Monday, October 11, 2010

Round-Up: October 11

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 Octobres (and yes, you can have your own Roman Google Calendar).

VERBUM HODIERNUM: Today's word is TENEO - read a brief essay about the word at the Verbosum blog. Here's one of the sayings you can find in the essay: Rem tene, verba sequentur, "Grasp the thing; the words will follow" (great advice if you are suffering from writers' block!).

MILLE FABULAE: New materials at the blog include lots more illustrated fables and a wonderful illustration for the story of the contrary wife, drowned (look closely and you can see her feet in the water). This is also where you can download your free PDF copy of the Mille Fabulae et Una book.

FABULAE FACILES: The new easy-to-read fable is Mercurius et Lignator, a fairy-tale like fable about the god Mercury and two woodsmen - one honest, and one dishonest.

ENGLISH AESOP: Today's English fables are from Sir Roger L'Estrange, Wright's translation of La Fontaine and the limericks for Crane's illustrated Aesop.

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

Tiny Proverbs: Today's tiny proverb is: Teipsum inspice (English: Examine yourself).

3-Word Mottoes Verb-less: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Recte faciendo securus (English: By acting rightly, no worries).

Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Equi donati dentes non inspiciuntur (English: You shouldn't look at the teeth of the horse that's a gift - in other words, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth").

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Iustitia in sese virtutes continet omnes (English: Justice contains in itself all the virtues).

Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Manum admoventi Fortuna est imploranda (English: It is the person who has set his hand to the work who can call upon Fortune - in other words, "God helps them that help themselves" - from Adagia 2.2.81).

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Νῷ πείθου (English: Obey your mind).

For an image today, here is a delightful illustration of the story of the man and his two ladies: 952. Concubinae Duae. Senex, cuius caput respersum iam erat canis, habebat concubinas duas, moribus et aetate dissimiles, nam altera iuvencula et lascivior, altera aetate provecta et severior erat. Ut igitur ad harum alteram forte accesserat, ita crines non similes suis dormienti vellebantur. Carpebat enim iuvencula albos, senior vero nigros. Tandem ille calvo capite omnibus risui fuit. (source)

Vir et Uxores Duae