Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Testudo et Aquila (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 108 in Abstemius. For variations on the fable, see Perry 230.

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:

Testūdo aegrē ferēns sē in locīs hūmidīs et convallibus assiduē commorārī, Aquilam rogāvit, quam audīverat ita altē volāre, ut maximōs terrārum tractūs posset longē et lātē dēspicere, ut sē in altum tolleret, unde ipsa quoque montēs et vallēs, campōs et aequora eōdem temporis mōmentō posset intuērī. Quod cum Aquila promptē fēcisset, eam ex altō dēmīsit, unde cadēns humī illīsa et confracta est. Fābula monet nē quis sē altius extollere velit, quam eius conditio aut nātūra patiātur.


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):

Testúdo aegre ferens se in locis húmidis et convállibus assídue commorári, Áquilam rogávit, quam audíverat ita alte voláre, ut máximos terrárum tractus posset longe et late despícere, ut se in altum tólleret, unde ipsa quoque montes et valles, campos et aéquora eódem témporis moménto posset intuéri. Quod cum Áquila prompte fecísset, eam ex alto demísit, unde cadens humi illísa et confrácta est. Fábula monet ne quis se áltius extóllere velit, quam eius condítio aut natúra patiátur.


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:

Testudo
aegre ferens
se
in locis humidis et convallibus
assidue commorari,
Aquilam rogavit,
quam audiverat
ita alte volare,
ut maximos terrarum tractus
posset longe et late despicere,
ut se in altum tolleret,
unde
ipsa
quoque montes et valles,
campos et aequora
eodem temporis momento
posset intueri.
Quod
cum Aquila prompte fecisset,
eam ex alto demisit,
unde cadens
humi illisa
et confracta est.
Fabula monet
ne quis
se altius extollere velit,
quam
eius conditio aut natura patiatur.



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