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:
Equum labōre nimiō confectus rogat
Asellus, ut, sē comitem sī salvum velit,
Iuvet, onerisque parte paulisper levet.
Quod ille cum renueret, omnis dēnique
Labentem Asellum dēserit vigor. Ast herus
Onus omne, et eius corium quoque dēmortuī
Equō repōnit in dorsum. Quibus ferē
Oppressus ille: Prō meritō, dīxit, meō
Exerceor nunc, quī labōrantī prius
Asellō dūrus opitulārī nōluī.
Quī sociō subvenit, ille prōvidet sibi.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Asellus, labōre nimiō confectus. Equum rogat, sī velit sē comitem salvum, ut iuvet et oneris parte paulisper levet. Cum ille hoc renueret, vigor omnis Asellum labentem dēnique dēserit. Ast herus onus omne repōnit Equō in dorsum, et eius dēmortuī corium quoque. Ille hīs ferē oppressus, dīxit: Prō meritō meō nunc exerceor, quī, dūrus, Asellō labōrantī opitulārī prius nōluī. Ille, quī sociō subvenit, sibi prōvidet.
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):
Aséllus, labóre nímio conféctus. Equum rogat, si velit se cómitem salvum, ut iuvet et óneris parte paulísper levet. Cum ille hoc renúeret, vigor omnis Aséllum labéntem dénique déserit. Ast herus onus omne repónit Equo in dorsum, et eius demórtui córium quoque. Ille his fere oppréssus, dixit: Pro mérito meo nunc exérceor, qui, durus, Aséllo laboránti opitulári prius nólui. Ille, qui sócio súbvenit, sibi próvidet.
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.
Equum· labō·re nimi·ō con·fectus· rogat
Asel·lus, ut,· sē comi·tem sī· salvum· velit,
Iuvet,· oneris·que par·te pau·lisper· levet.
Quod il·le cum· renue·ret, om·nis dē·nique
Laben·t~ Asel·lum dē·serit· vigor. Ast· herus
Onus om·n~ et ei·us cori·um quoque· dēmor·tuī
Equō· repō·nit in· dorsum.· Quibus· ferē
Oppres·sus il·le: Prō· meritō,· dīxit,· meō
Exer·ceor· nunc, quī· labō·rantī· prius
Asel·lō dū·rus opi·tulā·rī nō·luī.
Quī soci·ō sub·venit, il·le prō·videt· sibi.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) from a Renaissance edition of Aesop:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Asellus, labore nimio confectus. Equum rogat, si velit se comitem salvum, ut iuvet et oneris parte paulisper levet. Cum ille hoc renueret, vigor omnis Asellum labentem denique deserit. Ast herus onus omne reponit Equo in dorsum, et eius demortui corium quoque. Ille his fere oppressus, dixit: Pro merito meo nunc exerceor, qui, durus, Asello laboranti opitulari prius nolui. Ille, qui socio subvenit, sibi providet.
