Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Divi et Arbores (Potts)

SOURCE: Aditus Faciliores, by A. W. Potts and C. Darnell at GoogleBooks. For more information and other versions of this fable, see the links list for Perry 508.

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:

Dīvī ōlim legēbant sibi quisque arborem. Quercum sibi legit Iūpiter: myrtus Venerī placuit: laurus Phoebō: Herculī pōpulus. Minerva rem admīrāta, Cūr (inquit) sterilēs arborēs in tūtēlam sūmitis? Causam Iūpiter dīxit, Scīlicet indignum deō est tūtēlam suam fructū vendere. Mihi quidem, rēspondit Minerva, olea grātior est propter fructum. Tum Pater deōrum atque hominum, Ō nāta (inquit), meritō sapiēns esse dīcēris. Stulta enim est glōria, nisi id, quō glōriāmur, ūtile est.


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):

Divi olim legébant sibi quisque árborem. Quercum sibi legit Iupiter: myrtus Véneri plácuit: laurus Phoebo: Hérculi pópulus. Minérva rem admiráta, Cur (inquit) stériles árbores in tutélam súmitis? Causam Iúpiter dixit, Scílicet indígnum deo est tutélam suam fructu véndere. Mihi quidem, respóndit Minérva, ólea grátior est propter fructum. Tum Pater deórum atque hóminum, O nata (inquit), mérito sápiens esse dicéris. Stulta enim est glória, nisi id, quo gloriámur, útile est.


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:

Divi olim
legebant sibi quisque
arborem.
Quercum
sibi legit Iupiter:
myrtus
Veneri placuit:
laurus Phoebo:
Herculi populus.
Minerva
rem admirata,
Cur (inquit)
steriles arbores
in tutelam sumitis?
Causam Iupiter dixit,
Scilicet indignum deo est
tutelam suam fructu vendere.
Mihi quidem, respondit Minerva,
olea gratior est propter fructum.
Tum Pater deorum atque hominum,
O nata (inquit),
merito sapiens esse diceris.
Stulta enim est gloria,
nisi id, quo gloriamur, utile est.



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