25.12.25: Comenius (1658) LVIII: a Banquet [8] the Mildenhall Treasure; links

Image #1: the Mildenhall Treasure (on display at the British Museum)

Discovered in 1942 near Mildenhall in Suffolk, the 34 pieces of Roman silver tableware from the 4^th century are the most valuable Roman objects ever found in Britain.

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

Links to earlier posts:

11.03.24: food and drink

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/110324-food-and-drink.html

12.03.24: breakfast time

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/120324-breakfast-time.html

12.03.24: lunch, dinner ... and a shortage of beer!

https://adckl.blogspot.com/search?q=shortage+of+beer

18.03.24: storing dormice

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/180324-storing-dormice.html

Image #2: glīrārium, -ī [2/m]: terracotta pot used for storing and fattening edible dormice

13.08.24: follow-up; food and drink [2] vocabulary and notes [1]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/130824-follow-up-food-and-drink-2.html

13.08.24: follow-up; food and drink [3] vocabulary and notes [2]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/130824-follow-up-food-and-drink-3.html

13.08.24: follow-up; food and drink [4] start your own Roman bakery

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/130824-follow-up-food-and-drink-4-start.html

Image #3: the Triclinium

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0062:entry=triclinium-harpers

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0063:entry=triclinium-cn

https://www.vroma.org/vromans/bmcmanus/triclinium.html

25.12.25: Comenius (1658) LVIII: a Banquet [7] from the authors [iii] Trimalchio (2) comments

The entire scene is excessive and emphasises Trimalchio’s lack of social propriety.  Overly dressed, he is carried in – presumably on a lectica –with musical accompaniment, most guests repressing their laughter upon witnessing this desire to impress, but some cannot restrain themselves since they also know when you have or haven’t got style. That his head is shaven could serve as a reminder of his former status as a slave, simultaneously celebrating the pinnacle of social standing now reached.  However, the ‘etiquette’ for using a napkin – both then and now – is to place it upon one’s lap, not tuck it around the neck like a bib, which divulges his vulgarity. Moreover, the napkin itself, complete with tassels, is a mark of flamboyancy. 

Trimalchio does not belong to the senatorial class despite which the napkin displays a broad purple stripe, which would imply that he does. According to Pliny, the right to wear a gold ring was mainly confined to free-born equestrians (Naturalis Historia 33.32), yet Trimalchio sports two rings, one of which is gilded and the other made of iron i.e. neither are made of solid gold; both, like Trimalchio himself, are superficial. Marshall* points out that stars were commonly found on Roman amulets to ward off the evil eye. Note Petronius’ use of “ut mihi vidēbātur” i.e. there is a difference between what Trimalchio is attempting to suggest and the reality. 

Trimalchio, anxious to show off as much of his wealth as possible, deliberately bares his arm to reveal the gold bracelet and ivory bangle, the term armilla often referring specifically to the arm bracelet worn by gladiators.

It is a well staged display but fools nobody. Trimalchio is one of a long line of similar characters in literature and popular entertainment. British comedy is full of people who pretend to be what they’re not.  We may think of Derek Trotter’s desperate attempts to be sophisticated in the comedy series Only Fools and Horses. Despite his ‘gold’ rings and bracelet, and despite his trying, and failing, to speak in French, he can never quite rid himself of the cloth cap, the symbol of his origin. Equally, we may smile thinking of Hyacinth Bucket (which she pronounces as bouquet) who, while organising her upper middle class candlelight suppers, continually tries to conceal her working class relatives.

The Russians have a word for Trimalchio’s character – poshlost’ (пошлость) – meaning vulgarity, banality or tastelessness. Indeed, Russian literature has its own Trimalchio in the form of the coarse Prisypkin from Mayakovsky’s The Bedbug (Kлоп; 1929). A former worker (not dissimilar to Trimalchio’s former position as a slave), Prisypkin becomes obsessed with status and consumerism, adopting bourgeois habits and changing his name from the common Ivan to the aristocratic sounding Pierre.

The Romans laughed at Trimalchio – and we still laugh at those like him.

* Catalogue of the Finger Rings, Greek, Etruscan and Roman, in the Department of Antiquities, British Museum (London: 1907)

25.12.25: Comenius (1658) LVIII: a Banquet [6] from the authors [iii] Trimalchio (1) text, translation and vocabulary

Cēna Trimalchiōnis │ The Dinner of Trimalchio

Trimlachio is a character in the Satyricon (1^st c. AD) by Petronius. A former slave and now a successful wine merchant, Trimalchio is the stereotypical “nouveau riche”, an ostentatious man anxious to show off his wealth but, as Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby sang in 1964, “You've either got or you haven't got style” – and Trimalchio doesn’t. Petronius makes that clear by the visual description.

[1] In hīs erāmus lautitiīs, cum ipse Trimalchio ad symphōniam allātus est positusque inter cervīcālia minūtissima expressit imprūdentibus rīsum.

In hīs erāmus lautitiīs, │ We were (engaged) in these luxuries

cum ipse Trimalchio ¦ ad symphōniam ¦ allātus est │ when Trimalchio himself was carried in ¦ to the sound of music

positusque inter cervīcālia minūtissima │ and placed among very small cushions

expressit imprūdentibus rīsum │ (which) forced a laugh from the less wary

cervīcal(e), -is [3/n]: cushion

exprimō, -ere, -pressī [3]: force out; exhibit

lautitia, -ae [1/f]: luxury; delicacy

symphōnia, -ae [1/f]: music; band of musicians

[2] Palliō enim coccineō adrāsum exclūserat caput circāque onerātās veste cervīcēs lāticlāviam immīserat mappam fimbriīs hinc atque illinc pendentibus.

Palliō enim coccineō ¦ adrāsum exclūserat caput │ For from a scarlet cloak ¦ (his) shaven head stuck out

pallium, -iī [2/n]: cloak

coccineus, -a, -um: scarlet-colored

exclūdō, -ere, -clūsī [3]: thrust out

adrādō, -rādere, -rāsī, -rāsus [3]: shave

circāque onerātās veste cervīcēs lāticlāviam immīserat mappam fimbriīs hinc atque illinc pendentibus.

circāque ¦ onerātās veste ¦ cervīcēs │ and around his neck, ¦ laden with clothing,

lāticlāviam immīserat mappam │ he had put on a napkin with a broad purple stripe

fimbriīs hinc atque illinc pendentibus │ with fringes hanging here and there

cervīx, cervīcis [3/f]: neck; sometimes used in plural (cervīces), but translate as singular

fimbria, -ae [1/f]: fringe

lāticlāvius, -a, -um: having a broad purple stripe; the purple stripe indicates belonging to the senatorial class; Trimalchio does not belong to that class but is merely pretending

mappa, -ae [1/f]: napkin

[3]  Habēbat etiam in minimō digitō sinistrae manūs ānulum grandem subaurātum, extrēmō vērō articulō digitī sequentis minōrem, ut mihi vidēbātur, tōtum aureum, sed plānē ferreīs velutī stēllīs ferrumīnātum.

Habēbat etiam in minimō digitō sinistrae manūs ānulum grandem subaurātum, │ On the little finger of his left hand he had an enormous gilt ring

extrēmō vērō articulō digitī sequentis minōrem, │ and a smaller one on the top joint of the next finger,

ut mihi vidēbātur, tōtum aureum, │ as it seemed to me, completely gold

sed plānē ferreīs velutī stēllīs ferrumīnātum. │ but was actually soldered as if with iron stars.

articulus, -ī [2/m]: joint (of a finger)

extrēmus, -a, -um: at the tip (extrēmī digitī: finger tips)

ferrūminō [1] (here) solder

subaurātus, -a, -um: gilt; covered in a thin layer of gold or covered with gold leaf or paint i.e. not real gold

[4] Et nē hās tantum ostenderet dīvitiās, dextrum nūdāvit lacertum armillā aureā cultum et eborēō circulō lāminā splendente cōnexō.

Et nē hās tantum ostenderet dīvitiās, │ Literally: In order that he might not display only these riches i.e. he wanted to display more; more fluent rendering would be “to show off more of his wealth” or “in case his wealth would not be sufficiently displayed”

dextrum nūdāvit lacertum ¦ armillā aureā cultum │ he bared his right arm ¦ adorned with a gold bracelet

et eborēō circulō ¦ lāminā splendente cōnexō │ and an ivory hoop, clasped with gleaming metal plate

armilla, -ae [2/f]: (arm) bracelet

colō, colere, -uī, cultus [3]: adorn

cōnectō, -ere, -nexuī, -nexus [3]: connect; join; fasten

eborēus, -a, -um: ivory

lāmina, -ae [1/f]: metal plate

24.12.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [21][i] text, vocabulary, notes

Carolus et Maria XXI

[1] Ubi est avunculus? Is abest. Domī in Britanniā manet. Itaque sine amīcīs quattuor Americānī per Germāniam eunt. Ibī nūllī amīcī eōs salūtant, sed omnēs Germāniam probant quod populus est benignus et Americānīs nōn est inimīcus. Quamquam agrī et silvae sunt grāta, et Americānī rūs laudant, oppida, quoque, sunt pulchra. Per terram Germānōrum flūmen Rhēnus fluit. Sī Carolus undique circumspectat multōs agrōs prope flūmen videt. Ruīnās aedificiī antīquī videt. Carolus fābulās dē Germāniā legit.

[2] Ōlim Germānī erant barbarī quī cum Rōmānīs pugnābant. Trāns flūmen Gallī quī erant Germānīs inimīcī habitābant. Illī barbarī agrōs Galliae saepe oppugnābant occupābantque et oppida eōrum dēlēre cupiēbant, nam hostēs erant. Interdum Gallī ā Rōmānīs auxilium postulābant, nam sōlī cum barbarīs sine satis magnīs cōpiīs pugnāre nōn audēbant. Posteā Caesar barbarōs superāvit et multōs in vincula iēcit. Gallī Caesarem iuvērunt. Ubi Carolus hās rēs dē Caesare et barbarīs legit eum omnēs rēs dē bellō scīre putat.

[3] In viā oppidī in quō Carolus nunc manet vir caecus saepe stat. Ōlim erat mīles Germānus. Nunc nōn est armātus. Celeriter nōn ambulat. Tardus et caecus est. Sine amīcīs et pecūniā vīta eius nōn est semper grāta. Quamquam pecūniam nōn postulat, Carolus, tamen, eī pecūniam dat.

[4] “Cūr es caecus?” rogat puer.

“Nocte ubi mīlitēs dormiēbant, castra nostra ab hostibus expugnābantur,” respondet vir. “Paene dēlēta sunt. Sine auxiliō prope ruīnās aedificī manēbāmus. Sociī perīculum nostrum esse magnum nōn sciēbant. Diū auxilium sociōrum exspectābāmus.”

“Quis tē servāvit?” rogat Carolus.

“Socius meus quī aderat mē servāvit,” inquit vir, “et mē ab hostibus mōvit. Nōs nōn vidēbāmur quod erat nox. Quamquam oculī meī vulnerātī erant, tamen socius meus mē iuvābat et ab hostibus nōn captī sumus.”

Mīles caecus socium suum semper laudat.

Vocabulary

barbarus, -ī [2/m]: foreigner; savage; uncivilised man; also (adjective) barbarus, -a, -um: foreign, strange, uncivilised, barbaric

vinculum, -ī [2/n]: chain

rūs, rūris [3/n]: countryside

celer, -is, -e: quick; celeriter: quickly

inimīcus, -a, -um: unfriendly; hostile

• populus … Americānīs [dative plural] nōn est inimīcus │ the people … are not hostile towards the Americans

suus, -a, -um: his / her / its / their (own) i.e. suus refers back to the subject of the sentence:

• Mīles caecus socium suum semper laudat. │ The blind soldier always praises his (own) comrade.

expugnō, -āre, -āvī [1]: take by storm; capture

servō, -āre, -āvī [1]: save

dēleō, -ēre, -ēvī; perfect passive participle: dēletus, -a, um (having been) destroyed

• castra nostra ab hostibus expugnābantur … Paene dēlēta sunt. │ Our camp … was taken by storm / captured by the enemy … it was almost destroyed
• castra, -ōrum [2/n/pl]: camp; a plural noun in Latin although, in English, it translates as a singular

moveō, -ēre, mōvī [2]: move

dormiō, -īre, dormiī / dormīvī [4]: sleep

sciō, -īre, sciī / scīvī [4]: know

nam: for; because

Notes

[1] Sociī ¦ perīculum nostrum esse magnum nōn sciēbant. │ Literally: The allies did not know ¦ our danger to be great i.e. …did not know that our danger was great; the English construction with ‘that’ is not used in Classical Latin:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/05/310825-level-1-readings-18-damocles.html

[2] Ubi Carolus hās rēs dē Caesare … legit eum omnēs rēs dē bellō scīre putat. │ When Carolus reads these things about Caesar … he thinks that he knows everything about war.

Who is Carolus talking about? Is he talking about Caesar or about himself? In English, this is not clear. In Latin, however, there is a distinction made: eum refers to somebody else whereas sē refers to oneself.

(1) eum omnēs rēs dē bellō (2) scīre putat │ Literally: he thinks (1) him (2) to know everything about war = He (Carolus) thinks that he (somebody else i.e. Caesar) knows everything about war

Compare:

(1) sē omnēs rēs dē bellō scīre putat │ Literally: he thinks (1) himself (2) to know everything about war = He (Carolus) thinks that he (himself) knows everything about war

23.12.25: Level 3: indirect statement; the accusative-infinitive [3]; predicative nominative > accusative

Look at this example:

Tū es sapiēns. │ You are wise.

The adjective sapiēns is in the nominative case after the verb ‘to be’; this is called the predicative nominative.

When the sentence becomes indirect, the predicative nominative will also go into the accusative case:

Tū es ¦ sapiēns [nominative]. │ You are ¦ wise.

> Credō ¦ tē ¦ sapientem [accusative] ¦ esse. │ I believe ¦ that you are ¦ wise.

Further examples:

Magister meus ¦ homō doctus [nominative] ¦ est. │ My teacher is ¦ an educated man.

> Crēdō ¦ magistrum meum ¦ hominem doctum [accusative] ¦ esse. │ I believe ¦ that my teacher is ¦ an educated man.

Iūlia est bona discipula [nominative]. │ Julia is ¦ a good student.

> Magister dīcit ¦ Iūliam ¦ bonam discipulam [accusative] ¦ esse. │ The teacher says ¦ that Julia is ¦ a good student.

Tellūs ¦ magna ¦ est. │ The Earth is ¦ large.

> Legimus ¦ tellūrem magnam esse. │ We read ¦ that the Earth is ¦ large.

23.12.25: Level 3; Zeuxis and Parrhasius

Zeuxis et Parrhasius pictōrēs celeberrimī fuērunt. Hī ōlim inter sē dē arte contendēbant. Zeuxīs prīmō ūvās pīnxit. Avēs in tabulam advolābant, ūvās comedere cupientēs. Tum Parrhasius pannum pīnxit. Zeuxis autem artificiī huius modī ignārus, Parrhasiō dīxit: "Aufer pannum; tabulam vidēre volō." Mox intellēctō errōre dīxit: "Ā tē victus sum: ego enim avēs dēcēpī, tū autem ipsum Zeuxin."

artificium, -ī [2/n]: various meanings [i] skill; knowledge; talent [ii] (negative) cunning; trick

auferō, auferre, abstulī, ablātus: take away; ferō, ferre and its compounds has an irregular imperative: aufer(te)!

ignārus, -a, -um: ignorant, unaware; artificiī [genitive] ¦ huius modī ignārus│ unaware of a trick ¦ of this kind

intellēctō errōre │ literally: with the mistake having been understood; an ablative absolute (with X having been Y-ed), but how would it more neatly translate into English? There are several possibilities.

Avēs in tabulam advolābant │ Literally: the birds were flying towards the painting; a reasonable enough translation of the imperfect tense, but in what other ways can the imperfect be rendered?

pannus, -ī [2/m]: cloth

____________________

Zeuxis and Parrhasius were very famous painters. These (men) / they once competed with each other in their art. Zeuxis first painted grapes. Birds flew / started flying / kept on flying towards the painting, wanting to eat the grapes. Then Parrhasius painted a cloth. But Zeuxis, unaware of this kind of trick, said to Parrhasius: "Take away the cloth; I want to see the painting." Soon, having realised his mistake / realising his mistake / after he’d realised the mistake, he said: "I have been defeated by you: for I deceived birds, but you (have deceived) Zeuxis himself."

22.12.25: Comenius (1658) LVIII: a Banquet [5] from the authors [ii] (10) – (14)

[10] in filicātīs lancibus et splendidissimīs canistrīs holusculīs nōs solēs pāscere (Cicero) │ you usually feed us with little vegetables on plates decorated with fern leaves and in magnificent baskets

canistrum, -ī [2/m]: (wicker) basket for bread, fruit etc.

[11] From Plautus (Aulularia) …

Euclio: Redī. quō fugis nunc? tenē, tenē. │ Come back! Where are you running to now? Hold on, hold on!

Lyconides: Quid, stolide, clāmās? │ What are you shouting for, stupid?

Euclio: Quia ad trīs virōs iam ego dēferam nōmen tuum │ Because this instant I shall give your name to the Triumvirs (magistrates)

Lyconides: Quam ob rem? │ Why?

Euclio: Quia cultrum habēs. │ Because you have a knife.

Lyconides: Cocum [ = coquum] decet. │ That’s what a cook should have.

[12] Plautus (Psedolus); the reason why cooks are bad …

… quia enim, cum extemplō veniunt conductum coquum,│ because when they immediately come to hire a cook,

nēmō illum quaerit quī optimus et cārissimust [ = cārissimus + est]: │ nobody’s looking for the one who’s best and most expensive:

illum condūcunt potius quī vīlissimust. │ rather they hire the one who’s the cheapest.

nōn ego item cēnam condiō ut aliī coquī, │ likewise I don’t spice up a dinner like other cooks

quī mihi condīta prāta in patinīs prōferunt, │ who offer me seasoned meadows on the dishes,

bovēs quī convīvās faciunt herbāsque oggerunt, │ who turn the guests into oxen, and supply the grass

condiō, -īre, -iī (-īvī), condītus [4]: spice; season; make savoury

condītus, -a, -um: seasoned, savoury

[13] … veniēbat puer sacerdōtis, dum coquerentur carnēs, et habēbat (1) fuscinulam tridentem in manū suā, et mittēbat eam in (2) lebētem vel in (3) caldāriam aut in (4) ōllam sīve in (5) cācabum et omne quod levābat fuscinula tollēbat sacerdōs sibi (Vulgate)

… the priest’s servant would come while the meat(s) was (were) being boiled  and he would have a (1) three-pronged fork in his hand, and would put it into the (2) pan or (3) kettle or (4) pot or (5) cooking pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself.

cācabus, -ī [2/m]: cooking pot

caldāria, -ae [1/f] (Late) kettle; cooking-pot; cauldron

lebēs, lebētis [3/n]: copper basin; kettle; cauldron

ōlla, -ae [1/f]: pot; jar (various uses including the storage of fruit)

tridēns, tridentis < tri + dēns (tooth): having three teeth; three-pronged

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0062:entry=olla-harpers

[14] Excerpt from Catullus 12

Asinius Marrucinus has been stealing Catullus’ napkins which were a gift from his friends. He uses linteum, -ī [2/n] to refer to napkins, but the word also had a more general meaning of linen cloth or bedsheet

Marrucine Asini, manu sinistra │ Marrucinus Asinius, your left hand
non belle uteris in ioco atqua vino │ you do not use beautifully: in joke and in wine
tollis lintea neglegentiorum. │ you take the napkins of the careless people.

22.12.25: Comenius (1658) LVIII: a Banquet [4] from the authors [i] (1) – (9)

The quotations show in context most of the vocabulary covered in earlier posts together with some additional common ones. Note that, as was mentioned in the first post on this topic, translations can vary and be far less specific than dictionary definitions.

[1] ferculum est īnsecūtum plānē nōn prō expectātiōne magnum; novitās tamen omnium convertit oculōs (Petronius) │ a dish followed, not at all of the size we expected; but its novelty drew every eye to it

[2] ut senex hōc eōdem pōculō, quō ego bibī, biberet (Plautus) │ may the old fellow drink from the same cup that I have been drinking from.

[3] quia tēmētī nihil allātum intellegō (Plautus) │ Because I understand that no wine has been brought

[4] puerī, plaudite et mī ob iactum cantharō mulsum date (Plautus) │ Lads, clap your hands, and give me some honeyed wine in my cup, in honor of my throw.

mulsum, -ī [2/n]: considered to be the oldest alcoholic drink in the world, mulsum is the sweet Roman mixture of wine and honey. Wild grapes were not as sweet as they are now and so honey was added. Mulsum is also known as ‘mead’.

[5] cum duo Syrī expīlātūrī trīclīnium intrāvērunt, dumque inter argentum avidius rixantur, dīductam frēgērunt lagoenam (Petronius) │ All at once two Syrians came in to rob the dining-room, and in quarrelling greedily over the silver pulled a large jug in two and broke it.

[6]  Set up your own olive yard; Cato lists what you need, and here are a few to get started.

Quō modō olētum agrī iūgera CCXL īnstruere oporteat │ This is the proper equipment for an oliveyard of 240 iugera …

abacum I │ 1 small table

amphorās oleāriās II │ 2 oil jars

labellum paululum I │ 1 very small dish

labra aquāria II │ 2 water-basins

pēlvim I │ 1 basin

urceōs aquāriōs III │ 3 water-pots

[7] In arboribus, uti rādīcēs capiant, calicem pertunditō (Cato) │  to make them take root while on the tree, make a hole in the bottom of the pot 

[8] In the same work, Cato makes frequent references to dōlium, -ī [2/n]: a very large earthenware vessel; cask

Ubi tempestātēs malae erunt, cum opus fierī nōn poterit,… dōlia plumbō vincitō … quodvīs dōlium vīnārium facere poteris │ When the weather is bad, when no other work can be done … mend wine-jars with lead … you’ll be able to make whatever you want into a wine-jar …

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

PS: He also suggests clearing out the manure from the compost heap. I’ll stick to mending the wine-jars.

[9] dīmidium cochleārium cum acētō et liquāmine modicō miscēs aut post cēnam dīmidium cochleārium accipiēs (Apicius) │ Mix half a spoonful with vinegar and a little fish sauce or you take half a spoonful after dinner

acētum, -ī [2/n]: vinegar

21.12.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [20][iii] listening

Carolus et Maria XX

[1] Complete the text with the words and endings listed below:

_____ quī in illō locō stat est avunculus puerī puellae_____. Est frāter Iūliae. Avunculus Iūliam et nautam et Carolum et Mariam _____ exspectat. _____ circumspectat et nunc _____ videt. Avunculus _____ salūtat. _____ omnēs _____ domum avunculī eunt. Puer puellaque _____ rogant et avunculus multa nārrat. Tēctum avunculī parvum _____ grātum vidē_____. _____ tēctum et viam est hortus pulcher. _____ hortum est mūrus _____ hortum tegit _____ aliquis _____ vāstāre cupit. Flūmen parvum _____ tēctum fluit.

ad; circum; diū; eōs; eum; inter; is; mox; multa; omnēs; prope; -que; quī; sed; sī; -tur; undique

[2] Complete the text with the endings listed below:

Posterō di_____ omnēs ā tēct_____ avuncul_____ eunt. Ruīn_____ mūrī antīquī vid_____. Ōlim Rōmānī ad hanc īnsul_____ vēn_____ quod soci_____ novōs dēsīder_____. Hic erat mūr_____ antīqu_____ Caesar_____ quī erat dux Rōmān_____. Īnsulam oppugn_____ et occupāre cup_____. Armātī erant Britannī et, ubi host_____, Rōmānōs, vid_____, īrātī erant. Itaque diū Rōmānī ad terram ab aqu_____ ven_____ nōn audē_____. Diū in aquā manēba_____.

-ā; -am; -ās; -ē; -ēs; -ī; -is; -issimus; -ō; -ōrum; -ōs; -us

-ābant; -āre; -bant; -ēbant; -ent; -ērunt; -iēbat; -īre; -nt

[3] [i] Choose the correct form of the verb ([a], [b] or [c]):

(1) Subitō vir fortis, quī perīculum [a] vidēbās [b] vidēbant [c] vidēbat, …

(2) [a] clāmābant  [b] clāmābat [c] clāmābās:

(3) “[a] Properāte [b] Properātis [c] Properat, mīlitēs!” inquit.

(4) “Britannōs armātōs [a] oppugnātis [b] oppugnās [c] oppugnāte!”

(5) Ita mīlitēs [a] iubēbās [b] iubēbant [c] iubēbat.

(6) Itaque mīlitēs ācriter [a] pugnābunt [b] pugnābant [c] pugnābat.

(7) Posteā Caesar mīlitēs [a] probābat [b] probāvit [c] probābant quod hoc …

(8) [a] audēbant [b] audiēbant [c] audēbunt.

(9) Rōmānī iacula et alia tēla [a] iacēbant [b] iacēbunt [c] iaciēbant et Britannōs …

(10) [a] superābat [b] superābant [c] superāvērunt.

[3] [ii] Complete the text with the missing verbs (which are not listed):

Propter perīculum magnum huius bellī sociī ab Eurōpā __________ et Caesarem __________. Populus Rōmānus multās aliās terrās __________. Quamquam Caesar __________ dux bonus, tamen multōs inimīcōs Rōmae __________. Posteā hī eum __________.

[4] Complete the text with the missing verbs (which are not listed):

Undique pater māterque __________. Flūmina et aliās rēs Britanniae __________. “__________ne nunc Britannia hostēs quī īnsulam occupāre et vāstāre __________?” __________ Carolus.

“Minimē,” __________ avunculus, “sed posteā propter hostēs ā sociīs auxilium __________.”

Mox Carolus et Maria ā Britanniā __________. In aliā terrā, Germāniā, __________.

20.12.25: Level 3; indirect statement; the accusative-infinitive [2]

The accusative-infinitive is like a ‘formula’ i.e. certain consistent changes are made to create an indirect statement from a direct one.

Direct statement: Caesar urbī appropinquat. │ Caesar is approaching the city.

To turn it into an indirect statement, two changes are made:

Nūntiī clāmant ¦ [1] Caesarem urbī [2] appropinquāre.

The messengers shout ¦ that [1] Caesar [2] is approaching the city.

[1] The subject of the indirect statement is in the accusative case; in grammar this is known as the subject accusative

[2] The verb of the indirect statement becomes an infinitive.

That’s why the construction is referred to as an accusative-infinitive.

There is no word for a ‘that’ conjunction introducing the indirect statement.

Examples:

[i] Duo fūrēs in apodyteriō sunt. │ Two thieves are in the changing room.

> Mārcus dīcit ¦ [1] duōs fūrēs [direct object: accusative] [2] esse [infinitive] in apodytēriō.

[literally: Marcus says ¦ [1] two thieves [2] to be in the changing room.]

> Marcus says ¦ that two thieves are in the changing room.

[ii] Is venit. │ He is coming.

> Sciō ¦ [1] eum [accusative] [2] venīre [infinitive]

[literally: I know ¦ [1] him [2] to be coming]

> I know ¦ that he is coming.

[iii] Discipulī student. │ The pupils are studying.

Magister dīcit ¦ [1] discipulōs [accusative] [2] studēre [infinitive]

[literally: The teacher says ¦ [1] the pupils [2] to be studying]

> The teacher says ¦ that the pupils are studying.

At first sight, the accusative-infinitive seems completely alien but, when you take a second look, there are some limited examples in English, restricted largely to expression of opinion, which give you an idea as to how it is put together.

I knew that [1] he [2] was an honest man.

= I knew [1] him [direct object] [2] to be [infinitive] an honest man

I believe that [1] the story [2] is true.

= I believe [1] the story [direct object] [2] to be true [infinitive].

We believe that [1] these truths [2] are self-evident.

= We hold [1] these truths [direct object] ¦ [2] to be [infinitive] self-evident.

Whereas in English, its use is limited and, at times, can sound rather stilted, it is that construction which is the way in which an indirect statement is always expressed in Latin.

20.12.25: Level 3; a noble foe

Themistoclēs ōlim, pugnā nāvālī dēvictīs Persīs, Athēnīs apud conciōnem dīxit: "Cōnsilium in animō habeō: hoc ūtile reīpūblicae erit, cēlārī tamen oportet. Ūnī ē prīmōribus rem dīcere volō." Aristīdēs ad hoc mūnus dēlēctus est. Huic dīxit Themistoclēs: "Lacedaemoniōrum classis in ancorīs in portū est. Hanc clam incendere poterimus. Ita illōrum potestās nāvālis dēlēbitur." Hīs audītis, ad concilium Aristīdēs reversus in hunc modum locūtus est: "Themistoclīs cōnsilium quum ūtile, tum minimē honestum est." Itaque Athēniēnsēs nē audītum quidem cōnsilium sprēvērunt.

[1] apud [+ acc] [i] at, by, near, among; [ii] at the house of (Fr. chez); [iii] (here) in the presence of; apud conciōnem │ before the assembly

[2] conciō, -iōnis [3/f] (Mediaeval spelling); contiō, -iōnis [3/f] (CL): meeting; assembly

[3] hoc ūtile reīpūblicae erit │ this will be useful to the republic

The term ‘Roman Republic’ refers to the period in Roman history from the overthrow of the Roman kingdom (traditionally dated to 509BC) and ending in 27AD with the establishment of the Roman Empire, but it has other meanings such as ‘the state’, ‘the nation’ or ‘civil affairs’.

Image: rēspūblica is formed from two words: (1) rēs, rēi [5/f] + (2) 1^st/2^nd declension adjective: pūblica; both parts decline. It is usually written as one word but may appear as two separate words;

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/170424-respublica.html

[4] Note the use of the dative of ūnus in:

Ūnī ¦ ē prīmōribus rem dīcere volō. │ I want to communicate the matter to one ¦ of the chief men.

[5] revertor, -ī, reversus sum [3/deponent]: return; perfect participle is passive in form but active in meaning

ad concilium Aristīdēs reversus │ Aristides, having returned to the Council …

[6] quum = cum; cum (quum) can be coupled with tum to express not only … but also …

movet rēs cum multitūdinem tum ducēs (Livy) │ Thīs event not only shocked the crowd but also the commanders

From the text: "Themistoclīs cōnsilium quum ūtile, tum minimē honestum est." │ The advice of Themistocles is not only useful, but also not at all honourable. [ …both useful and not at all honourable]

[7] Itaque Athēniēnsēs (2) nē audītum quidem (1) cōnsilium sprēvērunt. │ Therefore, the Athenians rejected (1) the plan ¦ (2) [which had] not even been heard. [ = without even hearing it]

____________________

Once upon a time, after the Persians had been utterly defeated in a naval engagement, Themistocles said before the Assembly at Athens: ‘I have a plan in my mind; this will be useful to the republic, yet it must be kept secret. I wish to communicate the matter to one of the chief men.’ Aristides was chosen for this office. Themistocles said to him: ‘The fleet of the Lacedaemonians is at anchor in harbour. We shall be able to set it on fire secretly. Thus their naval power will be destroyed.’ On hearing this, Aristides having returned to the Council, spoke as follows:  The advice of Themistocles is not only useful, but also not at all honourable.’ Therefore, the Athenians rejected the plan without even hearing it.