Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Avarus Agros Custodiens (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 180 in Abstemius. Perry only includes a few sporadic fables from Abstemius in his index, and there is no Perry number for this fable.

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:

Vir quīdam extremae avāritiae ēmit praedia admodum ferācia, et omnī fructiferārum arborum genere referta, quae priōrī dominō amplissimōs fructūs reddēbant, quamvīs immūnīta essent et cunctis viātōribus pervia. Ratus igitur novus dominus sī melius coleret et dīligentius custōdīret, ūberiōrēs fructūs sē inde captūrum: optimē colere coepit, et dēnsīs vēpribus et parietibus clausit, custōdesque dīligentēs apposuit: vērum post hand dīligentem custōdiam agrī parum fructūs illī reddēbant. Cōnsultus autem deus, unde hoc accīdisset, ita rēspondit: Ipse malī tantī causā es, quī sēpibus agrōs, / Parietibusque arctīs obstructōs undique servās, / Multa dedī quondam, quia multī multa petēbant, / Unī servit ager tibi nunc, cūr tanta requīris? Fābula indicat, līberālī virō Deum multa largīrī, quō multōrum indigentiae valeat subvenīre.


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):

Vir quidam extrémae avarítiae emit praédia ádmodum ferácia, et omni fructiferárum árborum génere reférta, quae prióri dómino amplíssimos fructus reddébant, quamvis immuníta essent et cunctis viatóribus pérvia. Ratus ígitur novus dóminus si mélius cóleret et diligéntius custodíret, uberióres fructus se inde captúrum: óptime cólere coepit, et densis vépribus et pariétibus clausit, custodésque diligéntes appósuit: verum post hand diligéntem custódiam agri parum fructus illi reddébant. Consúltus autem deus, unde hoc accidísset, ita respóndit: Ipse mali tanti causa es, qui sépibus agros, / Parietibúsque arctis obstrúctos úndique servas, / Multa dedi quondam, quia multi multa petébant, / Uni servit ager tibi nunc, cur tanta requíris? Fábula índicat, liberáli viro Deum multa largíri, quo multórum indigéntiae váleat subveníre.


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:

Vir quidam
extremae avaritiae
emit praedia admodum feracia,
et
omni fructiferarum arborum genere
referta,
quae
priori domino
amplissimos fructus reddebant,
quamvis immunita essent
et cunctis viatoribus pervia.
Ratus igitur novus dominus
si melius coleret
et diligentius custodiret,
uberiores fructus
se inde capturum:
optime colere coepit,
et densis vepribus et parietibus
clausit,
custodesque diligentes apposuit:
verum
post hand diligentem custodiam
agri
parum fructus illi reddebant.
Consultus autem deus,
unde hoc accidisset,
ita respondit:
Ipse mali tanti causa es,
qui sepibus agros, /
Parietibusque arctis
obstructos undique servas, /
Multa dedi quondam,
quia multi multa petebant, /
Uni servit ager tibi nunc,
cur tanta requiris?
Fabula indicat,
liberali viro
Deum multa largiri,
quo
multorum indigentiae
valeat subvenire.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing some serious thorn bushes: