Latin for Learners: 03.09.25: Level 1; readings [20]; Davus lies

Having returned home, Davus now has to explain to his master where he had been all the time – and he tells an amazing tale:

Modo Viā Lātā (1) ībam, sed ecce: Gallus, vir firmus, mē capessit et clāmat:

“Quō vadis, furcifer?”

Ego trepidō et: “Vā-vādō”, inquam, “vādēbam…”

Gallus autem: “Nunc vāde mēcum! Nisi vadēs, tē traham!”

Ego ā nōnnūllīs virīs auxilium petō, virīque ē Gallō quaerunt: “Quō puerum dūcere parās?”

Tum Gallus: “Fugitīvus est, dominusque puerum suum repetit. Officia quidem spernit, sed mox in agrīs labōrābit!”

Statim virī rīdent et: “Pete ab aliīs auxilium, et tū, Galle, trahe puerum! Vādite!”

Cēdēbam igitur cum Gallō, diūque mē trahēbat; ego autem ā deīs auxilium petēbam – et ecce: Ēvādō, ad dominum meum properō, cūnctīsque deīs grātus sum!

(1) Viā Latā [ablative] ībam │ I was walking on the Via Lata (name of a street in Rome)

The text has many examples of third conjugation verbs. We can use the verb lūdō, lūdere [3]: ‘play’ as an example:

Present tense

lūdō, -ere [3]: to play; note the difference between 2^nd and 3^rd conjugation infinitives:

respondeō, respondēre [2]: reply; the infinitive ending has a long and stressed ē [re-spon-dḗ-re]

lūdō, lūdere [3]: play; the infinitive ending has a short and unstressed e [lū́-dĕ-re]

The 3^rd conjugation is formed by removing the infinitive ending i.e. lūd¦ere > lūd- to which the following endings are added; the accent [ ́] mark [e.g. lū́dō] is only there to indicate where the verb is stressed; it will not be used elsewhere and is not a feature of written Latin.

lū́dō: I play, am playing; personal ending is added directly to the stem

lū́dimus: we play

lū́dis: you (sg.) play; personal ending + stem vowel -i-

lū́dit: he / she / it plays

lū́dimus: we play

lū́ditis: you (pl.) play

lū́dunt: they play; personal ending + stem vowel -u-

Imperative (command)

Lūde! Play! (talking to one person); lūdite! Play! (talking to more than one person)

Exercise: Read through the text and find the Latin for:

(he) catches me
Go with me!
Go! (i.e. both of you)
He is rejecting his duties
I am going …
I escape
I seek help
Men are asking
Seek help (from others)!
The master wants the boy back.
Where are you going to?
Where are you preparing to take [ = lead] the boy to?
You … drag the boy (off)!

The text also introduces the imperfect and future tenses of 3^rd conjugation verbs:

[2] The imperfect tense is formed in the same way as 1^st and 2^nd conjugation verbs

The -re of the infintive is removed to form the stem but the /e/ become long: lūde¦re > lūdē-

To this stem the imperfect endings are added; note the change in stress marked here for reference

lūdḗ¦bam: I was playing / used to play

lūdḗ¦bās: you (sg.) were playing

lūdḗ¦bat: he / she / it was playing

lūdē¦bā́mus: we were playing

lūdē¦bā́tis: you (pl.) were playing

lūdḗ¦bant: they were playing

From the text:

vādēbam │ I was going / walking

cēdēbam cum Gallō │ (here) I was departing with the Gaul

mē trahēbat │He was dragging me

auxilium petēbam │ I was seeking help /support

[3] The future tense of 3^rd conjugation verbs does not have the same endings as the 1^st and 2^nd conjugation; the future tense endings are added directly to the stem of the verb:

lū́d¦am: I shall play

lū́dēs: you (sg.) will play

lū́det: he / she / it will play

lūdḗmus: we will play

lūdḗtis: you (pl.) will play

lū́dent: they will play

From the text:

Nisi vadēs, tē traham! │ Unless you go [literally: unless you will go], I shall drag you!