Bestiaria Latina Blog: Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: July 10

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.

HODIE (Roman Calendar): ante diem sextum Idus Iulias.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows Phaethon; 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: Fuge magna (English: Flee from great things).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Quam dulcis libertas! (English: How sweet is liberty!).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Pelle sub agnina latitat mens saepe lupina (English: Beneath the lamb's skin often lurks a wolfish mind).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Semper aliquid novi affert Africa (English: Africa always brings forth something new).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Lampon iurat per anserem (English: Lampon swears by the goose; from Adagia 4.1.34 - Lampon was a proverbial priest who would swear "by the goose," rather than invoking a god, since if Lampon later broke the oath, he could do so with impunity).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Τὴν ἅλμην κυκᾷς, πρὶν τοὺς ἰχθύας ἑλεῖν (English: You're cooking the sauce before having caught the fish - a culinary "cart before the horse").

BREVISSIMA: The distich poster for today is Tolle Moras. Click here for a full-sized view.

And here are today's proverbial LOLcats:

TODAY'S FABLES:

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Bos Laborans et Vitula, the story of a hard-working ox and a frivolous young cow.

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Corvus Aquilam Imitans, the story of a crow who thought he was an eagle (this fable has a vocabulary list).