Quam animantem formīcam nōmināmus, eam fuisse quondam mortālem hūmānī generis accēpimus. Exercuisse autem agricultūram, in cuius assiduō studiō et summā cupiditāte, vīcīnīs et rēs et frūmenta subtrahere clanculum solēret. Quī cum, ut fit, fūrī multa quotīdiē mala imprecārentur, mōtus tandem Iuppiter commūnī exsēcrātiōne, in animantem, quae ut dīximus, formīca nōminātur, convertit fūrācem agricolam. Nōn tamen ūnā cum speciē mōrēs quoque mūtārī fuēre: nam formīca nunc quoque rūra frequentat et aliēnōs labōrēs ipsa percipit atque recondit.
SOURCE: This comes from the Latin translation that accompanies Camerarius's edition of the Aesopic corpus; the 1571 edition of Camerariu's Aesop is available at GoogleBooks. This is fable 107 in Camerarius; for other versions, see Perry 166.
READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons (above) or accent marks (below) - and read the text out loud until you feel comfortable and confident. Then, try reading the unmarked text at the very bottom. It should be easy for you after practicing with the marked texts. :-)
ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with accent marks, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):
Quam animántem formícam nominámus, eam fuísse quondam mortálem humáni géneris accépimus. Exercuísse autem agricultúram, in cuius assíduo stúdio et summa cupiditáte, vicínis et res et fruménta subtráhere clánculum soléret. Qui cum, ut fit, furi multa quotídie mala imprecaréntur, motus tandem Iúppiter commúni exsecratióne, in animántem, quae ut díximus, formíca nominátur, convértit furácem agrícolam. Non tamen una cum spécie mores quoque mutári fuére: nam formíca nunc quoque rura frequéntat et aliénos labóres ipsa pércipit atque recóndit.
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:
Quam animantem
formicam nominamus,
eam
fuisse quondam
mortalem humani generis
accepimus.
Exercuisse autem
agriculturam,
in cuius assiduo studio
et summa cupiditate,
vicinis
et res et frumenta
subtrahere clanculum soleret.
Qui cum, ut fit,
furi
multa quotidie mala
imprecarentur,
motus tandem Iuppiter
communi exsecratione,
in animantem,
quae ut diximus,
formica nominatur,
convertit furacem agricolam.
Non tamen
una cum specie
mores quoque mutari fuere:
nam formica
nunc quoque
rura frequentat
et alienos labores
ipsa
percipit atque recondit.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration from the Medici Aesop, which is online at the New York Public Library website. I think this is an AMAZING illustration.
