29.02.24: reading practice

Read and try to understand the text with the help of the vocabulary and with notes from previous posts.

[The Road to Latin (Chesnutt) 1932]

Cornēlius et fīliī

Cornēlius et fīliī in Viā Appiā sunt. Virum armātum vident. Vir armātus est nūntius Rōmānus et equum album habet. Et nūntius et equus sunt dēfessī quod Rōmam properant. Nūntius magnam pugnam Rōmānam nūntiat. “Ubi, mī amīce, Rōmānī pugnant?” clāmat Cornēlius. “Rōmānī in Galliā pugnant, Cornēlī,” respondet nūntius. “Quis est lēgātus?” rogat Cornēlius. “Rōmānī Labiēnum lēgātum habent,” respondet nūntius. “Labiēnus gladium tenet et virōs armātōs vocat. Tum virī armātī pugnant.” Nūntius Rōmam properat sed Cornēlius et fīliī domum ambulant. Lūcius nūntium et equum album laudat. Tum parvus Pūblius clāmat, “ego gladium magnum dēsīderō! Parvī puerī semper gladiōs dēsiderant.” “Lēgātī, mī fīlī, nōn parvī puerī, gladiōs habent,” respondet Cornēlius. “Gladium nōn dēsīderās, parve Pūblī,” clāmat Lūcius. “Tū es parvus puer. Ego sum paene adultus et gladium dēsiderō.” Marcus, meus fīlius adultus, gladium habet,” respondet Cornēlius, “sed vōs fīliī meī, nōn estis adultī et nunc librōs tabellāsque, nōn gladiōs, dēsīderātis.”

albus, -a, -um: white

armātus, -a, -um: armed

Gallia: Gaul

lēgātus: lieutenant; envoy

nunc: now

nūntiāre: announce; report

paene: almost

properāre: hurry; rush

pugna: battle

respondet: he / she replies

semper: always

tabella: writing tablet

tenet: he / she holds

tum: then

vident: they see

vocāre: to call; summon

Notes:

[i] Latin does not use a preposition when it refers to going to a named town; the accusative without a preposition is used:

Rōma: Rome > Rōmam properant: They are hurrying to Rome.

This also occurs with the noun domus:

Nūntius Rōmam properat sed Cornēlius et fīliī domum ambulant.

The messenger is hurrying to Rome but Cornelius and (his) sons are walking home.

[ii] nunc librōs tabellāsque ...dēsīderātis: look out for -que, an encltic word i.e. one which is attached to the word before it. It often occurs and means 'and': "Now you desire ... books and writing tablets."

[iii] Note the use of the vocative case: “Ubi, mī amīce, Rōmānī pugnant?” │ "Where, my friend, are the Romans fighting? Cornelius uses this case because he is addressing the messenger directly.