Fable of the Day: De Sole et Vento (Barlow)

[Laura Gibbs]

Sol et Aquilo certabant uter sit fortior. Conventum est experiri vires in Viatorem, ut palmam ferat qui excusserit Viatoris manticam. Boreas horrisono turbine Viatorem aggreditur. At ille non desistit, amictum gradiendo duplicans. Assumit vires Sol qui, nimbo paulatim evicto, totos emolitur radios. Incipit Viator aestuare, sudare, anhelare. Tandem progredi nequiens, sub frondoso nemore, obiecta mantica, resedit et ita Soli victoria contingebat.

You will notice a new format here! This is because I am now finalizing materials for the edition of Aesop's fables that I'll be publishing with Bolchazy-Carducci, based on Barlow's Aesop of 1687.

Here is the vocabulary for the fable, excluding the words which are on the Common Word List:

amictus (amictus, m.): cloak, outer garment
aquilo (aquilonis, m.): north wind
Boreas (Boreae, m.): north wind
mantica: bag, knapsack
nemus (nemoris, n.): wood, forest
nimbus: cloud, rainstorm
palma: palm, palm of victory
radius: ray
sol (solis, m.): sun
turbo (turbinis, m.): whirlwind, tornado
ventus : wind
victoria: victory

fortis, forte (fortis): strong
frondosus: leafy, shady
horrisonus: dreadful sounding

uter, utra, utrum (utrius): which (of two)
aestuo (aestuare): become hot, boil
aggredior (aggredi): approach, attack
anhelo (anhelare): pant, gasp
assumo (assumere): take up, take on, claim
certo (certare): strive, contend, dispute
contingit (contingere): turn out, fall to
convenio (convenire), conventus: agree, harmonize
desisto (desistere): stop, cease
duplico (duplicare): double, bend double
emolior (emoliri): carry through, bring forth, accomplish
evinco (evincere), evictus: subdue, overcome
excutio (excutere), excussi: shake off, cast out
experior (experiri): test, try, attempt
gradior (gradi): walk, step
incipio (incipere): begin, start
nequeo (nequire): be unable, cannot
obicio (obicere), obiectus: cast off, throw
progredior (progredi): go forward, proceed
resideo (residere), resedi: stay, remain
sudo (sudare): sweat, perspire

at: but, on the other hand
ita: thus, therefore
paulatim: little by little
sub: beneath, under

Comments: For a segmented version of the text and an English translation, see the Aesopus website.

sit: subjunctive in indirect question

experiri: this deponent verb, although passive in form, takes an object - vires

qui: a relative pronoun, whose antecedent is the implied subject of ferat

aggreditur: this deponent verb, although passive in form, takes an object - viatorem

gradiendo: the ablative of the gerund gradiendum is being used like an adverb here: at a walking pace, step by step

evicto: participle used in an ablative absolute construction

totos...radios: note how the accusative object "wraps around" the verb

emolitur: this deponent verb, although passive in form, takes an object - radios

obiecta: participle used in an ablative absolute construction

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