Round-Up: July 6

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 made GREAT progress on the Magnus Aesopus book during my June hiatus, and it looks very likely that I will be able to finish that up this summer! Meanwhile, I am plotting an English version of the book, too, as you'll see from the new English-Latin fable items below.

HODIE: pridie Nonas Iulias (and yes, you can have your own Roman Google Calendar).

VERBUM HODIERNUM: Today's word is FATUM - read a brief essay about the word at the Verbosum blog. Here's one of the sayings you can find in the essay: Ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt, "The Fates lead the man who is willing; the man who is unwilling, they drag."

LATIN AND ENGLISH FABLES: Here are today's fables in Latin AND English from the English Aesop project.

• The Pig and the Horse = Porcus et Equus.
  
• The Ailing Donkey, the Wolves and the Dogs = Asinus Aegrotans, Lupi et Canes.
  
• The Cat, the Mouse and the Cheese = Caseus, Mus et Feles.
• The Fox and the Lion in the Snare = Vulpes et Leo Irretitus.
• The Parrot and the Turtle-Dove = Psittacus et Turtur.

I've picked out my favorite one to share with you here in the blog, The Fox and the Lion in the Snare = Vulpes et Leo Irretitus.

There was a lion who had gotten caught in a snare. With all his strength he tried to snap the ropes but the more he pulled at the snare, the more tightly he was bound. A fox happened to be passing that same way and when she saw what had happened she said to the lion, "My king, you will not escape from there by force, but by ingenuity. Instead of tugging at the snare, you need to let go so it can loosen up." When the lion did what the fox advised, he was released from the snare which had bound him and thus escaped, free once again.

Leo, comprehensus laqueo, totis viribus vincula dirumpere conabatur; quo autem maiori conatu laqueum trahebat, eo arctius detinebatur. Vulpes, illac iter habens, cum hoc esset intuita, "Non viribus" inquit "mi rex, istinc evades, sed ingenio. Relaxandus enim laqueus et dissolvendus, non trahendus est." Quod cum Leo fecisset, statim soluto laqueo quo erat astrictus, liber evasit.

TODAY'S PROVERBS: Also available as widgets at SchoolhouseWidgets.com.

Tiny Mottoes: Today's tiny motto is: Semper pertinax (English: Always persevering - and since that third-declension adjective doesn't change for gender, it works for everyone).

3-Word Proverbs Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Pretiosum quod utile (English: That which is useful is precious)

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Gutta fortunae prae dolio sapientiae (English: A drop of luck rather than a vat 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: Licentiam des linguae, cum verum petas (English: You must let the tongue speak freely if you want to hear the truth).

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Aquilam testudo vincit (English: The turtle beats the eagle; from Adagia 1.7.68 - and found also in Aesop's fables).

Today's image is an illustration for the fable of the lion in the snare - this shows the lion still raging at his limitations! This is actually an illustration for the story of the lion and the mouse and if you look closely you'll be able to find the little mouse. (Source: Walter Crane)