Myths and Legends: Actaeon

Actaeon Attacked by His Dogs. To find out more about the life and death of Actaeon, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

Actaeon is the hapless fellow who saw the goddess Diana/Artemis in the nude while she was bathing together with her nymphs; as a punishment, he was turned into a stag and devoured by his own dogs. In this vase painting, however, it is a very human Actaeon who is being attacked by his dogs! In this larger view of the scene, you can see Artemis in her chariot cursing the poor hunter; on the right, a messenger takes the news of Actaeon's death to his parents.

You can also find more myths and legends for the week of Jan. 29 - Feb. 4 here. For more information and links to the actual javascript code, see the Myths & Legends Widget Reference Page.

Myths and Legends: Heracles and the Bull

Heracles and the Bull. To find out more about the labors of Heracles, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

Here you see one of the labors of Heracles: he had to go to the island of Crete, ruled by King Minos, and subdue the Cretan Bull which had been causing havoc and destruction all over the island. Heracles subdued the Bull in hand-to-hand (hand-to-hoof?) combat and brought it back to the Greek mainland, delivering it to King Eurystheus in Athens. The Bull escaped, however, and fled to Marathon - and as the Marathonian Bull, it was captured and sacrificed by the hero Theseus. (And yes, is the same Marathon which gives its name to the race now called a "marathon," the same distance that a messenger ran from the Battle of Marathon to take news back to Athens of the Greeks' victory over the Persian.)

You can also find more myths and legends for the week of Jan. 29 - Feb. 4 here. For more information and links to the actual javascript code, see the Myths & Legends Widget Reference Page.

Myths & Legends: Jan. 29 - Feb. 4

Jan. 22-28 - Jan. 29 - Feb. 4 - Feb. 5-11

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For more information and links to the actual javascript code, see the Myths & Legends Reference Page.

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Heracles and the Poisoned Cloak. To find out more about the death of Heracles, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

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Heracles and the Bull. To find out more about the labors of Heracles, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source. There's also a post here.

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Actaeon Attacked by His Dogs. To find out more about the life and death of Actaeon, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source. There's also a post here.

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Orpheus and Eurydice. To find out more about Orpheus and Eurydice, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

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The Abduction of Helen. To find out more about Helen and Paris, the prince of Troy, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

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Philemon and Baucis. To find out more about how this couple played host to the gods, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source. There's also a post here.

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Hecuba and Polydorus. To find out more about Queen Hecuba and her son Polydorus, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

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Round-Up: January 29

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 and at the IVLIVS CAESAR feed (Plutarch's Life of Caesar twittered trilingually).

GREEK PODCAST: Exciting news! Evan Millner, whom I'm sure many of you know from his Latinum Latin podcasts, has started a similar podcast project for ancient Greek. You can listen to his first Greek podcast online now! So, if you were thinking 2010 would be a good year in which to learn Greek, let Evan be your guide!

HODIE: ante diem quartum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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:

• Sus et Canis, in which the pig rebukes the dog for his obedient behavior, and the dog explains his reasoning.
  
• Delphin et Neptunus, Alciato's emblem of the dolphin washed up on shore.
• Asinus Inridens Aprum, the story of how the donkey insulted the boar.
• Asinus Res Sacras Portans, the story of a donkey who thought he was being worshipped.
• Aquila et Corvus, the story of a crow who thought he could imitate an eagle.

I've picked out my favorite one, the story of the proud donkey, Asinus Res Sacras Portans, to share with you here in the blog (its application to the academic world I will leave to everyone's imagination, ha ha):

Asinus quīdam rēs sacrās portābat, ratus sēsē venerārī hominēs. Itaque ērēctus incēdēbat, tamquam sibi tūs illud atque carmina acciperet. Cuius errōrem cum mox vīdit aliquis, "Mī asine" inquit "istam vānitātem tibi excute. Nōn tē, sed istās rēs sacrās caerimōniīs colunt; istī dīvō haec religiō dēbētur."

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: Tramite recta (English: By the right path - or the straight path, which you can take literally or metaphorically!).

3-Word Proverbs Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Ex scintilla incendium (English: From a spark, a fire)

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Dubium sapientiae initium (English: Doubt is the beginning of wisdom). 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: Nemo timendo ad summum pervenit locum (English: No one ever reached the top by being afraid).

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Tacitus pasci si posset corvus, haberet plus dapis (English: If the crow could feed quietly, he would have more to eat; from Adagia 4.1.94).

Here's an illustration for the fable of the crow who wanted to imitated the eagle, Aquila et Corvus:

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

Myths and Legends: Jason and Medea

Jason and Medea. To find out more about Medea, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

This shows the tragic and violent conclusion of the relationship between the hero Jason and the Colchian princess Medea. In this painting by Charles André van Loo, you can see the moment when Medea has slain her two children, and Jason has now discovered their bodies. Although there are other versions of the story, Euripides' play Medea tells us that Medea did indeed kill her own children and then fled in a golden chariot drawn by dragons; in the painting, they look more like snakes, as you can see in this detail:

You can also find more myths and legends for the week of January 22-28 here. For more information and links to the actual javascript code, see the Myths & Legends Widget Reference Page. Meanwhile, this post shows Medea and her children in a happier moment.

Round-Up: January 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. Plus, you can find some Latin "pipilationes" at my Proverbia Latina feed and at the IVLIVS CAESAR feed (Plutarch's Life of Caesar twittered trilingually).

HODIE: ante diem quintum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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:

• Canis et Luna, an emblem of the dog howling at the moon.
• Vulpis et Aquila, the dramatic story of what happened when the eagle stole the fox's pups.
• Turdus et Hirundo, a story about the misbegotten friendship of a thrush and a swallow.
• Agricola et Filii eius, the story of an old father and his slacker sons.
• Lupus et Hystrix, the story of the wolf trying to get the hedgehog to lay down his arms.

I've picked out my favorite one, Agricola et Filii eius, to share with you here in the blog; it's a longer one - but what a great message!

Agricola haud sānē pauper, cum iam mortem adesse intellegeret, fīliōs advocātōs, remōtis aliīs, ita adlocūtus esse fertur: "Agrum" inquit "nōlīte vēndere, quem maiōrēs nostrī nōbīs relīquērunt. Thēsaurus enim ibi conditus est. Cuius quamquam locum nōndum nōvī, sat sciō fore ut paulō fortius mōlientēs eum aliquandō reperiātis. Statim post messem terram vertite, effodite, scrūtāmini. Nūllus sit locus, ubi nōn aliquid saepius ēgerint manūs vestrae." Patre igitur mortuō fīliī agrum hinc atque illinc undique effodiunt, et tantā quidem industriā, ut multō maiōrēs inde frūctūs illō annō percēperint. Argentī sānē nihil erat conditī. At pater sapientissimus, quī eōs thēsaurum docēret esse industriam.

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 Contentus vivo parvo (English: I live, content with little... one of my own personal mottoes!).

3-Word Proverbs: Today's 3-word proverb is Fortunae rota volvitur (English: The wheel of Fortune is turning - up and down it goes!).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Sunt tibi vitandi sermones undique blandi (English: You should always avoid flattering words - a lesson Aesop's crow learned at the cost of his cheese!).

Vulgate Verse: Today's verse is Doctrinam magis quam aurum eligite (Proverbs 8:10). 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 Conybeare: Caute loquacior: More clatteringe then a rocke. A proverbe applied to great speakers, gathered of the continuall clackinge that the sea maketh when it striketh agaynst a rocke.

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

Non pudeat, quae nescieris, te velle doceri:
Scire aliquid laus est, culpa est nil discere velle.

English: "It is not shameful to want to be taught what you don't know; to know something is commendable - the problem is not wanting learn anything." What a great saying for lifelong learning!

Today's image is an illustration for the story of the fox and the eagle, Vulpis et Aquila:

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

Round-Up: January 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. Plus, you can find some Latin "pipilationes" at my Proverbia Latina feed and at the IVLIVS CAESAR feed (Plutarch's Life of Caesar twittered trilingually).

HODIE: ante diem sextum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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:

• Capra et Lac, the story of a disagreeable goat.
• Canis et Thesaurus, in which a vulture rebukes a greedy dog.
• Aquila et Pica, the story of an ambitious jaybird.
• Vulpes ac Lupus et Equus, a wonderful fable about a horse who cleverly outwits a wolf and a fox - the wolf is the one who comes out the worst, of course!
• Taurus et Hircus, the story of a bull who, fleeing a lion, crossed paths with a goat.

I've picked out my favorite one, Alciato's little emblem of the mean-spirited goat, Capra et Lac, to share with you here in the blog - you can see the emblem at the bottom of this blog post:

Quod orsūs ēgregiōs fine turpī maculāveris, et in noxam officium tuum verteris, fēcistī quod capra, cum lactis suī mulctrālia ferit et opēs propriās calce profundit.

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 Proverbs: Today's tiny proverb is: Alta pete (English: Seek lofty things).

3-Word Mottoes Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Pulchre, bene, recte (English: Nicely, rightly, and correctly - of course bene is usually rendered as "well" - but I wanted to use -ly each time, just as all three of the Latin adverbs are formed with -e).

Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Unicus filius infatuatur, unicus sus impinguatur (English: An only son grows foolish, an only pig grows fat).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Vae soli (English: Woe to the one who is alone - a great way to remember that the dative singular of solus is soli!).

Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Phormionis torus (English: The bed of Phormio; from Adagia 2.9.66 - Phormio was a vigorous general who loved the military life and slept on the ground with this men, which is to say, without a bed at all!).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Ὁ ἔχων πολὺ πέπερι, τίθησι κἂν λαχάνοις (English: He who has lots of pepper can put it even on his vegetables... a good reminder of what a precious rarity pepper was in days one by!).

For today's image, here's an illustration from a 1621 edition of Alciato's emblems for the emblem Capra et Lac:

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

Myths and Legends: The Death of Lucretia

The Death of Lucretia. To find out more about the Roman legend of Lucretia, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

This painting by Bernaert de Ryckere shows the death of Lucretia, wife of Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus. This famous Roman matron committed suicide after having been raped by Sextus Tarquinius, the wicked son of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the king of Rome. After Lucretia's suicide, there was a revolt against the king and he was deposed; this was the beginning of the Roman Republic. Collatinus, together with his friend Lucius Junius Brutus, became the first consuls of the new Republic.

You can also find more myths and legends for the week of January 22-28 here. For more information and links to the actual javascript code, see the Myths & Legends Widget Reference Page.

Round-Up: January 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. Plus, you can find some Latin "pipilationes" at my Proverbia Latina feed and at the IVLIVS CAESAR feed (Plutarch's Life of Caesar twittered trilingually).

HODIE: ante diem septimum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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:

• Miles et Equus, the story of a soldier and his new horse.
• Cucurbita et Pinus, a debate between the pine tree and the gourd vine.
• Corvus et Lupi, the story of the crow who pretended to be a friend to the wolves.
• Lepus et Testudo, an elaborate version of the famous story of the tortoise and the hare.
• Aesopus et Victor, a funny little story about Aesop and a boastful athlete.

I've picked out my favorite one, the story about Aesop himself, Aesopus et Victor, to share with you here in the blog:

Phryx sophus, cum gymnicī certāminis victōrem iactantiōrem fōrte vīdisset, interrogāvit an ēius adversārius plūs valuisset? Ille: "Nē istud dīxeris; vīrēs meae multō māiōrēs fuēre." Inquit: "Stulte! Quod ergō decus meruistī, sī tū, fortior, minus valentem vīcistī? Ferendus essēs, sī fōrte dīcerēs tē superāsse, quī vīribus melior fuisset."

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: Veritas superabit (English: Truth will triumph).

3-Word Proverbs Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Victrix fortunae sapientia (English: Wisdom is the conqueror of luck - in other words, even if you have bad luck, wisdom can still help you to win)

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Regum fortuna casus praecipites rotat (English: Fortune spins the headlong downfalls of the kings). 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: Damnum appellandum est cum mala fama lucrum (English: Profit earned with a damaged reputation should be called loss).

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Ars multa vulpi, ast una echino maxima (English: The fox has many a trick, but the hedgehog has just one big trick; from Adagia 1.5.18).

For today's picture, here is an illustration of the fable of the tortoise and the hare, Lepus et Testudo, by Aractingy:

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

Round-Up: January 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. Plus, you can find some Latin "pipilationes" at my Proverbia Latina feed and at the IVLIVS CAESAR feed (Plutarch's Life of Caesar twittered trilingually).

In addition, I've published some NOTES ON IAMBIC METER - I'd really be interested in any feedback people might offer about that.

HODIE: ante diem octavum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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.

• Arion, the story of Arion, rescued by a dolphin; see the emblem for this story below.
  
• Vulpes et Ciconia, the famous story of the stork's revenge on the fox.
• Asinus, Simia et Talpa, the mole's rebuke to the complaints of the donkey and the monkey.
• E Pastore Mercator, the storyof the shepherd who wanted to get rich in the import-export business.
• Senex et Mors, the story of the old man who thought he was ready to die… but changed his mind.

I've picked out my favorite one, Abstemius's little story of the wise mole, Asinus, Simia et Talpa, to share with you here in the blog:

Conquerentī Asinō quod cornibus carēret, Sīmiae vērō quod cauda sibi dēesset, "Tacēte (inquit Talpa) cum mē oculīs captam esse videātis." Haec fābula ad eōs pertinet, quī nōn sunt suā sorte contentī; quī, sī aliōrum infortūniam cōnsīderārent, aequiōrī animō tolerārent suā.

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 Vincam malum bono (English: I will overcome evil with good).

3-Word Proverbs: Today's 3-word proverb is Tempus omnia sanat (English: Time heals all things).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Qui nunquam dubitat, se studuisse negat (English: Someone who never has doubts confesses he has never studied: in other words, learning is all about resolving your doubts, and never being afraid to ask questions!).

Vulgate Verse: Today's verse is Pascua sunt divitum pauperes (Sirach 13:19). 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: Ne Hercules quidem contra duos: Not Hercules against two, that is to saye: Though a man never so muche excelleth other in strengthe, yet it will be hard for him to matche two at ones. And one man may lawfully give place to a multitude.

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

Quod potes, id tempta; nam litus carpere remis
Utilius multo est quam velum tendere in altum.

English: "Whatever you can do, give it a try; for it is more productive by far to scrape the shore with your oars than to left the sail on high." I really like the way the raising of the sails seems almost like a prayer to the sky gods to do the sailing for us, instead of working by our own efforts! (Although from having gone sailing, taking care of the sails is plenty of work, too!).

Today's image is the emblem for Arion:

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

Myths and Legends: Neoptolemus and Priam

Neoptolemus and Priam. To find out more about the death of King Priam, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

When the Greeks managed to conquer the city of Troy, using the trick of the Wooden Horse, they engaged in wholesale slaughter. This vase shows one of the most outrageous scenes of that story: Neoptolemus (also called Pyrrhus), the son of Achilles, slaughtered Priam, the aged king of Troy, and he did so upon a sacred altar. What is he holding in his hand? That is the corpse of Hector's young child, Astyanax, whom Neoptolemus also killed, and now he is using the dead boy to club to death the boy's grandfather. Blood-thirsty indeed. Hence the proverb, Heroum filii noxae, "The sons of heroes are criminal offenses." Neoptolemus is a chief instance of this pessimistic principle.

You can read more about Neoptolemus at Wikipedia. You can read details of the story in Vergil's Aeneid, Book 2.

You can also find more myths and legends for the week of January 22-28 here. For more information and links to the actual javascript code, see the Myths & Legends Widget Reference Page.

Round-Up: January 23

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 and at the IVLIVS CAESAR feed (Plutarch's Life of Caesar twittered trilingually).

HODIE: ante diem decimum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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:

• Canes et Corcodili, the story of the dogs who want to take a drink at the Nile.
• De Avibus Scarabeos Timentibus, a story of birds afraid of the dung-beetles' dung-balls.
• Anguillae, a story about muddying the waters in order to fish for eels.
• Rusticus Amnem Transiturus, a fable about still waters that run deep.
• Ranae Regem Petunt, an elaborate version of the frogs who wanted a king, as adapted from LaFontaine.

I've picked out my favorite one, Canes et Corcodilli, to share with you here in the blog (this version has a somewhat easier word order than Phaedrus's original version in verse):

Quī cōnsilia prāva hominibus cautīs dant, et operam perdunt et turpiter dērīdentur. Trāditum est canēs in Nīlō flūmine bibere currentēs, nē ā corcodīlīs rapiantur. Igitur, cum canis bibere coepisset, currēns, sīc corcodīlus: Ōtiō quamlibet lambe, nōlī verērī. At ille: Facerem, m'herculēs, nisi scīrem tē carnis meae cupidum esse.

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 Proverbs: Today's tiny proverb is: Scientia potentia (English: Knowledge is power - and, even better, in Latin it rhymes!).

3-Word Mottoes Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Vigilantibus, non dormientibus (English: For those who watch, not those who sleep - a great use of the dative to imply the missing verb).

Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Canes vetulos loro non assuefacies (English: You will not accustom old dogs to a leash).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Asinus magis stramina vult quam aurum (English: The donkey wants straw more than gold - some may consider the donkey foolish for that, but I agree with the donkey myself!).

Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Cyclopis donum (English: The gift of a Cyclops - which is an ironic proverb, since the gift that Polyphemus the Cyclops promised to Odysseus was that he would eat him last… not much of a gift, ha ha; this comes from Adagia 1.4.5).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Κακὸν ἄγγος οὐ κλᾷται (English: A bad pot doesn't break).

I chose an image of Polyphemus today, in honor of the saying Cyclopis donum... it's an illustration by John Flaxman:

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

Myths & Legends: January 22-28

Jan. 15-21 - Jan. 22-28 - Jan. 29 - Feb. 4

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For more information and links to the actual javascript code, see the Myths & Legends Reference Page.

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Arion. To find out more about the legend of Arion, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source. There's also a post here.

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Perseus and Andromeda. To find out more about Perseus and Andromeda, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

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Neoptolemus and Priam. To find out more about the death of King Priam, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source. There's also a post here.

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Gigantomachy. To find out more about the battle between the gods and the giants, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

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The Death of Lucretia. To find out more about the Roman legend of Lucretia, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source. There's also a post here.

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Theseus and the Minotaur. To find out more about the half-man half-bull Minotaur, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

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Jason and Medea. To find out more about Medea, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source. There's also a post here.

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Round-Up: January 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. Plus, you can find some Latin "pipilationes" at my Proverbia Latina feed and at the IVLIVS CAESAR feed (Plutarch's Life of Caesar twittered trilingually).

HODIE: ante diem undecimum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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:

• Vulpes et Caper, a long version of the fox and the goat in the well - with a great illustration!
• Auceps Imprudens, the story of someone who looked up when he should have been looking down.
• Rana Rupta et Bos, the story of a very puffed-up frog.
• Homo et Deus Ligneus, the story of a god who responds to "tough love."
• Canis et Herus, the story of a dog who sees through his maser's hypocrisy.

I've picked out my favorite one, Auceps Imprudens, to share with you here in the blog - and you can see the emblem down at the bottom of this post! :-)

Dum viscō turdōs, dum pedicā alaudās fallit, et harundo iacta gruem altivolam fīgit, auceps, nōn prūdēns, dipsada pede perculit: illa malī ultrix vīrus, ab ōre ēmissum, iacit. Sīc obit, quī, arcū extentō, sīdera rēspicit, sēcūrus fātī, quod ante pedēs iacet.

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: Superna sequor (English: I follow heavenly things - although gazing upwards has its limits, as the story of the bird-catcher above shows!).

3-Word Proverbs Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is E pluribus unum (English: One from many - a saying you can read about at Wikipedia)

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Fortuna gloriae carnifex (English: Fortune is the butcher of glory). 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: Geminat peccatum, quem delicti non pudet (English: Someone who is not ashamed of his crime doubles the sin).

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Sus lota in volutabro luti (English: The sow that was washed goes back to her mud wallow; from Adagia 4.3.62).

For today's image, here's an illustration for the fable of the Auceps Imprudens, taken from a 1534 edition of the emblems (image source):

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

Myths and Legends: Arion

Arion. To find out more about the legend of Arion, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

Today's image shows Arion, a legendary musician. After winning a musical competition, Arion was on his way home when his ship was attacked by pirates. Arion begged permission to sing a last song, and the beauty of his singing attracted dolphins to the ship. Arion then jumped overboard and was carried to land safely by one of the dolphins (yes, that is a dolphin in the picture there - not exactly your friendly Flipper-type of dolphin!). For more about the legend of Arion and what happened after the dolphin brought him ashore, see Wikipedia; you might also enjoy this Arion emblem by Rollenhagen here.

You can also find more myths and legends for the week of January 22-28 here. For more information and links to the actual javascript code, see the Myths & Legends Widget Reference Page.

Round-Up: January 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. Plus, you can find some Latin "pipilationes" at my Proverbia Latina feed and at the IVLIVS CAESAR feed (Plutarch's Life of Caesar twittered trilingually).

HODIE: ante diem duodecimum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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:

• Prometheus: Quae supra nos, nihil ad nos, Alciato's moral emblem based on the mythical Titan.
• Canis Fidelis, the story of a dog who will not be bribed.
• Anguilla et Serpens, in which the snake gives advice to the eel about self-defense.
• Puer et Fur, a hilarious story about the trickster thief out-tricked by the little boy.
• Equus et Asinus, the fate of the horse who refused to help his fellow creature.

I've picked out my favorite one, Equus et Asinus, to share with you here in the blog; this one teaches a very profound lesson that we can probably all learn from:

Asinus quondam ita onerātus, ut paene dēficeret, cum equō nihil nisi ōrnāmenta portante iter faciēbat. Itaque hunc ōrāvit ut sibi opem ferret; quod nisi ita faceret, sē ante peritūrum quam ad oppidum vēnissent. "Modesta" inquit "sānē haec precātiō. Dīmidium huius oneris tibi velut lūdō iocōque erit." Recūsābat autem ille remissīs calcibus, cum ecce ecomitem sub onere morientem vīdit. Tum dēmum sē parum rēctē ēgisse cognōvit. Nam, praeter tōtum alterīus onus, pellis quoque eiusdem equō portanda erat.

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 Spes audaces adiuvat (English: Hope helps the bold).

3-Word Proverbs: Today's 3-word proverb is Echinus partum differt (English: The hedgehog postpones the process of giving birth - and the irony is that it gets worse and worse, the longer she waits, as the baby hedgehog just gets spinier and spinier).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Fumus sumus, fimus fimus (English: We are smoke; we become dung - although this one really depends on the rhyme and the wordplay for its appeal in Latin!).

Vulgate Verse: Today's verse is Alius est qui seminat, et alius est qui metit (John 4:37). 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 Conybeare: Non est cuiuslibet Corinthum appellere: It ys not yn everye mannes power to arryve at Corinthus, which doth signifie, It pertayneth not to every man to attempte thinges daungerous and harde to atchieve.

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

Virtutem primam esse puto conpescere linguam:
Proximus ille deo est, qui scit ratione tacere.

English: "I think that to hold one's tongue is the chief virtue; the man who knows how to be thoughtfully quiet is close to being a god." Or, as the English proverb puts it: Silence is golden.

For an image today, here is an illustration for the fable Canis Fidelis, where the thief trying to buy the dog's loyalty with bread (image source).

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

Myths and Legends: Antigone

Antigone. To find out more about Antigone, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

This modern depiction of Antigone is by the British painter Frederic Lord Leighton (1830-1896). Antigone is one of the most famous heroines of Greek tragedy; you can read her story here at Wikipedia and there is also an article about the play Antigone by Sophocles. You can read Sophocles' play in English online at the Internet Classics Archive. The story of Antigone lives on; for example, it provides a crucial subtext in Andrzej Wajda's recent film Katyń.

You can also find more myths and legends for the week of January 15-21 here. For more information and links to the actual javascript code, see the Myths & Legends Widget Reference Page.

Round-Up: January 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. Plus, you can find some Latin "pipilationes" at my Proverbia Latina feed and at the IVLIVS CAESAR feed (Plutarch's Life of Caesar twittered trilingually).

HODIE: ante diem tertium decimum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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:

• Mus et Ostrea, the story of a mouse who foolishly wanted to dine on an oyster.
• Mustela et Homo, the story of a "house weasel" pleading for her life.
• Cygnus et Ciconia, which provides the swan's explanation of its "swan song."
• Rusticus et Anguis, the story of a quarrel between a farmer and his lucky snake.
• Lupus et Canis, a long fable, adapted from LaFontaine, about the virtues of living a free life, beholden to none.

I've picked out my favorite one, the story of the greedy oyster, Mus et Ostrea, to share with you here in the blog - this is the prose rendering - and you can see Alciato's emblem for this fable down at the bottom of the blog post:

Mūs, et penūs regnātor et mēnsae herīlis arrōsor, ostrea vīdit, lābris summīs hiulca. Quibus barbam teneram appōnēns, ossa falsa momordit: ast ea, tacta, repente domum clausērunt, et carcere taetrō tenuērunt fūrem dēprēnsum, quī sēmet in tumulum obscūrum dederat.

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 Proverbs: Today's tiny proverb is: Aureae compedes (English: Golden shackles - which refers to those who sell their freedom in exchange for golden; see the fable of the wolf and the dog above for more on this theme!).

3-Word Mottoes Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Virtute et fortuna (English: With excellence and luck - I really like this motto, because excellent abilities still benefit from luck, and luck definitely benefits from excellent abilities!).

Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Leo a leporibus insultatur mortuus (English: A lion, after he's dead, is mocked by the rabbits - an animal version of "oh, how the mighty are fallen!").

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Qui ipse sibi sapiens prodesse nequit, nequicquam sapit (English: The wise man who does not know how to help himself is wise in vain).

Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is In Orci culum incidas (English: May you fall into Orcus's butthole; from Adagia 2.10.68 - as if being in the underworld of Orcus was not bad enough! Erasmus describes it as sermo perniciem et extremum exitium imprecantis, "words spoken by someone cursing another person with ruin and utter disaster" - ha!).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Μωρὸς σιωπᾷν οὐ δύναται (English: The fool is not able to keep quiet - and yes, this is the same root "moros" which you see in the paradoxical "sophomore," the "wise-fool").

Today's image is an illustration for the story of the mouse and the oyster, Mus et Ostrea - you can see the poor mouse's head has been chomped by the oyster! The illustration comes from a 1539 edition of Alciato's emblems (image source):

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

Round-Up: January 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. Plus, you can find some Latin "pipilationes" at my Proverbia Latina feed and at the IVLIVS CAESAR feed (Plutarch's Life of Caesar twittered trilingually).

HODIE: ante diem quartum decimum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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:

• Milvus et Mater, the story of a greedy kite, sick from overeating.
• Arbores Pulchrae et Una Deformis, Abstemius's little fable about the virtue of being an unremarkable character.
• Canis et Bos, the famous story of the dog in the manger, told in verse.
• Cervus et Vitis, the story of a deer who ungratefully nibbled at the vine which had saved him.
• Iuvencus Leo et Praedator, the story of justice as meted out by a predatory lion.

I've picked out my favorite one, "the dog in the manger," Canis et Bos, to share with you here in the blog; it certainly teaches an insightful lesson about spite and jealousy!

Canis ācer incubat in stabulīs faenī plēnīs. Ecce! Taurus adest, pābula comēsūrus. Prōtinus Canis lātrātibus saevīs Taurum prohibet, et non sinit Bovem, impāstum, līmen adīre. Bōs, īrātus, ait: "Dīvī tē perdant, invide! Tu ipse vēscī nequīs, et mē cibō prohibēs.

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: Fulget virtus (English: Virtue shines brightly - or, to use a Latin derivative in English, "virtue is fulgent").

3-Word Proverbs Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Iustitiae soror fides (English: Faith is the sister of justice - faith is the sister of justice as faith, in Latin, is a feminine noun, fides)

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Abyssus abyssum invocat (English: One hell summons another). 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: Amici vitia si feras, facias tua (English: If you put up with your friend's faults, you make them your own - criticizing a friend's faults is never easy, but that makes it all the more important a task).

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Aquila non captat muscas (English: An eagle doesn't catch flies; from Adagia 3.2.65).

Meanwhile, here is another great Atlas image, which was sent in by Peter Eliot - it shows Atlas on the top of a building at the Carlsberg Breweries in Copenhagen! (For more about Atlas holding up the cosmos, see the blog posts for the past two days.)

Round-Up: January 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. Plus, you can find some Latin "pipilationes" at my Proverbia Latina feed and at the IVLIVS CAESAR feed (Plutarch's Life of Caesar twittered trilingually).

HODIE: ante diem quintum decimum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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:

• Lupi et Oves, the story of the tragic treaty between the sheep and the wolves.
• Mutuum Auxilum, a story about the cooperation between a lame man and a blind man.
• Auceps et Fringilla, a story of a birdcatcher who pays the price for being greedy.
• Vulpes et Caput Marmoreum, the reflections of a fox on how outward appearances can be deceiving.
• Aesopus et Homo a Cane Laceratus, Aesop's advice to a man bit by a dog.

I've picked out my favorite one, Mutuum Auxilum, to share with you here in the blog (this is the prose rendering) - and you can see the emblematic depiction at the bottom of the post here. Watch out for captus here, which is used in the sense of "deprived of, impaired" (meaning B.1.e in Lewis & Short):

Lūmine captus lōripedem fert, humerīs sublātum, et haec sociī mūnera oculīs rētribuit. Sīc uterque concors praestat, quō alteruter caret: hīc oculōs mūtuat, ille pedēs mūtuat.

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 Veni, vidi, vici (English: I came, I saw, I conquered - Caesar's words which have become one of the most famous Latin statements of all time).

3-Word Proverbs: Today's 3-word proverb is Nemo effugit futurum (English: No one escapes what will be - a lovely use of the future active participle in Latin, which gives us the "future").

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Est verum verbum: frangit Deus omne superbum (English: Here is a true saying: God shatters everything that is proud).

Vulgate Verse: Today's verse is Diliges proximum tuum, sicut te ipsum (Gal. 5:14). 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: Stultus stulta loquitur: A foole speaketh foolish thinges. And as our Englishe Proverbe saithe: A fooles bolt is soone shotte, whereas the wise man speaketh seldom and wittelie.

Today's Poem: Today's poem is one of the little iambic fables of Desbillons, with a word list at NoDictionaries.com:

Librum elegantem quidam Asellus reperit;
Simul improbavit, atque discerpsit iocans.
Audaciorem stupiditas Criticum facit.

English: "A certain Donkey found an excellent book; he immediately disapproved of it and amused himself by tearing it to pieces: stupidity makes the Critic more bold." A great little poem for anyone frustrated by the carping of an uninformed critic!

For today's image, here is Alciato's emblem for the the fable Mutuum Auxilum, taken from a 1556 edition of the emblems (image source):

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

Myths and Legends: Dirce

Dirce. To find out more about Dirce and the sons of Antiope, see this Wikipedia article: link; for information about the image: image source.

This Roman mosaic shows the punishment of Dirce at the hands of the sons of Antiope. Zeus had slept with Antiope and impregnated her; Antiope gave birth to two sons, Amphion and Zethus, whom she abandoned. They were rescued by a shepherd, however, who raised them as his own. Meanwhile, Antiope ended up in the household of Queen Dirce, the wife of King Lycus of Thebes. Dirce fiercely mistreated Antiope, who ran away. She found shelter with her own two sons, now grown men, not realizing who they were. Dirce ordered them to kill Antiope and they were about to do so until the old shepherd arrived and revealed the secret of their birth. They then inflicted on Dirce the punishment she had planned for Antiope: they tied her to the horns of a bull who dragged her to her death.

You can also find more myths and legends for the week of January 15-21 here. For more information and links to the actual javascript code, see the Myths & Legends Widget Reference Page.

Round-Up: January 17 - Hercules

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 decimum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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:

• Leo Senex, Aper, Taurus et Asinus, this is the story of the old lion's humiliation as narrated by Phaedrus.
• Asinus Rubum Comedens, where Alciato uses the donkey as a moralizing emblem against misers.
• Tauri et Leo, the story of how a lion used the strategy of "divide and conquer" to defeat the bulls.
• Trabs et Boves, a story about assigning blame where blame is due.
• Leo et Asinus, the story of what happened when the lion and the donkey went hunting together (this is a rather long fable, adapted from LaFontaine).

Today's round-up on is a "special edition" since I don't normally do a Round-Up on Sunday - but I wanted to share the image of Hercules below, so here are some proverbs to go along with that!

Ne Hercules quidem adversus duos. Not even Hercules fights against two at once.

Haud ex quolibet ligno Hercules fit. You can't make a Hercules (a statue of Hercules) out of just any piece of wood.

Herculis cothurnos aptas infanti. You're trying to put the buskins of Hercules on a baby. (Needless to say, they don't fit!)

Amico Hercule. With Hercules as a friend. (A saying like "dis volentibus," with the gods willing - if you have divine assistance on your side, nothing can stop you.)

Amicus cupit esse alter Hercules. A friend is someone who wishes to be another Hercules. (That is, a friend who is someone as good as a god in a time of trouble.)

Frustra Herculi. It's a waste of time to criticize Hercules. (Hercules was so successful in his labors that it would be foolish to criticize him.)

Image for today: Hercules holding up the cosmos! Here's the story: I got an email from Mair Holker who wondered if the image from Santiago, Spain that I posted yesterday was perhaps actually Hercules holding up the cosmos rather than Atlas (the myth tells us how they traded places). She shared this marvelous image of a statue in Wales which shows someone who is clearly Hercules holding up the heavens (note the lion skin). Nice! Meanwhile, if anyone has any information about the statue in Santiago - is it really Atlas? or actually Hercules? - please let me know! For today, here is Mair Lloyd Houlker's photo of Hercules holding up the heavens:

Round-Up: January 16

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 and at the IVLIVS CAESAR feed (Plutarch's Life of Caesar twittered trilingually).

HODIE: ante diem septimum decimum Kalendas Februarias. 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 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:

• De Gliribus, a story about dormice - and their ecological awareness!
• De Lupo Oblivioso, a story about a wolf (or perhaps a lynx, lupus cervarius) who cannot keep his mind on the task at hand.
• Quadrupedes et Pisces, the story of the ill-fated alliance of the fish and the land animals.
• Rusticus et Hercules, one of my personal favorite fables, a story of how "god helps them that help themselves."
• Lepus et Ranae, the story of the how the rabbit found someone even more timid than he was.

I've picked out my favorite one, Rusticus et Hercules, to share with you here in the blog; the original version is in elegiac couplets, but here is a version written out as prose (watch out for the passive form of the future imperative, nititor, by they way):

Forte, Āgrestis plaustrum in caenō altius haesit; via imbre longō difficilis facta fuit. At Āgrestis segnis precibus Ālcīdēn petit; inquit: "Ō Deus, dexter nōbīs adēs et auxilium refer." Sīc ille torvus reddidit: "Quid tibi nōbīscum? Quid opēs et auxilium ex aliīs rogās? Equīs flāgrum incute! Propriā vī tu ipse nītitor! Sī nōn prōfuerit, fās et adīre Deōs."

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 Proverbs: Today's tiny proverb is: Atlas caelum (English: Atlas [holds up] the sky - this tiny motto manages to leave out the verb, since by knowing the subject and the object, you can easily supply the verb).

3-Word Mottoes Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is In veritate victoria (English: In truth, victory - a very reassuring motto for anyone who has staked all they have on defending the truth)

Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Qui corvis natus est, non submergitur aquis (English: He who is born for the crows does not drown in the water - being born for the crows means, of course, being born to be hanged, with your carcass as food for the crows).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Hic navigat Anticyram (English: He's on a journey to Anticyra - which is to say, he's totally crazy; Anticyra was the place where you went to get hellebore, a drug that one might seek out in order to cure insanity as well as various physical illnesses).

Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Excubias agere in Naupacto (English: To keep watch in Naupactus; from Adagia 1.2.83; Erasmus explains that when Naupactus was conquered by the Achaeans, they killed the captain of the guard in charge of the watch, so this proverb refers to someone who is going to bring about their own destruction, carrying out an unwelcome task).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Σὺν Ἀθηνᾷ καὶ χεῖρας κίνει (English: Move your hands too, along with Athena - an allusion to an Aesop's fable that is very similar to the story of Hercules and the farmer cited above; in this case, the story concerns a drowning man who prays to Athena to save him).

Today's image is an illustration for the saying Atlas caelum (image source), a status of Atlas from Santiago de Compostela in Spain:

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