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:
Canēs effugere cum iam nōn possit fiber
(Graecī loquācēs quem dīxērunt castorem
et indidērunt bestiae nōmen deī,
illī quī iactant sē verbōrum cōpiā),
abripere morsū fertur testiculōs sibi,
quia propter illōs sentiat sēsē petī.
Dīvīnā quod ratiōne fierī nōn negem;
vēnātor namque simul invēnit remedium,
omittit ipsum persequī et revocat canēs.
Hoc sī praestāre possent hominēs, ut suō
vellent carēre, tūtī posthac vīverent;
haud quisquam īnsidiās nūdō faceret corporī.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Fiber (quem Graecī loquācēs castorem dīxērunt et bestiae indidērunt deī nōmen, illī quī sē iactant verbōrum cōpiā), cum canēs effugere iam nōn possit, fertur sibi testiculōs morsū abripere, quia propter illōs sentiat sēsē petī. Nōn negem hoc ratiōne dīvīnā fierī ; namque vēnātor remedium simul invēnit, ipsum persequī omittit et canēs revocat. Sī hominēs hoc praestāre possent, ut suō carēre vellent, posthac tūtī vīverent; haud quisquam corporī nūdō īnsidiās faceret.
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):
Fiber (quem Graeci loquáces cástorem dixérunt et béstiae indidérunt dei nomen, illi qui se iactant verbórum cópia), cum canes effúgere iam non possit, fertur sibi testículos morsu abrípere, quia propter illos séntiat sese peti. Non negem hoc ratióne divína fíeri ; namque venátor remédium simul invénit, ipsum pérsequi omíttit et canes révocat. Si hómines hoc praestáre possent, ut suo carére vellent, posthac tuti víverent; haud quisquam córpori nudo insídias fáceret.
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.
Canēs· effuge·re cum· iam nōn· possit· fiber
(Graecī· loquā·cēs quem· dīxē·runt cas·torem
et in·didē·runt bes·tiae· nōmen· deī,
illī· quī iac·tant sē· verbō·rum cō·piā),
abripe·re mor·sū fer·tur tes·ticulōs· sibi,
quia prop·ter il·lōs sen·tiat· sēsē· petī.
Dīvī·nā quod· ratiō·ne fie·rī nōn· negem;
vēnā·tor nam·que simul· invē·nit reme·dium,
omit·tit ip·sum per·sequ~ et· revocat· canēs.
Hoc sī· praestā·re pos·sent homi·nēs, ut· suō
vellent· carē·re, tū·tī post·hac vī·verent;
haud quis·qu~ īnsidi·ās nū·dō face·ret cor·porī.
Here is an illustration from the Medici Aesop, which is online at the New York Public Library website.
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Fiber (quem Graeci loquaces castorem dixerunt et bestiae indiderunt dei nomen, illi qui se iactant verborum copia), cum canes effugere iam non possit, fertur sibi testiculos morsu abripere, quia propter illos sentiat sese peti. Non negem hoc ratione divina fieri ; namque venator remedium simul invenit, ipsum persequi omittit et canes revocat. Si homines hoc praestare possent, ut suo carere vellent, posthac tuti viverent; haud quisquam corpori nudo insidias faceret.
