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 3rddeclension 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.
