07.09.25: Level 1 (review); Ora Maritima [12]; Britannia antīqua [1](iii) Part three: listening and comprehension

Listen to the extract and answer the questions. The full transcript and translation are at the end of the post.

Vocabulary

absum, abesse: be absent

āter, -ra, -rum: dark

crēber, -ra, -rum: note the difference in meaning of the adjective crēber, -ra, -rum; in the previous post the adjective means ‘abundant’ or ‘packed with’, but it has a further meaning (used here) of ‘frequent’

foedus, -a, -um: hideous

impiger, -ra, -rum: active

nebula, -ae [1/f]: fog; cloud

piger, -ra, -rum: sluggish; lazy

praeclārus, -a, -um: splendid; very bright; famous

Part 1(iii)

[A] Complete the Latin transcript with the words listed below.

“Solum, _____ līberum erat silvīs, frūgiferum _____. Metallīs _____ multīs abundābat - plumbō albō et ferrō, _____, _____Tacitus affirmat, aurō argentō_____. Margarītās et ostreās dabat ōceanus: margarītae parvae _____, sed ostreae magnae _____ praeclārae. Caelum _____ quoque crēbrīs pluviīs et nebulīs ātrīs foedum erat; _____ pruīnae asperae aberant. Nātūra ōceanī 'pigra' erat, _____ testimōnium Tacitī vērum _____: 'Nautae Rōmānī,' inquit, '_____ aquā pigrā _____ poterant rēmigāre.' Sed vērum_____ est testimōnium? _____ nātūra nautārum Rōmanōrum _____ _____ impigra erat?”

an; atque; erant; erat; est; et; in; ne; nōn; que; quoque; satis; sed; sī; tum; ubi; ut; vix

[B] Questions

[1] Lines 1 – 4 [Solum … aberant] In which order are the following referred to?

an abundance of metals

dark clouds

frequent rain

gold and silver

harsh frosts

land not covered with forests

lead and iron

pearls and oysters

[2] Lines 4 – end [Natūra … erat?]

[i] How is the sea described? (1)

[ii] Who makes this claim? (1)

[iii] What difficulty did the Roman sailors face? (2)

[iv] What Latin phrase is used to cast doubt on the claim made? (1)

[v] What accusation is made against the Romans? (2)

[C] Label the images

argentum, -ī [2/m]; aurum, -ī [2/m]; ferrum, -ī [2/m]; margarita, -ae [1/f]; ostrea, -ae [1/f]; plumbum, -ī [2/m]; pluvia, -ae [1/f]; pruīna, -ae [1/f]

____________________

Part 1(iii)

Solum, ubi līberum erat silvīs, frūgiferum erat. Metallīs quoque multīs abundābat - plumbō albō et ferrō, atque, ut Tacitus affirmat, aurō argentōque. Margarītās et ostreās dabat ōceanus: margarītae parvae erant, sed ostreae magnae et praeclārae. Caelum tum quoque crēbrīs pluviīs et nebulīs ātrīs foedum erat; sed pruīnae asperae aberant. Nātūra ōceanī 'pigra' erat, sī testimōnium Tacitī vērum est: 'Nautae Rōmānī,' inquit, 'in aquā pigrā vix poterant rēmigāre.' Sed vērumne est testimōnium? An nātūra nautārum Rōmanōrum nōn satis impigra erat?

The soil / ground, where it was free of forest, was fertile. It also abounded in many metals - white lead and iron, and, as Tacitus affirms, gold and silver. The ocean yielded pearls and oysters: the pearls were small, but the oysters large and splendid. The sky was then also foul with frequent rains and heavy fogs; but there were no harsh frosts. The nature of the ocean was 'sluggish', if the testimony of Tacitus is true: 'The Roman sailors,' he says, 'could scarcely row in the sluggish water.' But is the testimony true? Or was the nature of the Roman sailors not active enough?

Answers: Question [B][1]

an abundance of metals [2]; dark clouds [7]; frequent rain [6]; gold and silver [4]; harsh frosts [8]; land not covered with forests [1]; lead and iron [3]; pearls and oysters [5]

Solum, [1] ubi līberum erat silvīs, frūgiferum erat. [2] Metallīs quoque multīs abundābat – [3] plumbō albō et ferrō, atque, ut Tacitus affirmat, [4] aurō argentōque. [5] Margarītās et ostreās dabat ōceanus: margarītae parvae erant, sed ostreae magnae et praeclārae. Caelum tum quoque [6] crēbrīs pluviīs et [7] nebulīs ātrīs foedum erat; sed [8] pruīnae asperae aberant…

[B][2]

[i] sluggish

[ii] Tacitus

[iii] They were barely unable to row in the (sluggish) water

[iv] Sed vērumne est testimōnium?

[v] The nature / character of the Roman sailors was not active enough.

Nātūra ōceanī 'pigra' erat, sī testimōnium Tacitī vērum est: 'Nautae Rōmānī,' inquit, 'in aquā pigrā vix poterant rēmigāre.' Sed vērumne est testimōnium? An nātūra nautārum Rōmanōrum nōn satis impigra erat?