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Fable of the Day: De Mure et Rana (Barlow)

Post longe exercita odia, Mus et Rana in bellum ruebant; causa certaminis erat de paludis imperio. Anceps pugna fuit. Mus insidias sub herbis struebat et improviso Marte Ranam adoritur. Rana, viribus melior et pectore, insultuque valens, hostem aggreditur. Hasta utrique erat iuncea et paribus formosa nodis. Sed certamine procul viso, Milvus adproperat, dumque prae pugnae studio neuter sibi cavebat, bellatores ambos egregie pugnantes Milvus secum attollit laniatque.

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:

bellator (bellatoris, m.): warrior, combatant
bellum: war
causa: reason, cause
certamen (certaminis, n.): contest, combat, disput
hasta: spear, javelin
herba: herb, grass
hostis (hostis): enemy, stranger
imperium: rule, supreme power
insidiae (insidiarum): ambush, snare
insultus (insultus, m.): attack, assault
Mars (Martis, m.): war, god of war
nodus: knot, node
odium: hatred
palus (paludis, f.): swamp
pectus (pectoris, n.): chest, heart, spiritedness
pugna: fight
studium: eager pursuit, dedication

anceps (ancipitis): two-headed, doubtful, double
formosus: shapely, lovely
improvisus: unexpected, unforeseen
iunceus: made of rushes
melior, melius (melioris): better
neuter, neutra, neutrum: neither, not either
par (paris): equal, like
uterque (utriusque): each of two


adorior (adoriri): assail, atttack, accost
adpropero (adproperare): hasten, hurry towards
aggredior (aggredi): approach, attack
attollo (attollere): raise up, lift on high
caveo (cavere): beware, watch out for
exerceo (exercere), exercitus: practice, cultivate, exercise
lanio (laniare): mangle, tear to pieces
pugno (pugnare): fight, do battle
ruo (ruere): rush, rush into
struo (struere): build, array, construct
valeo (valere): be well, strong

ambo: both, two together
egregie: exceptionally, admirably well
longe: for a long time, far off
post: after, behind
prae: before, in front of
procul: far off, at a distance
sub: under, beneath

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

adoritur: this deponent verb, although passive in form, takes an object - ranam

viribus...pectore: notice the word order; the frog is superior in viribus et pectore (meaning here "spirit, fighting spirit")

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

utrique: this dative shows possession; each of them had a hasta iuncea

paribus...nodis: notice how this ablative expression wraps around the adjective that it is explaining

viso: participle used in an ablative absolute construction

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