Barth: Calvaria

Here's another one of the Aesopic fables in hexameter verse:

Book 3 - Fable 25. Calvaria.

In triviis quondam Calvaria glabra iacebat

Relliquiae humani capitis, cui fata supremum

Invidere decus. Puer hanc petulante lapillo

Insultans petit, et convicia plurima iactat.

At lapis impulsu teretis reiectus ab ossis

Insiluit faciem fugientis, et aspera rupit

Vulnere letali confinia frontis et auris.

Proiectos calcare cave. Sacer ille Deorum est

Qui patitur, tutelam habet hic in vindice poena.

Here is the poem written out in English prose order to help in reading:

quondam

in triviis 

glabra calvaria iacebat,

relliquiae humani capitis, 

cui fata invidere 

supremum decus. 

Puer, insultans,

petit hanc 

petulante lapillo, 

et iactat plurima convicia.

at lapis,

reiectus ab teretis ossis,

impulsu 

insiluit faciem (pueri) fugientis, 

et rupit

aspera confinia frontis et auris

letali vulnere.

cave calcare proiectos;

ille qui patitur

est sacer Deorum:

hic habet tutelam 

in vindice poena.

I hope I can find some other versions of this story; I really like it, especially the eerie way it turns the skull into a character in the story, even though it is not a talking skull.

And here's the meter marked:

In trivi·is quon·dam Cal·varia · glabra ia·cebat

Relliqui·~ huma·ni capi·tis, cui · fata su·premum

Invi·dere de·cus. Puer · hanc petu·lante la·pillo

Insul·tans petit, · et con·vicia · plurima · iactat.

At lapis · impul·su tere·tis re·iectus ab · ossis

Insilu·it faci·em fugi·entis, et · aspera · rupit

Vulnere · leta·li con·finia · frontis et · auris.

Proiec·tos cal·care ca·ve. Sacer · ille De·orum~st

Qui pati·tur, tu·tel~ habet · hic in · vindice · poena.

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Meanwhile, for more, here are the other hexameter poems I've posted so far here at the blog. :-)