Saturday, October 6, 2012

Round-Up: October 6

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 you can also get a free PDF copy of Mille Fabulae et Una: 1001 Aesop's Fables in Latin. If you prefer the heft of a book in your hand, you can get the books in printed form from Lulu.com.

HODIE: pridie Nonas Octobres, the day before the Nones.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows Alcestis; 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: Occasionem cognosce (English: Know the right moment).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Auctor ego audendi (English: I am the author of my own daring).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is A bove maiori discit arare minor (English: The younger ox learns to plow from the older ox).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Oportet mendacem esse memorem (English: A liar must have a good memory).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Hylam inclamas (English: You're shouting for Hylas - which is to say, you are shouting for something you can never get back, just as Heracles shouted out to his beloved Hylas who had been taken by the nymphs; from Adagia 1.4.72).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Ὀυκ ἀεὶ ποταμὸς ἀξίνας φέρει (English: The river does not always bring forth axes - an allusion to the famous Aesop's fable about Mercury and the man who lost his ax).

BREVISSIMA: The distich for today is Magnus Timet: Quanto maior eris, maiora pericla cavenda; / Crede mihi: nullo tempore tutus eris.

And here is today's proverbial lolcat:



TODAY'S FABLES:

AESOP IN ENGLISH VERSE: Today's fable from the English verse widget is The Hen and The Fox, a story about a hen who is wisely cautious in dealing with the wily fox.

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Gallus et Ancillae, one of those fables about unintended consequences.

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Luna et Mater, the wonderful story about what happened when the moon's mother wanted to make her a dress (this fable has a vocabulary list).

Luna et Mater