Round-Up: October 20

I'm back from travels (although still not caught up on email, not by a longshot - eek!). Anyway, here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

HODIE: ante diem tertium decimum Kalendas Novembres. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. Today's poem is a fable in iambic verse by Desbillons, with his account of the fable of the boy at the edge of the well, which prompted Luck herself to intervene. There's a word list as usual at NoDictionaries.com:

Ad oram putei dormiebat Puerulus.
Eum Fortuna suscitans: Abi hinc, ait;
In puteum namque si caderes, non hanc tuam
Fuisse culpam, sed meam omnes dicerent.

English: A little boy was sleeping at the mouth of a well. Fortune woke him up and said: "Get away from there! For if you were to fall into the well, everybody would say the fault was mine, not yours!" This is a wonderful little fable about how we are prone to blame our (bad) luck, rather than accepting responsibility for things. In the first line, the meter is easier if you read the "i" as a semivowel in dormiebat (three syllables) and the first "u" as a semivowel in puerulus (two syllables); in the third line read "eu" as a diphthong in puteum (two syllables) and syncopate the middle vowel in caderes (two syllables).

TODAY'S TWITTER:

Vita Caesaris: You can see my IVLIVS CAESAR feed with a sentence from Plutarch's Life of Caesar each day in Greek, Latin and English. Today's Latin portion continues the dilemma Caesar faced upon returning from Spain - to triumph, or not to triumph? Cato primum lege ad postulatum id oppugnandum annixus quum uideret multos Caesari deditos, rem mora iniecta impediit, totumque diem dicendo absumpsit. Itaque Caesar statuit, omisso triumpho, consulatum persequi.

Proverbiis Pipilo: You can see my Proverbia feed of Latin proverbs which I "tweet" while I am online each day (in English, too). Here's one from today about things coming in due time: Pira, dum sunt matura, sponte cadunt (English: Pears, when they are ripe, fall down by themselves).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Cibus non qui plurimus, sed qui suavissimus (English: Food: not the largest quantity but the most pleasant). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Sero in periclis est consilium quaerere (English: It is too late to seek advice in the midst of dangers).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb in Leonine verse form is: Transit fine brevi puerilis flosculus aevi (English: The youthful flower of life passes by in its short course - not the late Latin pronunciation of aevi to rhyme with brevi).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Figulus ollis ansas ponit (English: It is the potter who puts ears on the jugs- that is, it is the potter who decides what kind of ears to put on the jugs, and not anyone else).

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Coronat fides (English: Faith confers a crown - you can also find it in the form fides probata coronat, where the faith has been put to the test).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Aegrotanti omnia amara (English: For someone who is ailing, all things are bitter).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Secura mens quasi iuge convivium (Proverbs 15.15). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Canes timidi vehementius latrant quam mordent (English: Dogs, when scared, bark more fiercely than they bite - something like our proverbial, "all bark, no bite").

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb is Midas auriculas asini (English: Midas has the ears of a donkey; from Adagia 1.3.67 - this being a secret the foolish Midas thought he could safely entrust to his barber - ha!).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Archimedes non posset melius describere (English: Archimedes himself could not provide a better explanation - with Archimedes standing in as the personification of wisdom itself).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Ἐχῖνος τὸν τόκον ἀναβάλλει (English: The hegehog delays giving birth - and at her own cost, since the baby hedgehogs just get more and more prickly the longer she waits; this is one of my favorite proverbs about the dangers of procrastination!).

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Agricola et Filii, the story of how a farmer used the example of a bundle of sticks to teach his sons how to get along.

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is DE CICADA ET FORMICA, the famous story of the ant and the grasshopper - a very apt story as winter is almost upon us!

For an image today, here is a picture of Midas with his donkey ears (it's a statue in the Ankara Museum in Turkey) to accompany the proverb cited above: Midas auriculas asini. :-)

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Hiatus brevis: October 15-19

I'm not going to have reliable computer access for a few days, so the blogs will be briefly on hiatus until next week - although you can still see the daily widgets by using these links:

• Latin Poem of the Day
• Audio Latin Proverb of the Day
• Daily Maxim from Publilius Syrus
• Rhyming Proverb of the Day
• Daily Proverb from Polydorus
• Proverbium Perbreve of the Day
• Proverbium Breve of the Day
• Vulgate Verse of the Day
• Latin Animal Proverb of the Day
• Erasmus's Animal Proverb of the Day
• Proper Name Proverb of the Day
• Greek Proverb of the Day
• Fable of the Day

What's nice about the automated widgets is that they keep on ticking even when I'm not able to be at the computer! :-)

Also, I wanted to announce a really exciting new publication from the folks at CANE, the Classical Association of New England - it's a new edition of the verse fables of Phaedrus, along with all kinds of wonderful supplementary materials, including medieval Latin fables, plus Latin-English vocabulary for every fable on the facing page. The fables are selected and arranged by Jeremiah Mead, with revisions for this new edition by Ruth Breindel. The book is available from CANE Press at their website - where you can browse around to find some other wonderful Latin materials, too! What a great new addition to the Latin fable bookshelf!

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Round-Up: October 14

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

HODIE: pridie Idus Octobres. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. It's one of the rhyming couplets collected by Wegeler, with a word list at NoDictionaries.com.

Tu, qui festucam vicini in lumine cernis,
Tignum cur trahere proprio de lumine spernis?

English: "You who discern the bit of straw in the eye of your neighbor, why do you refuse to draw forth the beam from your own eye?" The couplet is a rhyming version of a famous Biblical passage, found in the Gospels of both Luke and Matthew. :-)

TODAY'S TWITTER:

Vita Caesaris: You can see my IVLIVS CAESAR feed with a sentence from Plutarch's Life of Caesar each day in Greek, Latin and English. Today's Latin portion describes the new dilemma Caesar faces, whether to take his triumph, or run for consul: Quia autem triumphum petentes extra urbem manere, consulatum ambire praesentes in urbe oportebat, ea legum diuersitate implicatus, cum ad urbem comitiis consularibus instantibus accessisset, misit ad senatum petitum ut sibi absenti petere consulatum per amicos concederetur.

Proverbiis Pipilo: You can see my Proverbia feed of Latin proverbs which I "tweet" while I am online each day (in English, too). Here's one from today about lifelong learning: Discat, qui nescit, nam sic sapientia crescit (English: Let him learn what he does not know, for thus does wisdom grow).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Vae miseris ovibus, iudex lupus est (English: Woe for the poor sheep; the judge is a wolf). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Deliberandum est saepe, statuendum est semel (English: Think about something often; make your decision once - or, as my husband always says, "measure twice; cut once").

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb in Leonine verse form is: Currens per prata, non est lepus esca parata (English: As it runs through the fields, the rabbit is not a meal ready-to-eat … you've got to catch your rabbit before you can eat it!).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Telas aranearum texit (English: He is weaving spider's webs… and on that subject, don't forget the great old English word "toil" meaning a "hunting net, a snare," which derives from the Latin tela).

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Fides sufficit (English: Faith suffices - and it's always so nice when the tiny two-word Latin proverbs can be rendered with just two words in English also!).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: In horam vivo (English: I live for the moment!).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Nulli malum pro malo (Romans 12:17). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Avis a cantu dignoscitur (English: You know a bird by its song).

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb is Taurum tollet, qui vitulum sustulerit (English: He'll be able to carry the bull if he lifted the calf; from Adagia 1.2.51; Erasmus associates this saying with the legendary feats of the Greek strong man, Milo of Croton).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is In Orci culum incidas (English: May you fall into Orcus's butthole… yes, you will indeed find this in Erasmus's Adagia - as if being in the underworld of Orcus was not bad enough! Erasmus describes it as sermo perniciem et extremum exitium imprecantis, "words spoken by someone cursing another person with ruin and utter disaster" - ha!).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Ἂν μὴ λεοντῆ ἐξικνεῖται, τὴν ἀλωπεκῆν πρόσαψον (English: If the lion skin does not do the trick, add the fox - in other words, if the lion's strength fails you, try the fox's cunning).

TODAY'S FABLES:

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is DE RUSTICO ET SILVA, the very wise story of the trees who were their own worst enemies!

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Vulpes et Uva, the famous story of the fox and the supposedly sour grapes. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) by the French artist Lorioux:

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Round-Up: October 13

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

HODIE: ante diem tertium Idus Octobres. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. Today's verse is another one of Owen's elegant little epigrams, with a word list at NoDictionaries.com:

Vir sapiens plerumque bono est sapientior, esto
Dummodo sit melior || vir sapiente bonus.

English: "The wise man is generally wiser than the good man, so be it - provided that the good man is better than the wise man." A very sly rebuke on people who think might think that knowledge can be valuable if it is value-free... :-)

TODAY'S TWITTER:

Vita Caesaris: You can see my IVLIVS CAESAR feed with a sentence from Plutarch's Life of Caesar each day in Greek, Latin and English. Today's Latin portion hails Julius Caesar as "emperor" for the first time: Parta his factis gloria ex prouincia discessit, dilatus ipse et a militibus, qui eo duce rem et ipsi fecerant, imperator dictus (Plutarch's Greek term there is αὐτοκράτωρ).

Proverbiis Pipilo: You can see my Proverbia feed of Latin proverbs which I "tweet" while I am online each day (in English, too). Here's one from today about the "zero-sum game": Lucrum sine damno alterius fieri non potest (English: There cannot be profit except at someone else's loss).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Multae regum aures atque oculi (English: Many are the ears of kings, and their eyes). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Malus animus in secreto peius cogitat (English: The thoughts of an evil man are even worse when secret).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb in Leonine verse form is: Hic offendit herum, qui vult nimis edere verum (English: The man who wants to utter truth in excess offends his master - a kind of "emperor's new clothes" type of saying, and one which explains how I ended up in my own lowly career, ha ha).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Grex saginatur ad victimam (English: The flock is fattened for the slaughter... perhaps a commentary on America today, eh?).

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Sibi quisque (English: Each man for himself! Although it's more gender neutral in Latin: each person for him- or herself!).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Invidus vicini oculus (English: Your neighbor's eye is envious... although the English misses the etymology of Latin invidia, envy and its evil eye, literally speaking).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is In quo iudicio iudicaveritis, iudicabimini (Matt. 7:2). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Lepore timidior (English: More scared than a rabbit... a cliche that is brought to life in Aesop's fable about the rabbits who were so depressed by their lives of terror that they decided to commit mass suicide... until, that is, they found a creature even more scared than they were!).

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb is Mustelae crocoton (English: Like a wedding dress for a weasel; from Adagia 1.2.72 - which is to say something, something that is out of place or totally inappropriate; this proverb is also an allusion to an Aesop's fable, about the weasel who failed to get married - although most English versions tell the story about a cat, rather than a weasel).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Iovi fulmen eripit (English: He's snatching the lighting away from Zeus himself - a very bold act indeed, and it reminds me of the fabulous saying in Latin about Benjamin Franklin: Eripuit Fulmen Caelo Sceptrumque Tyrannis - see the image below!).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Θάρσει λέγων ταληθὲς, οὐ σφαλῆ ποτέ (English: Be bold in speaking the truth, and you will never ever falter... a less cynical variation on the theme of the rhyming Latin proverb above!).

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Alauda et Pulli Eius, the story of a lark who had a lot of insight into human behavior.

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is DE VULPE ET PARDO, the story of the debate between the leopard and the fox about the meaning of beauty.

For an image today, I wanted to share this monument to Ben Franklin which features the verse cited above: Eripuit Fulmen Caelo Sceptrumque Tyrannis - the verse is inscribed on the pedestal (larger view of the image):

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Round-Up: October 12

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

HODIE: ante diem quartum Idus Octobres. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. It's a tiny little fable in iambic verse by Desbillons, featuring a tiny little animal: a gnat. There's a word list at NoDictionaries.com.

In cornu Tauri parvulus quondam Culex
Consedit; seque dixit, mole si sua
Eum gravaret, avolaturum illico.
At ille: Nec te considentem senseram.

English: "A teeny-tiny gnat once settled down onto the horn of a bull and he said that if he were weighing down the bull with his weight, he would fly off immediately, but the bull said to the gnat: I had not even realized you were there." If you are not familiar with iambic verse, this is a great little poem to start with, since there is nothing at all unusual about the meter here - there's one elision (avolaturum-illico), but no other substitutions - so give it a try; it's fun to read iambic verse in Latin, since it's a very familiar sounding meter for English speakers (just think Shakespeare!).

TODAY'S TWITTER:

Vita Caesaris: You can see my IVLIVS CAESAR feed with a sentence from Plutarch's Life of Caesar each day in Greek, Latin and English. Today's Latin portion explains more about Julius Caesar solved the financial crisis he had found in Spain - but wow - talk about garnishing someone's paycheck! lege posita, ut de reditibus debitoris bessem creditor quotannis acciperet, dum ipsi satisfactum esset, reliquo debitor frueretur (very intriguing Latin word: bes, meaning "two-thirds").

Proverbiis Pipilo: You can see my Proverbia feed of Latin proverbs which I "tweet" while I am online each day (in English, too). Here's one from today: Mala omnia pati melius quam malo consentire (English: It is better to suffer all evils than to cooperate in evil).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Phoenice rarior (English: More rare than the phoenix). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Qui debet, limen creditoris non amat. (English: Someone who owes money has no love for the creditor's doorstep - very much like the situation described in Caesar's Spain above!).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb in Leonine verse form is: Audi, cerne, tace, si vis tu vivere pace (English: Listen, look, and be silent, if you want to live in peace).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Iustitia in sese virtutes continet omnes (English: Justice contains in itself all the virtues).

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Familiam cura (English: Take care of your household).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Insperata saepe contingunt (English: Unhoped-for things do often happen).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Qui operatur terram suam, saturabitur panibus (Proverbs 12:11). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Aqua et panis est vita canis (English: Water and bread is the life of a dog - and it rhymes in Latin!).

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb is Lupo agnum eripere postulant (English: They're hoping to snatch the lamb from the wolf; from Adagia 2.7.80).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Tantali talenta (English: The wealth of Tantalus… which did him no good, of course - but what a nice sound-play in the Latin!).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Ἄνεμον δικτύῳ θηρᾷς (English: You're hunting for the wind with a net… another one of those proverbial fool's errands).

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Lupus et Grus, a version of the famous story of the crane who foolishly did a favor for the wolf.

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is DE AVIBUS ET QUADRUPEDIBUS, the story of the war between the birds and the beasts, with this wonderful depiction by Barlow of all the members of those animal kingdoms! Here is the illustration by Barlow (larger view):

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

Round-Up: October 9 - October 11

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

Have a nice weekend, everybody!

HODIE: ante diem septimum Idus Octobres. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. It is another of Owen's epigrams, very much in the memento mori tradition! There's a word list at NoDictionaries.com.

Cor nisi cura nihil. Caro nil nisi triste cadaver.
Nasci aegrotare est, || vivere saepe mori.

English: "The heart is nothing if not worry. The flesh is nothing if not a sad corpse. To be born is to be ill, and to live is often to die." So, yes, I admit that the sentiment is very gloomy indeed - but that does not stop the epigram itself from being charmingly composed, especially that first line! Euge!

TODAY'S TWITTER:

Vita Caesaris: You can see my IVLIVS CAESAR feed with a sentence from Plutarch's Life of Caesar each day in Greek, Latin and English. Today's Latin portion refers to Caesar consolidating his gains in Spain: Rebus bellicis bene compositis, ciuiles eadem felicitate constituit, ciuitates ad concordiam reducens et maxime rixas inter debitores et creditores tollens.

Proverbiis Pipilo: You can see my Proverbia feed of Latin proverbs which I "tweet" while I am online each day (in English, too). Here's a nice rhyming one from today: Luxuriat vitis, nisi falce putare velitis (English: The vine grows out of control unless you are willing to prune it with the sickle).

TODAY'S PROVERBS:

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

Audio Latin Proverb of the Day: Today's audio Latin proverb is Amicus omnibus, amicus nemini (English: A friend to all, a friend to none). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Heredis fletus sub persona risus est (English: eneath the mask of the heir's grief is a smile).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb in Leonine verse form is: Post mortem fumus, pulvis et umbra sumus (English: After death we are smoke, dust, and shadow).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Capilli capitis vestri omnes numerati sunt (English: All the hairs of your head are numbered).

Proverbium Perbreve of the Day: Today's two-word proverb is: Rara avis (English: A rare bird - which is a saying that has quite a life of its own in English, too!).

Proverbium Breve of the Day: Today's three-word proverb is: Dat ira vires (English: Anger gives strength... which is part of what makes it so dangerous!).

Vulgate Verse of the Day: Today's verse is Spem sicut anchoram habemus animae, tutam ac firmam (Heb. 6:19). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day: Today's animal proverb is Pisces vorant maiores minores (English: The big fish eat the little ones).

Latin Animal Proverb of the Day from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb is Gallus insilit (English: The rooster leaps up; from Adagia 3.3.22; this refers to someone, seemingly defeated in a fight, who springs back up to fight again).

Proper Name Proverb of the Day: Today's proper name proverb is Nudato Petro, Paulus tegitur (English: Peter having been stripped naked, Paul is clothed - the Latin version of "robbing Peter to pay Paul").

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Νῷ πείθου (English: Heed your mind!).

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Delphinus et Pisciculus, a story about a doomed little fish, and how misery loves company.

Fable of the Day: Today's fable of the day from Barlow is DE CORNICE ET URNA, the wonderful story of the crow and the pot of water - one of my favorite Aesop's fables!

In honor of Publilius's saying for today - Heredis fletus sub persona risus est - I thought I would use this tragic mask as the image for today:

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.