Bestiaria Latina Blog: Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: August 9

Here is a round-up of today's proverbs and fables - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. Houseguests departed this morning (after a very nice but busy week)... and now it's time to start getting ready for school! I hope everybody else is enjoying the last days of summer!

HODIE (Roman Calendar): ante diem quintum Idus Augustas.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows The Labyrinth; 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: Beati pacifici (English: Blessed are the peace-makers).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Labor ipse voluptas (English: Labor itself is a pleasure).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Oportet vulpinari cum vulpibus (English: You've got to play the fox with the foxes).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Qui seminat ventum, turbinem metet (English: He who sows the wind will reap the whirlwind).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Adonidis horti (English: The gardens of Adonis; from Adagia 1.1.4 — you can read more about the proverbially short-lived "gardens of Adonis" at Wikipedia).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Δρυὸς πεσούσης, πᾶς ἀνὴρ ξυλεύεται (English: When the oak falls, everyone can cut wood).

BREVISSIMA: The distich poster for today is Ad Amicum Divitem. Click here for a full-sized view.

And here are today's proverbial LOLcats:

Somnus donum deorum gratissimum.

Sleep is the most welcome gift of the gods.

Libri muti magistri sunt.

Books are silent teachers.

TODAY'S FABLES:

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Mus et Leonis Gratia, the famous story of the mouse who freed the lion from a snare.

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Ollae Duae, a story of ill-matched friends (this fable has a vocabulary list).