Aesop's Fables in Latin: Ancient Wit and Wisdom from the Animal Kingdom [Paperback]

Laura Gibbs (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0865166951 | ISBN-13: 978-0865166950 | Publication Date: February 1, 2009

This intermediate Latin reader allows students to review grammar and syntax and increase their knowledge of Latin prose style while they read eighty Aesop's fables in Latin prose, taken from the seventeenth-century edition illustrated by Francis Barlow. These Latin prose fables are ideal for Latin language students: simple, short, witty, and to-the-point, with a memorable moral lesson that provides a jumping-off point for discussion. Forty original black-and-white Barlow illustrations and 129 pertinent Latin proverbs are featured, spurs for classroom discussion. Selected fables include many that have become proverbial, such as 'The Tortoise and The Hare' and 'The Dog in the Manger,' along with lesser known fables.

This is the perfect ancillary for intermediate students, to increase comprehension, confidence, and enthusiasm for reading Latin.

Special Features

* Introduction, covering Aesop's fables in the ancient world, the Latin-language sources for the fables, and Aesop's fables in early modern England
* Latin Reading Guide, including study tips and strategies to increase student reading confidence-helps students read, not just translate
* 80 Aesop's fables in Latin prose, with - introductory comments with references to other versions of the fable - engaging grammar overview for review and to increase comprehension - opposite-page vocabulary notes for less familiar words - same-page grammar notes
* 40 black-and-white illustrations by Francis Barlow
* 129 thematically relevant Latin proverbs * 4 Appendices: - glossary of grammatical terms, with references to fables containing specific grammatical features - vocabulary frequency list - English vocabulary-building list based on the Latin vocabulary - annotated listing of online
* Bibliography for further reading

For over 30 years Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers has produced the highest quality Latin and ancient Greek books. From Dr. Seuss books in Latin to Plato's Apology, Bolchazy-Carducci's titles help readers learn about ancient Rome and Greece; the Latin and ancient Greek languages are alive and well with titles like Cicero's De Amicitia and Kaegi's Greek Grammar. We also feature a line of contemporary eastern European and WWII books.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 358 pages
• Publisher: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers (February 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865166951
• ISBN-13: 978-0865166950
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for refreshing and improving your Latin, February 21, 2009

By 

Caroline Lawrence "author of The Roman Myster... (London, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Aesop's Fables in Latin: Ancient Wit and Wisdom from the Animal Kingdom (Paperback)

Laura Gibbs has already done students and teachers of Latin a favor with her online Latin fables: [...] Now she has produced this treasure-chest of a book with eighty of Aesop's fables.

Geared towards the student who already has some knowledge of the language, the fables in this volume may be short, but they are not necessarily simple. For example, take the first fable:

Leaena, cum a Vulpe saepe exprobaretur quod, quolibet partu, unum dumtaxat catulum parturiret, respondet, 'Unum sane, at pol Leonem!'

Instead of just giving the translation, Laura gives vocabulary and grammar clues and lets you work it out for yourself. The fables get longer and more challenging as the book progresses. The book is is also packed full of charming illustrations, mottoes and - best of all - short backgrounds to each fable.

My resolution is to do one a day: unum sane, at pol leonem!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aesop Back in Latin, at Last!, March 25, 2009

By 

Willis G. Regier "Billinois" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Aesop's Fables in Latin: Ancient Wit and Wisdom from the Animal Kingdom (Paperback)

For centuries students were introduced to Latin through Aesop's fables. This book makes that possible again, but with much better student aids than the old textbooks ever had. This is fully equipped with a vocabulary, an introduction, and cross-references to enable a student to proceed steadily and when necessary, backtrack to review.

Additional improvements over former editions are the reproductions of engravings from the renowned (and rare) 1687 edition of Francis Barlow and a battery of on-line supplements. The Latin versions (Aesop spoke Greek) are by Robert Codrington, and are taken from the same edition of Barlow.

Animating the entire book is the editor's exuberant enthusiasm for Aesop. She does her utmost to make the Latin fables attractive. The book is very well printed and produced, in large format.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, March 31, 2010

By 

Fraser Pearce (Bendigo, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Aesop's Fables in Latin: Ancient Wit and Wisdom from the Animal Kingdom (Paperback)

This is a wonderful production - if you have some basic Latin it will give you everything else you need to enjoy reading the fables.

Do have a look at the 'search inside this book' section - you'll get a good idea how well Laura Gibbs has done in putting the volume together.