17.01.25: level 2; H & B; reading; the Fate of Two Beautiful Boys

Hyacinthus, rēgis Lacedaemoniī fīlius, nōtus inter omnēs propter pulchritūdinem erat; praecipuē ā deō Apolline amābātur. Ōlim cum deō discīs lūdēbat; tum Zephyrus propter invidiam, quod puer Apollinem amābat, Zephyrum autem nōn amābat, ventum ācrem ēmīsit et ingentem Apollinis discum in caput Hyacinthī immīsit. Statim mortuus humī cecidit. Posteā, ē terrā, ubi puerī īnfēlīcis sanguine cruentābātur, flōs pulcher surgēbat: flōris frondēs prīma littera nōminis notātae sunt. Itaque flōs ab omnibus hyacinthus vocābātur. 

Narcissus quoque propter pulchritūdinem magnam fāmam habēbat. Propter superbiam īram omnium et invidiam movēbat. Itaque deī puerum īnfēlīcem pūnīvērunt. Ōlim ōris imāginem in fluviō spectābat: statim pulchritūdinis amōre superātus est: diū frūstrā imāginem captābat, tandem propter dolōrem vītā excessit. Ē locō, ubi cecīderat, flōs pulcher surgēbat: flōs hodiē narcissus vocātur.

[A] Paragraph #1

[1] Who was Hyacinthus and why was he well-known? (2)

[2] What did Apollo think of him? (1)

[3] Lines 2 – 5 (Ōlim … cecidit) Which six of the following statements are true? (6)

1. A huge discus hit Apollo on the head.
2. Hyacinthus and Apollo were playing with discuses.
3. Hyacinthus was hit on the head by a huge discus.
4. Apollo was killed.
5. Hyacinthus didn’t love Zephyrus.
6. Hyacinthus later died.
7. Hyacinthus loved Zephyrus.
8. Hyacinthus was immediately killed.
9. Two gods were playing with discuses.
10. Zephyrus loved Apollo.
11. Zephyrus sent a wind.
12. Zephyrus was jealous.

[4] Lines 5 – 7 (Posteā … vocābātur.)

Explain how the flower was given the name hyacinth.

1. Where did the flower grow from? (3)
2. What was on its leaves? (2)

[B] Paragraph #2: complete the translation with the words listed below

Narcissus on account of his __________ also had great __________. Because of (his) __________ he stirred the __________ and __________ of __________. Therefore, the gods __________ the __________ boy. He once __________ an image of his __________ in a __________. He immediately __________ by __________ of (his) beauty; for a long time he __________ the image __________; finally on account of __________ he __________. From the __________ where he __________ a beautiful flower __________; the flower today __________ the narcissus.

anger; arrogance; beauty; began to arise; died; envy; everybody; face; grief; had fallen; in vain; is called; love; place; punished; renown; river; tried to capture; unfortunate; was looking at; was overcome

[C] Paragraphs #1 and #2: Find the Latin for the passive verbs and build the sentences some of which show the use of the ablative case to refer to [i] by whom an action was done and [ii] by what (with what) an action was done

[i] (he) was / used to be loved

• (he) was loved ¦ by the god

[ii] (the earth) was stained

• (the earth) was stained ¦ with the blood
• (the earth) was stained ¦ with the blood ¦ of the unfortunate boy

[iii] (he) was overcome

• (he) was overcome ¦ by the love
• (he) was overcome ¦ by the love ¦ of beauty

[iv] (the flower) is called

• (the flower) was called

[vi] (the letters) were written (marked; noted)

• (the letters) ¦ of (his) name ¦ were written

[D] Explain in your own words the meaning and, using the text, the origin of the word narcissist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_(mythology)

17.01.25: level 2; crime and punishment [3]; the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Cardinal Virtues

Match the sin with the virtue

acēdia, -ae [1/f]

avāritia, -ae [1/f]

gula, -ae [1/f]

invidia, -ae [1/f]

īra, -ae [1/f]

luxuria, -ae [1/f]

superbia, -ae [1/f]

____________________ 

cāritās, -tātis [3/f]

castitās, -tātīs [3/f]

dīligentia, -ae [1/f]

hūmānitās, -tātīs [3/f]

humilitās, humilitātis [3/f]

patientia, -ae [1/f]

temperantia, -ae [1/f]

17.01.25: Level 2; the passive voice [22]: the perfect passive [3]; translation practice [1]

Here are seven common verbs with their four principal parts; focus on the fourth part. Complete the Latin sentence with the appropriate perfect passive participle.

accūsō, accūsāre, accūsāvī, accūsātus [1]: accuse

aedificō, aedificāre, aedificāvī, aedificātus [1]: build

laudō, laudāre, laudāvī, laudātus [1]: praise

oppugnō, oppugnāre, oppugnāvī, oppugnātus [1]: attack

parō, parāre, parāvī, parātus [1]: prepare

rogō, rogāre, rogāvi, rogātus [1]: ask; invite

vulnerō, vulnerāre, vulnerāvī, vulnerātus [1]: injure

1. Dinner was prepared by the slave. │ Cēna ā servō __________ est.
2. Fabullus was invited to the banquet. │ Fabullus ad convīvium  __________ est.
3. I was injured by a sword. │ Gladiō  __________ sum.
4. Many beautiful temples were built by the Romans. │ Multa templa pulchra ā Rōmānīs  __________ sunt.
5. Many cargo ships were prepared. │ Multae nāvēs onerāriae  __________ sunt.
6. The brave girl was praised by all the citizens. │ Puella fortis ab omnibus cīvibus  __________ est.
7. The slave was accused by the master. │ Servus ā dominō  __________ est.
8. The soldiers were injured by arrows. │ Mīlitēs sagittīs  __________ sunt.
9. The temple was built a hundred years ago. │ Templum abhinc centum annōs  __________ est.
10. The town was attacked by the enemy. │ Oppidum ab hostibus  __________ est.
11. The towns were attacked by the enemy. │ Oppida ab hostibus  __________ sunt.
12. We were accused by you yourselves. │ Ā vōbīs ipsīs  __________ sumus.
13. We were invited to the wedding. │ Ad nūptiās  __________ sumus.
14. You (sg.) were praised by all the citizens. │ Ab omnibus cīvibus  __________ es.
15. You were all praised by the citizens. │ Vōs omnēs ā cīvibus  __________ estis.

accūsātī; accūsātus; aedificāta; aedificātum; laudāta; laudātī; laudātus; oppugnāta; oppugnātum; parāta; parātae; rogātī; rogātus; vulnerātī; vulnerātus

____________________

answers:

1. Cēna ā servō parāta est.
2. Fabullus ad convīvium rogātus est.
3. Gladiō vulnerātus sum.
4. Multa templa pulchra ā Rōmānīs aedificāta sunt.
5. Multae nāvēs onerāriae parātae sunt.
6. Puella fortis ab omnibus cīvibus laudāta est.
7. Servus ā dominō accūsātus est.
8. Mīlitēs sagittīs vulnerātī sunt.
9. Templum abhinc centum annōs aedificātum est.
10. Oppidum ab hostibus oppugnātum est.
11. Oppida ab hostibus oppugnāta sunt.
12. Ā vōbīs ipsīs accūsātī sumus.
13. Ad nūptiās rogātī sumus.
14. Ab omnibus cīvibus laudātus es.
15. Vōs omnēs ā cīvibus laudātī estis.

16.01.25: level 2; crime and punishment [2]; the Seven Deadly Sins (Hieronymous Bosch c.1500)

accīdia, -ae [1/f]; acēdia, -ae [1/f]: sloth

avāritia, -ae [1/f]: greed; Bosch uses the Mediaeval spelling avaricia

gula, -ae [1/f]: gluttony

invidia, -ae [1/f]: envy; invideō, -ēre, invīdī, invīsus [2]: to envy

īra, -ae [1/f]: anger; wrath

lūxuria, -ae [1/f]: lust (luxury; extravagance); fornicātiō, -iōnis [3/f]: fornication (the term can also refer to prostitution)

superbia, -ae [1/f]: arrogance

The price of arrogance

Marsyas dares to challenge Apollo to a music competition. Not surprisingly, Marsyas loses …

Tum deus hominem īnfēlīcem propter superbiam crūdēliter pūnīvit: ad arborem vīnxit et cutem ā vīvō homine dētrāxit. │ Then the god cruelly punished the unhappy man for his pride: he tied him to a tree and tore the skin from the living man.

cutis, -is [3/f]: living skin

dētrahō, -ere, dētrāxī, dētractus [3]: remove; pull off

• deus cutem dētrāxit │ the god removed the skin
• cutis hominis īnfēlīcis dētracta est. │ the skin of the unfortunate man was removed

pūniō, -īre, pūnīvī, pūnītus [4]: punish

• deus hominem pūnīvit │ the god punished the man
• homō ā deō pūnītus est │ the man was punished by the god

vinciō, -īre, vīnxī, vīnctus [4]: bind; tie; fetter; chain

• deus hominem ad arborem vīnxit │ the god tied the man to a tree
• homō ad arborem vīnctus est │ the man was tied to a tree

16.01.25: Level 1; Julia, a Latin Reader (Reed) [4](3)

Laeta est Iūlia quod iterum casam parvam cum agricolā habitat. Sed Iūlia puella duodecim annōrum iam est. Itaque agricola fīliae suae tabulās dat. Pecūniam quoque lūdī magistrō dat. Cottīdiē puella ad lūdum per agrōs ambulat. Multī iuvencī in agrīs sunt, sed impavida est puella. Iūlia prandium ad lūdum cottīdiē portat, quod longa est via. In agrīs prandium est Iūliae grātum. Tabulās ad lūdum Iūlia portat. In tabulīs litterae multae sunt. Lūdī magister Iūliam laudat quod litterās bene cottīdiē recitat. In lūdō multī puerī, multae puellae cum Iūliā sunt. Magister lūdum bene gubernat.

Industriīs puerīs magister librōs pulchrōs dat; pigrōs malōsque puerōs nōn laudat sed culpat. Magna est īra magistrī quod puerī pigrī litterās nōn bene recitant. Itaque puerī pigrī in angulīs stant. Multae sunt lacrimae puerōrum malōrum. Itaque puerī industriī sunt et litterās bene recitant.

Multās fābulās puerīs et puellīs magister benignus in lūdō nārrat; nunc dē Britanniā, nunc dē longinquīs terrīs fābulās nārrat. Grātae puerīs et puellīs sunt fābulae. Nunc igitur in librō nōn sōlum Iūliae sed etiam multīs puerīs et puellīs fābulās nārrō.

Find the word or phrase in bold below from the wordcloud:

[1] Nominative

The teacher praises Julia

Many boys are in the school

[2] Genitive

The teacher of the school praises Julia

The anger of the teacher is great [= the teacher is very angry]

The tears of the boys are many [= the boys cry a lot]

Julia is a girl of twelve years [= a twelve-year-old girl]

[3] Dative

He gives money to the teacher

The teacher gives books to the boys

[4] Accusative

The teacher governs the school well

The girl walks to school

The teacher gives books

He doesn’t praise lazy boys

She walks through the fields

[5] Ablative

I tell stories in the book

Many boys are in the school

The boys stand in corners

Many bullocks are in the fields

16.01.25: level 1; topic; school [23]; science [5]; early medicine [2]; Celsus [2]

DIRECTIONS IN A PESTILENCE

Complete the Latin with the words listed after each of the three sections.

[i] There are also observances necessary for a healthy man to employ during a pestilence, although in spite of them he cannot be secure.

Est etiam __________ necessāria, quā quis in __________ ūtātur adhūc __________, quum tamen __________ esse nōn possit.

sēcūrus; necessāria; pestilentiā; integer

[ii] At such a time, then, [1] it is necessary [2] to go abroad, [3] take a voyage [= sail]; when this [4] cannot be [= it is not allowed / permitted], to be carried in a litter, walk [4] in the open [= under the sky] before the [5] heat (of the day), [6] gently, …; further as stated above he should avoid [7] fatigue, indigestion, [8] cold, [9] heat, [10] sexual indulgence ….

tum igitur [1] __________ [2] __________, [3] __________: ubi id nōn [4] __________, gestārī, ambulāre [5] __________, ante [6] __________, [7] __________; …: et, ut suprā comprehēnsum est, vītāre [8] __________, crūditātem, [9] __________, [10] __________, [11] __________...

aestum; calōrem; fatīgātiōnem; frīgus; lēniter; libīdinem; licet; nāvigāre; oportet; peregrīnārī; sub dīvō

[iii] At such a time he should not [1] get up early in the morning nor walk about [2] barefoot, and [3] least so after a meal or [4] bath… and likewise he should avoid the bath, [5] sweating, [6] a midday siesta… He should drink, one day water, the next day wine. [= [7] On alternate days in turn he should drink at one time [8] water at another wine]

tum neque manē [1] __________, neque [2] __________ ambulandum est, [3] __________que post cibum, aut [4] __________; …Itemque vītandum balneum, [5] __________, [6] __________, … [7] __________ invicem, modo [8] __________, modo vīnum bibendum est.

alternīs diēbus; aqua; balneum; merīdiānus somnus; minimē; pedibus nūdīs; sūdor; surgendum

Image: The Black Death (1346 – 1353)

And do we ever learn?

A term used with reference to pestilence, although not Latin but useful to know is miasma from Anc. Gk. μίασμα (míasma: pollution; stain); first attested in 1665, it referred to the belief that the Plague was carried by noxious fumes as opposed to the rats. It’s interesting to read Celsus’ comments on how to deal with pestilence and, in particular, his initial statement that people could not be secure. 1,600 years later they weren’t much further forward: “lockdown” was put into force except that they would simply shut, bar, bolt and nail the entire family into the house irrespective of whether or not certain members of that family were infected. Self-flagellation was practised and they thought it would be a good plan to kill all the cats and dogs – despite the fact that the cats and dogs would have reduced the rat population, which was the actual source of the Plague.

And here are some other methods of combatting pestilence:

• red soap
• holding your breath for ten seconds
• vodka
• washing your hands in vinegar
• inhaling bleach
• rum, bleach and fabric softener

But they weren’t suggested in 1665; they were suggested in 2020.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unproven_methods_against_COVID-19

____________________

[i] Est etiam observātiō necessāria, quā quis in pestilentiā ūtātur adhūc integer, quum tamen sēcūrus esse nōn possit.

[ii] tum igitur oportet peregrīnārī, nāvigāre: ubi id nōn licet, gestārī, ambulāre sub dīvō, ante aestum, lēniter; …: et, ut suprā comprehēnsum est, vītāre fatīgātiōnem, crūditātem, frīgus, calōrem, libīdinem...

[iii] tum neque mane surgendum, neque pedibus nudis ambulandum est, minimeque post cibum, aut balneum; …Itemque vitandum balneum, sudor, meridianus somnus, …Alternis diebus invicem, modo aqua, modo vinum bibendum est.

15.01.25: H & B; level 2; reading; Cincinnatus

L(ūcius). Quīnctius Cincinnātus, populī Rōmānī cōnsul, ubi imperium administrābat, fāmam inter omnēs propter virtūtem comparāvit: posteā senex in parvō fundō haud procul ab urbe habitābat et agrōs colēbat. Mox in urbem revocātus est: nam castra Rōmānōrum, ubi cum Aequīs bellum gerēbant, ab hostibus oppugnāta sunt. Magnum erat perīculum, ingēns omnium timor. Statim Cincinnātus dictātor creātus est: senātōrēs ad Cincinnātum nūntiōs mīsērunt. In parvō fundō, ubi agrōs arābat, senem invēnērunt. Statim togam ab uxōre sūmpsit, nūntiōrum verba audiēbat. ‘Dictātor, Cincinnāte,’ inquiēbant, ‘creātus es: nisi statim ad urbem vēneris et cōpiās Rōmānās contrā Aequōs dūxeris, nostrī ab hostibus superābuntur, cīvēs omnēs necābuntur.’ Postrīdiē prīmā lūce in forum venit, magnā celeritāte cōpiās parāvit et ante mediam noctem ad montem Algidum, ubi hostēs castra posuerant, dūxit. Aequī, quoniam utrimque ā Rōmānīs oppugnābantur, arma dēposuērunt. Victor hostēs sub iugum mīsit, ducēs hostium captīvōs in triumphō per urbem dūxit: posteā ad parvum fundum revertit.

[A] Comprehension

[1] Lines 1 – 3 (… colēbat)

1. What political role did Cincinnatus hold? (1)
2. Why did he have a good reputation? (1)
3. What did he do when he retired? (3)

[2] Lines 3 – 6 (Mox … timor)

Why was he recalled to Rome? (4)

[3] Lines 6 – 8 (Statim … audiēbat)

1. What position was he given? (1)
2. Who went to see Cincinnatus? (2)
3. Where did they find him? (1)
4. What did Cincinnatus do when he heard them? (2)

[4] Lines 9 – 11; translate into English (10):

‘Dictātor, Cincinnāte,’ inquiēbant, ‘creātus es: nisi statim ad urbem vēneris et cōpiās Rōmānās contrā Aequōs dūxeris, nostrī ab hostibus superābuntur, cīvēs omnēs necābuntur.’*

[5] Lines 11 – 13 (Postridiē … dūxit)

1. When exactly did Cincinnatus reach the Forum? (2)
2. How did he prepare the troops? (1)
3. When did he lead the troops to the mountain? (1)
4. Why did they go there? (1)

[6] Lines 13 – end (Aequī … revertit)

1. Why did the Aequi lay down their arms? (1)
2. What was done to (a) the enemy troops and (b) the commanders? (5); note; the higher the mark the more detail required: [Victor hostēs ¦ (i) sub iugum mīsit, ¦ ducēs hostium ¦ (ii) captīvōs ¦ (iii) in triumphō ¦ (iv) per urbem ¦ (v) dūxit]
3. What did Cincinnatus do afterwards? (1)

[B] Background

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Quinctius_Cincinnatus

[1] What was the role of the consul in Rome? How long was the term of office? Why do you think two consuls were elected?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_consul

[2] How does the Roman understanding of the word dictator differ from our own?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictator

[3] Cincinnatus is regarded as a model of statesmanship. Why is this account important in terms of understanding the Roman attitude towards abuse of power?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Quinctius_Cincinnatus

[C] Find the Latin for the passive verbs:

• you have been made / created (dictator)
• (he) was made / elected / chosen as (dictator)
• (he) was recalled (to the city)
• (The camp) …  was attacked
• (they) were being attacked (from all sides)
• (our men) will be conquered
• (all the citizens) will be killed

Cincinnatus, Lucius Quinctius Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (left) accepting the position of dictator of Rome from the Senate, undated woodcut

____________________

*“You have been elected dictator, Cincinnatus,” they said “Unless you immediately come to the city and lead the troops against the Aequi, our men will be conquered by the enemy, (and) all the citizens will be killed.”

15.01.25: Level 2; the passive voice [21]: the perfect passive [2]; the perfect, pluperfect and future perfect passive: full conjugations

Images #1-3 show the perfect, pluperfect and future perfect passives fully conjugated. What is it you need to know?

[i] You need a perfect passive participle, the fourth principal part; that participle agrees in gender and number with the subject

[ii] The three tenses are formed with the three tenses of esse

[iii] The tense of ‘esse’ and the English translation don’t match

vocātus sum [present tense of esse] │ I was called

vocātus eram [imperfect tense of esse] │I had been called

vocātus erō [future tense of esse] │I shall have been called

Latin Tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QWLkX1az18

14.01.25: level 2; crime and punishment [1]

I’m labelling all the posts on this topic as level 2, the reason being that crime ‘reports’ – both now and in Rome –frequently use the passive e.g. he was murdered, he was arrested etc. and so it is a good topic from the point of view of looking in more depth at the passive voice, and since this is the last topic of level 2, as well as being a way in to reading original literature. Crime, immoral behaviour and killing in a military context are common themes.

The Latin for the passage below will come in time. Meanwhile we could make a TV series out of this …

“Oppianicus was a man who was convicted of having tampered with the public registers of his own municipality, of having made erasures in a will, of having substituted another person in order to accomplish the forgery of a will, of having murdered the man whose name he had put to the will, of having thrown into slavery and into prison the uncle of his own son and then murdered him, of having contrived to get his own fellow-citizens proscribed and murdered, of having married the wife of the man whom he had murdered, of having given money for poisoning, of having murdered his mother-in-law and his wife, of having murdered at one time his brother's wife, the children who were expected, and his own brother himself,— lastly, of having murdered his own children; as he was a man who was manifestly detected in procuring poison for his son-in-law, — who, when his assistants and accomplices had been condemned, and when he himself was prosecuted, gave money to one of the judges to influence by bribes the votes of the other judges.” (Cicero: pro Cluentio)

It might have been quicker for Cicero to have listed what Oppianicus hadn’t done.

14.01.25: Level 1; Julia, a Latin Reader (Reed) [4](2)

angulus, -ī [2/m]: corner

liber, librī [2/m]: book

industrius, -a, -um: hard-working

longinquus, -a, -um: distant

piger, pigra, pigrum: lazy

-que; added to the end of a word = and

terra,-ae [1/f]: land

[3] Industriīs puerīs magister librōs pulchrōs dat; pigrōs malōsque puerōs nōn laudat sed culpat. Magna est īra magistrī quod puerī pigrī litterās nōn bene recitant. Itaque puerī pigrī in angulīs stant. Multae sunt lacrimae puerōrum malōrum. Itaque puerī industriī sunt et litterās bene recitant.

[a]

1. Quid magister puerīs industriīs dat?
2. Quālēs puerōs magister nōn laudat?
3. Cūr īra magistrī magna est?
4. Ubi stant puerī pigrī?

[b] Match the sentences below with sentences in the text which have the same meaning.

• Magister īrāscitur quod puerī litterās male recitant.
• Puerī pigrī multum lacrimant.
• Puerī malī ā magistrō nōn laudantur.
• Puerī quī dīligenter labōrant librōs pulchrōs ā magistrō accipiunt.

[4] Multās fābulās puerīs et puellīs magister benignus in lūdō nārrat; nunc dē Britanniā, nunc dē longinquīs terrīs fābulās nārrat. Grātae puerīs et puellīs sunt fābulae. Nunc igitur in librō nōn sōlum Iūliae sed etiam multīs puerīs et puellīs fābulās nārrō.

[a] Complete the translation using the word listed below:

The __________ teacher __________  __________  stories to the boys and the girls in school; __________ he tells stories __________  Britain, __________  about distant __________. The stories are __________  to the boys and girls. Now, __________, I __________ stories in the book __________ to Julia __________ to many boys and girls.

about; at another (time); at one time; but also; kind; lands; many; not only; pleasing; tells; therefore

[b] from [3] and [4]

Find the Latin:

• about; concerning
• am telling
• and so
• because
• not only … but also …
• at one time … at another (time); sometimes; literally: now … now …
• therefore
• well

14.01.25: level 1; topic; school [22]; science [4]; early medicine [1]; Celsus [1]

Images #1 and #2: Dē Mēdicinā by Celsus (1^st century AD), the earliest surviving medical work in Latin)

RULES FOR THOSE THAT HAVE A WEAKNESS IN THE HEAD

Complete Celsus’ writing here by using the words listed at the end:

Have a think about English derivatives

ardour; capillary; cuticle; friction; infirm; veil

Cui caput [1] __________ est, is …  │ He who has a weak head

lēniter [2] __________ id māne [3] __________ suīs dēbet; │ must rub it gently in the morning with his hands

[4] __________ id, sī fierī potest, veste [5] __________; │ never, if possible, cover it with a garment

ad [6] __________ tondērī. │ or have it clipped close to the skin.

Ūtileque lūnam [7] __________, │ And it is useful to avoid the moon,

[8] __________que ante ipsum [9] __________ [10] __________que concursum; │ and especially before the actual conjunction of the moon and the sun;

sed [11] __________ post [12] __________ ... │ but nowhere after food …

Sī cui [13] __________ sunt, cotīdiē [14] __________, │ If he has hair, to comb (it) every day,

[15] __________ [16] __________, │ walk a lot,

sed, sī licet, neque sub [17] __________ neque in [18] __________; │ but, if he can, neither under a roof nor in the sun;

[19] __________ autem vītāre sōlis [20] __________, │ but everywhere to avoid the burning heat of the sun,

maximēque post cibum et [21] __________; │ and especially after food and wine;

ambulāre; ārdōrem; capillī; cibum; cutem; īnfirmum; lūnae; manibus; maximē; multum; numquam; nusquam; pectere; perfricāre; sōle; sōlis; tēctō; ubīque; vēlāre; vīnum; vītāre

Image #3: the extraction of the Stone of Madness by Hieronymus Bosch (c.1450 – 1516)

The image depicts trepanning or trepanation from Old French and ultimately from Mediaeval Latin: trepanum, -ī [2/n], a surgical borer or drill (Anc. Gk. τρύπανον; trúpanon), the process involving the surgical boring of a hole into the skull; I don't know why she has a book on her head or why the figure on the left looks like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz - but that's Hieronymous Bosch for you. If you know his work, you'll know that it's pretty mild compared to some of his other paintings.

Image #4: trepanation tools from the 18^th century; terebra, -ae [1/f]: an instrument for boring; also: terebra serrata, a similar serrated device

There is photographic evidence of skulls from the Roman period that underwent this type of surgery … but you don’t really want to see that!

Image #5: ancient Roman surgical tools from a house in Pompeii

____________________

Cui caput īnfirmum est, is …  lēniter perfricāre id māne manibus suīs dēbet; numquam id, sī fierī potest, veste vēlāre; ad cutem tondērī. Ūtileque lūnam vītāre, maximēque ante ipsum lūnae sōlisque concursum; sed nusquam post cibum ... Sī cui capillī sunt, cotīdiē pectere, multum ambulāre, sed, sī licet, neque sub tēctō neque in sōle; ubīque autem vītāre sōlis ārdōrem, maximēque post cibum et vīnum;

13.01.25: Level 2; the passive voice [20]: the perfect passive [1]; three-in-one: the perfect, pluperfect and future perfect passive; the fourth principal part / the perfect passive participle

Image #1: It might seem a tall order to suggest that three passive tenses can be learned at the same time. However, you don’t have three separate tenses to learn but only one new form of the verb.

If you learned English as a non-native language, then most likely you would have seen this pattern:

see – saw – seen i.e. three parts which give you the basic information as to how the rest of the verb is formed. These are called the principal parts.

[1] see > to see > I see > I am seeing > I shall see etc.

[2] saw > I saw, you saw etc.

But it’s the third part that matters here

[3] seen: this is known in English grammar as the past participle

In English we can divide its use into two:

[i] I have seen, I had seen etc. i.e. it is used to create certain tenses of active verbs

[ii] he is seen, he was seen, he has been seen etc. i.e. it is also used to create the passive voice of all verbs

Latin has the equivalent of [3] [ii] i.e. a participle that is used to create three passive forms; it is not used to create the equivalent of English “I have done something”; Latin uses the one-word perfect tense for that.

Perfect passive: he was seen, or he has been seen

Pluperfect passive: he had been seen

Future perfect passive: he will have been seen

Image #2: The Latin equivalent of the English past participle is known as the perfect passive participle. Note again the term “passive”.

English has three principal parts: see – saw – seen

Most Latin verbs have four principal parts:

[1] First principal part: videō; the first person singular present tense

[2] Second principal part: vidēre; the present active infinitive

[3] Third principal part: vīdī; the first person singular perfect tense

And now we have the fourth - and final - principal part:

[4] vīsus, -a, -um: the perfect passive participle and, so as not to lose sight of what it means, we’ll translate it not just as ‘seen’ because that might lead you to believe it is identical to its English equivalent with more than one function, but as having been seen i.e. it is used only in passive constructions and refers to an action that was / has been completed or had been completed or will have been completed.

The past passive participle acts like a 1^st / 2^nd declension adjective i.e. it agrees in gender and number with the subject of the verb. A dictionary listing will usually only give the masculine singular form e.g. vīsus

The singular endings for the participle, a first / second declension adjective, are: Masculine: -us (amātus); Feminine:  -a (amāta);  Neuter: -um (amātum)

The endings for plural forms are:  Masculine: -ī (amātī); Feminine:  -ae (amātae); Neuter: -a (amāta)

Image #3: examples of perfect passive participles / the fourth principal part to give you an overview; note that the ending is either –tus or –sus and it is usually only the masculine form that is listed

amō, amāre, amāvī, ¦ amātus, [-a, -um] [having been loved]

videō, vidēre, vīdī, ¦ vīsus [having been seen]

dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ¦ ductus [having been led]

capiō, capere, cēpī, ¦ captus [having been captured]

audiō, audīre, audīvī, ¦ audītus [having been heard]

Image #4: This fourth principal part can be confusing because it will be listed either as [i] amāt¦us or [ii] amāt¦um.

[i] If the dictionary lists amātus – having been loved - that is the perfect passive participle (which is what concerns us)

[ii] If it lists amātum that is a form known as the supine, a verb form that rarely occurs and will be discussed at a later point.

Whether you see [i] or [ii] it doesn’t matter: if the 4th principal part listed ends in -us, then you’re ready to go > amātus, -a, -um. If it ends in -um, change it to -us and you’re still ready to go.

The image, which was used in an earlier post, shows two different dictionary entries for the same verb. The first listing shows the verb as the perfect passive participle, but the second listing shows the supine form. Don’t be put off by that because the supine in -um can become a perfect passive participle i.e. frāctum > frāctus, -a, -um: having been broken

Image #5: formation of the three passives; overview

In short, what you need to know is one form i.e. the perfect passive participle. Once you have that all you are doing to create three different passive forms using that participle with the three different tenses of esse

Perfect passive: vocātus sum │ I was / have been called

Pluperfect passive: vocātus eram  │ I had been called

Future perfect passive: vocātus eram │ I shall have been called

But compare the Latin with the English translation because the Latin tenses and the English tense equivalents don’t match:

vocātus sum [present tense of esse] │ I was / have been called

vocātus  eram [imperfect tense of esse] │ I had been called

vocātus erō [future tense of esse] │I shall have been called

Perfect passive: vīsus est │ he was / has been seen [NOT he is seen]*

Pluperfect passive: vīsus erat │ he had been seen [NOT he was seen]*

Future perfect passive: vīsus erit │ he will have been  seen [NOT he will be seen]

*There are occasions in translation where, dependent upon context, the perfect passive may be translated literally, one of the best examples being the first line of Caesar's dē bellō Gallicō:

Gallia est omnis dīvīsa in partēs trēs │ Gaul is as a whole divided into three parts i.e. the participle is functioning more like an adjective describing the general state rather than an action being done. However, it is best to keep to the rule that the present tense of esse + the perfect passive participle conveys was or has been done.

12.01.25: Level 1; Julia, a Latin Reader (Reed) [4](1)

annus, -ī [2/m]: year

iuvencus, -ī [2/m]: bullock

lūdus, -ī [2/m]: school

ager, agrī [2/m]: field

magister, magistrī [2/m]: teacher

puer, -ī [2/m]: boy

tabula, -ae [1/f]: tablet i.e. the Roman wax tablets used for writing with a stylus

impavidus, -a, -um: fearless

laetus, -a, -um: happy

[1] Laeta est Iūlia quod iterum casam parvam cum agricolā habitat. Sed Iūlia puella duodecim annōrum iam est. Itaque agricola fīliae suae tabulās dat. Pecūniam quoque lūdī magistrō dat.

Each statement contains one error.

Iūlia magnam casam habitat.

Iūlia cum pīrātā habitat.

Iūlia misera est quod iterum cum agricolā habitat.

Iūlia tredecim annōs nāta est.

Agricola fīliae suae librōs dat.

Aurum lūdī magistrō dat.

[2] Cottīdiē puella ad lūdum per agrōs ambulat. Multī iuvencī in agrīs sunt, sed impavida est puella. Iūlia prandium ad lūdum cottīdiē portat, quod longa est via. In agrīs prandium est Iūliae grātum*.

*grātus, -a, -um: pleasing; this is a common way of saying that somebody likes something: prandium est Iūliae grātum │ the lunch is pleasing to Julia = Julia likes the lunch

Each statement contains three errors.

1. Interdum puella ad oppidum per viās ambulat.
2. Multae vaccae in fluviis sunt; puella perterrita est.
3. Iūlia cēnam ad lūdum portat quod vīta brevis est.
4. In thermopōliō ientāculum est agricolae grātum.

[3] Complete each sentence by choosing the correct form of the noun

1. Julia carries (her) tablets to school. │ Tabulās ad ¦ [a] lūdī [b] lūdō [c] lūdum ¦ Iūlia portat.
2. There are many letters in the tablets. │ In [a] tabulīs [b] tabulās [c] tabulae ¦ litterae [a] multīs [b] multae [c] multās ¦ sunt.
3. The school teacher [= the teacher / master of the school] praises Julia because she recites the letters well every day. │ [a] Lūdum [b] Lūdī [c] Lūdō magister ¦ Iūliam laudat quod ¦ [a] litterās [b] litterīs [c] litterae ¦ bene cottīdie recitat.
4. In the school there are many boys [and] many girls with Julia. │ In [a] lūdum [b] lūdī [c] lūdo ¦  multī [a] puerī [b] puerōs [c] puerīs, ¦ multae [a] puellīs [b] puellae [c] puellās ¦ cum [a] Iūliā [b] Iūliam [c] Iūliae ¦ sunt.
5. The teacher governs / runs the school well. │ Magister ¦ [a] lūdō [b] lūdī [c] lūdum ¦ bene gubernat.

12.01.25: level 1; topic; school [21]; science [3]; Physica Curiosa (1662) [2] vocabulary and notes; ablative of description

Despite the bizarre nature of the images and descriptions, those extracts from Physica Curiosa contain a lot of useful vocabulary and also show a particular use of the ablative case.

Vocabulary

[1] animals

agnus, -ī [2/m]: lamb

animal, -is [3/n]: animal

aquila, -ae [1/f]: eagle

avis, -is [3/f] bird

dracō, dracōnis [3/m]: dragon; serpent

gallus, -ī [2/m]: rooster

mōnstrum, -ī [2/n]: monster; a thing of wonderment

ōvum, -ī [2/n]: egg

proboscis, -is [3/f]: snout; trunk of an elephant

rōstrum, -ī [2/n]: beak

sūs, suis [3 m/f]: pig

vitulus, -ī [2/m]: bull calf

vulpēs, vulpis [3/f]: fox; vixen

• ānser, -is [3/m]: goose > ānserinus, -a, -um: pertaining to a goose; rōstrum ānserinum: a goose’s beak
• canis, -is [3 m/f]: dog > canīnus, -a, -um: pertaining to a dog; caput canīnum: a dog’s head
• elephantus, -ī [2/m]: elephant > elephantīnus, -a, -um: pertaining to an elephant; caput elephantīnum: an elephant’s head

[2] people

epīscopus, -ī [2/m]: bishop

homō, hominis [3/m]: man; human (being); person

īnfāns, īnfantis [3 m/f]: infant

monachus, -ī [2/m]: monk

puella, -ae [1/f]: girl

puer, -ī [2/m]: boy

pūsiō, pūsiōnis [3/m]: young boy; lad

vir, -ī [2/m]: man

[3] body parts

barba, -ae [1/f]: beard

bracchium, -ī [2/n]: forearm

capillus, -ī [2/m]: can refer to a single hair or the entire hair of the head; also used in the plural

caput, capitis [3/n]: head

collum, -ī [2/n]: neck

digitus, -ī [2/m]: finger; toe

natis, -is [3/f]: rump; buttock (usually in the plural: natēs)

oculus, -ī [2/m]: eye

ōs, ōris [3/n]: mouth

pēs, pedis [3/m]: foot

venter, ventris [3/n]: belly

Notes: ablative of description

The ablative of description is used when referring to a quality / characteristice or physical attribute which a person has; English would normally use ‘with’

[i] ablative singular examples

puer ¦ capite elephantinō │ a boy ¦ with an elephant’s head

īnfāns ¦ apertō ventre │ an infant ¦ with an open belly

īnfāns cornūtus ¦ ōre patulō │ a horned infant ¦ with a gaping mouth

agnus ¦ ōre trigeminō │ a lamb ¦ with a three-fold mouth

effigiēs, -ēī [5/f]: likeness > mōnstrum marīnum ¦ effigiē [ablative] monachī │ a sea monster ¦ with the likeness of a monk

habitus, -ūs [4/m]: (here) dress; attire > vir marīnus ¦ epīscopī habitū │ a marine man in the attire of a bishop

[ii] ablative plural examples

vitulus biceps ¦ quat(t)uor oculīs │a two-headed calf ¦ with four eyes

pūsiō ¦ digitīs diminūtīs │ a lad ¦ with diminished (reduced) fingers

vitulus bicorpor ¦ capitibus canīnīs│ a calf having two bodies ¦ with dogs’ heads

foetus ¦ quaternīs brācchiīs et pedibus │a foetus ¦ with four forearms and feet

homō ¦ pedibus āversīs │a man ¦ with (his) feet turned around

Check your vocabulary by looking at the nouns in the wordcloud