04.04.24: reading practice

DUX ET MĪLITĒS

[Chesnutt: the Road to Latin (1933)]

Dux bellum amat. Libenter dux armātōs ad bellum dūcit. Vīta ducis perīculōrum est plēna; sed ducis virtus est magna. Ducī patria est cāra. Saepe patria ducem vocat; tum ā duce armātī ad bellum dūcuntur. Erant apud Rōmānōs multī et clārī ducēs. Statuae ducum clārōrum in forō Rōmānō vidēbantur. Bellum ducibus Rōmānīs erat semper grātum quod spolia erant multa. Nōs ducēs Rōmānōs laudāmus et fābulās dē ducibus legimus. Mīles bellum amat. Virtūs mīlitis est magna. Victōria mīlitī est grāta; itaque prō patriā dīligenter pugnat. Pāx quoque mīlitem dēlectat et ā mīlite laudāntur. Apud Rōmānōs erant multī et clārī mīlitēs. Victōriae mīlitum Rōmānōrum erant multae. Saepe magnī triumphī agēbantur. Triumphī et ducibus et mīlitibus erant grātī. Populus Rōmānus mīlitēs laudābat quod multa spolia ā ducibus mīlitibusque Rōmam portābantur. Lēx antīqua erant: victōrī sunt spolia.

MĪLITĒS RŌMĀNĪ

Auctōritās Rōmāna erat magna quod Rōma tot mīlitēs habēbat. Mīlitēs erant peditēs et equitēs. Eques equum habēbat et ab equō pugnābat. Pedes equum nōn habēbat; pedibus pugnābat. Equitēs proelium committēbant sed peditēs pīlīs et gladiīs proelium gerēbant. Arma peditis erant lōrīca, galea, scutum, gladius. In sinistrā scūtum, in dextrā pīlum portābantur. Interdum mīlitēs Rōmānī oppidum oppugnābant, et magnī lapidēs in mūrōs oppidī mittēbantur. Virtūs mīlitum Rōmānōrum erant magna. Ā rēgibus et prīncipibus multārum terrārum Rōmānī timēbantur quod fāma mīlitum Rōmānōrum erat magna. Līberī rēgum et prīncipum saepe erant obsidēs Rōmānōrum et Rōmam dūcēbantur. Multā fābulās dē obsidibus Rōmānōrum legimus.

[1] This time, all I’ll do is give the nominative singular of the 3rd declension nouns. What would the genitive singular be? That’s what you need to form the stem for all the other endings. All you have to do is look through the two short texts and you will see the stem change, for example:

rēx > then look for another form of that word where the stem change is showing (rēg¦ibus) and add -is to the stem: > rēg¦is

dux, du __ is [3/m]: leader

pēs, pe __ is [3/m]: foot

lapis, lap__ __ is [3/m]: stone

obses, obs __ __ is [3/m]: hostage

eques, __________ [3/m]: horseman

mīles, __________ [3/m]: soldier

pedes, __________ [3/m]: foot soldier

prīnceps, __________ [3/m]: chief

[2] Other vocabulary

lōrīca, -ae [1/f]: corselet; armour

pīlum, -ī [2/n]: javelin; spear

tot: so many

[3] Which words go where? Look at the extracts from the text and fill in the blanks with the words listed.

about; by; commander; commanders; have; led; on foot; read; seen; soldiers; to; used; were

1. Tum ā duce armātī ad bellum dūcuntur.

Then armed men are __________ to war by the __________.

2. Statuae ducum clārōrum in forō Rōmānō vidēbantur.

The statues of famous __________ were __________ in the Roman forum.

3. Multa spolia ā ducibus mīlitibusque Rōmam portābantur.

Many spoils __________ carried __________ the commanders and the __________ to Rome.

4. Nōs … fābulās dē ducibus legimus.

We __________ tales __________ the commanders.

5. Victōrī sunt spolia.

Spoils __________ the victor.

6. Pedes equum nōn habēbat; pedibus pugnābat.

The foot soldier did not __________ a horse; he __________ to fight __________.