Monday, February 22, 2010

Canis et Oves Domini Eius (Abstemius)

SOURCE: This fable comes from the first Hecatomythium ("100 Fables") of Laurentius Abstemius (Lorenzo Bevilaqua), a fifteenth-century Italian scholar. Of all the neo-Latin fable collections, Abstemius's was the most popular, and his stories are frequently anthologized in the 16th-, 17th- and 18th-century collections of Aesop's fables in Latin. Here is a 1499 edition of the book online. This is fable 78 in the collection.

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:

Pastor quidem canī ovēs suās dederat custōdiendās, optimīs illum pascēns cibīs. At ille saepe aliquam ovem occīdēbat. Quod cum pastor animadvertisset, canem capiēns, eum volēbat occīdere. Cui canis: Quid mē (inquit) perdere cupis? sum ūnus ex domesticīs tuīs, interfice potius lupum, quī continuō tuō īnsidiātur ovīlī. Immo, inquit pastor, tē quam lupum morte dignum magis putō: ille enim palam sē meum hostem profitētur, tū vērō sub amīcitiae speciē quotīdiē meum imminuis gregem. Haec innuit fābula, longē magis pūniendōs, quī sub amīcitiae speciē nōs laedunt, quam quī apertē sē nostrōs inimīcōs profitentur.



ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with stress accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):

Pastor quidem cani oves suas déderat custodiéndas, óptimis illum pascens cibis. At ille saepe áliquam ovem occidébat. Quod cum pastor animadvertísset, canem cápiens, eum volébat occídere. Cui canis: "Quid me (inquit) pérdere cupis? Sum unus ex domésticis tuis; intérfice pótius lupum, qui contínuo tuo insidiátur ovíli." "Immo (inquit pastor) te quam lupum morte dignum magis puto: ille enim palam se meum hostem profitétur, tu vero sub amicítiae spécie quotídie meum immínuis gregem." Haec ínnuit fábula longe magis puniéndos, qui sub amicítiae spécie nos laedunt, quam qui apérte se nostros inimícos profiténtur.



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 put in some line breaks to show the natural pauses in the story:

Pastor quidem
cani oves suas dederat
custodiendas,
optimis illum pascens cibis.
At ille
saepe aliquam ovem occidebat.
Quod cum pastor animadvertisset,
canem capiens,
eum volebat occidere.
Cui canis:
"Quid
me (inquit) perdere cupis?
Sum unus ex domesticis tuis;
interfice potius lupum,
qui continuo
tuo insidiatur ovili."
"Immo (inquit pastor)
te
quam lupum
morte dignum magis puto:
ille enim palam
se meum hostem profitetur,
tu vero
sub amicitiae specie
quotidie meum imminuis gregem."
Haec innuit fabula
longe magis puniendos,
qui sub amicitiae specie nos laedunt,
quam
qui aperte
se nostros inimicos profitentur.




IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a shepherd and his dog: