Friday, May 14, 2010

Homo et cyclops (Syntipas)

SOURCE: The following Latin translations of Syntipas's Greek fables are by Christian Frederick Matthaei and were published in 1781; the book is available at GoogleBooks. This is fable 48 in Syntipas. For other versions, see Perry 405.

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:

Vir probus et honestus diū cum līberīs suīs bene et fortūnātē vixerat. Post deinde inopiā et egestāte affectus et afflictus, improbis nūmen petēbat convīciīs, sēque volēbat interimere. Correptā ergō sīcā, in locum dēsertum exiit, morī magis cupiēns quam miserē vivere. Inter eundum offendit fossam altissimam, in quā ab homine giganteō - Cȳclops eī erat nōmen - multum aurī esset reconditum. Id ut vīdit pius ille homo, medius metum inter et gaudium, proiectā sīcā, tollit aurum laetusque domum ad līberōs suōs properat. Cȳclops deinde ad scrobem reversus, prō aurō reperit gladium, eōque strictō, sē interficit.


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):

Vir probus et honéstus diu cum líberis suis bene et fortunáte víxerat. Post deinde inópia et egestáte afféctus et afflíctus, ímprobis numen petébat convíciis, seque volébat interímere. Corrépta ergo sica, in locum desértum éxiit, mori magis cúpiens quam mísere vívere. Inter eúndum offéndit fossam altíssimam, in qua ab hómine gigánteo - Cyclops ei erat nomen - multum auri esset recónditum. Id ut vidit pius ille homo, médius metum inter et gaúdium, proiécta sica, tollit aurum laetúsque domum ad líberos suos próperat. Cyclops deinde ad scrobem revérsus, pro auro réperit gládium, eóque stricto, se intérficit.


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:

Vir
probus et honestus
diu
cum liberis suis
bene et fortunate vixerat.
Post deinde
inopia et egestate
affectus et afflictus,
improbis numen petebat conviciis,
seque volebat interimere.
Correpta ergo sica,
in locum desertum exiit,
mori magis cupiens
quam misere vivere.
Inter eundum
offendit fossam altissimam,
in qua
ab homine giganteo
- Cyclops ei erat nomen -
multum auri
esset reconditum.
Id ut vidit
pius ille homo,
medius
metum inter et gaudium,
proiecta sica,
tollit aurum
laetusque domum
ad liberos suos properat.
Cyclops
deinde ad scrobem reversus,
pro auro
reperit gladium,
eoque stricto,
se interficit.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing an angry Cyclops: