Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Atheniensis et Thebanus (Babrius-prose)

SOURCE: This is a Latin prose version of Babrius's Greek verse fables, as published by Jean François Boissonade in 1844; the book is available at GoogleBooks. This is fable 15 in Boissonade's edition; for other versions, see Perry 278.

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:

Cīvis Athēniēnsis cum Thēbānō cīve viam carpēbat commūniter et, ut fit, confābulābātur; sermoque cum flueret, ad hērōās usque dēlapsus est: prōlixum quidem cēterō argūmentum, nec necessārium. Tandem Thēbānus nātum Alcmēnae hominum maximum et nunc deōrum quoque esse praedicābat. Quī autem Athēnīs oriundus multō praestantiōrem Thēseum fuisse repōnēbat, cum sortem vēre dīvīnam esset sortītus, servīlem Hercules. Et ita locūtus vincēbat; disertus enim fuit rhētor. Alter vērō, nōn aequā, quippe Boeōtus, ōrātōriae concertātiōnis arte pollēns, rūdā Mūsā dixit: Dēsine. Vincis. Igitur nōbīs Thēseus īrāscātur, Athēniēnsibus Hercules."


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

Civis Atheniénsis cum Thebáno cive viam carpébat commúniter et, ut fit, confabulabátur; sermóque cum flúeret, ad heróas usque delápsus est: prólixum quidem cétero arguméntum, nec necessárium. Tandem Thebánus natum Alcménae hóminum máximum et nunc deórum quoque esse praedicábat. Qui autem Athénis oriúndus multo praestantiórem Theseum fuísse reponébat, cum sortem vere divínam esset sortítus, servílem Hércules. Et ita locútus vincébat; disértus enim fuit rhetor. Alter vero, non aequa, quippe Boeótus, oratóriae concertatiónis arte pollens, ruda Musa dixit: Désine. Vincis. Ígitur nobis Theseus irascátur, Atheniénsibus Hércules."


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:

Civis Atheniensis
cum Thebano cive
viam carpebat communiter
et, ut fit, confabulabatur;
sermoque cum flueret,
ad heroas usque delapsus est:
prolixum quidem cetero argumentum,
nec necessarium.
Tandem Thebanus
natum Alcmenae
hominum maximum
et nunc deorum quoque esse
praedicabat.
Qui autem
Athenis oriundus
multo praestantiorem
Theseum fuisse
reponebat,
cum sortem vere divinam
esset sortitus,
servilem Hercules.
Et ita locutus
vincebat;
disertus enim fuit rhetor.
Alter vero,
non aequa,
quippe Boeotus,
oratoriae concertationis
arte pollens,
ruda Musa dixit:
Desine. Vincis.
Igitur
nobis Theseus irascatur,
Atheniensibus Hercules."



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a very impressive Hercules: