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:
Aesōpus dominō sōlus cum esset familiā,
parāre cēnam iūssus est mātūrius.
Īgnem ergō quaerēns aliquot lūstrāvit domūs,
tandemque invēnit ubi lacernam accenderet,
tum circum euntī fuerat quod iter longius
effēcit brevius: namque rēctā per forum
coepit redīre. Et quīdam ē turbā garrulus:
"Aesōpe, mediō sōle quid tu lūmine?"
"Hominem" inquit "quaerō." Et abiit festīnāns domum.
Hoc sī molestus ille ad animum rettulit,
sēnsit profectō sē hominem nōn vīsum senī,
intempestīvē quī occupātō adlūserit.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Aesōpus, cum sōlus esset dominō familiā, iūssus est mātūrius cēnam parāre. Īgnem ergō quaerēns, aliquot domūs lūstrāvit, et tandem invēnit ubi lacernam accenderet, tum circum euntī fuerat quod iter longius brevius effēcit: namque rēctā per forum redīre coepit. Et quīdam garrulus ē turbā inquit: "Aesōpe, quid tu lūmine, mediō sōle?" "Hominem quaerō." Et abiit, domum festīnāns. Sī molestus ille hoc ad animum rettulit, profectō sēnsit sē senī nōn vīsum hominem, quī intempestīvē occupātō adlūserit.
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):
Aesópus, cum solus esset dómino fámilia, iussus est matúrius cenam paráre. Ignem ergo quaerens, áliquot domus lustrávit, et tandem invénit ubi lacérnam accénderet, tum circum eúnti fúerat quod iter lóngius brévius effécit: namque recta per forum redíre coepit. Et quidam gárrulus e turba inquit: "Aesópe, quid tu lúmine, médio sole?" "Hóminem quaero." Et ábiit, domum festínans. Si moléstus ille hoc ad ánimum réttulit, profécto sensit se seni non visum hóminem, qui intempestíve occupáto adlúserit.
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·pus domi·nō sō·lus c~ es·set fami·liā,
parā·re cē·nam iūs·sus est· mātū·rius.
Īgn~ er·gō quae·rēns ali·quot lūs·trāvit· domūs,
tandem·qu~ invē·nit ubi· lacer·n~ accen·deret,
tum cir·c~ eun·tī fue·rat quod i·ter lon·gius
effē·cit brevi·us: nam·que rēc·tā per· forum
coepit· redī·r~. Et quī·d~ ē tur·bā gar·rulus:
Aesō·pe, medi·ō sō·le quid· tu lū·mine?
Homin~ in·quit quae·r~. Et abi·it fes·tīnāns· domum.
Hoc sī· moles·tus il·l~ ad ani·mum ret·tulit,
sēnsit· profec·tō s~ homi·nem nōn· vīsum· senī,
intem·pestī·vē qu~ oc·cupā·t~ adlū·serit.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source); it's Tischbein's painting of Diogenes with his lamp, as this same story about Aesop is most commonly told about Diogenes:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Aesopus, cum solus esset domino familia, iussus est maturius cenam parare. Ignem ergo quaerens, aliquot domus lustravit, et tandem invenit ubi lacernam accenderet, tum circum eunti fuerat quod iter longius brevius effecit: namque recta per forum redire coepit. Et quidam garrulus e turba inquit: "Aesope, quid tu lumine, medio sole?" "Hominem quaero." Et abiit, domum festinans. Si molestus ille hoc ad animum rettulit, profecto sensit se seni non visum hominem, qui intempestive occupato adluserit.
