Monday, December 31, 2012

Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: December 31

On this eve of 2013, I hope everyone is looking forward to a great year to come! Vobis felicem atque faustum annum novum exopto!

For the coming year, I have two projects in mind. During the school year, I will be working away at the Latin distichs, adding the poster images and the English translations, too. There are now translations for the first 100 poems in the book; you can read more about the Brevissima materials here.  During the summer, I am planning something new: instead of working on a book project, I've decided to learn some real computer programming - Javascript and/or Python (I haven't decided yet) - in order to create some "generators" of my own. I'd like to make a "DIY Latin Motto Generator" for example, so that people with little or no Latin can have fun making their own Latin motto and learning something about Latin along the way. Since I am such a fan of meme generators like Automotivator and Icanhascheezburger, I think I will enjoy learning how to build my own generator!

HODIE (Roman Calendar): pridie Kalendas Ianuarias. I've also updated the Google Roman Calendar for 2013.

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


TODAY'S MOTTOES and PROVERBS:

TINY MOTTOES: Today's tiny motto is: Annuit coeptis (English: He has favored our beginnings).


3-WORD PROVERBS: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Bene qui sedulo (English: The man who works dilligently works well)

AUDIO PROVERBS: Today's audio Latin proverb is Asinus balneatoris numquam particeps balnei (English: The bathhouse-keeper's donkey never gets to have a bath). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

PUBLILIUS SYRUS: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Poena ad malum serpens, iam cum properat, venit (English: Punishment creeps up on the evil man, even when he's running away).

ERASMUS' ANIMALS: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Vel capra mordeat nocentem (English: Even a goat will bite a criminal; from Adagia 1.8.97).

BREVISSIMA: The distich poster for today is Amicus Falsus. Click here for a full-sized view; the poem has a vocabulary list and an English translation, too.


And here is today's proverbial lolcat:


TODAY'S FABLES AND SONGS:

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Pulex et Homo, a story about a captured flea (this fable has a vocabulary list).

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Equus Superbus et Asinus, a story in which a proud horse is brought low.

LATIN HOLIDAY SONGS: The Latin holiday songs for today are: Auld Lang Syne, a Latin version of the Robert Burns song, along with In hoc anni circulo.