Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: January 8

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! Meanwhile, I'm slowly but surely adding poster images and English translations over at the Brevissima blog.

HODIE (Roman Calendar): antediem sextum Idus Ianuarias.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows Eriphyle and the Necklace of Harmonia; 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: Diu delibera (English: Ponder at length).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Dulce et utile. (English: Pleasant and useful).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Sola apis excellit muscarum milia quinque (English: A single bee is better than five thousand flies).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Excolantes culicem camelum glutiunt (English: They strain out a gnat and swallow a camel).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Momo satisfacere (English: Trying to satisfy Momus - which is an impossible task, of course, since Momus is the ultimate critic; from Adagia 1.5.74 - here is an Aesop's fable about Momus).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Ἰδοὺ Ῥόδος, ἰδοὺ καὶ πήδημα (English: Here is Rhodes; so too the jump - an allusion to the Aesop's fable of the boastful athlete).

BREVISSIMA: The distich poster for today is Ex Meritis Propriis. Click here for a full-sized view; the poem has a vocabulary list and an English translation, too.


And here is today's proverbial lolcat:


TODAY'S FABLES AND SONGS:

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Cornix et Urna, the famous story of the ingenious crow (this fable has a vocabulary list).

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Mors et Pauper, a story about someone who thinks he wants to die... but changes his mind!

Senex et Mors