Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: April 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.

HODIE (Roman Calendar): ante diem sextum Idus Apriles.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows The Danaids; 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: Grata novitas (English: Novelty is pleasing).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Tutus in undis (English: Safe amidst the waves).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Si cantes asino, crepitus tibi reddet ab ano (English: If you sing to a donkey, he'll return you a fart from his rump).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Quae dubites, ne feceris (English: Do not do something you are doubtful about).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Tenedia bipennis (English: The axe of Tenedos; from Adagia 1.9.29 - the saying alludes to the king of Tenedos who carried an axe so that when someone was sentenced to death he could carry out the execution immediately.).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Ὄνος λύρας ἀκούων κινεῖ τὰ ὦτα (English: The donkey listening to the lyre wiggles his ears... which is an altogether better outcome than in the Latin proverb above!).

BREVISSIMA: The distich poster for today is Damnum Alterius. Click here for a full-sized view.


And here are today's proverbial LOLcats:




TODAY'S FABLES:

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Avarus et Aureorum Sacculus, a marvelous story about how you can't take it with you (this fable has a vocabulary list).

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Camelus Primo Conspicatus, a fable about ignorance and fear.

Camelus (de familiaritate)

Greek Bible Art - and Latin and English, too. Below is one of my Greek Bible Art graphics; for the individual Greek, Latin and English versions of the graphic, see the blog post: ἀφέωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῆς αἱ πολλαί, ὅτι ἠγάπησεν πολύ. Remittuntur ei peccata multa, quoniam dilexit multum. Her sins, which are many, are forgiven for she loved much.