: dīves et potēns venit; similiter lapidem huic impinge, et praemium dīgnum accipiēs." Ille, persuāsus, fēcit quod monitus fuit, sed spēs audāciam impudentem fefellit; namque comprēnsus, cruce poenās persolvit.
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):
Succéssus multos dévocat ad perníciem. Quidam pétulans lápidem Aesópo impégerat. Inquit: "Tanto mélior!" Deinde assem illi dedit, sic prosecútus: "Plus non hábeo, mehércule, sed tibi monstrábo unde accípere possis. Ecce: dives et potens venit; simíliter lápidem huic impínge, et praémium dignum accípies." Ille, persuásus, fecit quod mónitus fuit, sed spes audáciam impudéntem feféllit; namque comprénsus, cruce poenas persólvit.
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); for more information, here are some Notes on Iambic Meter.
Succes·sus ad· pernici·em mul·tōs dē·vocat.
Aesō·pō quī·dam petu·lāns lapi·d~ impē·gerat.
Tant~ in·quit meli·or! As·sem dein·d~ illī· dedit
sīc prō·secū·tus: Plūs· nōn habe·ō m~er·cule,
sed un·d~ accipe·re pos·sīs mōn·strābō· tibi.
Venit ec·ce dī·ves et· potēns;· huic simi·liter
impin·ge lapi·d~, et dīg·n~ accipi·ēs prae·mium.
Persuā·sus il·le fē·cit quod· monitus· fuit,
sed spēs· fefel·lit im·puden·t~ audā·ciam;
comprēn·sus nam·que poe·nās per·solvit· cruce.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a Roman as coin stamped with the emperor Caligula:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Successus multos devocat ad perniciem. Quidam petulans lapidem Aesopo impegerat. Inquit: "Tanto melior!" Deinde assem illi dedit, sic prosecutus: "Plus non habeo, mehercule, sed tibi monstrabo unde accipere possis. Ecce: dives et potens venit; similiter lapidem huic impinge, et praemium dignum accipies." Ille, persuasus, fecit quod monitus fuit, sed spes audaciam impudentem fefellit; namque comprensus, cruce poenas persolvit.
