Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Round-Up: September 11

Here is a round-up of today's proverbs and fables - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. If you have not downloaded a free PDF copy of Brevissima: 1001 Tiny Latin Poems, it's ready and waiting, and you can also get a free PDF copy of Mille Fabulae et Una: 1001 Aesop's Fables in Latin. If you prefer the heft of a book in your hand, you can get the books in printed form from Lulu.com.

HODIE: ante diem tertium Idus Septembres.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows Cleopatra; you can also see the legends for the current week listed together here.



TODAY'S MOTTOES and PROVERBS:

TINY PROVERBS: Today's tiny proverb is: Cuique suum (English: To each his own - one of my own personal mottoes!).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Cito, tuto, iucunde (English: Swiftly, safely, and happily).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Pisces vorant maiores minores (English: The bigger fish eat the littler ones).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Non est opus valentibus medico (English: People who are well have no need of a doctor).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Neoptolemi vindicta (English: Neoptolemus's revenge; from Adagia 1.1.90 - this refers to the way a wrong someone does to others comes back to haunt him, as Achilles's son Neoptolemus killed Priam at an altar, and so too Neoptolemus was later killed at an altar).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Χαλεπὰ τὰ καλά (English: The things that are beautiful are difficult).

BREVISSIMA: The distich for today is Rerum Sapientia Custos: Optima gestarum rerum, sapientia custos, / Aeternis condens, fortia facta, libris.


And here is today's proverbial lolcat: Bonus liber amicus optimus.


TODAY'S FABLES:

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Bos Fimum Evehens, a funny little story about the bull and his manure (this fable has a vocabulary list).

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Cassita et Auceps, the story of a how a wise little bird cared for her chicks.

AESOP IN ENGLISH VERSE: Today's fable from the English verse widget is The Woodman and the Trees, a story about trees who were the own worst enemy.