02.04.24: Review of 3rd declension nouns [5]

DĒ URBE RŌMĀ

[Chesnutt: the Road to Latin (1933)]

Rōma est urbs clāra. Viae, templa, aedificia urbis sunt pulchra. Flūmen Tiberis urbem dīvidit. Mare nōn longe ab urbe abest. In mare flūmen Tiberis fluit; urbs Rōma ab ōre flūminis Tiberis nōn longē abest. Nōmen maris est Mare Īnferum. Ā marī paucae nāvēs Rōmam veniunt quod flūmen nōn est altum. Est Mare Superum quoque; nam maria Italiam ferē circumstant. Sunt multae et magnae urbēs in Italiā. Rōma est maxima urbium. Rōma est caput Italiae. Multīs urbibus pulchrīs proxima est Rōma. Viātōrēs ā multīs terrīs ad urbēs clārās veniunt. In multīs urbibus Italiae sunt ruīnae aedificiōrum magnōrum. Ruīnae urbium antīquārum viātōribus sunt grātae; antīquās urbēs libenter spectant. Temporibus antīquīs cīvis Rōmānus erat homō superbus. Nisi homō erat cīvis Rōmānus, “barbarus” saepe appellābātur. Vīta cīvis Rōmānī erat inviolāta. Barbarus cīvī Rōmānō nōn erat cārus; itaque vīta barbarī nōn erat involāta. Barbarus cīvem Rōmānum nōn amābat et ā cīve Romānō nōn amābātur. Cīvēs Rōmānī exrēmīs in terrīs saepe habitābant. Iūra cīvium Rōmānōrum etiam extrēmīs in terrīs dīligenter servābantur. Iūdicēs etiam extrēmīs in terrīs dīligenter servābantur. Iūdicēs cīvibus Rōmānīs erant benignī. Sī homō clāmābat, “cīvis Rōmānus sum,” vīta est involāta. Itaque imperium Rōmānum et in Italiā et in terrīs extrēmīs cīvēs Romānōs servābat. Iūre imperium Rōmānum ā cīvibus Rōmānīs laudābātur.

Vocabulary

(a) 3rd declension nouns

cīvis, cīvis [3/m or f]: citizen

flūmen, flūminis [3/n]: river

iūs, iūris [3/n]: law; right

mare, maris [3/n]: sea

navis, -is [3/f]: ship

ōs, ōris [3/m]: mouth

urbs, urbis [3/f]: city

viātor, viātōris [3/m]: traveller

(b) other words

fluō, fluere [3]: flow

inviolātus, -a, -um: inviolable i.e. (their rights) cannot be infringed

nisi: unless

servō, servāre [1]: maintain; keep; protect

superbus, -a, -um: [i] (positive) proud; distinguished [ii] (negative) proud as in ‘haughty’ or ‘arrogant’

Tiber, -is [3/m; accusative: Tiberim]: the Tiber, the river running through Rome

Mare Īnferum; Mare Superum

īnferus, -a, -um: lower

• Mare Īnferum: the Lower Sea; this was the name commonly used to refer to Tyrrhenum Mare, the Tyrrhenian Sea along the west coast of Italy. It was also known as the Tuscan Sea (Tuscum Mare).

superus, -a, -um: upper

• Mare Superum: the Upper Sea; this was the name commonly used to refer to Adriaticum Mare, the Adriatic Sea, the arm of the Mediterranean between the Italian and Balkan peninsulas.

Notes

[1] Further examples of the passive:

[i] “barbarus” saepe appellābātur. He was often called “a barbarian”.

[ii] A good illustration of the active and passive in the same sentence:

• Barbarus cīvem Rōmānum [i] nōn amābat ¦ et ā cīve Romānō nōn amābātur.
• The Barbarian [i] did not love the Roman citizen ¦ and [ii] was not loved by the Roman citizen.

[iii] Iūra cīvium Rōmānōrum etiam ¦ extrēmīs in terrīs ¦ dīligenter servābantur.

• The rights of Roman citizens were carefully protected even in very distant lands.

A couple of points here:

(a) extremis in terris: in far off lands; note the preposition between the adjective and the noun

(b) iūra cīvium Rōmānōrum: the rights of Roman citizens

iūs, iūris [3/n]: right; law

Now look at that same word in the next sentence:

Iūre ¦ imperium Rōmānum ¦ ā cīvibus Rōmānīs ¦ laudābātur.

• The Roman Empire ¦ was justly praised ¦ by the Roman citizens.

Here it is in the ablative case iūre meaning ‘with justification’ i.e. justly

What a difference a case makes! 

[3] temporibus antīquīs [ablative]: in ancient times; in grammar the specific term is the ablative of time when i.e. it refers to a specific point or period in time

[4] Multīs urbibus [dative] pulchrīs proxima est Rōma. This was covered before but, again, note proximus, -a, -um (near) which takes the dative case: Rome is next to many beautiful cities.

[5]

• iūra ¦ cīvium: the rights of citizens
• Rōma est maxima ¦ urbium. Rome is the largest ¦ of the cities
• ruīnae ¦ urbium: the ruins of the cities
• Maria ¦ Italiam ferē circumstant. The seas ¦ almost surround Italy.
• Ā marī ¦ paucae nāvēs Rōmam veniunt. Few ships come to Rome ¦ from the sea.

Take a look at those three endings: -ium, -ia, -ī. They will be discussed in the next post.

The images show a very clear city map of Ancient Rome and part of an 18th century map showing the Mare Īnferum and Mare Superum.

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Rome is a famous city. The streets, the temples, the buildings of the city are beautiful. The river Tiber divides the city. The sea is not far (away) from the city. The river Tiber flows into the sea; the city of Rome is not far from the banks of the river Tiber. The name of the sea is the Lower Sea. Few ships come to Rome from the sea because the river is not deep. There is also the Upper Sea for the seas almost surround Italy. There are many great cities in Italy. Rome is the largest of the cities. Rome is the capital of Italy. Rome is close to many beautiful cities. Travelers from many countries come to the famous cities. In many cities of Italy there are ruins of great buildings. The ruins of ancient cities please the travellers; they look with pleasure at the ancient cities. In ancient times the Roman citizen was a proud man. Unless a man was a Roman citizen, he was often called a "barbarian." The life of every Roman citizen was inviolable. The barbarian was not dear to the Romans; therefore, the life of the barbarian was not inviolable. The barbarian did not love the Roman citizen, and he was not loved by the Roman citizen. The Roman people often lived in remote areas. The rights of Roman citizens were carefully maintained even in far-off lands. The judges were also carefully protected in the most distant territores. The judges were kind to Roman citizens. If a man cried out, "I am a Roman citizen," his life was inviolable. And so Roman authority protected Roman citizens both in Italy and in far-off lands. Roman government was justly praised by Roman citizens.

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