Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Round-Up: July 18

Here is a round-up of today's proverbs and fables - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. I'm half-way done with the book layout now, and if you are curious about the sources that I used, I've got the bibliography online, with links to the online sources.

HODIE: ante diem quintum decimum Kalendas Augustas.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows Odysseus and Circe; you can also see the legends for the current week listed together here.


TODAY'S MOTTOES and PROVERBS:

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word motto is In veritate triumpho (English: In the truth, I triumph).

3-WORD PROVERBS: Today's 3-word proverb is Mediocritas optima est (English: Average is best - unfortunately, our use of the word "mediocrity" has lost the notion of the Golden Mean).

RHYMING PROVERBS: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Non durant actus, homo quos facit ipse coactus (English: The acts do not endure which a man does against his own will).

VULGATE VERSES: Today's verse is In domo Patris mei mansiones multae sunt (John 14:2). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

ELIZABETHAN PROVERBS: Here is today's proverb commentary, this time by Taverner: Bonae leges ex malis moribus procreantur: Good lawes be gendred of evill manners. Lawes, as testifieth the Apostle Paule, be not made for the righteous persons, but for horemongers, aduouterers, theves, traitours and such other. If al were good, we should neede no lawes.

TODAY'S FABLES and STORIES:

ANECDOTE OF THE DAY: Today's anecdote is Bacchus, Iovis Filius, the story of the god of wine, Dionysus.

FABULAE FACILES WIDGET: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Asinus et Grammaticus, a hilarious story about a witty and bold schoolmaster (this fable has a vocabulary list).

AESOP IN ENGLISH VERSE: Today's fable from the English verse widget is The Mouse and The Lion, the story of the mouse who rescued a lion.

MILLE FABULAE WIDGET: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Alauda, Pulli, et Agri Dominus, the famous Aesop's fable that was told by Ennius among others.

MILLE FABULAE: Here's a favorite fable from Mille Fabulae et Una: Vulpes Mortem Simulans et Canis, the story of the fox who played dead: Vulpes, simulans se defunctam ut aves ad se tanquam ad cadaver accedentes interciperet, luto oblita, in quodam agro resupina iacebat, exspectans cornices, corvos et huiusmodi rapaces volucres, quas devoraret, cum superveniens canis eam mordicus captam coepit dentibus lacerare. Quod illa animadvertens, “Digna,” inquit, “patior, nam dum fraudibus aves capere studeo, ab alio capta sum.”