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barlow086

Page history last edited by Laura Gibbs 14 years, 8 months ago

 

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Barlow 86. DE URSO ET ALVEARI

 

ONLINE FORUM: At the Aesopus Ning Forum, you can ask questions about this fable. You will also  find links there to additional learning materials to help you in reading the Latin (vocabulary, grammar commentary, simplified version, quizzes, macrons, etc.).

 

Ab Apiculis irritatus et leviter ictus, Ursus indignabundus in totum alveare totis viribus irruebat. Ad quam violentam concussionem, Apes omnes, velut agmine facto, in faciem Ursi involabant. Quarum acriter cruciatus aculeis Ursus: “Quanto (inquit) satius mihi fuisset unius Apiculae tulisse patienter aculeum, quam tam temere totum examen irritasse!”

 

Translation: Irritated by the little bees and lightly stung, the bear, enraged, rushed at the whole hive with all his strength. At this violent blow, all the bees, arrayed like an army, flew right into the bear's face. Sharply tormented by their stingers, the bear said, "How much more satisfactory it would have been for me to have patiently suffered the sting of one little bee, than to so rashly have stirred up the whole swarm!"

 

[This translation is meant as a help in understanding the story, not as a "crib" for the Latin. I have not hesitated to change the syntax to make it flow more smoothly in English, altering the verb tense consistently to narrative past tense, etc.]

 

The Moral of the Story:

 

Docet

moderationem et patientiam, humanis actionibus praesidem,

fore prudentissimum

et

quam futilis sit

impotens iracundia

et illic excandescere

ubi

non penes nos sit

iniuriam illatam vindicare.

 

Illustration: Here is an illustration from this edition, by the renowned artist Francis Barlow; click on the image for a larger view.

 

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