Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Olitor et Canis (Camerarius)

SOURCE: Fabulae Aesopicae by the great 16th-century scholar Ioachim Camerarius in a 1702 reprint at GoogleBooks. This is number 66 in the collection. For more information and other versions of this fable, see the links list for Perry 120.

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:

Dēlapsum in puteum canem olitor servāre et rētrahere cupiēns, dēmīsit et eōdem sē ipse. Canis veritus nē dēscendisset sibi nocendī grātiā, et ut suffōcāret dēmersum, dentibus illum petere, et morsū lacerāre. Tum saucius olitor cum dolōre: Iūre mihi, inquit, hoc accīdisse fateor. Cūr enim auctōrem ipsum sibi interitūs egō servare voluī?


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):

Delápsum in púteum canem ólitor serváre et retráhere cúpiens, demísit et eódem se ipse. Canis véritus ne descendísset sibi nocéndi grátia, et ut suffocáret demérsum, déntibus illum pétere, et morsu laceráre. Tum saúcius ólitor cum dolóre: Iure mihi, inquit, hoc accidísse fáteor. Cur enim auctórem ipsum sibi intéritus ego serváre vólui?


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:

Delapsum in puteum canem
olitor
servare et retrahere cupiens,
demisit et eodem se ipse.
Canis veritus
ne descendisset
sibi nocendi gratia,
et ut suffocaret demersum,
dentibus illum petere,
et morsu lacerare.
Tum saucius olitor cum dolore:
Iure mihi, inquit,
hoc accidisse fateor.
Cur enim
auctorem ipsum sibi interitus
ego servare volui?



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