Round-Up: March 15-21

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

Spring Break: I'll be out of town with very limited Internet access, but I've set up the fables to keep publishing while I'm gone, so visit the Ictibus Felicibus blog if you are feeling fable-deprived. There will be five new fables each day there even while I'm gone. :-)

HODIE: Idus Martiae, the Ides of March. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

MORE FABLES: Here are today's fables from the Ictibus Felicibus project. These fables ALL have long marks, plus stress marks for easy reading, and the poems have meter marks, too, along with an easy-to-read prose presentation of the story:

• Muli et Latrones, a fable in praise of the simple life.
• Rattus, Murilegus et Caseus, a story of unintended consequences.
• Vulpes et Uva, the story of the so-called "sour grapes."
• Lepores et Ranae, a story about how misery loves company.
• Milvus Aegrotans, the story of the kite's death-bed repentance.

I've picked out my favorite one, the story of the cat, the rat, and the cheese, Rattus, Murilegus et Caseus, to share with you here in the blog:

Quīdam habuit cāseum in arcā, et vēnit Rattus. Incēpit eum rōdere. Cōgitāvit paterfamilias quid faceret. Tandem habitō cōnsiliō, posuit intus Mūrilegum, et ille dēvorāvit Rattum et cāseum.

TODAY'S MOTTOES & PROVERBS: You can get access to ALL the "proverb of the day scripts" (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Tiny Mottoes: Today's tiny motto is: Firmus maneo (English: I remain steadfast - or, for us ladies, it would be Firma maneo).

3-Word Proverbs Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Aurora Musis amica (English: Dawn is a friend to the Muses… which means you should get up early to do your best work - instead of burning the midnight oil!)

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Nocumentum documentum (English: A loss, a lesson). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Eripere telum, non dare irato decet (English: You should deprive an angry man of weapons, not donate them… very wise advice: I'm all for disarmament, both interpersonally and internationally!).

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Camelus vel scabiosa complurium asinorum gestat onera (English: Even a mangy camel can bear the loads of many donkeys; from Adagia 1.9.58).

For an image today, take a look at the rabbits how are scared of the hunter and his dogs, and the frogs who are scared of the rabbits, Lepores et Ranae:

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Round-Up: March 12

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email. Plus, you can find some Latin "pipilationes" at my Proverbia Latina feed.

HODIE: ante diem quartum Idus Martias. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

MORE FABLES: Here are today's fables from the Ictibus Felicibus project. These fables ALL have long marks, plus stress marks for easy reading, and the poems have meter marks, too, along with an easy-to-read prose presentation of the story:

• Haereticus et Musca, the story of a divine fly.
• Lupus et Ovis, the story of a wounded wolf who asks a sheep for help.
• Senex et Mors, the story of an old and death, in which the old man learns that death has been announcing her arrival with many signs.
• Roscius Iurisconsultus, although it's not an Aesop's fable, it's a good lawyer joke!
• Hirundo et Formicae, a fable in which the swallow learns that the ants' way of life does not suit everyone.

I've picked out my favorite one, Abstemius's wonderful story about the signs of death, XXX, to share with you here in the blog - it's a bit long, but very much worth reading:

Senex quīdam mortem, quae eum ē vīta raptūra advēnerat, rogābat, ut paululum differat, dum testāmentum conderet et cētera ad tantum iter necessāria praeparāret. Cui mors: cūr, inquit, nōn hactenus praeparāstī, toties ā mē monitus? Et cum ille eam numquam ā sē vīsam amplius dīceret: cum, inquit, nōn aequālēs tuōs modo, quōrum nullī iam ferē restant, vērum etiam iuvenēs, puerōs, infantēs quotīdiē rapiēbam, nonne tē admonēbam mortālitātis tuae: cum oculōs hebescere, audītum minuī, cēterōsque sēnsūs in diēs dēficere, corpus ingravescere sentiēbās, nonne tibi mē propinquam esse dīcēbant? et tē admonitum negās? quārē ulterius differendum nōn est.

TODAY'S MOTTOES & PROVERBS: You can get access to ALL the "proverb of the day scripts" (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Tiny Mottoes: Today's tiny motto is: Fortuna favente (English: With Fortune's favor - a nice use of the ablative absolute for motto-making purposes).

3-Word Proverbs Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Primus amor potior (English: The first love is finer)

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Homo ad laborem natus est et avis ad volatum (English: A man is born to work and a bird to fly). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Bis vincit qui se vincit in victoria (English: To conquer yourself in victory is to conquer twice).

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is De asini umbra libet audire (English: You're glad to listen to a story about a donkey's shadow - an allusion to the famous fable about Demosthenes; from Adagia 1.3.52).

For an image today, here's one way of imagining a conversation with Death, as in the story of the signs of death, Senex et Mors (it's actually an illustration for a different fable about an old man and death, if you are interested!):

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Round-Up: March 11

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

HODIE: ante diem quintum Idus Martias. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

MORE FABLES: Here are today's fables from the Ictibus Felicibus project. These fables ALL have long marks, plus stress marks for easy reading, and the poems have meter marks, too, along with an easy-to-read prose presentation of the story:

• Divi et Arbores, a debate among the gods - which Athena wins.
• Canis Vetulus et Venator, the story of an old dog and his ungrateful master.
• Pastor, Oves, et Lupus Compater, a story about the dangers of putting the wolf in charge of the flock.
• Cervus et Cornua Eius, a story of a stag with a confused body image.
• Ludovicus et Asinus, a funny little joke about King Ludwig and his court astrologers.

I've picked out my favorite one, Odo's story of the wolf, Pastor, Oves, et Lupus Compater, to share with you here in the blog - it's a bit on the long side, but so delightful!

Contigit quod quīdam Paterfamilias habuit duodecim Ovēs. Voluit peregrīnārī et commendāvit Ovēs suās Īsengrīmō, id est Lupō, compatrī suō. Et compater iūrāvit quod bene cōnservāret eās. Profectus est statim. Īsengrīmus interim cōgitāvit dē Ovibus et ūnō diē comēdit dē ūnā, alterā diē dē aliā, ita quod vix trēs invēnit Paterfamilias, quando reversus est. Quaerēbat ā compatre quid factum fuerit dē aliīs Ovibus. Rēspondit Īsengrīmus quod mors ex temporālitāte vēnit super eās. Et dīxit Paterfamilias: Dā mihi pellēs; et inventa sunt vestīgia dentium Lupī. Et ait Paterfamilias: Reus es mortis; et fēcit Lupum suspendī.

TODAY'S MOTTOES & PROVERBS: You can get access to ALL the "proverb of the day scripts" (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

3-Word Mottoes: Today's 3-word motto is Cum tempore mutamur (English: We change with the time).

3-Word Proverbs: Today's 3-word proverb is Alcinoo poma datis (English: You are giving apples to Alcinous - something he obviously doesn't need, having such marvelous gardens of his own).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Nec nimium taceas, nec verba superflua fundas (English: Do not be overly silent, but don't pour forth unnecessary words either).

Vulgate Verse: Today's verse is Transivimus per ignem et aquam (Psalms 66:12). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Elizabethan Proverb Commentary: Here is today's proverb commentary, this time by Taverner: Optat ephippia bos piger, optat arare caballus: The slow oxe wishes for the sadle, and the gelding to eare the ground. No man is contented with his lotte, the courtier woulde dwell in the countrey, the dweller in the countrey woulde be a courtier, the bachiller wishes him self maried, and when he is maried, he would be unmaried.

Today's Poem: Today's poem is from Cato's Distichs, with a word list at NoDictionaries.com:

Linque metum leti; nam stultum est tempore in omni,
Dum mortem metuas, amittere gaudia vitae.

English: "Give up your fear of death, for it is foolish to spend all your time fearing death and rejected the joys of life." The idea is memento mori precisely so that you can cease to fear it, and learn to enjoy life instead!

For an image today, here is an illustration of the wolf as a would-be shepherd, Pastor, Oves, et Lupus Compater:

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.