07.04.24: reading practice

Read the text for understanding and then look at the notes.

CRĀS

[Chesnutt: the Road to Latin (1933)]

Crās Cornēlius fīliōs Lūcium et Aulum ad Forum Rōmānum dūcet. Ibi puerī aedificia multa et magna vidēbunt. Multōs virōs clārōs quoque vidēbunt. Nam virī clārī ad Forum Rōmānum cotīdiē veniunt. Multa verba dē glōriā patriae dīcentur et audientur. Fortasse Cornēlius sententiam dē bellō dīcet. Tum puerī laetī erunt quod Cornēlius ā multīs audiētur et laudābitur. Forum Rōmānum virōrum et fēminārum erit plēnum. Erit pompa in Forō Rōmānō. Virī ad templa deōrum properābunt. Fēminae ad tabernās ambulābunt et puerī tardī ad lūdōs current. In Forō nōn erit ōtium quod multum negōtium agētur.

Cornēlius rogābit, “Nōnne, puerī, in tabernās veniētis?” “Libenter in tabernās veniēmus, nam dōna ad Tulliam līberōsque mittēmus,” respondēbunt fīliī. Ē tabernīs multa dōna ad villam ā servīs portābuntur. Parvum scūtum ad Pūblium, parvus gladius ad Servium mittētur. Ad Tulliam fībula pulchra mittētur. Tum Cornēlius et fīliī per angustās viās Rōmae ad Circum Maximum properābunt, et cum amīcis spectāculum exspectābunt. Ē subsellīs spectāculum vidēbunt. Quadrīgae per arēnam volābunt. Equī celeriter current. Virī et fēminae et puerī clāmābunt. Tandem dēfessī domum venient et Tulliae liberīsque dōna dabunt.

Vocabulary

• exspectō, exspectāre [1]: wait (for)
• fībula, -ae [1/f]: pin; brooch
• negōtium, -ī [2/n]: business
• ōtium, -ī [2/n]: leisure
• sententia, -ae [1/f]: opinion; thought
• tardus, -ā, -um: late

Notes

[1] Every verb in this text – except one - is in the future tense. Which of these verbs belongs to the [i] 1st / 2nd conjugation and which belong to the [ii] 3rd, 3rd-iō or 4th?

Look at the “codes”

[i] 1st / 2nd: -bō / -bi- / -bu-

[ii] 3rd, 3-iō, 4th: -(i)e / (i)ē-

[2] Which future tense verb is irregular?

[3] Nam virī clārī ad Forum Rōmānum cotīdiē veniunt. This verb is not in the future. What tense is it?

[4] It has been mentioned in previous posts, but look again at the -ur ending; this marks the passive of the verb

Multa verba dē glōriā patriae dīcentur et audientur.

• Many words will be said and (will be) heard about the glory of the country.

Cornēlius ā multīs audiētur et laudābitur.

• Cornelius will be heard / listened to and (will be) praised by many people.

Multum negōtium agētur.

• A lot of business will be done.

Multa dōna … ā servīs portābuntur.

• Many gifts will be carried … by the slaves.

Parvus gladius ad Servium mittētur.

• A small sword will be sent to Servius.

Ad Tulliam fībula pulchra mittētur.

• A beautiful brooch will be sent to Tullia.