Friday, March 5, 2010

Asinus, Vulpes et Leo (Ahn)

SOURCE: Ahn's Short Latin Course at GoogleBooks. For more information and other versions of this fable, see the links list for Perry 191.

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:

Asinus et vulpes, societāte coniunctī, ūnā vēnābantur. Cum autem leōnem cōnspicātī essent, vulpes nōn cursū ēvādere, sed calliditāte perīculum ēvitāre cōnātur. Ad leōnem igitur appropinquāns vītam sibi paciscitur prō asinī prōditiōne. Et leo quidem initiō hanc condictiōnem probāvit; cum autem cōnspicātus esset asinum, quī ā vulpe in laqueum ita inductus erat, ut eī nōn licēret fugā ēvādere, prius vulpem necāvit, tum maximō ōtiō asinum dēvorāvit.


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

Ásinus et vulpes, societáte coniúncti, una venabántur. Cum autem leónem conspicáti essent, vulpes non cursu evádere, sed calliditáte perículum evitáre conátur. Ad leónem ígitur appropínquans vitam sibi pacíscitur pro ásini proditióne. Et leo quidem inítio hanc condictiónem probávit; cum autem conspicátus esset ásinum, qui a vulpe in láqueum ita indúctus erat, ut ei non licéret fuga evádere, prius vulpem necávit, tum máximo ótio ásinum devorávit.


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:

Asinus et vulpes,
societate coniuncti,
una venabantur.
Cum autem
leonem conspicati essent,
vulpes
non cursu evadere,
sed calliditate
periculum evitare conatur.
Ad leonem igitur appropinquans
vitam sibi paciscitur
pro asini proditione.
Et leo quidem
initio hanc condictionem probavit;
cum autem
conspicatus esset asinum,
qui
a vulpe
in laqueum ita inductus erat,
ut ei non liceret fuga evadere,
prius vulpem necavit,
tum maximo otio
asinum devoravit.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source):


Here is another illustration from the Medici Aesop, which is online at the New York Public Library website.