Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: December 22

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 undecimum Kalendas Ianuarias. Happy Saturnalia!

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows Zeus and Semele; 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: Caveat emptor (English: Let the buyer beware).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Spes meum solatium (English: Hope is my consolation).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Piscium vita haec, minorem maior ut devoret (English: This is the life of the fishes: that the greater should gobble up the smaller).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Bonus homo de bono thesauro profert bona (English: A good man brings forth good things from his good storehouse).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Sero sapiunt Phryges (English: The Phrygians get wise too late; from Adagia 1.1.28 - the Phrygians are the people of the city of Troy who learned too late what the wooden horse contained).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Ὁ λύκος τὴν τρίχα οὐ τὴν γνώμην ἀλλάττει (English: The wolf can change his pelt but not his mind).

BREVISSIMA: The distich poster for today is Deus Omnia Videt. Click here for a full-sized view.

And here are today's proverbial LOLcats:

Teipsum inspice.

Take a look at yourself.

Varietas delectat.

Variety delights.

TODAY'S FABLES:

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Membra et Venter, the famous story of what happened when the limbs of the body went on strike against the greedy stomach (this fable has a vocabulary list).

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Tubicen Captus, the story of a trumpeter who claimed to be a bystander in the war.

TODAY'S LATIN HOLIDAY SONGS

The Latin holiday songs for today are: O Parve Vice Bethlehem, a Latin version of "O Little Town of Bethlehem," along with Magi, omnis orbis reges, a Latin version of the Polish carol, "Mędrcy świata, monarchowie." You can find more at the Gaudium Mundo blog.