DĒ POTESTĀTE RŌMĀNĀ
[Chesnutt: the Road to Latin (1933)]
In principiō Rōma erat parva urbs. Bellō potestātem augēbat.
Prīmō proeliō cum gentibus proximīs gerēbantur. Virtūs gentium proximārum erat
magna sed Rōmānī erant victōrēs. Tandem Rōma erat domina Italiae. Trāns mare
habitābant Carthāginiēnsēs. Erant hostēs Rōmānōrum. Magnam classem habēbant;
itaque mare regēbant. Magnum numerum nāvium longārum habēbant et bellum
amābant. Erant longa bella inter Rōmānōs et Carthāginiēnsēs; magna erat caedēs.
Tandem Rōmānī erant victōrēs; itaque Rōma erat domina maris. Tum in Asiā et in
Galliā et in Britanniā bella gerēbantur. Tandem Asia, Gallia, Britannia in
Rōmae potestāte erant. Sīc terrā marīque potestās Rōmāna
erat maxima.
Vocabulary
(a) 3rd declension nouns
caedēs, caedis [3/f]: slaughter, massacre
classis, -is [3/f]: fleet
gēns, gentis [3/f]: race, tribe
nāvis, -is [3/f]: ship
nāvis longa: warship
potestās, potestātis [3/f]: power, ability
(b) other words
augeō, augēre [2]: increase
Carthāginiēnsis: Carthaginian; the spelling is sometimes
with a /k/: Karthāginiēnsis
Notes
When learning any language there are features that are more
important than others. There is a risk, which I have experienced too, of
becoming dragged down by lengthy explanations of comparatively minor points
which simply interrupts the flow of learning. The information below refers to a
particular feature of 3rd declension nouns. At the end, there are three points
summarised.
I stress this from my own experience.
Choice #1: I would suggest that, for the moment, you read
through the information, note the summaries and leave it at that.
Choice #2: If you do want to look at this in greater depth,
I have posted a file - i-stem nouns - which explains it all in
detail, and no grammar book will be able to explain it any more concisely than
the information in that file. But the explanations - especially if you’re still
finding your way around Latin - can seem daunting, full of complex terms and
difficult to remember.
When I started, I made the wrong choice and, in the end,
abandoned the explanations until I had become more familiar with the language.
Only then, did I look at it more closely.
Following on from the text above and other recent ones:
We’re focusing on three specific points.
Point One
flōs, flōris [3/m]: flower
homō, hominis [3/m]: man; in the plural hominēs most
often refers to people
spectātor, spectātōris [3/m]: spectator
From recent texts:
odor ¦ flōrum: the scent ¦ of the
flowers
Multitūdō hominum ¦ in Rōmae viās properābat: A
crowd ¦ of people ¦ hurried into the streets of Rome.
Clāmōrēs spectātōrum ¦ Circum Maximum complent:
The shouts ¦ of the spectators ¦ fill the Circus Maximus.
That’s the genitive plural, the case that expresses
possession and English ‘of’, and you can see that the 3rd declension ending is
-um.
Now look at these ones from recent texts:
cīvīs, -is [3/m or f]: citizen
gēns, gentis [3/f]: tribe; race
īnfāns, īnfantis [3/m or f]: infant
urbs, urbis [3/f]: city
iūra ¦ cīvium : the rights ¦ of citizens
virtūs ¦ gentium: the courage ¦ of the
races
quirītātūs ¦ īnfantium: the plaintive cries ¦ of infants
Rōma est maxima ¦ urbium: Rome is
the largest ¦ of the cities
ruīnae ¦ urbium: the ruins ¦ of cities
** Point One: sometimes the genitive plural of 3rd
declension nouns ends in -um, and sometimes -ium **
Point Two
From recent texts:
caput, capitis [3/n]
corpus, corporis [3/n]
iūs, iūris [3/n]: right
mare, maris [3/n]: sea
They’re all neuter nouns.
Iūra [nominative plural] … dīligenter
servābantur: Rights … were carefully protected.
Super capita et corpora [accusative
plural] … reliquae quadrīgae volant: The remaining chariots fly over the heads
and bodies ….
Here we have nominative and accusative plural of
3rddeclension nouns ending in -a
Now look at this one from a recent text:
Maria Italiam ferē circumstant: The seas almost
surround Italy.
** Point two: sometimes the nominative and accusative of 3rd
declension neuter nouns end in -a, and sometimes -ia. **
Point Three
ōs, oris [3/n]: mouth
mare, maris [3] sea
From a recent text:
Urbs Rōma ab ōre flūminis Tiberis nōn longē
abest: The city of Rome is not far away from the mouth of the River Tiber.
3rd declension noun in the ablative case; the ending is -e
Now look at these ones from recent texts:
terrā marīque: by land and by sea
Ā marī paucae nāvēs Rōmam veniunt: Few ships
come from the sea to Rome.
** Point three: sometimes the ablative singular of 3rd
declension nouns ends in -e and sometimes -ī **
Summary
1. Point One: sometimes the genitive plural of 3rd declension
nouns ends in -um, and sometimes -ium
2. Point two: sometimes the nominative and accusative of 3rd
declension neuter nouns end in -a, and sometimes -ia.
3. Point three: sometimes the ablative singular of 3rd
declension nouns ends in -e and sometimes -ī
For the moment, as I said at the beginning, leave it
at that. It is enough when reading simply to be able to recognise those
endings.
____________________
In the beginning Rome was a small town. It increased its
power by war. The first battle was fought the neighboring nations. The courage
of the neighbouring nations was great, but the Romans were the victors. At last
Rome was the mistress of Italy. The Carthaginians lived across the sea. They
were the enemies of the Romans. They had a great fleet; therefore they ruled
the sea. They had a large number of long ships and loved war. There were long
wars between the Romans and the Carthaginians; the slaughter was great. At last
the Romans were the victors, and so Rome was the mistress of the sea. Wars were
then waged in Asia, in Gaul, and in Britain. At last Asia, Gaul, and Britain
were under the power of Rome. Thus Roman power on land and sea was the
greatest.
