20.02.25: The way to stop dodgy pub landlords giving you less than you ordered …

extract from The Magna Carta (1215)

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

Ūna mēnsūra vīnī sit per tōtum rēgnum nostrum, et ūna mēnsūra cervīsi(a)e*, et ūna mēnsūra bladī, scīlicet quartērium Londoniense, et ūna lātitūdō pannōrum tīnctōrum et russetōrum et halbergettōrum, scīlicet du(a)e uln(a)e* īnfrā listās; dē ponderibus autem sit ut dē mēnsūrīs.

bladum, -ī [2/n]: (Mediaeval) a type of grain eat

cervisia, -ae (also cervēs(i)a) [1/f]: beer

halbergettōrum: refers to halberget or haberject, a type of cloth but the specific details unknown

lista, -ae [1/f]: (Mediaeval) border; hem; described in the English translation as selvage, the edge of a piece of cloth to stop it from unravelling

pānnus, -ī [2/m]: cloth

pondus, ponderis [3/n]: weight

quarterius = quartārius, -ī [2/m]: quarter; the “London quarter” refers to the measurement for liquid and grain

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_(unit)

scīlicet: namely

tīnctus, -a, -um: (here) dyed; coloured, treated

ulna, -ae [1/f]: elbow; arm; measurement: ell [England: 45 inches; Scotland: 37 inches] or cubit; the image shows the Ell House in Dunkeld, Scotland, the measurement standardised in 1661

*Note the Mediaeval spelling reflecting the change in pronunciation of Classical Latin /ae/ > /e/

[i] una mēnsūra cervisie = cervisiae

[ii] due ulne = duae ulnae

____________________

Let there be one measure of wine, of ale and of corn (namely, “the London quarter”) throughout our whole realm. There shall also be one width of cloth (whether dyed, russet, or halberget): that is, two ells within the selvages. Let weights also be standardised similarly.

15.05.25: Level 3; the locative case; place names (1)

A number of places in the ancient world were referred to in the previous post. Here is a little more information about some of them; these are very short summaries but I have included links if you would like to know more about these places and / or the events associated with them.

[i] Roman Britain

[1] Londinium, capital of Britannia during most of the period of Roman rule, was a settlement on the current site of the City of London c. AD 47–50 and sat at a key crossing point over the River Thames turning the city into a road nexus and major port which served as a chief commercial centre until its abandonment during the 5th century.

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

[2] Eborācum was a fort and later a city in the Roman province of Britannia. It was the largest town in northern Britain and a provincial capital. After the decline of the Western Roman Empire it developed into the present-day city York.

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

artist’s impression of Londinium

the Roman baths at Eborācum (York)

[ii] disaster

[3] The dark shadow in the image shows extent of the destruction inflicted by Mt Vesuvius upon its eruption in AD79. Although Pompeiī is by far the largest and most famous location, other coastal resorts were destroyed including Herculāneum, Stabiae and Oplontis.

aerial view of Pompeii 

excavations at Herculaneum

wall painting from Stabiae

Villa Poppeae at Oplontis

[4] Mīsēnum was a major port on the Bay of Naples, and in AD79 – at the time of the eruption of Mt Vesuvius - Pliny the Elder was in charge of the naval fleet there. His nephew, Pliny the Younger, also at Misenum, gave us the only surviving account of the catastrophe during which his uncle was killed.

Modern Capo Miseno on the site of Misenum

[5] 16km from Mt Vesuvius, and about 4.5km to the southwest of Pompeii, the resort of Stabiae was buried under ash to a height of up to 5m. Near the city on a 50m high headland above the Bay of Naples is the largest group of well-preserved, huge and high-class Roman villas found from the entire Roman world.

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

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

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

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

15.05.25: Level 3; the locative case (1)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/120525-level-3-summary-of-of-uses-of.html

As you saw in the previous post:  [Level 3;  summary of of the uses of the ablative case [3]: prepositions (2)] Latin normally indicates location by using in with the ablative case, for example:

in Ītaliā │ in Italy

in macellō │ in the market

However, with the names of towns and cities, small islands and a few other isolated nouns, the locative case is used. This case existed in Old Latin but was eventually absorbed by the ablative and therefore is not generally listed as a separate case except when there are nouns which have a distinct locative ending. Like the ablative, it denotes ‘in’ or ‘at’ a place, but no preposition is used.

Image #1: The locative endings for 1^st and 2^nd declension singular nouns are the same as the genitive singular.

Image #2: A few town / city names in Latin are plural e.g. Athēnae (Athens), Pompeiī (Pompeii); these names which are first and second declension have a locative case which is the same as the ablative plural:

Image #3: Further examples with the English equivalents:

Pliny the Younger, who provides us with the only written account of the eruption of Vesuvius particularly with reference to his uncle, Pliny the Elder, who died in the eruption, begins the main part of the narrative with:

Erat Mīsēnī classemque imperiō praesēns regēbat. ¦ He was at Misenum and was personally commanding the fleet. [Nominative: Mīsēnum (now: Miseno) > Locative: Mīsēnī]

Image #4: Third declension nouns have a locative case which is the same as the ablative or sometimes the dative.

The definition “small islands” is rather vague and Roman authors are not always consistent in interpreting an island as such hence there are variations where a writer may use a locative case or an ablative; it isn’t something you should lose sleep over (or machete your way through example from literature trying to find exceptions). A rule of thumb is that if the island is small enough to have upon it only one town i.e. one major population centre and / or the island shares the name of the town, then it conforms to the rule that the locative case is used with ‘cities, towns and small islands.’ The island of Rhodes, for example, had several population centres although the city, which had been the capital from c. 408 BC, and the island shared the same name.

Caesar paucōs diēs in Asiā morātus, cum audīsset Pompēium Cyprī vīsum (Caesar) │ Having delayed for a few days in Asia, Caesar, when he had heard that Pompey had been seen in Cyprus …

Samia mihi māter fuit: ea habitābat Rhodī (Terence) │ Samia was my mother: she used to live on Rhodes.

ante paucōs quam obīret diēs, turris Pharī terrae mōtū Capreīs concidit (Suetonius)│ a few days before he died, the Pharos at Capri was thrown down by an earthquake. 

Islands which had several populations centres e.g. Sicily were not classified as small and, therefore, in + ablative was used to express location.

Gāius Syrācūsīs [locative of the town name] ¦ in Siciliā habitat. │ Gaius lives at Syracuse ¦ on Sicily.

Exercise: Complete the sentences by putting the noun in brackets into the locative case.

1. Puerī (Rōma) manent. │ The boys are staying in Rome.
2. Magnum bellum (Troia) erat. │ There was a great war at Troy.
3. Mortuus est (Londīnium). │ He died in London.
4. Domus poētae est (Athēnae). │The poet’s house is in Athens.
5. Ferōciter (Cannae) pugnātum est. │A fierce battle was fought at Cannae.
6. (Syrācūsae) nātus est. │He was born at Syracuse.
7. (Carthāgō) habitat. │ He lives at Carthage.
8. Quid facis in urbe (Cōnstantīnopolis)? │ What are you doing in the city of Constantinople? 

15.05.25: Level 3; Beasts in Egypt and Libya [7]; Strange Pets

Translate into English:

Sunt autem crocodīlī aliīs Aegyptiīs sacrī; aliīs nōn item, sed hī illōs ut hostēs persequuntur. Omnēs circā Thēbās et Moeridis lacum incolae sacrōs illōs dūcunt. Hōrum utrīque ūnum maximē crocodīlum alunt, manū tractārī ēdoctum. Auribus inaurēs īnserunt, et anteriōrēs pedēs aureīs armillīs ōrnant. Eundem pāscunt; mortuum sacrō in sepulcrō sepeliunt.

Vocabulary

alō, -ere, -uī, alitus: feed, nourish, nurture

dūcō, -ere, dūxī, ductus [3]: (here) consider, think, regard

ēdoceō, -ēre, -uī, ēdoctus [2]: teach, instruct

inauris, -is [3/f]: earring

īnserō, -ere, -uī, īnsertus [3]: insert

item (adverb): likewise; also; in the same manner

pāscō, -ere, pāvī, pāstus [3]: feed

persequor, persequī, persecūtus sum [3/dep]: pursue

tractō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: handle, manage

Notes:

[1] aliīs Aegyptiīs sacrī; aliīs nōn item │ sacred to some Egyptians, not in the same way to others

alius, -a, -ud: other

when used in pairs: [i] alius … alius: the one … the other; [ii] aliī … aliī: some … others …

[2] uterque, utraque, utrumque: each (of two); both

hōrum utrīque │ each of them i.e. each group of inhabitants of (1) Thebes and (2) the lake = both of them

[3] eundem pascunt │ the feed the same (one)

īdem, eadem, idem: the same

personal pronouns is, ea, id + dem

is + dem > īdem; ea + dem > eadem; id + dem > idem

Note the spellings in the image, in particular:

Accusative singular: eundem / eandem

Genitive plural: eōrundem / eārundem

However, the main feature to recognise is the addition of -dem.

14.05.25: Level 2; review; prīmus annus [3]; ablātīvus īnstrūmentī

Arma Rōmāna

Rōmānī, cum pūgnāre volunt, arma et tēla gerunt. Scūtīs enim sē dēfendunt; tēlīs autem, hastā, gladiō, iaculō aliōs oppūgnant. Gallus nōn scūtō, sed clipeō rotundō, sē dēfendit. Puer Britannus nōn tēlīs armīsque pūgnat, sed pūgnīs; sinistrō pūgnō oppūgnat, dextrō sē dēfendit; oppūgnāre etiam nōnnumquam dextrō potest.

Membrīs nostrīs multa facere possumus: oculīs enim vidēmus, linguā recitāmus, bracchiīs pilam iacimus, dextrā stilum vel crētam, cum scrībere volumus, tenēmus; stilō in pāginā, in tabulā crētā scrībimus.

[1] Respondē:

1. Quō īnstrumentō [with / by means of what ‘tool’ / ‘instrument’] in tabulā scrībis? In pāginā?
2. Quibus armīs [with / by means of what weapons] Rōmānus sē dēfendit? Gallus?
3. Quō membrō scrībis? recitās? pilam iacis?
4. Quibus membrīs vidēs? pūgnās?
5. Utrō* pūgnō [with which fist = with which of the two fists] tē dēfendis? alium puerum oppūgnās?
6. Utrō bracchiō Rōmānus scūtum tenet?
7. Quibus tēlīs Rōmānus oppūgnat?
8. Potesne sinistrā scrībere?

*uter, utra, utrum: which (of two)

Note: dextrā / sinistrā i.e. with the right / left (hand), the word manus understood.

[2] ablative of means / instrument (here the focus is on instrument i.e. the object with / by means of which an action is performed); find the Latin:

[a]

1. They attack with / by means of [i] a javelin [ii] a sword [iii] a spear
2. We write … with [i] a pen [ii] chalk.
3. We recite … with the tongue.
4. He attacks with the left fist.
5. He defends himself with the right (fist).
6. We hold a pen with the right (hand).
7. Can you write with the left (hand)?
8. The Gaul does not defend himself with an (oblong) shield.
9. He defends himself with / by means of a round shield.

[b]

1. They defend themselves with / by means of shields.
2. They attack with weapons.
3. The British boy does not fight with missles and with weapons but with fists.
4. We throw a ball with the arms.
5. We can do many things with our limbs.

14.05.25: Level 2; topic; Mankind; the human body; accident and illness [9]; reasons for staying off work

aegrōtō, -āre; aegrōtāvī [1]: be sick / ill

algeō, -ere; alsī [2]: feel cold

febrīcitō, -āre; febrīcitāvī [1]: have a fever

langueō,-ere; - [2]: feel faint / weak

nauseō, -āre; nauseāvī [1]: feel sick / squeamish

prūriō, -īre; prūrīvī [4]: itch

sternuō, -ere; sternuī [3]: sneeze

sūdō, sūdāre; sūdāvī [1]: sweat

tremō, -ere; tremuī [3]: shiver

tussiō, -īre; - [4]: cough

13.05.25: Level 1; readings [13]: an unfriendly inn

Tired of walking and discussing, Marcus and his Greek friends enter an inn, where there seems to be lively talking going on:

In caupōnā iam multī virī sedent valdēque clāmant:

“Vīta Rōmānōrum līberōrum nunc misera est!”

“Graeculī vīllās pulchrās, multōs agrōs, magnās dīvitiās possident! Nōs nihil habēmus nisi vītam miseram!”

“Vir bonus et integer hodiē nihil valet. Itaque neque ego neque tū valēmus.”

“Et cūr vōs nihil valētis? Quod maestī et fessī hīc sedētis, quod invītī labōrātis, quod scientiā vacātīs! (1) Ecce Graeculī nōs ēloquentiā et scientiā superant. (2) Graeculī medicī sunt et magī et fūnambulī. Graeculī sōlī nihil ignōrant…”

“Cūr nōn tacēs dē medicīs Graecīs: Rōmānōs laetī necāre solent!”

“Nōs nōn puerī sumus, sed virī. Quīn cūnctōs Graecōs fugāmus?”

(1) scientiā [ablative] vacātīs │ literally: you’re free from / empty of knowledge = you have no knowledge

(2) Graeculī nōs ēloquentiā [ablative] et scientiā [ablative] superant. │ The contemptible Greeks surpass us in (terms of) eloqence and (in) knowledge.