19.02.25: Introduction to Level Three; moving on; the Woolworth’s approach to Latin learning

I’m now going to include Level Three posts and, once again, a reminder: this FB group was never designed to be a random series of posts. It began on 19.02.24 at level 1 i.e. your cat knew more Latin than you did. Level 1 covered what I felt were the building bricks of the language for example: the main declension patterns of nouns and adjectives, the key uses of the cases, the present, imperfect and future tenses of the conjugations, essential vocabulary, topics for speaking (not unlike the UK GCSE Modern Language oral topics as far as was possible), pronouns, numbers.

19.05.24: after three months, a second level was introduced which simply continued from Level 1 e.g. the perfect, pluperfect and future tenses, present participles, comparative and superlative of adjectives and adverbs, and the passive. The second level assumed that members were already confident in the features of level 1 either by using the posts here or on the other site, or through their own private study.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/permalink/445843464693594/

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/190524-crossing-line.html

Level 1 continued and reviewed extensively points covered in earlier posts; it still does

Now Level 3 will be added

Here I will include those features of the language which are commonly found towards the end of a standard Latin text book, for example:

• deponent verbs
• gerunds and gerundives
• review of ablative usage
• ablative absolute
• more on participles
• indirect speech / accusative-infinitive
• conditional clauses
• the subjunctive

Some of the texts I will use here are not particularly difficult but, at the early stages of Level 3, I have chosen sources that highlight a particular point of language.

As with Level 1, Level 2 will continue for the purpose of review.

Image #1: 19.05.24; crossing the line

Image #2: moving on; there are a few dark clouds in the distance but is that surprising? Any language, the further you go, will present some challenges. Don’t try to get to Vesuvius too quickly or you know what might happen!

Image #3: I’m not sure if the Woolworth’s store as I remember it as a kid still exists in the UK and whether the Australian branch is something completely different. Never mind: the orthographically challenged "pic’n’mix" is what matters i.e. take what candy you want and stick in a bag – especially, for me, if there was chocolate involved!

With a membership of almost 7,000 we have reached the “pic’n’mix” stage; take from the group what you need and, if there is something in particular you’re looking for, send a message.

18.02.25: Level 2; the passive voice [36]: translation practice

Most of the sentences in this exercise contain two perfect passive participles, for example:

[1] Oppidum [i] captum ¦ [ii] dēlētum est.

The sentence shows [i] a perfect passive participle describing the noun and [ii] a passive verb with ‘esse’

[i] The ‘having been captured’ ¦ town ¦ [ii] was destroyed.

Very often that literal translation needs to be reworked. There are various possibilities, but the examples below maintain the concept that something had happened to the town before the next action.

• The town, [i] after it had been captured, [ii] was destroyed.
• [i] When the town was captured [ii] it was destroyed.
• [i] The town was captured [ii] and destroyed.
• [i] Having been captured, [ii] the town was destroyed.

[2] Oppidum ¦ [i] ab hostibus captum ¦ [ii] dēlētum est.

• The town, captured by the enemy, was destroyed.
• After the town had been captured by the enemy it was destroyed.
• The town was captured by the enemy and (it was) destroyed.

Look out for tense sequences when translating

Dux barbarus ā Caesare captus Rōmam missus est.

The barbarian commander, captured by Caesar, was sent to Rome.

= The barbarian commander, who had been / was captured by Caesar, was sent to Rome.

Barbarī ā Rōmānīs captī Rōmam semper mittuntur.

Barbarians, captured by the Romans, are always sent to Rome.

= Barbarians who are / have been captured by the Romans, are always sent to Rome.

1. Cīvis vehementer perterritus in carcere clausus est.
2. Equus ligneus, ā Graecīs aedificātus, in urbem ductus est.
3. Gladiātor graviter vulnerātus ā medicō cūrātur.             
4. Helena, ā Paride vīsa, ad urbem Trōiam ducta est.       
5. Hostēs, captī ā mīlitibus Rōmānīs, Rōmam mittuntur.
6. Nāvēs tempestāte frāctae reficī nōn poterant.
7. Oppidum diū obsessum tandem incēnsum est.
8. Puer miser, ā cane rabiōsō morsus, cūrārī nōn poterat.             
9. Rēx gladiō interfectus postrīdiē sepultus est.  
10. Servī, ā dominīs laudātī, interdum līberābantur.
11. Terrae, ā Rōmānīs captae, bene regēbantur.
12. Urbs oppugnāta ab Horātiō dēfēnsa est.

One area that will be discussed at Level 3 is the style of the Roman authors, and there are certain features to look out for. As a “taster” here is an extract from the Jugurthine War by Sallust.

Cēterum oppidum incēnsum, Numidae pūberēs interfectī, aliī omnēs vēnumdatī, praeda mīlitibus dīvīsa.

Firstly, the statements are given in groups of three words (the “rule of three”) and note also the repetition of certain sounds

[i] Cēterum [ii] oppidum [iii] incēnsum

[i] Numidae [ii] pūberēs [iii] interfectī

[i] aliī [ii] omnēs [iii] vēnumdatī

[i] praeda [ii] mīlitibus [iii] dīvīsa

Moreover, the author omits the use of “esse” to form these passive constructions, thus allowing a greater and almost poetic momentum with emphasis on the final participle of each statement:

Cēterum oppidum incēnsum, │ Moreover, the town was burned

Numidae pūberēs interfectī, │ the adult Numidians (were) killed

aliī omnēs vēnumdatī, │ all the others (were) sold

praeda mīlitibus dīvīsa. │ (and) the spoil (was) divided among the soldiers

17.02.25: Level 1; readings [2]: Acquaintances everywhere

Nunc Mārcus et Cornēlia, Aemilia et Titus sedent et gaudent, nam Lūcius et Gāius appropinquant; rīdent et salūtant. Cornēlia nārrat: “Hodiē etiam Tullia et Claudia adsunt. Ecce! Ibi sedent.” Gāius rogat: “Cūr Quīntus nōn adest?” Tum Mārcus: “Quīntus aegrōtat, sed ibi sunt Titus et Aemilia! Lūdus nōn sōlum mē dēlectat, sed etiam…” Subitō Aemilia vocat: “Ecce elephantus, ecce sīmia!” Claudia et Cornēlia et Aemilia gaudent et rīdent.