Fable 67: Leo et Mus

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 67 in the book: De Leone et Mure. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Leo, aestu cursuque defessus, in umbra quiescebat. Murium autem grege tergum eius percurrente, expergefactus unum e multis comprehendit. Supplicat misellus, clamitans indignum se esse cui irascatur. Leo, reputans nihil laudis esse in nece tantillae bestiolae, captivum dimittit. Non multo post, Leo, dum per segetes currit, incidit in plagas; rugire licet, exire non licet. Rugientem Leonem Mus audit, vocem agnoscit, repit in cuniculos, et quaesitos laqueorum nodos invenit corroditque. Quo facto, Leo e plagis evadit.

Leo, aestu cursuque defessus,
= Note the elegant use of two fourth declension nouns here in parallel: aestu cursuque.

in umbra quiescebat.
= As often, the opening verb of the story is an imperfect past tense as the plot unfolds.

Murium autem grege
= Note the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect. This genitive noun phrase, murium grege, will be part of an ablative absolute phrase, as you are about to discover.

tergum eius percurrente,
= An ablative absolute phrase, with tergum the direct object of the participle, with eius referring to the lion: tergum eius (leonis).

expergefactus
= You might want to translate the participle as a finite verb phrase, "The lion woke up and..."

unum e multis comprehendit.
= The unum refers to one of the many mice who had been running down his back!

Supplicat misellus,
= The diminutive adjective refers to the mouse: misellus (mus).

clamitans
= The verb is an iterative form of the root verb, clamare.

indignum se esse
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with se (referring to the mouse, subject of the main verb) as the accusative subject and indignum as a predicate adjective.

cui irascatur.
= The subjunctive, introduced by the relative pronoun, explains the result of the mouse’s unworthy status; he is not even the sort of creature a lion might get angry at.

Leo, reputans
= The participle reputans is able to introduce indirect statement.

nihil laudis esse
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with a partitive genitive construction: nihil (nothing) laudis (of praise, glory) esse = “there is no glory.”

in nece tantillae bestiolae,
= Note the use of the a diminutive adjective together with a diminutive noun!

captivum dimittit.
= The adjective refers to the mouse: captivum (murem).

Non multo post,
= The ablative expresses the degree of difference in a comparison introduced by post, “not (by) much later.”

Leo, dum per segetes currit,
= Notice that in telling a story, you can mix present and past tenses much more freely than is usually admissable in written English style.

incidit in plagas;
= The form incidit is ambiguous, and could be either present or perfect, but the unambiguous present verb currit strongly suggests taking this form as present also.

rugire licet, exire non licet.
= Notice the elegant parallel construction with licet / non licet.

Rugientem Leonem
= We were just told that it was possible for the lion to roar, so roar he does!

Mus audit,
= This sentence also features an unambiguous present tense verb: audit.

vocem agnoscit,
= Notice that vox can be used in Latin for all kinds of sounds, cries and calls, not just the human voice.

repit in cuniculos,
= The basic meaning of cuniculus is "rabbit" (compare English "cony"), but the word also came to refer to holes or passages, based on the way that rabbits burrow!

et quaesitos laqueorum nodos
= You might translate the passive participle with an active verb: "The mouse sought out the knots in the snare..."

invenit corroditque.
= You can see the same root as the English "rodent" in the verb corrodere - it is a very fitting thing for a "rodent" to be doing!

Quo facto,
= Ablative absolute construction, in which the relative pronoun quo connects back to the previous sentence, referring to the general situation described there, i.e. the mouse chewing through the knots.

Leo e plagis evadit.
= Thanks to Abstemius, there is also the marvelous follow-up story of just what kind of reward the mouse asked for and received for his services!

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 66: Leo et Quattuor Tauri

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 66 in the book: De Leone et Quattuor Tauris. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Quattuor fuere Tauri qui, inter se invicem societate inita, foedus faciebant communem ipsorum esse salutem et commune periculum. Hoc observavit esuriens et indignabundus Leo, qui quamvis grandi premeretur fame, coniunctos tamen aggredi non ausus est. Hoc ergo consilium cepit: primum verbis fallacibus unum ab altero segregavit, deinde segregatos facile laniavit.

Quattuor fuere Tauri
= The phrase quattuor tauri wraps around the verb, fuere (an alternate form of fuerunt), which is declarative: “there were four bulls.”

qui,
= Notice the ambiguity of the relative pronoun qui, which can be either masculine nominative plural, as here, or masculine nominative singular, as you will see further down.

inter se invicem societate inita,
= Ablative absolute construction.

foedus faciebant
= Although foedus might look like a masculine second declension noun, it is not - you are dealing here with a neuter third declension noun, which is here in the accusative case.

communem ipsorum esse salutem
= Accusative plus infinitive construction, with the noun salutem as the subject and communem as predicate adjective. The noun phrase ipsorum salutem is wrapped around the infinitive; the pronoun refers to the bulls: ipsorum (taurorum) salutem.

et commune periculum.
= Accusative plus infinitive, parallel to communem salutem in the preceding statement: commune (esse) periculum.

Hoc observavit
= The pronoun refers to the entire general situation of the bulls, their treaty, and so on.

esuriens et indignabundus Leo,
= If there are two adjectives that would make you watch out for a lion, it would have to be hungry and angry!

qui
= Here the relative pronoun qui is masculine nominative singular.

quamvis grandi premeretur fame,
= The phrase grandi fame wraps around the verb, with the subjunctive expressing a supposition introduced by quamvis.

coniunctos tamen aggredi
= The deponent infinitive aggredi is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative: coniunctos (tauros). Note also the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect

non ausus est.
= This verb needs a complementary infinitive, which you have already with aggredi.

Hoc ergo consilium cepit:
= Note the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect.

primum
= This is primum used as an adverb, "first" (in a series of events).

verbis fallacibus
= The fable does not tell us what words the lion used to set the bulls against each other. Just imagine the possibilities!

unum ab altero segregavit,
= The verb segregare means literally to "dis-herd," based on the root word grex (gregis) meaning "flock, herd." The prefix se- means "without, apart" as in Latin securus, "without - care."

deinde segregatos facile laniavit.
= You might even want to translate the participle as a finite verb: "Finally, after he had separated the bulls, he easily butchered them."

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 65: Ursus et Duo Viatores

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 65 in the book: De Urso et Duobus Viatoribus. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Amici duo, facto foedere, iter inceptantes, Urso obviam dabant. Alter ex Amicis trepidus arborem conscendit. Alter autem, constratus humi, se mortuum simulabat et spiritum totum compressit. Accedens Ursus, ad faciem os admovens et mortuum credens, abibat, intactum relinquens. Tandem descendebat ex arbore Amicus et, Socium accedens, percontatus est quid illi susurraverat Ursus. Cui ille respondit, “Monebat me Ursus, ut de falsis et perfidis Amicis in posterum caverem.”

Amici duo,
= In the opening words, we meet the two of the main characters of the story: the two friends.

facto foedere,
= Ablative absolute construction.

iter inceptantes,
= The participle here takes a direct object in the accusative case, iter.

Urso obviam dabant.
= The phrase obviam dare means “to meet, run into,” and it takes a dative complement: urso.

Alter ex Amicis
= The double use of alter is equivalent to the English construction, “the one . . . the other."

trepidus arborem conscendit.
= The adjective trepidus agrees with the subject of the verb.

Alter autem, constratus humi,
= See the note about alter... alter... above. Note the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect. The word humi is a locative form of the noun humus, meaning “on the ground.”

se mortuum simulabat
= Accusative plus infinitive construction: se mortuum (esse) simulabat.

et spiritum totum compressit.
= The meaning of spiritus here is "breath," rather than "spirit."

Accedens Ursus,
= Now that one of the men is up in the tree, while the other man is still on the ground, we will see what the bear will do!

ad faciem os admovens
= The phrase ad faciem refers to the face of the man who is lying on the ground.

et mortuum credens,
= Accusative plus infinitive construction, with the man lying on the ground as the implied subject of the infinitive: (eum) mortuum (esse) credens.

abibat, intactum relinquens.
= The adjective intactum has a predicative function: leaving (the man) untouched.

Tandem descendebat ex arbore Amicus
= The adverb tandem suggests that the man up in the tree has waited until the bear has left them far behind.

et, Socium accedens, percontatus est
= The deponent verb percontatus est introduces a question.

quid illi susurraverat Ursus.
= Although you would normally expect a subjunctive here for indirect question, you can sometimes find the indicative used for questions of fact (as here), especially in early Latin and in poetry, as well as in later Latin, as you see here.

Cui ille respondit,
= The referent of the relative pronoun cui is amicus in the previous sentence: cui (amico) ille respondit.

“Monebat me Ursus,
= The verb monebat introduces an ut clause.

ut de falsis et perfidis Amicis
= An explanation of the etymology of the adjective perfidus assumes that it comes from the expression per fidem fallit.

in posterum caverem.”
= The subjunctive caverem completes the ut clause.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 64: Satyrus et Viator

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 64 in the book: De Satyro et Viatore. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Satyrus Viatorem, nive obrutum atque algore enectum, misertus ducit in antrum suum. Refocillantem manus anhelitu oris percontatur causam; “Ut calefiant,” inquit. Postea, cum accumberent, sufflat Viator in polentam. Quod cur ita faceret interrogatus “Ut frigescat,” inquit. Tunc continuo Satyrus Viatorem eiiciens: “Nolo (inquit) in meo ut sis antro, cui tam diversum est os.”

Satyrus
= As usual, the first word introduces us to one of the main characters in the fable: the satyr.

Viatorem, nive obrutum atque algore enectum,
= In the second word, we meet the other main character of the fable: a wayfarer, who has been overwhelmed by the snow.

misertus ducit in antrum suum.
= The deponent participle misertus is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative, viatorem, which is also the object of ducit.

Refocillantem manus anhelitu oris
= The participle refers to the wayfarer: (viatorem) refocillantem manus, with manus an accusative plural, object of the participle.

percontatur causam;
= The satyr is the subject of this deponent verb, which takes a double accusative for the person who is being asked a question (viatorem refocillantem manus) and the information requested (causam).

“Ut calefiant,” inquit.
= The implied subject of this verb is the man’s hands, manus.

Postea, cum accumberent,
= The subjunctive, introduced by cum, gives causal background information; this is why the man was now ready to eat his food.

sufflat Viator in polentam.
= In ancient Rome, the food called polenta was a form of pearl barley, although in modern Italian cooking, polenta is made from corn meal.

Quod cur ita faceret
= The relative pronoun quod connects back to the previous sentence, referring to the general situation described there, i.e. the man blowing on his food; cur introduces an indirect question with the subjunctive.

interrogatus
= This is the participle that explains the indirect question: the man was asked why he was blowing on his food.

“Ut frigescat,” inquit.
= The subject of this verb is the polenta; the verb frigescere is not transitive, but intransitive, meaning "to grow cool" (like other inchoative verbs formed with the -sc- suffix, the verb refers to an ongoing process).

Tunc continuo
= The adverb continuo means something that happens immediately, directly, at once (from the adjective continuus, meaning "joining, connecting with something," hence the sense of something uninterrupted in time).

Satyrus Viatorem eiiciens:
= A participle, because it is a verb form, is able to take a direct object, as here.

“Nolo (inquit)
= The verb inquit is being used postpositively here, as a particle that signals a direct quotation.

in meo ut sis antro,
= The phrase in meo antro wraps around the phrase, ut sis.

cui tam diversum est os.”
= The referent of the relative pronoun cui is you, the implied subject of sis; the dative here expresses possession: “whose mouth.” The word diversum is a predicate adjective, agreeing with the noun os.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 63: Vulpes in Puteo

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 63 in the book: De Vulpe in Puteo. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Vulpes et Caper sitibundi in quendam puteum descendebant. In quo cum perbibissent, Vulpes dixit circumspicienti reditum Capro, “Bono animo esto, Caper! Excogitavi etenim quo pacto uterque reduces simus.” Obtemperavit consilio Caper, et Vulpes, ex puteo prosiliens, prae gaudio in margine cursitabat. Ceterum, cum ab Hirco ut foedifraga incusaretur, respondit, “Enimvero, Hirce, si tantum tibi sensus esset in mente, quantum est saetarum in mento, non prius in puteum descendisses, quam de reditu exploravisses.”

Vulpes et Caper sitibundi
= We meet the two main characters of the fable here in the opening words - the fox and the goat - and they are both thirsty!

in quendam puteum descendebant.
= The adjective quidam is one of those tricky words with a suffix that does not decline: quendam = quem+dam, masculine accusative singular, agreeing with puteum.

In quo cum perbibissent,
= The referent of the relative pronoun quo is puteum in the previous sentence: in quo (puteo); the subjunctive, introduced by cum, gives causal background information as to why they were ready to get out of the well now.

Vulpes dixit circumspicienti reditum Capro,
= The fox spoke to the goat, with the phrase circumspicienti reditum modifying the goat (a participle, like a verb, can take a direct object).

“Bono animo esto, Caper!
= The form esto is the future imperative of sum, with the predicate ablative bono animo functioning like a predicate adjective, meaning something like “good-spirited, optimistic.”

Excogitavi etenim
= The verb excogitavi will introduce the fox's thoughts in the form of indirect statement.

quo pacto uterque reduces simus.”
= The word quo introduces an indirect question with the subjunctive; reduces is a predicate adjective, masculine nominative plural. The pronoun uterque is grammatically singular, but logically plural, referring to uterque (nostrum), “each of us two, both of us," hence the plural verb, simus.

Obtemperavit consilio Caper,
= The verb obtemperavit takes a dative complement; the plan refers to the fox using the goat’s horns to climb up and get out, so that he could then (supposedly) help the goat in turn to get out.

et Vulpes, ex puteo prosiliens,
= The fox was able to leap out of the well because he was able to get a good start by jumping up onto the horns of the goat.

prae gaudio in margine cursitabat.
= The verb cursitare is an intensive iterative form based on the standard verb currere (you can see that the iterative verb is formed using the supine stem, curs-).

Ceterum,
= The adverb ceterum introduces the second phase of the story... which, much to the goat's disappointment, does not involve his rescue from the well!

cum ab Hirco ut foedifraga incusaretur,
= The subjunctive, introduced by cum, gives causal background information; this is why the fox insulted the goat.

respondit,
= The implied subject of this verb is the fox, vulpes, who was the subject of the main verb of the previous sentence (cursitabat).

“Enimvero, Hirce,
= Unlike the particle enim, which is usually found in second position, the form enimvero (= enim + vero) is usually found in first position, as here.

si tantum tibi sensus esset in mente,
= The word sensus is genitive singular, in a partitive genitive construction: tantum (so much) sensus (of wit), "so much wit." The imperfect subjunctive introduces a hypothetical that is contrary to fact: if only the goat had some wit.. but he doesn't!

quantum est saetarum in mento,
= Parallel construction, with partitive genitives: tantum (so much) sensus (of wit), quantum (as much) saetarum (of whiskers) = “as much wit as whiskers.”

non prius in puteum descendisses,
= The adverbial prius anticipates a quam clause, expressing the comparison.

quam de reditu exploravisses.”
= The quam follows up on the prius in the previous clause. Although we do not use the expression "before... than..." in English, you might think of a comparative construction "earlier in time... than..." to see how the prius... quam... construction works in Latin.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 62: Delphinus et Smaris

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 62 in the book: De Delphino et Smaride. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Persequebatur Pisciculum Delphinus. Hunc ut vitaret, Pisciculus ad rupem confugit. Quem ut captaret, Delphinus tam violento sequebatur impetu, ut arenis illideret et haerens morti succumberet. Quod cum vidisset Pisciculus, sibi paululum consolatus est, moribundulus inquiens, “Dulcior mihi profecto mea mors futura est quod prius auctorem meae mortis defunctum prae oculis viderim.”

Persequebatur Pisciculum Delphinus.
= We meet both of the main characters here in the opening sentence: the little fish (the smaris) and the dolphin. The deponent verb persequebatur is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative.

Hunc ut vitaret,
= The pronoun refers to the dolphin: hunc (delphinum) ut vitaret.

Pisciculus ad rupem confugit.
= The rocky cliff, rupes, is highly visible in Barlow's illustration for this fable.

Quem ut captaret,
= The referent of the relative pronoun quem is pisciculus in the previous sentence: quem (pisciculum) ut captaret.

Delphinus tam violento sequebatur impetu,
= The adverbial tam introduces a following ut (result) clause, much like the English "so... that..." construction.

ut arenis illideret
= The verb illideret takes a dative complement.

et haerens morti succumberet.
= The verb succumberet takes a dative complement.

Quod cum vidisset Pisciculus,
= The relative pronoun quod connects back to the previous sentence, referring to the general situation described there, i.e. the dolphin being beached on the sand; the subjunctive, introduced by cum, gives causal background information as to why the fish cheered up.

sibi paululum consolatus est,
= The adverb paululum is a diminutive form, based on the neuter form of the diminutive adjective, paululus from the standard form paulus.

moribundulus inquiens,
= This is the present active participle of the defective verb inquam, used to indicate a direct quotation. Notice also the diminutive form of the adjective, moribundulus, from the standard form moribundus.

“Dulcior mihi profecto
= The adverb profecto is a contraction of pro facto, "as a matter of fact."

mea mors futura est
= The future active participle with the verb est creates a future active periphrastic.

quod prius auctorem meae mortis
= The adverb prius is used adverbially here, "before" or "beforehand" (i.e. before my own death).

defunctum prae oculis viderim.”
= This predicate adjective defunctum agrees with the predicate noun, i.e. the fish wants to see the dolphin (auctorem meae mortis) dead (defunctum). The subjunctive, introduced by quod (“because”), gives causal background information; according to the fish, this is why death comes more sweetly than it would otherwise.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 61: Canis Vetulus et Magister

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 61 in the book: De Cane Vetulo et Magistro. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Canis venaticus, qui quondam velocitate ceteris praecelluit et magno erat olim usui et emolumento Hero, iam longaevus et imbellis, fortuito cervum persequebatur et apprehensum (dentibus privatus) mox demisit. Quem iratus Herus verbis et verberibus increpabat. Cui Canis: “O dure et severe mihi Magister, qui multifaria mea merita tam male pensitaveris!”

Canis venaticus,
= As usual, we meet a main character of the fable in the opening words of the story: a hunting dog.

qui quondam velocitate ceteris praecelluit
= The verb praecelluit takes a dative complement, and the ablative velocitate explains in what way the dog had been better than all the rest.

et magno erat olim usui et emolumento Hero,
= The predicate datives usui and emolumento express the dog’s purpose for his master, hero: “once upon a time he had been very useful and profitable for his master.”

iam longaevus et imbellis,
= The contrast is between the once-upon-a-time dog in his youthful days, olim, and the dog as he is now, iam.

fortuito cervum persequebatur
= The deponent verb persequebatur is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative.

et apprehensum (dentibus privatus) mox demisit.
= You might translate the passive participle with an active verb (see Fable 5): the dog caught the deer (apprehensum) and then let it go (demisit). The participle privatus (“deprived of”) takes an ablative complement.

Quem
= The referent of the relative pronoun quem is canis in the previous sentence.

iratus Herus verbis et verberibus increpabat.
= There is nice play on words in the Latin phrase verbis et verberibus.

Cui Canis:
= The referent of the relative pronoun cui is herus in the previous sentence, with an implied verb of speaking: cui (hero) canis (inquit).

“O dure et severe mihi Magister,
= Note the vocative case indicated by the adjectives dure et severe, even though the second declension noun, magister, ending in -r, does not have a distinct vocative form.

qui
= The referent of the relative pronoun is magister, whom the dog is addressing directly in second person: "Master, (you) who..."

multifaria mea merita tam male pensitaveris!”
= The subjunctive provides causal background information; according to the dog, this is why his master can be considered durus et severus.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 60: Leo, Asinus et Gallus

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 60 in the book: De Leone, Asino et Gallo. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Gallus aliquando cum Asino pascebatur, Leone autem aggresso Asinum, Gallus exclamavit, et Leo, qui Galli vocem timet, fugere incipit. Asinus, ratus propter se fugere, aggressus est Leonem; ut vero procul a gallicinio persecutus est, conversus Leo Asinum devoravit, qui moriens clamabat, “Iusta passus sum; ex pugnacibus enim non natus parentibus, quamobrem in aciem irrui?”

Gallus aliquando
= In the opening word of the fable, we meet one of the main characters: a rooster.

cum Asino pascebatur,
= Here we meet another character in the fable: the donkey, who is a friend of the rooster. The active form of the verb means to “feed, supply with food,” while the passive form which you see here means “feed on, graze, browse.”

Leone autem aggresso Asinum,
= Ablative absolute with the postpositive particle autem in second position; the deponent verb is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative: “when the lion attacked the donkey...”

Gallus exclamavit,
= We know what the donkey and lion are doing, and now we learn what the reaction of the rooster is!

et Leo, qui Galli vocem timet,
= According to the folklore of the ancient Greeks and Romans, lions were afraid of the sound of a rooster crowing.

fugere incipit.
= The lion now changes offense to defense, running away from the rooster.

Asinus, ratus
= Our attention now turns to the donkey and his thoughts; ratus, the perfect participle of the verb reri, "to think," introduces indirect statement.

propter se fugere,
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with leonem as the implied subject of the infinitive, and se referring back to the donkey, the subject of the main verb.

aggressus est Leonem;
= The deponent verb aggressus est is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative: “the donkey attacked the lion.”

ut vero procul a gallicinio persecutus est,
= This is a temporal use of ut, meaning “as, as soon as” (see Fable 55); note the postpositive particle vero in second position. The subject of the verb is the donkey, and the lion is the implied object: ut vero (asinus) persecutus est (leonem).

conversus Leo Asinum devoravit,
= As often in Latin, a participle is combined with a finite verb, where English would probably use two finite verbs: the lion turned around and devoured the donkey.

qui moriens clamabat,
= The referent of the relative pronoun qui is asinum in the main clause: qui (asinus) moriens clamabat.

“Iusta passus sum;
= The deponent verb passus sum is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative, with the neuter plural adjective, iusta, used substantively as a noun.

ex pugnacibus enim non natus parentibus,
= The phrase ex pugnacibus parentibus wraps around the participle; the placement of the postpositive enim shows that ex pugnacibus is treated as a single word unit.

quamobrem in aciem irrui?”
= The word quamobrem is a compound - quam + ob + rem - with the noun phrase quam rem wrapped around the preposition.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 59: Hirundo et Aliae Aviculae

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 59 in the book: De Hirundine et Aliis Aviculis. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Hirundo, cum linum coeptum esset seri, suadebat aliis Aviculis impedire sementem, dictitans omnibus fieri insidias. Irridebant illae garrulamque vocabant. Surgente lino, rursum monebat evellere sata; irridebant iterum. Maturescente lino, hortabatur populari segetem et, cum ne tunc quidem consulentem audirent, Hirundo cum homine foedus init cohabitatque cum eo. Ceteris Avibus e lino retia fiunt et laquei.

Hirundo,
= In the first word of the fable we meet one of the main characters: the swallow.

cum linum coeptum esset seri,
= The subjunctive, introduced by cum, gives causal background information; this is why the swallow tried to warn the other birds.

suadebat aliis Aviculis
= Here we meet the other characters in the fable: the other birds, aviculae, a diminutive of the word for birds, aves>

impedire sementem,
= This is what the swallow is urging the other birds to do: to put a stop to the sowing of the crop of flax.

dictitans
= The participle is from an intensive iterative form of the verb dicere, to speak.

omnibus fieri insidias.
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with insidias as the predicate noun: omnibus fieri insidias, “it would be made into snares for them all.”

Irridebant illae
= The pronoun refers to the other birds: illae (aviculae).

garrulamque vocabant.
= The adjective garrulam is being used predicatively: vocabant eam garrulam, “they called her a chatter-box.”

Surgente lino,
= Ablative absolute construction.

rursum monebat evellere sata;
= The participle sata is used substantively, meaning “crops, things sown.”

irridebant iterum.
= This fable has the classic "1-2-3" folktale, typical of so many stories: the swallow warns them once, and the other birds scoff; she warns them again, and they scoff again; now we will see what happens when the swallow warns them a third time.

Maturescente lino,
= Ablative absolute construction; maturescente is an inchoative verb, indicating the process by which something becomes maturus, ripe.

hortabatur populari segetem
= The deponent verb is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative; as before, she is urging the other birds about what they should do.

et, cum ne tunc quidem consulentem audirent,
= The phrase ne . . . quidem phrase puts a strong emphasis on the word tunc, “not even then." The subjunctive, introduced by cum, gives causal background information as to why the swallow went to live with people, rather than with the other birds.

Hirundo cum homine foedus init
= Now that she sees there is no point in dealing with the other birds, the swallow now decides to deal with people, instead.

cohabitatque cum eo.
= The pronoun refers to homo in the previous clause.

Ceteris Avibus
= We will now learn what happened to the other birds, who ignored the swallow's warning.

e lino retia fiunt et laquei.
= The compound subject retia et laquei wraps around the verb.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 58: Quercus et Arundo

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 58 in the book: De Quercu et Arundine. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Validiore vento effracta Quercus huc illuc in amnem praecipitata fluitat et, ramis suis in Arundine forte fixis, haeret miraturque Arundinem in tanto turbine stare incolumem. Arundo respondet cedendo et declinando se esse tutam; inclinare se etenim ad Boream, ad Notum, ad Eurum, denique ad omnem flatum; nec mirum esse si Quercus exciderit, quae non cedere, sed resistere molita est.

Validiore vento effracta Quercus
= In the opening lines we meet one of the main characters: an oak tree, quercus, a feminine noun. The comparative is used here to indicate “very strong, quite strong,” without an explicit comparison.

huc illuc in amnem praecipitata
= With this participle, we learn what has happened to the shattered oak tree.

fluitat
= The verb is an frequentative intensive form of the root verb, fluere.

et, ramis suis in Arundine forte fixis,
= Inside this ablative absolute construction we meet the other main character in the story: a reed. The reflexive pronoun refers back to the subject of the main verb, the oak tree.

haeret
= The subject of the verb is the oak tree: after being tossed in the water, the shattered tree is now stuck in the reeds.

miraturque
= As the oak considers her own situation, she wonders about the reed. The verb miratur introduces an indirect statement: the oak tree is amazed that . . .

Arundinem in tanto turbine stare incolumem.
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with arundinem as the accusative subject and incolumem as a predicate adjective.

Arundo respondet
= The oak tree must have done her wondering out loud, since the reed is now responding to her!

cedendo et declinando se esse tutam;
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with se as the accusative subject (the reed) and tutam as the predicate adjective. The gerunds are in the ablative case, explaining how the reed stayed safe.

inclinare se
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with se referring back to the subject of the main verb, the reed.

etenim ad Boream, ad Notum, ad Eurum,
= These are the names of the North Wind, South Wind, and the East Wind. The West Wind, Zephyrus (Latin Favorinus), is a gentle wind by comparison, and so the reed has not included him in the list.

denique ad omnem flatum;
= In addition to the winds of the four cardinal directions, there were also other winds, such as Caurus, the northwest wind.

nec mirum esse
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in the continuing indirect statement; you can replace the word nec with the words et non: et non mirum esse, “and it is not strange.”

si Quercus exciderit,
= While the oak was amazed that the reed was still standing, the reed does not find it strange at all if the oak has been destroyed; her reasoning will be explained in the following clause.

quae
= The reference of the relative pronoun is the oak, quercus (feminine).

non cedere, sed resistere molita est.
= The verb molita est takes a complementary infinitive: non cedere, sed resistere.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 57: Lepus et Testudo

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 57 in the book: De Lepore et Testudine. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Testudo, cum pedes eius Lepus deridebat, subridens dixit, “Si periculum in cursu feceris, quis sit velocior liquido cognosces.” Elegerunt igitur Vulpem, quae ambobus et locum et terminum cursus constitueret. Testudo, omni segnitie remota, iter arripiens, haud quievit donec ad terminum pervenerat. Lepus vero, pedibus fidens, postquam paululum quievit, somno excitatus, quantum pedes valuerunt ad terminum cucurrit ubi, cum Testudinem quiescentem reperit, se fatetur a Testudine superatum.

Testudo,
= As usual we meet one of our main characters in the opening word: the tortoise.

cum pedes eius Lepus deridebat,
= Here we meet the other main character: the rabbit. Note the use of cum plus an indicative verb; the pronoun eius refers to the tortoise, pedes eius (testudinis).

subridens dixit,
= While the rabbit "scoffed" at the tortoise (deridebat), here we see that the tortoise smiles in reply (subridens). The verb of speaking is going to introduce direct quoted speech.

“Si periculum in cursu feceris,
= The word periculum here means "hazard" in the sense of a bet or a wager.

quis sit velocior
= The word quis introduces an indirect question with the subjunctive.

liquido cognosces.”
= The verb cognosces explains the indirect question: you will realize who is faster.

Elegerunt igitur Vulpem,
= This version of the story has a third character: a fox who serves as the judge.

quae
= The relative pronoun refers to the fox, a feminine noun.

ambobus
= This pronoun refers to the two contestants, the hare and the tortoise.

et locum et terminum cursus constitueret.
= The word cursus is genitive singular in the noun phrase, cursus terminum. The double et means “both . . . and . . ." The subjunctive constitueret explains the purpose for which the fox was elected.

Testudo,
= Now we will see how the contestants proceed, starting with the tortoise.

omni segnitie remota,
= Ablative absolute construction.

iter arripiens, haud quievit
= As often in Latin, there is a participle with a finite verb, which you might want to translate with two finite verbs in English: the tortoise hit the course and did not rest...

donec ad terminum pervenerat.
= Like cum, the conjunction donec can take either a subjunctive or an indicative verb. Here, with the indicative, it states a matter of fact: the tortoise did not rest until he had reached the finish line.

Lepus vero, pedibus fidens,
= Now we turn to the other contestant: the rabbit. The postpositive particle is in second position, as you would expect.

postquam paululum quievit,
= Remember that the tortoise did not rest at all: haud quievit.

somno excitatus,
= The participle excitatus (“aroused from”) takes an ablative complement.

quantum pedes valuerunt
= The phrase quantum pedes valuerunt is an adverbial clause explaining just how fast the rabbit ran.

ad terminum cucurrit
= Unlike the tortoise, the rabbit is indeed able to run, currere... but running, he will discover, is not enough!

ubi, cum Testudinem quiescentem reperit,
= Note the use of cum with an indicative verb.

se fatetur a Testudine superatum.
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement: se superatum (esse).

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 55: Canis et Umbra

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 55 in the book: De Cane et Umbra. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Canis quidam, tranans fluvium, vorabunda fauce vehebat carnem, splendente sole, et (ut plerumque fit) umbra carnis lucebat in aquis. Quam avide captans, quod in rictu oris erat perdiderat. Quo infortunio perculsus, huc illuc vagos circumtulit ocellos et, tandem animum recipiens, sic elatravit: “Miserae deerat cupiditati modus! Satis superque esset ni desipuissem. Iam tota spes et res in fundo perierunt.”

Canis quidam, tranans fluvium,
= As usual, we meet the main character of the fable here in the opening words: the dog.

vorabunda fauce vehebat carnem,
= Although the form vorabunda is ambiguous, the unambiguous fauce lets you safely conclude that vorabunda is also feminine ablative singular.

splendente sole,
= Ablative absolute construction.

et (ut plerumque fit)
= Note the use of the word ut here with an indicative verb; although the construction of ut with subjunctive verbs is very common, the word ut, meaning "as," is also common.

umbra carnis lucebat in aquis.
= You can recognize the root lu- in a wide range of Latin words, all having to do with brightness and shining: lux, lumen and even luna.

Quam avide captans,
= The referent of the relative pronoun quam is umbra in the previous sentence: quam (umbram) captans.

quod in rictu oris erat
= For the referent of this relative pronoun, see the following note.

perdiderat.
= The object of perdiderat is the implied referent of the relative pronoun: (hoc), quod in rictu oris erat, perdiderat.

Quo infortunio perculsus,
= The relative phrase quo infortunio refers back to the events of the previous sentence, when the dog unluckily dropped the meat in the water.

huc illuc vagos circumtulit ocellos
= The phrase vagos ocellos wraps around the verb.

et, tandem animum recipiens,
= The phrase animum recipere means “to recover your wits, return to your senses.”

sic elatravit:
= For the dog, the verb elatravit serves as a verb of "speaking," and introduces direct quoted speech.

“Miserae deerat cupiditati modus!
= The dative phrase miserae cupiditati wraps around the verb. The noun modus is the subject of the verb: “a limit was lacking to my greed” (i.e., “there was no limit to my greed”).

Satis superque esset
= The imperfect subjunctive expresses a contrary-to-fact hypothetical situation: it would have been enough and more ... but it is not enough! In fact, the dog is left with nothing at all!

ni desipuissem.
= The pluperfect subjunctive expresses a contrary-to-fact situation in the past: if the dog had not acted like a fool... but he did, indeed, act like a fool!

Iam tota spes et res
= There is a nice play on words in Latin here, with spes and res. I can't think of a good word play in English that could render this one!

in fundo perierunt.”
= The phrase in fundo refers to the bottom of the stream: in fundo (fluvii).

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 54: Equus et Leo

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 54 in the book: De Equo et Leone. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Venit ad Equum comedendum Leo. Carens autem prae senecta viribus, meditari coepit artem, medicumque se esse profitetur verborumque ambagibus Equum moratur. Equus dolo dolum, artem opponit arti; fingit se dudum in loco spinoso pupugisse pedem oratque ut inspiciens sentem medicus educat. Paret Leo, at Equus multa vi calcem Leoni impingit, et se continuo conicit in pedes. Leo, vix tandem ad se rediens, ictu enim prope exanimatus fuerat: “Pretium (inquit) fero ob stultitiam, et is iure effugit. Dolum enim dolo ultus est.”

Venit ad Equum comedendum Leo.
= In the opening sentence, we meet both of the characters in the fable: the horse and the lion. The gerundive phrase with ad expresses purpose, and the lion's purpose is to eat that horse.

Carens autem prae senecta viribus,
= The participle carens (“lacking in”) takes an ablative complement. The postpositive particle is in second position, as you would expect.

meditari coepit artem,
= The deponent infinitive meditari is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative.

medicumque se esse
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with se as the accusative subject and medicum as a predicate noun.

profitetur
= This is the verb which introduces the indirect statement.

verborumque ambagibus Equum moratur.
= The deponent verb moratur is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative.

Equus
= So far, the lion has been the subject of all the verbs, but now we will see the horse start to come into his own!

dolo dolum, artem opponit arti;
= The word ars has the sense of a trick or a stratagem (compare the English word "artifice").

fingit
= This is an appropriate verb for launching a trick: the horse is going to pretend something, and just what the horse pretends will be expressed as indirect statement.

se dudum in loco spinoso pupugisse pedem
= Accusative plus infinitive construction, with se as the accusative subject and pedem as the object. The reflexive pronoun refers back to the subjecdt of the main verb, the horse.

oratque
= Now, after having set up the trick, the horse has a request to make of the lion.

ut inspiciens sentem medicus educat.
= The ut clause expresses the purpose the horse has in mind for the lion, referred to as the medicus here.

Paret Leo,
= That is to say, the lion does what the horse requests: he inspects the horse's hoof where there is supposedly a thorn.

at Equus multa vi calcem Leoni impingit,
= The verb takes a direct object in the accusative (“the horse banged his hoof, struck with his hoof”) along with an indirect object in the dative (“at the lion”).

et se continuo conicit in pedes.
= The reflexive pronoun refers to the subject of the noun, the horse. The Latin idiom conicere in pedes is equivalent to the English idiom "to leap to one's feet" or "take to one's heels."

Leo, vix tandem ad se rediens,
= The Latin idiom ad se redire is something like the English "to return to one's senses, to regain consciousness."

ictu enim prope exanimatus fuerat:
= Note the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect.

“Pretium (inquit) fero ob stultitiam,
= The verb inquit is used as a postpositive particle here, indicating a direct quotation.

et is iure effugit.
= The pronoun refers to the horse: is (equus) iure effugit.

Dolum enim dolo ultus est.”
= The deponent verb ultus est is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative; the implied subject is the horse: dolum ultus est (equus).

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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The Aesopus Ning is now open for business - so, for more fables and to share your questions and comments with others, come visit the Ning!

Fable 53: Lupus et Agnus

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 53 in the book: De Lupo et Agno. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Sitibundus Lupus, dum ad caput fontis accedit ut sitim levaret, videt innocentem Agnum, procul fluminis umorem haurientem. Accurrit igitur; Agnum increpat quod vitreum turbavit fontem. Trepidus ad haec supplicavit Agnus in innocentem ne saeviret; se quidem, cum tam longe infra biberet, potum Lupi ne potuisse quidem turbare, nedum voluisse. Lupus contra fremebundus intonat, “Quid vanas sacrilege innectis moras? Pater, Mater, et omne tuum invisum genus sedulo mihi et semper adversantur. Tu autem hodie mihi poenas dabis!”

Sitibundus Lupus,
= In the opening words, we meet one of the main characters of the fable: the wolf.

dum ad caput fontis accedit
= We learn from this clause where the fable takes place: at the headwaters of a spring.

ut sitim levaret,
= From this ut clause, we learn that the wolf has a purpose in coming to this spot!

videt innocentem Agnum,
= Here we meet the other character of the fable: the lamb.

procul fluminis umorem haurientem.
= The accusative participle agrees with agnum and takes fluminis umorem as its direct object.

Accurrit igitur;
= Note the placement of the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect.

Agnum increpat
= The root of the verb increpare is the sound crep-, a sharp, sudden, snapping noise, as in the noun crepitus. So, literally, the verb means "to snap at somebody," and metaphorically it came to mean "to rebuke, chide, accuse," etc.

quod vitreum turbavit fontem.
= The phrase vitreum fontem wraps around the verb.

Trepidus ad haec supplicavit Agnus
= The neuter plural pronoun haec refers to the “things” that are happening here, both the words of the wolf and his actions.

in innocentem ne saeviret;
= The ne clause explains what the lamb is beginning the wolf not to do to him, innocent lamb that he is!

se quidem,
= The pronoun se is the accusative subject of infinitives (still to come!), and refers back to the subject of an implied verb of speaking: supplicavit agnus (dicens) se...

cum tam longe infra biberet,
= The subjunctive, introduced by cum, gives causal background information; this is why the lamb could not have disturbed the wolf’s drinking water - the lamb is drinking downstream (infra) from the wolf.

potum Lupi ne potuisse quidem turbare,
= The phrase ne . . . quidem puts a strong emphasis on the word potuisse, an infinitive in indirect statement, with an implied verb of speaking: (dicens) se ne potuisse quidem. The phrase potum lupi turbare is an infinitive complement to potuisse.

nedum voluisse.
= This infinitive continues the accusative plus infinitive statement, with se as the implied accusative subject, and turbare as the complementary infinitive: nedum (se) voluisse (potum lupi turbare).

Lupus contra fremebundus intonat,
= The adjective fremebundus modifies the subject, so you might want to translate it as an adverb, rather than an adjective.

“Quid vanas sacrilege innectis moras?
= The interrogative quid here means “why? for what reason?” Note also that the phrase vanas moras wraps around the verb.

Pater, Mater, et omne tuum invisum genus
= Now we discover that the wolf claims to have a grudge not just against our little lamb, but against the whole sheep species!

sedulo mihi et semper adversantur.
= The adverbial phrase sedulo et semper wraps around the pronoun.

Tu autem hodie mihi poenas dabis!”
= The use of a second person pronoun in the nominative case is purely for emphasis, since the verb itself, dabis, already implies the subject unambiguously.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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The Aesopus Ning is now open for business - so, for more fables and to share your questions and comments with others, come visit the Ning!

Fable 52: Tubicen Captivus

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 52 in the book: De Tubicine Captivo. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Tubicen quidam in bello captivus detinebatur. Qui Hostes supplicabundus orabat ut non se interficerent, quandoquidem totum inermis esset et nullum eorum vulnerasset. Cui sic Hostes: “Quia tu sis inermis et pugnandi excors, ideo moriere, qui tubae cantu inimicos nostros ad pugnam concitaveris.”

Tubicen quidam
= As usual, we meet one of the main characters here in the opening words of the fable.

in bello captivus detinebatur.
= We also learn of the trumpeter's situation: he was held (as a) captive.

Qui Hostes supplicabundus orabat
= The referent of the relative pronoun qui is tubicen in the previous sentence: qui (tubicen) orabat; the adjective modifies the subject, so you might want to translate it as an adverb, rather than an adjective.

ut non se interficerent,
= In classical Latin, you would expect a ne in this negative purpose clause, but the use of ut non can be used for negative purpose clauses in later Latin.

quandoquidem totum inermis esset
= The subjunctive, introduced by quandoquidem, gives causal background information; according to the trumpeter, this is why his life should be spared.

et nullum eorum vulnerasset.
= The pronoun eorum is a partitive genitive: nullum eorum, "none of them." The subjunctive verb continues the thoughts of the trumpeter, explaining why he thinks his life should be spared.

Cui sic Hostes:
= The referent of the relative pronoun cui is tubicen, the implied subject of orabat in the previous sentence, with an implied verb of speaking: cui (tubicini) hostes (inquiunt).

“Quia tu sis inermis
= The subjunctive, introduced by quia (“because”), gives causal background information; according to the enemy soldiers, this is why the trumpeter deserves to die. Note also the emphatic use of the personal pronoun tu in the nominative case; the subject is already clearly implied in the verb sis, so the pronoun is used purely for emphasis.

pugnandi excors,
= The word excors means “without the brains for something, without the heart for something,” taking a genitive complement, the gerund pugnandi.

ideo moriere,
= The future active indicative moriere, “you will die,” is an alternate form of morieris.

qui
= The reference of the relative pronoun is tu: "(you) who..."

tubae cantu inimicos nostros ad pugnam concitaveris.”
= The subjunctive gives further causal background information; according to the enemy soldiers, this is why the trumpeter must die.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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The Aesopus Ning is now open for business - so, for more fables and to share your questions and comments with others, come visit the Ning!

Fable 49: Alauda et Pulli Eius

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 49 in the book: De Alauda et Pullis Eius. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Alauda positos in segete Pullos monet ut, dum ipsa abest, diligenter attendant praetereuntium sermones de messe. Redit a pastu Mater. Pulli anxii narrant Dominum agri operam illam mandasse vicinis. Respondet nihil esse periculi. Item, alio die, trepidi aiunt rogatos ad metendum esse amicos. Iubet iterum illa ut sint securi. Tertio, ut audivit ipsum Dominum cum filio statuisse postremo mane cum falce messem intrare, “Iam (inquit) est tempus ut fugiamus. Dominum enim agri timeo, quia probe scio quod illi res cordi est.”

Alauda
= Here we meet one of the main characters of the fable, the lark.

positos in segete Pullos monet
= Here we meet some of the other main characters: her chicks.

ut, dum ipsa abest, diligenter attendant
= As often, the English equivalent of the Latin ut clause is an infinitive construction: she warns the chicks to pay attention.

praetereuntium sermones de messe.
= The accusative noun sermones should be the object of the chicks' attention.

Redit a pastu Mater.
= Remember that the mother had told the chicks what to do while she was gone? Well, now she is back!

Pulli anxii narrant
= The adjective anxii modifies the subject of the verb, so you might want to translate it as an adverb, rather than an adjective.

Dominum agri
= Here we have an accusative noun; given that narrant can introduce indirect statement, we can expect an infinitive of which this noun is the accusative subject.

operam illam mandasse vicinis.
= Here is the infinitive of which the farmer is the subject, with operam as the object of the infinitive. The infinitive mandasse is an alternative form of mandavisse.

Respondet
= The implied subject of this verb is the mother bird, who is answering her chicks.

nihil esse periculi.
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with the partitive genitive phrase wrapped around the infinitive: nihil (nothing) periculi (of danger) = “there is no danger.”

Item, alio die, trepidi aiunt
= The implied subject of the plural verb is the chicks: trepidi (pulli) aiunt.

rogatos ad metendum esse amicos.
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with the infinitive wrapped around the gerund phrase, ad metendum, expressing purpose.

Iubet iterum illa
= The pronoun illa refers to the mother bird, illa (alauda).

ut sint securi.
= Again, the Latin ut clause is equivalent to an English infinitive: she orders them to be calm.

Tertio, ut audivit
= This is a temporal use of ut, meaning “as, as soon as.”

ipsum Dominum cum filio statuisse
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with dominum as the accusative subject and statuisse as the infinitive.

postremo mane cum falce messem intrare,
= The infinitive intrare is a complementary infinitive (introduced by statuisse) and the object of the infinitive is messem.

“Iam (inquit) est tempus
= As often, the verb inquit is used postpositively as a particle indicating quoted speech.

ut fugiamus.
= This expresses what needs to happen at this time. As often, the English equivalent to this ut clause is an infinitive: "time to run away."

Dominum enim agri timeo,
= Note the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect.

quia probe scio
= The word quod is used here to introduce an indirect statement, “Because I know full well that . . .”

quod illi res cordi est.”
= The pronoun refers to the master, with the dative in the predicate indicating the purpose or meaning of something: illi (domino) res cordi est, "it is a thing of personal concern to him" (something that is on his mind, something he feels in his heart).

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 51: Vulpes Sine Cauda

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 51 in the book: De Vulpe Sine Cauda. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

In foveam incidit Vulpecula inde, cauda detruncata, occurrit multis Vulpeculis. Quas cum indignabunde conspexerat, inquit, “Fraterculi, quo vaditis?” “Ad leonis basilicam eundum est nobis,” respondebant. “Ad leonis basilicam?” inquit Vulpes. “Profecto ego ab ea nuperrime redii et mos iamiam novellus est, ut omnes ferae detruncent caudas.” Quibus auditis, illico detruncabant illae suas caudas. Quas cum vidit Vulpes, irrisit et consolabatur se socios, si non periculi, saltem pudoris, creavisse.

In foveam incidit Vulpecula
= In the opening words, we meet the main character of the fable, a particular fox who has fallen into a trap.

inde,
= You can take this adverb as an expression of place or as an expression of time, referring to what happened after the fox got out of the trap.

cauda detruncata,
= Ablative absolute construction.

occurrit multis Vulpeculis.
= The verb occurrit takes a dative complement.

Quas cum indignabunde conspexerat,
= The referent of the relative pronoun quas is vulpeculis in the previous sentence: quas (vulpeculas) cum conspexerat.

inquit, “Fraterculi, quo vaditis?”
= The grammatical gender of the fox is feminine, but the fox addresses “his” fellow foxes as fraterculi, “little brothers." So, even though the fox's grammatical gender is feminine, this particular author is thinking of these foxes as males.

“Ad leonis basilicam eundum est nobis,”
= The dative nobis is used to express agency with the future passive periphrastic, eundum est.

respondebant.
= Notice that this verb is being used with direct quoted speech, rather than with indirect speech.

“Ad leonis basilicam?” inquit Vulpes.
= The verb inquit is also being used with direct quoted speech.

“Profecto ego ab ea nuperrime redii
= The pronoun refers to the lion’s palace, ab ea (basilica). The adverb nuperrime is the superlative form of the adverb, nuper.

et mos iamiam novellus est,
= Note the diminutive adjective, novellus, from the standard form, novus.

ut omnes ferae detruncent caudas.”
= As often, the Latin ut clause is equivalent to an English infinitive: the latest custom is for animals to cut off their tails.

Quibus auditis,
= The relative pronoun quibus connects back to the previous sentence, referring to the things that the fox has just said.

illico detruncabant illae suas caudas.
= The pronoun illae refers to those other foxes - the ones who, until just now, still had their tails!

Quas cum vidit Vulpes,
= The referent of the relative pronoun quas is the pronoun illae (vulpeculae) in the previous sentence: quas (vulpeculas) cum vidit. Note also the use of the indicative verb with cum.

irrisit et consolabatur
= The verb consolabatur introduces an indirect statement, explaining the comforting thoughts which went through the fox's mind.

se
= The reflexive pronoun is the accusative subject of the accusative plus infinitive clause, introduced by consolabatur.

socios, si non periculi, saltem pudoris, creavisse.
= The accusative socios provides the object of the infinitive, creavisse, whose subject is se. The genitives periculi and pudoris are parallel: socios (partners) periculi (of danger) = “partners in danger,” and socios pudoris, “partners in shame.”

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 50: Piscator et Pisciculus

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 50 in the book: De Piscatore et Pisciculo. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Smaridem Pisciculum captabat Piscator, quem, ut se tunc demitteret donec grandesceret unde luculentius et lautius hospitum fauces expleret, importunis precibus fatigavit. Cui Piscator: “Me sane insulsum crederes, si tam futilibus et lubricis promissis fidem adhiberem et certum commodum pro spe incerta commutarem.”

Smaridem Pisciculum
= Here we meet one of the main characters in the fable: a smaris, or "picarel," who is not just a fish, but a diminutive fish, pisciculus.

captabat Piscator,
= Here we meet the other main character of the fable: the fish.

quem,
= The referent of the relative pronoun quem is the fisherman. You are going to have to wait for a while to get the verb of which this is the object - but don't forget that it is waiting for a verb!

ut se tunc demitteret
= The reflexive pronoun refers to the subject of the main verb of the sentence which, as you will learn, is the fish. The subject of the subjunctive verb is the fisherman: ut se (pisciculum) tunc (piscator) demitteret.

donec grandesceret
= The subjunctive is introduced by donec, stating a hypothetical possibility about the future, if only the fisherman would let the little fish go.

unde luculentius et lautius hospitum fauces expleret,
= Another subjunctive verb expresses this hypothetical future, and the comparative adverbs are part of an implied comparison between this hypothetical future and the current reality: the fish would more splendidly and lavishly feed the guests in the future. The genitive plural hospitum refers to the banquet guests whose gullets would be filled by that hypothetical full-grown fish.

importunis precibus fatigavit.
= Remember the accusative fisherman back in the relative pronoun quem...? Well, it is the object of this verb, and the implied subject is the little picarel: quem (piscatorem) fatigavit (smaris pisciculus).

Cui Piscator:
= The referent of this relative pronoun cui is pisciculum in the previous sentence, with an implied verb of speaking: cui (pisciculo) piscator (inquit).

“Me sane insulsum crederes,
= The pronoun me is the accusative subject of an implied infinitive in indirect statement introduced by crederes, with insulsum as the predicate adjective: me (esse) insulsum crederes.

si tam futilibus et lubricis promissis fidem adhiberem
= The imperfect subjunctive expresses a hypothetical possibility which is contrary to fact: if the fisherman were to put his trust in these promises... but he does not trust the fish's promises at all!

et certum commodum pro spe incerta commutarem.”
= This subjunctive verb also expresses a contrary-to-fact conditional sentence: if the fisherman were to exchange his profit for mere hope... but he is not going to make that exchange, much to the regret of the fish!

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Mini-Lecture: The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Today's mini-lecture is about one of the most famous of Aesop's fables - the story of the boy who cried wolf. This Aesop's fable got its start in the Greek storytelling tradition, and you can find it recorded in the ancient Greek prose collections of Aesop's fables, dating back to around two thousand years ago.

If you are looking for the oldest version of the story in Latin, you will not find it in the ancient or medieval collections of Aesop's fables. Instead, you have to wait for Steinhowel's Aesop in the 15th century for the story of "the boy who cried wolf" to become part of the Latin tradition of Aesop's fables (Steinhowel got his version from a Renaissance scholar named Ranutio d'Arezzo, also known by his Latin name, Remicius, who translated some of the fables from the Greek Aesop into Latin). Thanks to Steinhowel, whose edition of Aesop became famous all over Europe, you can find many examples of the story of the boy who cried wolf in English, beginning with Caxton's English Aesop, first published in the year 1484.

The story of the boy who cried wolf teaches its lesson by means of a negative example. That is, the story is about a character who makes a foolish mistake, and who then suffers some kind of punishment as a result. The idea is that we should learn from this negative example to avoid making the same foolish mistake ourselves!

The mistake that the shepherd's boy makes, of course, is that he jokes about the presence of danger - just for fun, he cries, "Wolf!" so that people come running to help him - and the boy thinks this is very funny indeed. He plays this joke on the people over and over again. Then, the wolf actually does show up! The boy cries, "Wolf!" but no one comes running to help him, and the wolf is able to devastate the boy's flock of sheep.

As a result of his foolish mistake, the boy suffers a terrible loss - and, by observing his punishment, we are supposed to learn to avoid making this same mistake ourselves. Don't be like the boy who cried wolf; instead, you should always tell the truth. That is what the fable teaches.

The story teaches this moral as a kind of practical lesson, showing you the actual value of telling the truth: you should always tell the truth, because if you lie, then people will not believe you, even when you are telling the truth! The fable does not simply impose some kind of value judgment absolutely and out of context, commanding you to tell the truth because this is a good thing to do or the right thing to do. Instead, this fable presents a kind of argument or demonstration that is intended to convince you of the value of telling the truth. It is important to always tell the truth because that is the only way you can be sure that people will believe you in a moment of real need. When the wolf shows up - when you are in trouble for any kind of reason - you want to be sure that people will listen to your cries for help, and the only way you can be sure of that is to start telling the truth right now.

The metaphor of "the wolf" is a great way to express all the possible dangers that might turn up unexpectedly in your life. The wolf's arrival is a metaphor for any kind of crisis when you find yourself in trouble and need other people to come help you. Just to take one example, the wolf could be a symbol of an illness: if someone complains all the time about imaginary aches and pains, then the doctor will be less likely to believe that patient when he is suffering from a real illness.

You can also apply the fable on a larger scale, to the world of politics, where some politicians manipulate people's imaginary fears - and then, when there is some real and imminent danger, the people are no longer willing to rise to the occasion, having been duped so many times before. This is the approach which Samuel Croxall takes in his edition of Aesop's fables in 1805, which supplies this political moral to the story - and I quote - "When we are alarmed with imaginary dangers in respect of the public, till the cry grows quite stale and threadbare, how can it be expected we should know when to guard ourselves against real ones?" So, for Croxall, the story of the boy who cried wolf is not just a story about personal morality; it also has a political message. In using the fable for political purposes, Croxall is carrying on a long tradition - dating back to ancient Greece and Rome - of reading Aesop's fables as political commentary.

Here you can see just why Aesop's fables have appealed to so many different audiences for so many different reasons for thousands of years: even a very simple story can express a whole range of meanings, teaching lessons to little children, and also to the leaders of our government! That is because the story is a symbol, a polyvalent symbol, you might say, that is, a symbol with many possible meanings. Yet, at the same time, it is also a story: an exciting little story about a boy, and a wolf.

If you look at the illustration for this fable by Francis Barlow, it conveys all the excitement and anguish of the story's climax, when the wolf has arrived and has ravaged the flock.

You can see the desperate expression on the boy's face as he chases after the wolf. He has his shepherd's crook in his hand, and there is even a loyal sheepdog who is also chasing after the wolf - but the wolf has one of the sheep firmly gripped in his teeth and it doesn't look like there is anything the boy can do to stop him. Meanwhile, off in the distance, you can see the farmers plowing the field with their horses, unconcerned. You can also see the rest of the sheep nibbling on the grass in the meadow, oblivious to what is going on. The boy and his dog are facing the wolf alone, and there is nothing they can do to rescue the poor sheep who is being carried off in the jaws of the beast. Barlow has made that poor sheep look especially pathetic; you can almost hear the plaintive bleats coming from its open mouth as the wolf grips it firmly by the throat.

Think about that for a minute - could that sheep be trying to say something? One unusual feature of this story is that the animals do not talk, as animals usually do in Aesop's fables. The wolf, for example, does not make fun of the boy as he runs away with the sheep. Of course, you could very easily create a version of this story with talking animals: it's easy to imagine that the wolf might say something to the boy, adding insult to injury, as he runs away with the sheep in its mouth.

Or it could be the sheep who pronounces the moral of the story, since the wolf might find it hard to speak since his mouth is already full. In fact, I am sure that the sheep would have something to say about this situation, since the sheep is actually the character who has paid the highest price for the boy's bad behavior. So, take a look at the sheep there in Barlow's illustration, as it struggles in the grip of the wolf: can you hear what the sheep might be saying? Here are the words I hear the sheep saying: "It was just a joke for you, kid, but for me it has turned out to be a matter of life and death!" Or, if the sheep were to speak Latin, she just might say: O nugator, causa ioci tui, sic moritura sum.

Questions? Comments? You can leave comments here at the blog, or visit the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

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