Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: May 3

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, as is 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 (Roman Calendar): ante diem quintum Nonas Maias.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows Heracles and the Lion; 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: Parum sufficit (English: A little bit is enough).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Post spinas palma (English: After thorns, the palm of victory).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Ex plumis cognoscitur avis (English: You recognize a bird by its feathers).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Non nobis solum nati sumus (English: We are not born for ourselves alone).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Cave Thoracem (English: Beware of Mount Thorax; from Adagia 2.4.52 - This refers to Mount Thorax, where the notoriously rude poet Daphitas was supposedly crucified for having written some poetry mocking the kings).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Τοῖς σεαυτοῦ πτεροῖς ἥλως (English: You have been caught by your own feathers - an allusion to the fable of the eagle shot down by an arrow made with eagle feathers).

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

And here are today's proverbial LOLcats:

TODAY'S FABLES AND SONGS:

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Mus in Olla, the story of a mouse who experienced a gourmand's death (this fable has a vocabulary list).

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Asinus et Viatores Duo, the story of the donkey who got away.

GreekLOLz - and Latin and English, too. Below is one of my GreekLOLz; for the individual Greek, Latin and English versions of the graphic, see the blog post: Ἀετὸν ἵπτασθαι διδάσκεις. Aquilam volare doces. You are teaching an eagle to fly. (This is a proverbial fool's errand, of course, as eagles fly better than you ever will!)