Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Round-Up: October 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. I'm Twittering again now at Aesopus and AesopusEnglish.

HODIE: ante diem septimum Kalendas Novembres (and yes, you can have your own Roman Google Calendar).

VERBUM HODIERNUM: Today's word is PATRIA - read a brief essay about the word at the Verbosum blog. Here's one of the sayings you can find in the essay: Patriam tuam mundum existima, "Consider the world to be your homeland."

MILLE FABULAE: New materials at the blog include fables with images as illustrations. This is also where you can download your free PDF copy of the Mille Fabulae et Una book.

FABULAE FACILES: The new easy-to-read fable is Lupus Parvulus et Pastor, the story of a shepherd who thought he could control a wolf... WRONG.

ENGLISH AESOP: Today's English fables are from Sir Roger L'Estrange, Wright's verse translation of La Fontaine and the limericks for Crane's Baby's Own Aesop.

TODAY'S MOTTOES & PROVERBS: Widgets available at SchoolhouseWidgets.com.

Tiny Mottoes: Today's tiny motto is: Nil desperandum (English: We must never despair).

3-Word Proverbs Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Rarus fidus amicus (English: A faithful friend is hard to find)

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Tranquillo quilibet gubernator est (English: When it's calm, anybody can be the helmsman). 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: In rebus dubiis plurimi est audacia (English: In a crisis, acting boldly is best).

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Suo ipsius indicio periit sorex (English: The shrew-mouse perished by its own testimony; from Adagia 1.3.65 - you can read an Aesop's fable based on this saying here).

For an image today, here is the astounding Medici Aesop illustration of the man who was turned into an ant! 650. Formica Transformata. Quae nunc formica est, dicitur homo fuisse agricola, assuetus furari et clam surripere vicinorum messes et sata. Unde indignati, Dii eum in hanc bestiolae naturam transformarint, quae, inveteratae consuetudinis haud oblita, formam hominis, non mores suos, exuerit. Ut antea, huc et illuc per campos excurrit, furtim grana suffuratura vicinorum. Adeo Naturam et mores suos dediscere difficile est. (source - and see also Roger L'Estrange's English version).

Homo Formica Factus