Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Round-Up: January 19

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email. I'm Twittering again now at Aesopus and AesopusEnglish.

HODIE: ante diem quartum decimum Kalendas Februarias (and yes, you can have your own Roman Google Calendar).

VERBUM HODIERNUM: Today's word is MEDITOR - read a brief essay about the word at the Verbosum blog. Here's one of the sayings you can find in the essay: Quidquid agas, operis primo finem mediteris, "Whatever you are doing, think first about the end of the work."

BESTIARIA PROVERBS: There are some new animal proverbs today for DELPHINUS , the dolphin, and HIRUNDO, the swallow.

FABULAE FACILES: The new easy-to-read fable is Vultur Convivium Faciens, the sad story of the vulture's deadly birthday party.

MILLE FABULAE: FABLE OF THE DAY: The fable for today is Iuppiter et Olitoris Asinus, the sad story of the donkey who never had any luck with his masters. (You can also a free PDF copy of the Mille Fabulae et Una book.)

MILLE FABULAE: ILLUSTRATIONS: The latest fables with images are Ovis et Vidua, the poor sheep being sheared by a widow woman, and Porcellus et Testamentum, a funny little story about a pig who came into an inheritance!

ENGLISH AESOP: The latest new fables are The Bull and the Calf and The Buffoon and the Clown. (Plus, there's an English "fable of the day" each day, too.)

GOOGLE BOOKS: Today's Google Book is Champeaux's Devises, a great book for any of you who are interested in Latin family mottos.

TODAY'S MOTTOES & PROVERBS: Widgets available at SchoolhouseWidgets.com.

Tiny Proverbs: Today's tiny proverb is: Aureae compedes (English: Golden shackles - a great metaphor for the way the pursuit of wealth can turn into a prison!).

3-Word Mottoes Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is In periculis audax (English: In dangers, bold).

Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Leo a leporibus insultatur mortuus (English: A lion, after he's dead, is mocked by the rabbits).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Omnes currunt, sed unus accipit bravium (English: All the racers run, but just one receives the prize).

Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is In Orci culum incidas (English: May you fall into Orcus's butthole; from Adagia 2.10.68 - as if being in the underworld of Orcus was not bad enough! Erasmus describes this phrase as sermo perniciem et extremum exitium imprecantis, "words spoken by someone cursing another person with ruin and utter disaster" - and it is indeed quite a curse!).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Μωρὸς σιωπᾷν οὐ δύναται (English: A fool is not able to keep quiet).

For an image today, here is the unlucky donkey, 769. Iuppiter et Olitoris Asinus. Asinus olitoris, aegre sustinens laborem quo herus eum premebat, conqueritur de eo apud Iovem; supplicat alium sibi dari. Exaudit Iuppiter; iubet figulo veneat. Mutatur herus, sed non minuitur labor; immo augescit; semper lutum, tegulae, lateres, imbrices, dorso portandae. Iterum ad Iovem; Iuppiter, oratoris importunitate victus, dat coriarium. Statim expertus eum, omnibus quos unquam habuerat longe crudeliorem, apud se lamentans dicebat, “Heu me miserum, ut omnia mihi in deterius cedunt. Nam in eum incidi dominum, qui vivo non parcit, nec mortuo; ipse enim ubi corpus meum flagris exhauserit, in fine excoriabit.” (source)

Asinus et Iuppiter