Latin Via Proverbs 171

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes present active indicative forms of the verb fero.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 171

2205. He's carrying sand to the shore. (You can find this listed as a futile gesture in Ovid's Tristia.)

2206. He's carrying wood into the forest. (This is clearly a foolish thing to do, as this version of the proverb makes clear: ligna in silvam ferre stultum est.)

2207. He's bringing ears of corn into the field of grain. (You can find this listed as a futile gesture in Ovid's Tristia.)

2208. He's bringing owls to Athens. (This is another futile gesture; as owls notoriously abound in Athens, with the owl being the bird dear to Athena herself, there is no need to bring owls there.)

2209. The hedgehog postpones the process of giving birth. (You will find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 2.4.83. As Erasmus explains, this is a very poor strategy, even for the hedgehog. Because it delays giving birth to the children, they only become more and more spiny, making the birth all the more difficult when it does finally take place!)

2210. Time itself yields a plan. (This is another saying from the Latin legal tradition which obviously has an application to life in general. Waiting can sometimes be the best strategy, in the absence of any other plan.)

2211. He's bring the siege engines after the war is over. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 3.1.17.)

2212. He's comparing a gnat to an elephant. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 3.1.27.)

2213. Grey hair does not bring wisdom. (Here is a more elaborate expression of the same idea: Canities indicatio temporis est, non prudentiae.)

2214. The wise man carries his own goods with him. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 4.5.9.)

2215. A river does not always bear axes. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 4.3.57, based on the Aesopic fable about the man who lost his axe.)
Fluvius non semper fert secures.

2216. Time bears away all things, even the mind. (You will find this saying in Vergil's Eclogue 9.)

2217. A dog dares greater acts of boldness in front of his own door. (There are many variations on this saying, including this very simple one: Canis domi ferocissimus.)

2218. In one hand he bears water; in the other, fire. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 4.4.74.)

2219. In one hand he carries a stone; in the other, he offers bread. (You can find this saying in Plautus.)

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