Sunday, May 2, 2010

Vir, Compater et Thesaurus (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 169 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 admodum dīves, thesaurum in silvā infōderat, nēmine praeter compatrem, cui plūrimum fīdēbat, cōnsciō. Sed cum paucīs post diēbus ad eum vīsendum accessisset, repetit effossum atque ablātum. Suspicātus igitur id, quod erat ā compatre sublātum, eum conveniēns, volō, inquit, compater mī, mille aureōs, ubī thesaurum abdidī, adhuc infodere. Compater cupiēns plūra lūcrārī, retulit, reposuitque thesaurum: quem cum vērus dominus paulō post accēdēns reperisset, sēcum domum tulit, conveniēnsque compatrem, inquit: fidefrage, nē sūmās inānem labōrem, ut ad thesaurum accēdās, amplius enim nōn inveniēs. Fābula indicat, quam facile fit virum avārum spē pecūniae dēcipere.


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 ádmodum dives, thesaúrum in silva infóderat, némine praeter cómpatrem, cui plúrimum fidébat, cónscio. Sed cum paucis post diébus ad eum viséndum accessísset, répetit effóssum atque ablátum. Suspicátus ígitur id, quod erat a cómpatre sublátum, eum convéniens, volo, ínquit, cómpater mi, mille aúreos, ubi thesaúrum ábdidi, adhuc infódere. Cómpater cúpiens plura lucrári, rétulit, reposuítque thesaúrum: quem cum verus dóminus paulo post accédens reperísset, secum domum tulit, conveniénsque cómpatrem, inquit: fidéfrage, ne sumas inánem labórem, ut ad thesaúrum accédas, ámplius enim non invénies. Fábula índicat, quam fácile fit virum avárum spe pecúniae decípere.


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
admodum dives,
thesaurum in silva infoderat,
nemine
praeter compatrem,
cui plurimum fidebat,
conscio.
Sed cum
paucis post diebus
ad eum visendum
accessisset,
repetit
effossum atque ablatum.
Suspicatus igitur id,
quod erat a compatre sublatum,
eum conveniens,
volo, inquit, compater mi,
mille aureos,
ubi thesaurum abdidi,
adhuc infodere.
Compater
cupiens plura lucrari,
retulit,
reposuitque thesaurum:
quem
cum verus dominus
paulo post accedens
reperisset,
secum domum tulit,
conveniensque compatrem,
inquit:
fidefrage,
ne sumas inanem laborem,
ut ad thesaurum accedas,
amplius enim non invenies.
Fabula indicat,
quam facile fit
virum avarum
spe pecuniae decipere.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing some treasure: