Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Servus et Heri Asinus (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 157 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:

Servus cuiusdam agricolae asinum dominī suī ex altā rūpe praecipitem dedit, nē quotīdiē huc et illuc illum agere cōgerētur, mentītusque est dominō illum sponte suā sē dēiēcisse. Ob hoc dominus servum compellēbat omnia humerīs suīs ferre, quae ante asinus portābat. Quod servus nēquam animadvertēns: male, inquit, mihi cōnsuluī, cum innocentem cōnservum meum perēmī, quī mē tantō labōre levābat: iustē nunc plector. Fābula indicat, īnsipientēs dum mala sē āmōlīrī volunt, saepe incidere in graviōra.


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):

Servus cuiúsdam agrícolae ásinum dómini sui ex alta rupe praecípitem dedit, ne quotídie huc et illuc illum ágere cogerétur, mentitúsque est dómino illum sponte sua se deiecísse. Ob hoc dóminus servum compellébat ómnia húmeris suis ferre, quae ante ásinus portábat. Quod servus nequam animadvértens: male, inquit, mihi consúlui, cum innocéntem consérvum meum perémi, qui me tanto labóre levábat: iuste nunc plector. Fábula índicat, insipiéntes dum mala se amolíri volunt, saepe incídere in gravióra.


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:

Servus cuiusdam agricolae
asinum domini sui
ex alta rupe
praecipitem dedit,
ne quotidie
huc et illuc
illum agere cogeretur,
mentitusque est domino
illum
sponte sua se deiecisse.
Ob hoc
dominus
servum compellebat
omnia humeris suis ferre,
quae ante
asinus portabat.
Quod servus nequam
animadvertens:
male, inquit,
mihi consului,
cum
innocentem conservum meum
peremi,
qui
me tanto labore levabat:
iuste nunc plector.
Fabula indicat,
insipientes
dum mala se amoliri volunt,
saepe incidere in graviora.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a donkey on his way up the mountain: