Saturday, May 1, 2010

Olitor et Talpa (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 144 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:

Olitor talpam capiēns, eam interimere volēbat. Cui illa: Nē occīdās, inquit, mī here, mē famulam tuam, tam pulchrā pelle contectam, et hortulōs tuōs grātīs fodientem. Non mē, rēspondit olitor, hīs blandulīs dēlēniēs verbīs, cum mē invītō hortulōs meōs, ut dīcis, fodiēns, herbās omnēs, ut tē ipsam pascās, rādīcitus ēruās, et mē ad inopiam redigās. Fābula indicat, in cunctīs rēbus voluntātem hominum esse spectandam.


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):

Ólitor talpam cápiens, eam interímere volébat. Cui illa: Ne occídas, inquit, mi here, me fámulam tuam, tam pulchra pelle contéctam, et hórtulos tuos gratis fodiéntem. Non me, respóndit ólitor, his blándulis delénies verbis, cum me invíto hórtulos meos, ut dicis, fódiens, herbas omnes, ut te ipsam pascas, radícitus éruas, et me ad inópiam rédigas. Fábula índicat, in cunctis rebus voluntátem hóminum esse spectándam.


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:

Olitor
talpam capiens,
eam interimere volebat.
Cui illa:
Ne occidas, inquit, mi here,
me famulam tuam,
tam pulchra pelle contectam,
et hortulos tuos
gratis fodientem.
Non me, respondit olitor,
his blandulis delenies verbis,
cum me invito
hortulos meos, ut dicis, fodiens,
herbas omnes,
ut te ipsam pascas,
radicitus eruas,
et me ad inopiam redigas.
Fabula indicat,
in cunctis rebus
voluntatem hominum
esse spectandam.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing a mole: