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:
Recreāta positō largius Mūla hordeō
Lascīviēbat, inordinātōs impetūs
Molīta. Mē, inquit, sine dubiō equus nōbilis
Tālem prōgenuit, quī fuit celerrimus,
Cui similis egō sum. Sed paulō post contigit,
Ut illa cessāret, ubī currendum fuit,
Vixque ambulāre posset. Tum dīxit gemēns:
Equī putābam generōsī mē fīliam:
Sed asinum mihi fuisse nunc meminī patrem.
Adversa stultōs admonent sortis suae.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Mūla, hordeō largius positō recreāta, lascīviēbat, inordinātōs impetūs molīta. Inquit: Sine dubiō equus nōbilis mē tālem prōgenuit, quī celerrimus fuit, cui egō similis sum. Sed paulō post contigit, ut illa cessāret, ubī currendum fuit, et vix ambulāre posset. Tum dīxit, gemēns: Putābam mē equī generōsī fīliam: sed nunc meminī asinum mihi patrem fuisse. Adversa stultōs admonent sortis suae.
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):
Mula, hórdeo lárgius pósito recreáta, lasciviébat, inordinátos ímpetus molíta. Inquit: Sine dúbio equus nóbilis me talem progénuit, qui celérrimus fuit, cui ego símilis sum. Sed paulo post cóntigit, ut illa cessáret, ubi curréndum fuit, et vix ambuláre posset. Tum dixit, gemens: Putábam me equi generósi fíliam: sed nunc mémini ásinum mihi patrem fuísse. Advérsa stultos ádmonent sortis suae.
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.
Recreā·ta posi·tō lar·gius· Mūl~ hor·deō
Lascī·viē·bat, inor·dinā·tōs im·petūs
Molī·ta. M~ in·quit, sine· dubi~ e·quus nō·bilis
Tālem· prōgenu·it, quī· fuit· celer·rimus,
Cui simi·lis egō· sum. Sed· paulō· post con·tigit,
Ut il·la ces·sāret, u·bī cur·rendum· fuit,
Vixqu~ am·bulā·re pos·set. Tum· dīxit· gemēns:
Equī· putā·bam gene·rōsī· mē fīl·iam:
Sed asi·num mihi· fuis·se nunc ·meminī· patrem.
Adver·sa stul·tōs ad·monent· sortis· suae.
Here is an illustration from the Medici Aesop, which is online at the New York Public Library website.
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Mula, hordeo largius posito recreata, lasciviebat, inordinatos impetus molita. Inquit: Sine dubio equus nobilis me talem progenuit, qui celerrimus fuit, cui ego similis sum. Sed paulo post contigit, ut illa cessaret, ubi currendum fuit, et vix ambulare posset. Tum dixit, gemens: Putabam me equi generosi filiam: sed nunc memini asinum mihi patrem fuisse. Adversa stultos admonent sortis suae.
