Latin Poetry Widget 1: Alciato

I'm going to be doing something a bit different for the month of September here at the Bestiaria Latina blog. I'm wrapping up a new widget from the summer containing short Latin poems, and I want to present the poems here at the blog before I launch the widget. The poems are very short - just 2 or 3 or 4 lines at most. I hope that their brevity will be a big plus! In addition, each poem has its own word list page at NoDictionaries.com.

Meanwhile, for those of you interested in the Proverbs of the Day and the Fable of the Day, you can still find them online: Greek Proverbs | Audio Latin Proverbs | Proverbia Brevissima | Proverbia Brevia (3) | Animal Proverbs | Proper Name Proverbs | Vulgate Verses | Aesop's Fable of the Day.

And now, here are the short poems for today! These 17 poems come from the Renaissance emblem book of ANDREA ALCIATO. For a brief introduction to the wonderful work of Andrea Alciato and the European emblem tradition in general, see this brief essay: The Figure of Prometheus in the Emblems of Alciato. For a handy online edition of the emblems in both Latin and English, together with the emblematic images, visit Alciato's Book of Emblems: The Memorial Web Edition. You can find emblematic images from different editions of Alciato at the wonderful Alciato at Glasgow website.

Most, but not all, of the verses are written in elegiac couplets; all of the items below take the form of elegiac couplets. So, this is the first group of poems on our way to 366 poems for the widget: 17 down, 349 to go!

Iane bifrons, qui iam transacta futuraque calles,
Quique retro sannas, || sicut et ante, vides:
Te tot cur oculis, cur fingunt vultibus? An quod
Circumspectum hominem || forma fuisse docet?
Source: Alciato 18 (Dictionary Help)

Assequitur, Nemesisque virum vestigia servat,
Continet et cubitum || duraque frena manu.
Ne male quid facias, neve improba verba loquaris:
Et iubet in cunctis || rebus adesse modum.
Source: Alciato 27 (Dictionary Help)

In praeceps rapitur, frustra quoque tendit habenas
Auriga, effreni || quem vehit oris equus.
Haud facile huic credas, ratio quem nulla gubernat,
Et temere proprio || ducitur arbitrio.
Source: Alciato 55 (Dictionary Help)

Capra, lupum non sponte meo nunc ubere lacto,
Quod male pastoris || provida cura iubet.
Creverit ille simul, mea me post ubera pascet:
Improbitas nullo || flectitur obsequio.
Source: Alciato 64 (Dictionary Help)

Squalida vipereas manducans femina carnes,
Cuique dolent oculi, || quaeque suum cor edit,
Quam macies et pallor habent, spinosaque gestat
Tela manu: talis || pingitur Invidia.
Source: Alciato 71 (Dictionary Help)

Heu miser in mediis sitiens stat Tantalus undis,
Et poma esuriens || proxima habere nequit.
Nomine mutato de te id dicetur, avare,
Qui, quasi non habeas, || non frueris quod habes.
Source: Alciato 85 (Dictionary Help)

Per medios hosteis patriae cum ferret ab igne
Aeneas humeris || dulce parentis onus:
Parcite, dicebat: vobis sene adorea rapto
Nulla erit, erepto || sed patre summa mihi.
Source: Alciato 195 (Dictionary Help)

Delphini insidens vada caerula sulcat Arion,
Hocque aures mulcet, || frenat et ora sono.
Quam sit avari hominis, non tam mens dira ferarum est:
Quique viris rapimur, || piscibus eripimur.
Source: Alciato 90 (Dictionary Help)

Arripit ut lapidem catulus, morsuque fatigat,
Nec percussori || mutua damna facit.
Sic plerique sinunt veros elabier hostes
Et quos nulla gravat || noxia, dente petunt.
Source: Alciato 175 (Dictionary Help)

Dextra tenet lapidem, manus altera sustinet alas:
Ut me pluma levat, || sic grave mergit onus.
Ingenio poteram superas volitare per arces,
Me nisi paupertas || invida deprimeret.
Source: Alciato 121 (Dictionary Help)

Pisciculos aurata rapit medio aequore sardas,
Ni fugiant pavidae, || summa marisque petant.
Ast ibi sunt mergis fulicisque voracibus esca.
Eheu, intuta manens || undique debilitas.
Source: Alciato 170 (Dictionary Help: aurata and sarda are names of fish)

Dum saevis ruerent in mutua vulnera telis,
Ungue leaena ferox, || dente timendus aper,
Accurrit vultur spectatum, et prandia captat.
Gloria victoris, || praeda futura sua est.
Source: Alciato 126 (Dictionary Help)

Delphinem invitum me in littora compulit aestus,
Exemplum, infido || quanta pericla mari.
Nam si nec propriis Neptunus parcit alumnis.
Quis tutos homines || navibus esse putet?
Source: Alciato 167 (Dictionary Help)

Milvus edax, nimiae quem nausea torserat escae,
Hei mihi, mater, ait, viscera ab ore fluunt.
Illa autem, Quid fles? Cur haec tua viscera credas,
Qui rapto vivens || sola aliena vomis?
Source: Alciato 129 (Dictionary Help)

Lunarem noctu, ut speculum, canis inspicit orbem,
Seque videns, alium || credit inesse canem,
Et latrat: sed frustra agitur vox irrita ventis,
Et peragit cursus || surda Diana suos.
Source: Alciato 165 (Dictionary Help)

Quod fine egregios turpi maculaveris orsus,
In noxamque tuum || verteris officium;
Fecisti quod capra, sui mulctralia lactis
Cum ferit, et proprias || calce profundit opes.
Source: Alciato 141 (Dictionary Help)

Bellerophon ut fortis eques superare Chimaeram
Et Lycii potuit || sternere monstra soli;
Sic tu Pegaseis vectus petis aethera pennis.
Consilioque animi || monstra superba domas.
Source: Alciato 14 (Dictionary Help)

---

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

Round-Up: August 28

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.

I don't know about all of you, but I just finished my first week of classes - and I am so glad to have gotten through it unscathed. For those of you whose school year has just gotten started, I hope it has gone well!

HODIE: ante diem quintum Kalendas Septembres. 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 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 Latin portion begins chapter 9, which will tell the scandal of Publius Clodius: Sed nihil in eo tumultuose actum, uerum sed domus Caesaris aduersa fortuna laesa 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 one from today: Omnis est rex in domo sua (English: Everyone is king in his own house... a Latin version of "a man's home is his castle").

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Multum, non multa (English: Much, not many). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Grata brevitas (English: Brevity is pleasing... which fits nicely with the saying multum, non multa above - two different ways of expressing the notion of "quality, not quantity").

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Fruere tua fortuna (English: Make good use of your good fortune).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Melior est puer pauper et sapiens rege sene et stulto (Ecc. 4:13). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Noctuas Athenas affert (English: He's carrying owls to Athens... the ancient equivalent of "coals to Newcastle").

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Mala ad se trahit, ut Caecias nubes (English: He's drawing troubles to himself, like the northeast wind does the clouds).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Ἁπλοῦς ὁ μῦθος τὰς ἀληθείας ἔφυ (English: Straightforward speech begets truth). If you look at the Greek Proverb of the Day widget, you'll see it comes with a Latin translation, too.

TODAY'S FABLES:

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is DE FORMICA ET COLUMBA, the story of how the ant and the dove came to each other's aid.

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Umbra Asini, a wonderful story about the orator Demosthenes using a humorous story to rebuke his inattentive audience! Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing the "bust of Demosthenes" from the Louvre Museum:

---

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

Round-Up: August 27

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 sextum Kalendas Septembres. 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 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 we learn that Cato's strategy succeeded! qua ex re caeteris sumptibus accessit trecenties sestertium in singulos annos. Id quidem factum magnum in praesentia terrorem auertit haud dubie maximamque Caesaris copiarum partem aueliit ac dissipauit, cum is ob praeturam, quam tum idoneo sibi tempore erat gesturus, terribilior uideretur.

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 one from today: Fluctus excitas in simpulo (English: You are stirring up a tempest in a soup ladle).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Qui primus venerit, primus molet (English: He who arrives first, will grind first). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Honorat mors (English: Death bestows honor).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Lusus habet finem (English: Playtime comes to an end).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Moritur doctus, similiter et indoctus (Ecc. 2:16). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Scabiosa ovis totum inquinat gregem (English: The mangy sheep can infect the whole flock... which sounds a lot like the warning that I got from my school today about staying home if anybody even THINKS they might have the flu!).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Veneri suem immolavit (English: He's sacrificed a pig to Aphrodite... which is a divine variety of mixing apples and oranges: Aphrodite did not like swine!).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Πολλοὶ βουκένται, παῦροι δὲ τε γῆς ἀροτῆρες (English: Many drive the oxen, but few are the ploughers of the earth). If you look at the Greek Proverb of the Day widget, you'll see it comes with a Latin translation, too.

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Rana et Vulpes, a story about a frog who thought she was a doctor.

Aesopus Elegiacus: I'm hoping to get enough elegiac Aesopic poetry to publish a little book of the poems next summer. Today's elegiac fable is Pavo et Graculus, a story about a jackdaw who wanted to be a peacock. There is also a word list, courtesy of NoDictionaries.com.

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is DE IUVENE ET HIRUNDINE, the story of a young man who put too much trust in the arrival of a swallow.

Tar Heel Readers: Materials continue to accumulate at Tar Heel Reader (keep up with the latest items at the Libelli Latini blog). Just in time, Anthony Gibbins has supplied some more of his Gilbo storybooks. Here is Gilbo, Pars Octava, the eighth in the series!

---

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

Round-Up: August 26

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 septimum Kalendas Septembres. 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 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 Latin portion describes Cato's response to Caesar's popularity with the common people of Rome: Itaque Cato seditionem pauperum praesertim (hi enim Caesare freti totam multitudinem incendebant) metuens, senatui persuasit, ut singulis mensibus plebi frumentum diuideretur.

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 one from today about how more is not always better! Lenis alit flammas, grandior aura necat (English: A light breeze nourishes the flames; a bigger breeze kills them).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Canis est audax iuxta proprias aedes (English: A dog is bold by his own house). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Sapiens divinat (English: The wise man can see the future!).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Vita hominis peregrinatio (English: Man's life is a pilgrimage).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Quis est vir qui vivat et non videat mortem? (Psalms 89:48). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Cantator cycnus funeris sui (English: The swan is the singer of his own funeral dirge - in other words, the proverbial "swan song").

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Saliares dapes (English: A feast worthy of the priests of the Saliaria carmina - which is to say a truly splendid banquet!).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Ἐλεύθεραι ἀῖγες ἀρότρων (English: Goats are not yoked to the plows). If you look at the Greek Proverb of the Day widget, you'll see it comes with a Latin translation, too.

TODAY'S FABLES:

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is DE URSO ET ALVEARI, a wonderful little story of the bear's bad temper.

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Equus et Asinus Oneratus, the story of the horse who refused to help the donkey carry the load - and here's a wonderful illustration by Aractingy to go with it (image source):

---

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

Round-Up: August 25

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 octavum Kalendas Septembres. 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 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 Latin portion describes Caesar's enormous popularity with the people: Nam et paucis post diebus, quum in senatum is diluendarum suspicionum causa uenisset, ac tumultibus exciperetur aduersis, et senatus solito diutius consedisset; magno cum clamore multitudo curiam circumstetit, missum fieri Caesarem postulans.

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 one from today: Malo ad campanam quam ad tubae surgere clangorem (English: I prefer to rise to a bell than to the blare of a trumpet - although I was not so very glad to be awakened by the bell of the alarm clock on the first day of school yesterday!).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Necessitas artis magistra (English: Necessity is the teacher of skill). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Asinus balneatoris (English: The bathhouse owner's donkey... which is to say, the poor donkey who worked in the bathhouse but never got to take a bath himself).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Caeca invidia est (English: Envy is blind - a saying adapted from Livy).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Mitte panem tuum super transeuntes aquas et post multa tempora invenies illum (Ecc. 11:1). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is E verbis fatuos, ex aure tenemus asellum (English: We grab fools by their words as we grab a donkey by the ear... just as the owner of the donkey detected him beneath the lion's skin in today's fable, infra).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Nudae Gratiae (English: The nude graces... a familiar topic from the emblem tradition).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Τὸ ἐν τῇ καρδία τοῦ νήφοντος, ἐν τῇ γλώσσῃ τοῦ μεθύοντος (English: What is in the mind of the man when he is sober is on his tongue when drunk... which is one of the great dangers of drinking - at least, of drinking too much!). If you look at the Greek Proverb of the Day widget, you'll see it comes with a Latin translation, too.

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Ranae et Rex earum, the story of the frogs who thought they wanted a king.

Aesopus Elegiacus: I'm hoping to get enough elegiac Aesopic poetry to publish a little book of the poems next summer. Today's elegiac fable is Leo et Socii eius, the famous story of the lion's share. There is also a word list, courtesy of NoDictionaries.com.

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is DE ASINO LEONIS PELLE INDUTO, the story of the donkey who thought he would take up a new career as a lion!

Florilegium Fabularum: I'm working my way, slowly but surely, through the amazing collection of fables by Irenaeus published in 1666. Today's fable is Bos et Iuvencus, the story of a hard-working ox and a frivolous calf.

Tar Heel Readers: Materials continue to accumulate at Tar Heel Reader (keep up with the latest items at the Libelli Latini blog). Just in time, Anthony Gibbins has supplied some more of his Gilbo storybooks. Here is Gilbo, Pars Septima, the seventh in the series!

---

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

Round-Up: August 24

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 nonum Kalendas Septembres. 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 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 Latin portion further describes the tension between Caesar and Cicero after Catiline's trial: Hoc si uerum sit, equidem miror a Cicerone in libro de consulatu suo omissum. Vitio sane ei post datum est, quod occasione contra Caesarem oblata optima usus non esset, metu populi, qui incredibili studio Caesarem defenderet.

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 one from today that no doubt applies to the ginger snaps I ate for dessert tonight, ha ha: Modum nescit ponere voluptas (English: Pleasure does not know how to set a limit).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Victrix fortunae sapientia (English: Wisdom is the conqueror of fortune). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Defendendo vinco (English: By defending myself, I conquer... in other words: "the best offense is a strong defense").

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Adeunt etiam optima (English: The best things are yet arriving).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Quid est veritas? (John 18:38). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Mulges hircum (English: You're milking a billy-goat... when you need to be milking a she-goat instead).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Ululas Athenas (English: Owls to Athens... the ancient equivalent of coals to Newcastle!).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Ὁδοῦ παρούσης τὴν ἀτραπὸν ζητεῖς. (English: The road's right in front of you and you're look for a detour). If you look at the Greek Proverb of the Day widget, you'll see it comes with a Latin translation, too.

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Corvus et Vulpes, the famous story of how the fox tricked the crow out of the cheese.

Aesopus Elegiacus: I'm hoping to get enough elegiac Aesopic poetry to publish a little book of the poems next summer. Today's elegiac fable is Agricola Militiam et Mercaturam Affectans, the story of a farmer, dissatisfied with his lot, who life went from bad to worse. There is also a word list, courtesy of NoDictionaries.com.

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is DE GALLO GALLINACEO, the story of the rooster who found a precious jewel in the manure.

Florilegium Fabularum: I'm working my way, slowly but surely, through the amazing collection of fables by Irenaeus published in 1666. Today's fable is De Adolescente et Hirundine, the story of a young man who did not realize that "one swallow does not a summer make."

Tar Heel Readers: Materials continue to accumulate at Tar Heel Reader (keep up with the latest items at the Libelli Latini blog). Today I decided to feature Gilbo, Pars Sexta, the sixth in Anthony Gibbins's series of little stories about Gilbo and his family. This is the final installment so far - but we can hope there will be some more soon! :-)

---

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

Round-Up: August 22

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 undecimum Kalendas Septembres. 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 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 Latin portion describes Caesar's dramatic escape after the trial: sed eum et Curio fertur toga sua circumdata eduxisse, et ipse Cicéro respicientibus ad se iuuenibus renaisse, siue quod populum metueret, siue quod iniustam eam caedem putaret.

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 one from today which dates to a time when pepper was a rare commodity! Cui multum est piperis, etiam oleribus immiscet (English: He who has much pepper can even mix it with his vegetables).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Ex duris gloria (English: From hard things, glory). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Scito teipsum (English: Know yourself).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Antiqua sunt optima (English: The oldest things are best).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Resistite diabolo et fugiet a vobis. (James 4:7). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Mus satur insipidam diiudicat esse farinam (English: When the mouse is full he concludes that the flour has no flavor).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Areopagita taciturnior (English: More silent than an Areopagite - the Areopagus was the Hill of Mars in Athens, and the Areopagites were members of the court, hence proverbially grim, silent and severe, Cicero attests).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Ἁμαρτεῖν οὐκ ἔνεστι δὶς ἐν πολέμῳ (English: You cannot err twice in war... even one mistake can be fatal, in fact!). If you look at the Greek Proverb of the Day widget, you'll see it comes with a Latin translation, too.

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Leo Senex, the story of the donkey's revenge on the old lion.

Aesopus Elegiacus: I'm hoping to get enough elegiac Aesopic poetry to publish a little book of the poems next summer. Today's elegiac fable is Canis et Ovis, the sad story of what happened when the dog took the sheep to court on false charges. There is also a word list, courtesy of NoDictionaries.com.

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is DE EQUO ET ASELLO ONUSTO, the story of what happened to the horse who refused to help the donkey carry the load.

Tar Heel Readers: Materials continue to accumulate at Tar Heel Reader (keep up with the latest items at the Libelli Latini blog). Today I decided to feature Gilbo, Pars Quinta, the fourth in Anthony Gibbins's series of little stories about Gilbo and his family!

---

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

Round-Up: August 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.

HODIE: ante diem duodecimum Kalendas Septembres. 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 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 Latin portion deals with the fall-out from Catiline's trial: Hi cum Caesaris orationem magno studio refellerent & Cato simul etiam suspicionem ei impingeret, coniurati isti ad necem traditi sunt. ln Caesarem uero senatu egredientem multi eorum iuuenum qui Ciceronem stipabant, nudatis gladiis irruerent....

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 another rhyming proverb from today: Ausūs MAIORES fert canis ante FORES (English: A dog dares greater acts of boldness in front of his own door).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Homines sunt eiusdem farinae (English: People are made from the same flour.). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Hydram secas (English: You're trying to cut up a hydra... tricky work: since the hydra is notorious for growing back again!).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Spargis porcis margaritas (English: You're scattering your pearls to the pigs - an allusion to the famous saying from the Gospel of Matthew).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Si ambulavero in valle mortis, non timebo malum quoniam tu mecum es. (Psalms 23:4). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Praebet candoris lac nigri vacca coloris (English: A cow who is black in color can offer milk that is white).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Thersitae facies (English: A face like Thersites' - which is to say, a face that is ugly, as Thersites was proverbially ugly).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Μῦς γαλῆν ἐλέγξει τὴν τέως νύμφην (English: The mouse indicts the weasel who was just now a young bride - an allusion to the famous fable of Venus and the weasel/cat). If you look at the Greek Proverb of the Day widget, you'll see it comes with a Latin translation, too.

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Mus et Rusticus, the story of a farmer who found out that even a mouse will fight for its life.

Aesopus Elegiacus: I'm hoping to get enough elegiac Aesopic poetry to publish a little book of the poems next summer. Today's elegiac fable is Aquila et Corvus, the story of a foolish crow who thought he could imitate an eagle. There is also a word list, courtesy of NoDictionaries.com.

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is De Rustico et Colubro, the story of a farmer who foolishly took pity on a snake.

Florilegium Fabularum: I'm working my way, slowly but surely, through the amazing collection of fables by Irenaeus published in 1666. Today's fable is De Delectore Militum, a fable about a military recruiter and how appearances can be deceiving.

Tar Heel Readers: Materials continue to accumulate at Tar Heel Reader (keep up with the latest items at the Libelli Latini blog). Today I decided to feature Gilbo, Pars Quarta, the fourth in Anthony Gibbins's series of little stories about Gilbo and his family!

---

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

Round-Up: August 20

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.

I'm adding back in some of the materials to my Latin routine, now that I've got the semester safely started at my real job - so the Twitter section is back now, along with Aesopus Elegiacus! :-)

HODIE: ante diem tertium decimum Kalendas Septembres. 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 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 Latin portion begins Chapter 8, with further information about the trial of Catiline: Haec sententia quum humanitatem prae se ferret, et oratione facunda esset confirmata, tantum ualuit, ut non modo qui post Caesarem dixerunt, ei subscriberent, sed et quidam eorum qui ante responderant, suis retractatis ei accederent, eo usque dum ad Catulum et Catonem peruentum 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 rhyming proverb from today: Ex pravo pullus bonus ovo non venit ullus (English: No good chick ever came from a bad egg).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Athanasius contra mundum (English: Athanasius against the world). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Laterem lavas (English: You're washing a brick - a good way to remember that sneaky Latin third-declension noun later, "brick").

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Amici fures temporis (English: Friends are thieves of time... and that would include Facebook friends, too!).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Tempus nascendi et tempus moriendi (Ecc. 3:2). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Malo cani brevis tendatur copula. (English: A bad dog's leash should be pulled short - and for a story about a bad dog, see the fable below).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Eloquentia Attica (English: Attic eloquence - referring, of course, to the proverbial eloquence of the orators of ancient Athens in Attica, Greece).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Ἄγουσιν ἑορτὴν οἱ κλέπται (English: The thieves are celebrating the religious festival... which is to say: watch out for thieves at the festival! Thieves hold nothing sacred). If you look at the Greek Proverb of the Day widget, you'll see it comes with a Latin translation, too.

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Canis Mordax, the story of the dog who was prone to bite.

Aesopus Elegiacus: I'm hoping to get enough elegiac Aesopic poetry to publish a little book of the poems next summer. Today's elegiac fable is Camelus et Pulex, the story of the flea who took a ride on a camel. There is also a word list, courtesy of NoDictionaries.com.

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is DE CERVO IN BOVIUM STABULO, the story of the stag hiding in the oxen's stable (and yes, bovium is the spelling in the 17th-century text that this fable comes from).

Florilegium Fabularum: I'm working my way, slowly but surely, through the amazing collection of fables by Irenaeus published in 1666. Today's fable is De Equo Despecto, the story of a race-horse who runs better than he looks!

Tar Heel Readers: Materials continue to accumulate at Tar Heel Reader (keep up with the latest items at the Libelli Latini blog). Today I decided to feature Gilbo, Pars Tertia, the third in Anthony Gibbins's series of little stories about Gilbo and his family!

---

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

Round-Up: August 19

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.

I'm adding back in some of the materials to my Latin routine, now that I've got the semester safely started at my real job - so the Twitter section is back now, along with Aesopus Elegiacus! :-)

HODIE: ante diem quartum decimum Kalendas Septembres. 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 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 Latin portion is the last part of chapter 7, regarding Catiline's trial: ... placere ut in urbes Italiae arbitrio Ciceronis electas diuisi in custodia teneantur, donec Catilina debellato senatus per otium de causis singulorum cognoscere ac statuere queat.

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 one from today: In praesens ova cras modo pullis sunt meliora (English: Eggs right now are better than chicks tomorrow!).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Omne solum forti patria est ut piscibus aequor (English: Every land is a homeland for the courageous man, as water is a homeland for the fish). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is, which definitely matches my life over the past couple of weeks, is: Labore floret. (English: With hard work, it flourishes).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Alit lectio ingenium (English: Reading nourishes talent).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Quis est meus proximus? (Luke 10:29). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Camelus, cupiens cornua, aures perdidit (English: The camel, wanting horns, lost his ears - an allusion to the wonderful Aesop's fable about the ambitious camel).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Non uno est condita Roma die (English: Roma was not founded in one day... which is still a famous saying in English even today!).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Πολλὰ μεταξὺ πέλει κύλικος καὶ χείλεος ἄκρου (English: Many things happen between the edge of the cup and the edge of the lip - in other words, "There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip" - one of my very favorite sayings!). If you look at the Greek Proverb of the Day widget, you'll see it comes with a Latin translation, too.

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Agricola et Anguis, the story of a farmer who foolishly took pity on a snake.

Aesopus Elegiacus: I'm hoping to get enough elegiac Aesopic poetry to publish a little book of the poems next summer. Today's elegiac fable is Lupus et Hystrix, the story of a sneaky wolf and a very wise porcupine. There is also a word list, courtesy of NoDictionaries.com!

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is De Sene et Morte, the story of the old man who thought he wanted to die... but he was wrong!

Tar Heel Readers: Materials continue to accumulate at Tar Heel Reader (keep up with the latest items at the Libelli Latini blog). Today I decided to feature Gilbo, Pars Secunda, the second in Anthony Gibbins's series of little stories about Gilbo and his family!

---

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

Round-Up: August 18

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.

Classes started today! I managed to get everything up and ready (just in time!) - and now I hope I can back on a more regular schedule with the Latin amusements. Thank you for your patience! :-)

HODIE: ante diem quintum decimum Kalendas Septembres. 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 PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Nemo est supra leges (English: No one is above the laws). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Compesce mentem (English: Control your thoughts - and the root of "compescere" is "com-pes," which is to say soemthing that ties your feet together, like shackles: so, the idea is not to let your thoughts wander about).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Bonus esto bonis (English: Be good to the good - or, as my husband likes to say, quoting some episode from M*A*S*H I think, "It's nice to be nice to the nice").

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Pulsate, et aperietur vobis (Matt. 7:7). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Mala gallina, malum ovum (English: Bad chicken, bad egg - I've heard this one in a Polish version, too: Marna kura - marne jajko).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Venereum iusiurandum (English: A venereal oath... which sounds pretty dreadful in English, since we mostly use the word "veneral" just for diseases! The Latin phrase refers to a "lover's oath" - an oath spoken in passion, and therefore exempt from the usual seriousness that an oath entails).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Ὁ δύο πτῶκας διώκων, οὐδέτερον καταλαμβάνει (English: He who chases two rabbits does not catch either one). If you look at the Greek Proverb of the Day widget, you'll see it comes with a Latin translation, too.

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Catta in Feminam Mutata, the wonderful story of what happened when Venus turned a cat into a woman.

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is De Vulpe et Aquila, the story of what happened when the eagle stole the fox's cubs.

Tar Heel Readers: Materials continue to accumulate at Tar Heel Reader (keep up with the latest items at the Libelli Latini blog). Today I decided to feature Gilbo, Pars Prima, the first of a series of little stories about Gilbo and his family!

---

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

Round-Up: August 15

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.

For the next couple weeks, I'm really busy trying to get my courses retooled for the Fall semester, so the Bestiaria blog will be on the short side. I should be able to get back up to speed later in the month:

HODIE: ante diem duodevicesimum Kalendas Septembres. 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 PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is In terra caecorum monoculus rex (English: In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Vincit labor (English: Work is victorious... let's hope that all my labor this weekend to get ready for classes on Monday will indeed be victorious!).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Paulatim sed firmiter (English: Little by little, but persistently - something like the English saying, "Slowly but surely.").

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Messis quidem multa, operarii autem pauci (Matt. 9:37). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Una ove praeeunte, omnes sequuntur (English: When one sheep takes the lead, all the sheep follow... which is true of real sheep - and of metaphorical sheep people, too!).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Pegaso velocior (English: More swift than Pegasus... and since Pegasus is a flying horse, that would be very swift indeed!).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Κακὰ κέρδεα ζημίαν ἀρετῆς φέρει (English: Evil profits inflict damage on virtue). If you look at the Greek Proverb of the Day widget, you'll see it comes with a Latin translation, too.

TODAY'S FABLES:

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is De Cane Mordaci, the story of a dog who confuses punishment with praise.

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Simius Rex, a wonderful story about how the fox exposed the royal monkey's shortcomings. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing a royal monkey:

---

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

Grammar Through Proverbs - in English this time!

Regular readers of this blog know that I've had to take a break from some of my Latin activities (they'll be back soon, I promise) because I'm getting ready for my mythology and folklore courses to start on Monday. A big project for this semester is my new Grammar Through Proverbs wiki to help my students with their writing skills... yes, I am obsessed with proverbs in any language, not just in Latin! I spent most of the past couple weeks building this wiki, and for today's "round-up" I wanted to tell you about this online resource in case if might be of use to you.

English writing skills. The focus of Grammar Through Proverbs is English punctuation and spelling problems (specifically, the kinds of spelling problems that a spellchecker cannot correct). My students seem to be having more and more trouble with written English, so my main goal for this coming year is to find a way to be more actively engaged in helping them to improve their skills. Pretty much every single student needs at least some help - even the English majors and Professional Writing majors stumble with some of these topics. There are pages on Apostrophes, Its v. It's, Your v. You're, Who-Whom-Who's-Whose, Homonyms, Confusing Word Pairs, Commas, Run-On Sentences, and Quoted Speech. Last year I did a statistical count of my students' errors, and these were the top problems by far.

Wiki pages and quizlets. Each of the pages contains some basic information, along with links to more detailed online resources (OWL at Purdue, the Common Errors in English website, etc.). Most importantly, each page contains random "quizlets" - these are questions that pop up on the page. The student can choose to answer the question (or not) and get immediate feedback. The quizlets work GREAT on the iPodTouch, by the way, since the alert message box really fills the screen really nicely on the Touch. I've also tested the quizlets in Firefox and in Safari; I'm a Mac user, so I haven't tested them with Explorer.

Proverbs. The examples at the wiki and the contents of the questions are all proverbs, along with some aphorisms, famous quotes, etc. I hope that the quirky appeal of the proverbs might catch the students' attention while they are working on their writing skills. I would like for the learning experience to be fun and rewarding, and not some kind of grammatical "discipline and punish." Many of the proverbs relate to learning, wisdom, hard work, etc. So, yes, it's proverbial propaganda - in a good cause, I hope.

Here are some more links if you want to explore:

• Grammar Through Proverbs Homepage - Scroll down for a random illustrated spelling slideshow like the one at the bottom of this blog post.
  
• Quizlet Widgets - This page lists all the quizlets used in the wiki, and gives you the code to copy them to your own website, blog or wiki if you want.
• Desire2Learn Quizzes - This is how I am including the quizzes as extra credit in my classes; for those of interested in optimizing quizzes for both practice and assessment, you might find some useful information here.

Your comments welcome! Any feedback, questions, or suggestions would be much appreciated! Over time I want to revise, expand and improve on these materials, and as I do that I would like for the materials to be useful to others as well! I've still got lots of work to do between now and Monday in terms of getting my classes ready to go, and the first two weeks of the semester are pretty crazy - but after that I should be able to get back into a more normal Latin routine here at the Bestiaria. Happy Friday, everybody!!!

Round-Up: August 13

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.

For the next couple weeks, I'm really busy trying to get my courses retooled for the Fall semester, so the Bestiaria blog will be on the short side. I should be able to get back up to speed later in the month:

HODIE: Idus Augustae, the Ides of August! 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 PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is O quantum est in rebus inane! (English: Oh how much trivial stuff there is in the world!). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Intellegenti pauca (English: A few things for someone who understands - a variation on the famous dictum, "a word to the wise is enough").

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Mortui non dolent (English: The dead do not suffer).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Unus introitus est omnibus ad vitam, et similis exitus (Wisdom 7:6). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Equo ne credite, Teucri! (English: Don't trust the horse, O Trojans... and that would be the wooden horse, of course!).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Fuimus Troes (English: We were the Trojans... what you might call the pathetic use of the perfect tense, sad words from Vergil's Aeneid).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Γνῶμαι πλέων κρατοῦσιν ἢ σθένος χερῶν (English: Reasoning abilities are far more powerful than the strength of the hands). If you look at the Greek Proverb of the Day widget, you'll see it comes with a Latin translation, too.

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Milvus Aegrotus, the story of the kite's deathbed repentance.

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is De Lupo et Sue, the wolf's false offer of friendship to the pregnant sow.

Tar Heel Readers: Materials continue to accumulate at Tar Heel Reader (keep up with the latest items at the Libelli Latini blog). Today I decided to feature Gallus et Gemma, the story of the rooster who found a jewel in the manure.

---

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