Saturday, May 1, 2010

Porcellus et Testamentum (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 185 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:

Porcellus mortem parentum ingentī clāmōre dēflēbat: sed cum lectīs testāmentī tabulīs, magnum glandis acervum, multōsque farīnae modiōs sibi relictōs cognōvisset, obticuit. Rogātus cūr nōn amplius flēret: farīna, inquit, et glandēs ōs mihi occlūsērunt. Fābula indicat, amplās hēreditātēs hērēdum dolōrī facile fīnem impōnere.


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):

Porcéllus mortem paréntum ingénti clamóre deflébat: sed cum lectis testaménti tábulis, magnum glandis acérvum, multósque farínae módios sibi relíctos cognovísset, obtícuit. Rogátus cur non ámplius fleret: farína, inquit, et glandes os mihi occlusérunt. Fábula índicat, amplas hereditátes herédum dolóri fácile finem impónere.


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:

Porcellus
mortem parentum
ingenti clamore deflebat:
sed cum
lectis testamenti tabulis,
magnum glandis acervum,
multosque farinae modios
sibi relictos cognovisset,
obticuit.
Rogatus
cur non amplius fleret:
farina, inquit, et glandes
os mihi occluserunt.
Fabula indicat,
amplas hereditates
heredum dolori
facile finem imponere.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a pig enjoying an acorn: