Thursday, August 27, 2009

Umbra Asini (Greenough)

SOURCE: Second year Latin‎ by James Bradstreet Greenough, Benjamin Leonard D'Ooge, and Moses Grant Daniell (1901) at GoogleBooks. For more information and other versions, see the links list for Perry 460.

NoDictionaries.com: You can find the word list for this fable online, and use it interactively (here are some tips on how to make best use of the tool). For some reason the dictionary did not recognize the compound verb adrigo, "stand upright, raise," the participle auscultans, "listening," the diminutive noun historiola, "little story," or the place name Megara.

READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons or accent marks - and read the text out loud until you feel comfortable and confident. Then, try reading the unmarked text at the bottom. It should be easy for you after practicing with the marked texts. :-)


MACRONS. Here is the text with macrons:

Dēmosthenēs, clārus ille ōrātor, cum aliquandō in causā capitālī quendam dēfenderet atque iūdicēs vidēret parum attentōs, "Paulisper," inquit, "aurēs mihi praebēte rem nārrātūrō novam atque audītū iucundam." Ad quae verba cum illī iam aurēs adrēxissent, "Adulēscēns," inquit "quīdam asinum condūxerat, quō Athēnīs Megaram veherētur. Mediā ferē viā cum aestus merīdiānus ingravēsceret neque arborēs aut tēcta umbram praebērent, asinum ille sustinuit et dēpositīs clītellīs ita in eīs cōnsēdit ut animālis umbrā obtegerētur. Id vērō agāsō vetābat, asinum clāmāns locātum esse, nōn umbram asinī. Alter ē contrāriō contendēbat, quoniam umbra sēparārī nōn posset ab asinō necessāriō eam ūnā cum asinō esse locātam. Atque ea rixa adeō inter eōs exārsit ut etiam pūgnīs certārent. Tandem in iūs ambulant." Hāctenus ēnārrātā historiolā, ubi iūdicēs dīligenter vīdit auscultantēs, repente Dēmosthenēs ē suggestū dēscendit. Tum revocātus ā iūdicibus rogātusque ut reliquam fābulam pergeret ēnārrāre, "Quid!" inquit, "dē asinī umbrā libet audīre, causam hominis dē vītā perīclītantis nōn audiētis?"



ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with ecclesiastical accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):

Demósthenes, clarus ille orátor, cum aliquándo in causa capitáli quendam defénderet atque iúdices vidéret parum atténtos, "Paulísper," inquit, "aures mihi praebéte rem narratúro novam atque audítu iucúndam." Ad quae verba cum illi iam aures adrexíssent, "Aduléscens," inquit "quidam ásinum condúxerat, quo Athénis Mégaram veherétur. Média fere via cum aestus meridiánus ingravésceret neque árbores aut tecta umbram praebérent, ásinum ille sustínuit et depósitis clitéllis ita in eis consédit ut animális umbra obtegerétur. Id vero agáso vetábat, ásinum clamans locátum esse, non umbram ásini. Alter e contrário contendébat, quoniam umbra separári non posset ab ásino necessário eam una cum ásino esse locátam. Atque ea rixa ádeo inter eos exársit ut etiam pugnis certárent. Tandem in ius ámbulant." Háctenus enarráta historíola, ubi iúdices diligénter vidit auscultántes, repénte Demósthenes e suggéstu descéndit. Tum revocátus a iudícibus rogatúsque ut réliquam fábulam pérgeret enarráre, "Quid!" inquit, "de ásini umbra libet audíre, causam hóminis de vita periclitántis non audiétis?"



UNMARKED TEXT. Here is the unmarked text - after practicing with the marked text that you prefer, you should not have any trouble with the unmarked text:

Demosthenes, clarus ille orator, cum aliquando in causa capitali quendam defenderet atque iudices videret parum attentos, "Paulisper," inquit, "aures mihi praebete rem narraturo novam atque auditu iucundam." Ad quae verba cum illi iam aures adrexissent, "Adulescens," inquit "quidam asinum conduxerat, quo Athenis Megaram veheretur. Media fere via cum aestus meridianus ingravesceret neque arbores aut tecta umbram praeberent, asinum ille sustinuit et depositis clitellis ita in eis consedit ut animalis umbra obtegeretur. Id vero agaso vetabat, asinum clamans locatum esse, non umbram asini. Alter e contrario contendebat, quoniam umbra separari non posset ab asino necessario eam una cum asino esse locatam. Atque ea rixa adeo inter eos exarsit ut etiam pugnis certarent. Tandem in ius ambulant." Hactenus enarrata historiola, ubi iudices diligenter vidit auscultantis, repente Demosthenes e suggestu descendit. Tum revocatus a iudicibus rogatusque ut reliquam fabulam pergeret enarrare, "Quid!" inquit, "de asini umbra libet audire, causam hominis de vita periclitantis non audietis?"



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing the "bust of Demosthenes" from the Louvre Museum: