Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Round-Up: November 9

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 quintum Idus Novembres (and yes, you can have your own Roman Google Calendar).

VERBUM HODIERNUM: Today's word is SED - read a brief essay about the word at the Verbosum blog. Here's one of the sayings you can find in the essay: Non sibi, sed bono publico, "Not for oneself but for the public good."

FABULAE FACILES: The new easy-to-read fable is Culex et Apes , a fable about vocational education!

MILLE FABULAE: I keep adding new illustrated fables to the Mille Fabulae blog every day - and I added quite a few new fables in order to complete my new English Aesop widget this weekend. This is also where you can download your free PDF copy of the Mille Fabulae et Una book.

ENGLISH FABLE OF THE DAY: Today's English fable is The Monkeys and the City, the story of the monkeys who want to imitate people, at their own peril. You can also read Latin version of the same story: Simiae et Urbs.

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

Tiny Mottoes: Today's tiny motto is: Maiora sequor (English: I follow greater things).

3-Word Proverbs Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is In varietate voluptas (English: There is a pleasure in variety)

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Suam quisque pellem portat (English: Each carries his own skin). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Nil agere semper infelici est optimum (English: If you're unlucky, the best thing is always to do nothing).

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Asinus portans mysteria (English: The donkey carrying the icons; from Adagia 2.2.4).

Here's the Aesop's fable that tells the story of that Erasmus proverb: 249. Asinus Res Sacras Portans. Asinus quidam res sacras portabat, ratus sese venerari homines. Itaque erectus incedebat, tamquam sibi tus illud atque carmina acciperet. Cuius errorem cum mox vidit aliquis, “Mi asine,” inquit, “istam vanitatem tibi excute. Non te, sed istas res sacras caerimoniis colunt; isti divo haec religio debetur.” (source)

Asinus Sacra Portans