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:
Aesōpō quīdam scrīpta recitārat mala,
in quīs ineptē multum sē iactāverat.
Scīre ergō cupiēns quidnam sentīret senex,
"Numquid tibi" inquit "vīsus sum superbior?"
Haud vāna nōbīs ingenī fīdūcia est."
Cōnfectus ille pessimō volūmine,
"Ego" inquit "quod tē laudās vehementer probō;
namque hōc ab aliō numquam contiget tibi."
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Quīdam scrīpta mala Aesōpō recitārat, in quīs multum sē iactāverat, ineptē. Cupiēns ergō scīre quidnam senex sentīret, inquit: "Numquid tibi superbior vīsus sum?" Nōbīs ingenī fīdūcia haud vāna est." Ille, pessimō volūmine cōnfectus, inquit: "Ego vehementer probō quod tē laudās; namque hōc numquam tibi contiget ab aliō."
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):
Quidam scripta mala Aesópo recitárat, in quis multum se iactáverat, inépte. Cúpiens ergo scire quidnam senex sentíret, inquit: "Numquid tibi supérbior visus sum?" Nobis íngeni fidúcia haud vana est." Ille, péssimo volúmine conféctus, inquit: "Ego veheménter probo quod te laudas; namque hoc numquam tibi cóntiget ab álio."
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.
Aesō·pō quī·dam scrīp·ta reci·tārat· mala,
in quīs· inep·tē mul·tum sē· iactā·verat.
Scīr~ er·gō cupi·ēns quid·nam sen·tīret· senex,
"Numquid· tib~" in·quit "vī·sus sum· super·bior?"
Haud vā·na nō·bīs in·genī· fīdū·ci~ est."
Cōnfec·tus il·le pes·simō· volū·mine,
"Eg~" in·quit "quod· tē lau·dās vehe·menter· probō;
namqu~ hōc· ab ali·ō num·quam con·tiget· tibi."
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), Lawrence Alma-Tadema's painting of a Roman writer:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Quidam scripta mala Aesopo recitarat, in quis multum se iactaverat, inepte. Cupiens ergo scire quidnam senex sentiret, inquit: "Numquid tibi superbior visus sum?" Nobis ingeni fiducia haud vana est." Ille, pessimo volumine confectus, inquit: "Ego vehementer probo quod te laudas; namque hoc numquam tibi contiget ab alio."
