HODIE: pridie Nonas Decembres. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.
TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. This is one of the distichs attributed to "Cato'," with a word list at NoDictionaries.com as usual:
Quae culpare soles, ea tu ne feceris ipse:English: "If you are inclined to criticize something, make sure you don't do that thing yourself; it is embarrassing for the trainer when the criticism applies to him, too." It's a fancy version of the kettle calling the pot black!
Turpe est doctori, cum culpa redarguat ipsum.
TODAY'S TWITTER:
Vita Caesaris: You can see my IVLIVS CAESAR feed with a sentence from Plutarch's Life of Caesar each day in Greek, Latin and English. Today's portion describes the deeds of Caesar's soldier Acilius: Qualis fuit exempli causa Acilius, qui cum Massiliensi naumachia in hostilem nauim euasisset, dextera ei gladio amputata, sinistra manu clypeum tenuit, eoque facies hostium feriens, uniuersos repulit, nauique ipse potitus est.
Proverbiis Pipilo: You can see my Proverbia feed of Latin proverbs which I "tweet" while I am online each day (in English, too). Here's a nice one from today: In corde spes, vis, et vita (English: In the heart is hope, strength, and life).
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.
2-Word Mottoes: Today we've got a motto that is just a single word, and a very powerful one: Memini (English: I remember).
3-Word Mottoes: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Fideliter et diligenter (English: Faithfully and diligently - this combination of two adverbs obviously implies some kind of verb, and you can imagine any kind of verb you want there - I serve, I work, etc.).
3-Word Mottoes: Verbs: Today's 3-word motto with verb is Confido, non confundar (English: I am confident, I will not be confused - which does manage to convey some of the word play of the Latin, too!).
2-Word Proverbs: Today's 2-word proverb is: Nugas agis (English: You are busy with trifles - the word nugae is very productive in Latin; someone who is busy with trifles is a nugator).
3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Impunitas ferociae parens (English: Impunity is the parent of ferocity; although I am not as big a fan of the abstract sayings, I really like these family metaphors - you could also say Ferocia impunitatis filia, "Ferocity is the daughter of impunity").
3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word proverb with verb is Divitiae pariunt curas. Riches breed worries (English: Wealth gives birth to worries - another nice use of the famly metaphor, so you could also say Curae divitiarum filiae, "Worries are the daughters of wealth").
Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Primordia cuncta pavida sunt (English: All beginnings are frightening). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.
Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Melior est canis vivus leone mortuo (English: A living dog is better than a dead lion).
Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Qui leviter credit, deceptus saepe recedit (English: He who is quick to believe, often departs deceived - which almost rhymes in English!).
Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Effugere cupiditatem regnum est vincere (English: To escape desire is to conquer a kingdom).
Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Difficilia honesta sunt (English: Honorable things are hard to accomplish).
Vulgate Verse: Today's verse is Spiritus, ubi vult, spirat et vocem eius audis, sed non scis unde veniat et quo vadat (John 3:8). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.
Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Rana Seriphia. (English: A frog from Seriphos; from Adagia 1.5.31 - the frogs of Seriphos, an island in the western Cyclades, were famous for their supposed lack of croaking).
Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Antiquior quam Chaos et Saturnia tempora (English: Older than Chaos and the times of Saturn; from Adagia 2.8.40 - Saturn, Greek Kronos, was an ancient god, the leader of the first generation of the Titans, while Chaos was what pre-existed the world as we know it).
Elizabethan Proverb Commentary: Here is today's proverb commentary, this time by Conybeare: Aratro caelum findere: A proverbe spoken of a thinge impossible (because making furrows in the earth is easy, while making furrows in the sky is quite impossible).
Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Σὺ ἐν σεαυτῷ φάρμακα ἔχεις (English: You've got the healing drugs within yourself - with that Greek word, φάρμακα, having been given plenty of new fame in the 20th century thanks to Derrida).
TODAY'S FABLES:
Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Mures Hamelinae, a Latin version of the famous folktale of the Pied Piper of Hameln!
Gaudium Mundo: Today's Latin holiday songs from the Gaudium Mundo blog are: Aquifolia Ornate, a Latin version of "Deck the Halls," along with Puer Nobis Nascitur.
