Monday, April 26, 2010

Serpens, Vir et Simius Iudex (Abstemius)

SOURCE: You can find both the first and second "hecatomythia" of Abstemius in Nevelet's monumental Aesop published in 1610, available at GoogleBooks. You can find out more about Abstemius at the Aesopus wiki. This is fable 136 in Abstemius and it shares the same theme as Perry 640, which recounts the same type of story about a dragon, a farmer, and a wolf.

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:

Serpēns ingentī oppressus saxō, rogāvit virum illac iter habentem, ut ā sē onus āmōlīrētur, pollicitus ingentem sē illī thesaurum, sī hoc faceret, datūrum. Quod cum vir mītis fēcisset, nōn modo prōmissa nōn solvēbat, sed hominem morte dignum esse dīcēbat. Dum ita contenderent, accīdit, ut sīmius illac trānsīret, quī iūdex et arbiter ēlectus, nōn possum, inquit, inter vōs tantās compōnere lītēs, nisi vīderō prius quō pactō serpēns sub saxō stābat. Cum ergō vir serpentī saxum imposuisset, inquit sīmius, ingrātum animal sub saxō relinquendum cēnseō. Fābula indicat ingrātōs hominēs nullō dignōs esse beneficiō.


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):

Serpens ingénti oppréssus saxo, rogávit virum illac iter habéntem, ut a se onus amolirétur, pollícitus ingéntem se illi thesaúrum, si hoc fáceret, datúrum. Quod cum vir mitis fecísset, non modo promíssa non solvébat, sed hóminem morte dignum esse dicébat. Dum ita conténderent, accídit, ut símius illac transíret, qui iudex et árbiter eléctus, non possum, inquit, inter vos tantas compónere lites, nisi vídero prius quo pacto serpens sub saxo stabat. Cum ergo vir serpénti saxum imposuísset, inquit símius, ingrátum ánimal sub saxo relinquéndum cénseo. Fábula índicat ingrátos hómines nullo dignos esse benefício.


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:

Serpens
ingenti oppressus saxo,
rogavit virum
illac iter habentem,
ut a se onus amoliretur,
pollicitus
ingentem se illi thesaurum,
si hoc faceret, daturum.
Quod cum vir mitis fecisset,
non modo
promissa non solvebat,
sed hominem
morte dignum esse dicebat.
Dum ita contenderent,
accidit, ut simius illac transiret,
qui iudex et arbiter electus,
non possum, inquit,
inter vos tantas componere lites,
nisi videro prius
quo pacto serpens
sub saxo stabat.
Cum ergo vir
serpenti saxum imposuisset,
inquit simius,
ingratum animal
sub saxo relinquendum
censeo.
Fabula indicat
ingratos homines
nullo dignos esse beneficio.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a snake under a rock, although this one is just lurking, not actually trapped: