Saturday, December 28, 2013

Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: December 28

Here is a round-up of today's proverbs and fables - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. If you have not downloaded a free PDF copy of Brevissima: 1001 Tiny Latin Poems, it's ready and waiting, and so is Mille Fabulae et Una: 1001 Aesop's Fables in Latin.

HODIE (Roman Calendar): ante diem quintum Kalendas Ianuarias.

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


TODAY'S MOTTOES and PROVERBS:

TINY PROVERBS: Today's tiny proverb is: Fatum inevitabile (English: What is fated is unavoidable).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Nihil sine labore (English: Nothing without hard work).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Nemo cum serpente securius ludit (English: No one can play really safely with a snake).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Omnia probate, quod bonum est, tenete (English: Try all things; what is good, keep).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is In Aphannis (English: In Aphannae; from Adagia 3.2.80 - Once when the Sybarites were consulting an oracle about how to achieve victory over their enemy, one of their enemy, who was present, said that victory would come in Aphannae - the Sybarites thought this was the voice of the oracle, but they had no idea where Aphannae was, so the proverb refers to some unknown place which cannot be found anywhere).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Ὀῖκος φίλος, οἶκος ἄριστος (English: Home is dear, home is best - something like our saying "east or west, home is best").

BREVISSIMA: The distich poster for today is Lites, Leges. Click here for a full-sized view.


And here are today's proverbial LOLcats:




TODAY'S FABLES:

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Haedus et Lupus Fores Pulsans, a story about a wolf at the door, very much like in "Red Riding Hood" ... but the house belongs to a goat (this fable has a vocabulary list).

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Vespertilio Perfidus, the story of a bat who takes both sides in a war.

quadrupedes et aves
GAUDIUM MUNDO: The Latin holiday songs for today are: Duodecim Dies Natalis, a Latin version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and Primum Noel Cecinit Angelus, a Latin version of "The First Noel." There are also the traditional hymns In noctis umbra desides and O Lux Beata Trinitas.