24.05.25: Level 3; summary of the uses of the ablative case [9]: the ablative of cause

Latin tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-72CWry11Fs

The reason / cause why something happens is expressed by the ablative; a preposition may or may not be used:

Sextus ex ventre labōrat. │Sextus has a pain in his stomach; literally: he is suffering from his stomach i.e. the stomach is the cause of the pain.

Mārcus ex capite labōrat. │ Marcus has a headache; literally he is suffering from his head i.e. the head is the cause of the pain.

Caeparius… dīxit tē in lectō esse, quod ex pedibus labōrārēs (Cicero) │ Caeparius … said you were in bed because you were suffering with your feet.

Mare ā sōle lucet. │ The sea gleams in the sun i.e. because of / from the sun.

Examples without prepositions:

Hoc fēcī amōre vestrī. │ I’ve done this out of love for you.

Exsiluī gaudiō. │ I jumped for joy.

ārdēre dolōre et īrā │ to be on fire with grief and (with) anger

24.05.25: Level 3; summary of the uses of the ablative case [8]: the ablative of agent

Latin tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_Q15B6IbWU

In the previous post we looked at the means / instrument by which something is done:

Milēs rēgem gladiō interfēcit. │ The king was killed by (means of) a sword; the ablative is referring to something inanimate.

The ablative of agent refers to the person by whom something is done.

Liber ā discipulō aperītur. │ The book is (being) opened by the student.

Laudātur ab hīs, culpātur ab illīs │ He is praised by these, blamed by those.

Ā fīliīs in iūdicium vocātus est. │ He was brought to trial by his sons.

24.05.25: Level 3; summary of the uses of the ablative case [7]: the ablative of means / instrument

Latin tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TWKlRYqNvs

This use shows where Latin and English do not match; English uses the preposition ‘with’ whereas Latin uses the noun alone in the ablative case without a preposition.

The ablative of means / instrument conveys what is used to perform the action.

The soldier killed the king with a sword.

Milēs rēgem gladiō interfēcit. │ The soldier killed the king with / by means of a sword.

Servus tubā signum dat. │ The slave gives the signal with a trumpet.

certantēs pūgnīs, calcibus, unguibus, morsū dēnique │  fighting with fists, heels, nails, and even teeth

The term “instrument” refers to a physical object, whereas the more general term “means” can include something non-physical:

Meīs labōribus interitū rem pūblicam līberāvī │ By my toils I have saved the state from ruin.

Russian is a perfect example of a language which distinguishes between what in Latin would be [1] the ablative of accompaniment (as discussed in the previous post) and [2] the ablative of means / instrument

[1] When Russian refers to someone with whom the action is being performed i.e. accompaniment, it uses the preposition s(o) ‘with’ + the instrumental case e.g. s drugom (with a friend) in the same way that English would use with, French: avec and German: mit

[2] When the means by which an action is being performed is being expressed e.g. he wrote a letter with a pencil, the Russian instrumental case alone without a preposition is used: karandashom (with a pencil) unlike English, French and German which would still use a preposition i.e. avec un stylo / mit einem Bleistift.

24.05.25: Level 3; Sonnenschein; Prō Patriā [1]; Mēnsis September

Online text (with macrons) available here:

https://www.fabulaefaciles.com/library/books/sonnenschein/pro-patria

Complete book in pdf format (without macrons) available here:

https://archive.org/details/cu31924031167160/mode/2up

Kalendae sunt hodiē Septembrēs. Prīmus mēnsis fēriārum ēlāpsus est, et scholae īnstant. Nam ante fīnem mēnsis Septembris apud magistrum meum erō. Et per ultimam partem fēriārum necesse est librīs duās hōrās cottīdiē dare. Sīc imperat patruus meus. Māne igitur plērumque lēctitō. Patruus autem mihi librum Tacitī dē vītā Agricolae, ducis celebris Rōmānōrum, dedit. Multa īnsunt dē Britanniā nostrā antīquā. Vīta Agricolae multum mē dēlectat. Nōnnūllīs tamen in locīs difficilis est et obscūra. Sed animō alacrī lēctitō, quia patruus meus difficilia et obscūra explicat, et tabulīs pictīs aedificiōrum, armōrum, nummōrum, viārum illūstrat. Ubi aliquid in Vītā Agricolae dēest, ibi patruus meus capita ex Annālibus Tacitī vel ex Historiā Anglicā recitat. Amīcī meī, Mārcus et Alexander, interdum adsunt dum recitat. Nam saepe nōs vīsitant. Post prandium plērumque ambulāmus, vel lūdō trigōnālī operam damus, vel in marī natāmus.

Vocabulary

alacer [m], alacris [f], alacre [n]: eager

celeber [m], celebris [f], celebre [n]: celebrated

ēlābor, ēlābī, ēlāpsus sum [3/dep]: slip away

instō, -āre, -stitī [3]: be at hand; approach

trigōnālis, -e: adjective referring to a tennis ball

Notes

[i] Septembres: adjective agreeing with Kalendae and meaning 'seventh ' or ' belonging-to-the-seventh month.' The Roman year originally began with March, and so September was the seventh month. The literal translation of this sentence is 'To-day there are the September Calends,' =' to-day is the 1st of September.'

[ii] animō alacrī │with an eager mind; ablative of manner i.e. the way in which the reading is done

Language Review

Nothing will be said here under this heading since the points have been covered in depth in previous posts. At the top of each chapter Sonnenschein notes the language focus. I will add links to those posts which dealt with those points and, where necessary, reference tables.

3^rd declension adjectives

Latin Tutorial

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/250424-youtube-latin-tutorial-3rd.html

[1] All Facebook links in one file:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/469498295661444/

[2] links to posts here

[1] Introduction; 3^rd declension adjectives; the three terminations

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/210424-third-declension-adjectives-1.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/428459489765325

[2] 3^rd declension adjectives: 2 terminations

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/230424-3rd-declension-adjectives-2.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/429782492966358/

[3] examples of 3rd declension 2 termination adjectives in the different cases: singular

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/240424-3rd-declension-adjectives-3.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/430068149604459/

[4] examples of 3rd declension 2 termination adjectives in the different cases: plural

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/240424-3rd-declension-adjectives-4.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/430068846271056/

[5] omnis, -e

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/240424-3rd-declension-adjectives-5.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/430072682937339/

[6] suffix: -vowel + bilis, -e

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/240424-3rd-declension-adjectives-6.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/430254722919135/

[7] prefix: in-

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/240424-3rd-declension-adjectives-7.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/430258382918769/

[8] three terminations

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/240424-3rd-declension-adjectives-8.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/430512682893339/

[9] months as adjectives

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/240424-months-as-adjectives.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/430539369557337/

[10] one termination

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/250424-3rd-declension-adjectives-9-one.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/430658082878799

[11] one termination

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/250424-3rd-declension-adjectives-10-one.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/430873469523927/

[12] one termination; suffix -āx

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/250424-3rd-declension-adjectives-11-one.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/430890469522227/

23.05.25; Level 2; Sonnenschein: Expedītiō Prīma C. Iūliī Caesaris [1](2)

Listen to the recording without looking at the transcript.

Sed magnus erat calor sōlis et āeris, neque poterāmus celeriter ambulāre. Paulō post nebulae sōlem obscūrāvērunt, et imber magnus fuit. Mox sōl ōram maritimam splendōre suō illustrāvit, et iterum in viam nōs dedimus. Imber calōrem aeris temperāverat; et inter viam nōs puerī patruum meum multa de C. Iūliō Caesare, imperātōre magnō Rōmānōrum, interrogāvimus. “Cūr expedītiōnem suam in Britanniam parāvit?” inquimus; “cūr cōpiās suās in insulam nostram transportāvit?” Et patruus meus “C. Iūlius Caesar” inquit “prōconsul erat Galliae, et per trēs annōs contrā nātiōnēs bellicōsās Gallōrum et Belgārum bellāverat; nam annō duodēsexāgēsimō ante Christum nātum Rōmānī Caesarem prōconsulem creāverant. Rōmānī autem Britannōs in numerō Gallōrum esse existimābant; et rēvērā nōnnullae ex nātiōnibus Britanniae merīdiānae ā Belgīs oriundae erant. Atque Britannī Gallīs auxilia contrā Rōmānōs interdum subministrāverant; sed Trinobantēs auxilium Rōmānōrum contrā Cassivellaunum, rēgulum Cassōrum, implōrāverant.”

[1] Choose the correct answer [a], [b] or [c] for each statement

[Sed magnus erat calor sōlis et āeris, neque poterāmus celeriter ambulāre. Paulō post nebulae sōlem obscūrāvērunt, et imber magnus fuit. Mox sōl ōram maritimam splendōre suō illustrāvit, et iterum in viam nōs dedimus.]

[i] They couldn’t walk fast because of [a] the land [b] the rain [c] the heat.

[ii] A little later [a] the sun came out [b] it rained heavily [c] the clouds disappeared.

[iii] When the sun came out again they [a] continued their walk [b] sat by the roadside [c] admired the seashore.

[2] Complete the following statements:

[Imber calōrem aeris temperāverat; et inter viam nōs puerī patruum meum multa de C. Iūliō Caesare, imperātōre magnō Rōmānōrum, interrogāvimus. “Cūr expedītiōnem suam in Britanniam parāvit?” inquimus; “cūr cōpiās suās in insulam nostram transportāvit?”]

[i] On the way the boys asked about __________.

[ii] They wanted to know why he [a] __________ and [b] __________.

[4] Complete the notes with a word / short phrase:

[Et patruus meus “C. Iūlius Caesar” inquit “prōconsul erat Galliae, et per trēs annōs contrā nātiōnēs bellicōsās Gallōrum et Belgārum bellāverat; nam annō duodēsexāgēsimō ante Christum nātum Rōmānī Caesarem prōconsulem creāverant.]

[i] Caesar’s political position: __________

[ii] Length of the war: __________

[iii] Fighting against: __________

[iv] Character of the enemies: __________

[v] Caesar became proconsul in: __________ BC

[5] True (T) or false (F)?

[Rōmānī autem Britannōs in numerō Gallōrum esse existimābant; et rēvērā nōnnullae ex nātiōnibus Britanniae merīdiānae ā Belgīs oriundae erant. Atque Britannī Gallīs auxilia contrā Rōmānōs interdum subministrāverant; sed Trinobantēs auxilium Rōmānōrum contrā Cassivellaunum, rēgulum Cassōrum, implōrāverant.”]

[i] The Romans thought that the Britons were no different from the Gauls.

[ii] Some of the Britons had originated from the Belgae.

[iii] None of the Britons had originated from the Belgae.

[iv] The Gauls had assisted the Britons.

[v] The Britons had assisted the Gauls.

[vi] The Trinovantes wanted help from the Romans.

[vii] The Trinovantes and Cassi were allies.

23.05.25; Level 2; Sonnenschein: Expedītiō Prīma C. Iūliī Caesaris [1](1)

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ora_Maritima/Text

Sed magnus erat calor sōlis et āeris, neque poterāmus celeriter ambulāre. Paulō post nebulae sōlem obscūrāvērunt, et imber magnus fuit. Mox sōl ōram maritimam splendōre suō illustrāvit, et iterum in viam nōs dedimus. Imber calōrem aeris temperāverat; et inter viam nōs puerī patruum meum multa de C. Iūliō Caesare, imperātōre magnō Rōmānōrum, interrogāvimus. “Cūr expedītiōnem suam in Britanniam parāvit?” inquimus; “cūr cōpiās suās in insulam nostram transportāvit?” Et patruus meus “C. Iūlius Caesar” inquit “prōconsul erat Galliae, et per trēs annōs contrā nātiōnēs bellicōsās Gallōrum et Belgārum bellāverat; nam annō duodēsexāgēsimō ante Christum nātum Rōmānī Caesarem prōconsulem creāverant. Rōmānī autem Britannōs in numerō Gallōrum esse existimābant; et rēvērā nōnnullae ex nātiōnibus Britanniae merīdiānae ā Belgīs oriundae erant. Atque Britannī Gallīs auxilia contrā Rōmānōs interdum subministrāverant; sed Trinobantēs auxilium Rōmānōrum contrā Cassivellaunum, rēgulum Cassōrum, implōrāverant.”

Vocabulary review: Match the Latin and English

1. autem
2. auxilium, -ī [2/n]
3. calor, calōris [3/m]
4. creō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
5. inquimus
6. imber, imbris [3/m]
7. duodēsexāgēsimus, -a, -um
8. implōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
9. interrogō, -āre, -avī, -ātus [1]
10. iterum
11. obscūrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
12. paulō post
13. rēgulus, -ī [2/m]
14. rēvērā
15. subministrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
16. Trinobantēs; Cassī

(here) darken; 58^th; a little after; again; a second time; heat; choose / elect / create; rain; ask for (help) / beg / implore; help / aid; however; supply; ruler (of a small country) / chief; really; ask / enquire; names of British tribes; we say

22.05.25: Level 1; readings [12] - [15]: review (1b); the demonstrative is, ea, id

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Latin_for_beginners_(1911)/Part_II/Lesson_XVII

[i] A demonstrative is a word that points out an object definitely, as this, that, these, those. Sometimes these words are pronouns, as in “Do you hear these?” and sometimes adjectives, as in “Do you hear these men?” In the former case they are called demonstrative pronouns, in the latter demonstrative adjectives.

[ii] Demonstratives are similarly used in Latin both as pronouns and as adjectives. The one used most is:

is, masculine ; ea, feminine ; id, neuter │ singular: this / that; plural: these / those

[iii] image: declension of is, ea, id

[iv] Besides being used as demonstrative pronouns and adjectives the Latin demonstratives are regularly used for the personal pronoun he, she, it. As a personal pronoun, then, is would have the following meanings:

SINGULAR

Nominative: is, he │ ea, she │ id, it

Genitive: eius, his / her / its or of him / her / it (no distinction made in gender)

Dative: eī, to or for him / her / it (no distinction made in gender)

Accusative: eum, him │ eam, her │ id, it

Ablative: eō, with, from, by etc. him / it │eā, with, from, by etc. her

PLURAL

Nominative: eī or iī, eae, ea, they

Genitive:  eōrum, eārum, eōrum, of them, their

Dative: eīs or iīs, to or for them

Accusative: eōs, eās, ea, them

Ablative: eīs or iīs, with, from, by etc. them

Dialogue

Cornelius and Marcus

M. Quis est vir, Cornēlī, cum puerō parvō? Estne Rōmānus et līber?

C. Rōmānus nōn est, Mārce. Is vir est servus et eius domicilium est in silvīs Galliae.

M. Estne puer fīlius eius servī an alterīus?

C. Neutrīus fīlius est puer. Is est fīlius lēgātī Sextī.

M. Quō puer cum eō servō properat?

C. Is cum servō properat ad lātōs Sextī agrōs. Tōtum frūmentum est iam mātūrum et magnus servōrum numerus in Italiae agrīs labōrat.

M. Agricolaene sunt Gallī et patriae suae agrōs arant?

C. Nōn agricolae sunt. Bellum amant Gallī, nōn agrī cultūram. Apud eōs virī pugnant et fēminae auxiliō līberōrum agrōs arant parantque cibum.

M. Magister noster puerīs puellīsque grātās Gallōrum fābulās saepe nārrat et laudat eōs saepe.

C. Mala est fortūna eōrum et saepe miserī servī multīs cum lacrimīs patriam suam dēsīderant.

vocabulary

agrī cultūra, -ae [1/ f]: agriculture

domicilium, domiciliī [2/n]: abode, dwelling place,  domicile

fēmina, -ae [1/f] woman

Gallia, -ae [1/f]: Gaul

Gallus, -ī [2/m]: a Gaul

lacrima, -ae [1/f]: tear

numerus, -ī [2/m]: number

alter, -a, -um: the other; the second

neuter, neutra, neutrum: neither

mātūrus, -a, -um: ripe, mature

arat: he (she, it) ploughs

dēsīderat: he (she, it) misses, longs for

quō: whither; to where?

an: or, introducing the second half of a double question: Estne Rōmānus an Gallus? │  Is he a Roman or a Gaul?

Find the Latin:

1. His ‘abode’ (home; where he stays) is in the forests.
2. He is hurrying to the fields of Sextus.
3. Among them [i.e. in their culture / lifestyle] the men fight
4. Is the boy the son of that slave or of the other?
5. Our teacher … often praises them.
6. That man is a slave.
7. The boy is the son of neither. He is the son of Sextus, the ambassador.
8. Their fortune is bad [ = they have bad luck]
9. Where is the boy hurrying to with that slave?

22.05.25: Level 1; readings [12] - [15]: review (1a); personal pronouns (1)

Latin verbs do not need subject pronouns i.e. I, you, he, she etc. because the verb ending already makes it clear who / what is performing the action i.e. the subject of the sentence. However, the pronouns do exist:

SINGULAR

[1] ego (or egō) (first person singular): I

[2] tū (second person singular): you

[3] is / ea / id (third person singular): he / she / it

Latin does not have words which exclusively mean ‘he’ ‘she’ and ‘it’ and there are three sets of pronouns which can be used:

[i] is / ea / id: the closest equivalents of English ‘he’, ‘she’ and ‘it’ and, like English, refer to something / someone previously mentioned

[ii] hic / haec / hoc: this (man, woman, thing etc.) / this one; he / she / it i.e. referring to something / someone close to the speaker

[iii] ille / illa / illud: that (man, woman, thing etc.); he / she / it i.e. referring to someone / something away from the speaker

[iv] iste / ista / istud: It has the same English translation as ille in [iii] above, but it refers to a noun near the listener or connected to the listener. It is, therefore, sometimes known as the demonstrative of the second person because it refers to a noun near the person being directly addressed; in Classical Latin it was also used pejoratively when referring to someone / something in a negative tone e.g. iste vir: that (dreadful / wretched) man; iste fīlius: that son of yours

[1] Links to earlier posts on is, ea, id:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LsKpv7nwA3-rwgzn88bzoOGgPMV8Kqj-/view?usp=sharing

Latin tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74R9hHFr0JI

[2] Links to earlier posts on hic, ille and istud:

04.05.24: review; birthday plans [7] notes: other points (iii); demonstrative adjectives and pronouns [1]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/04.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/436357062308901/

04.05.24: review; birthday plans [8] notes: other points (iii); demonstrative adjectives and pronouns [2] Examples of ille from the authors

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/040524-review-birthday-plans-8-notes.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/436360325641908/

04.05.24: review; birthday plans [9] notes: other points (iv); demonstratives and pronouns [3]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/040524-review-birthday-plans-9-notes.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/437423852202222/

Latin tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU3X-jdXwA4

PLURAL

[1] nōs (first person plural) we

[2] vōs (second person plural) you

[3] eī [m] / eae [f] / ea [n]* (third person plural) they

As with is / ea / id, there are alternative plural forms of hic / haec / hoc, ille / illa / illud and iste / ista / istud which perform the same functions as discussed above.

The pronouns are rarely used apart from [i] to emphasise, [ii] where there could be uncertainty, [iii] to contrast or [iv] where they stand alone, for example:

Ego in Britanniā habitō, sed tū in Ītalia habitās. │ I live in Britain, but you live in Italy.

Quid agis? Bene, grātiās agō. Et tū? │ How are you? I’m fine, thanks. And you?

Vōs in agrō laborātis, sed nōs in templō ōrāmus. │ You (all) work in the field, but we pray in the temple.

tū and vōs

Whether a Roman was talking to the emperor or talking to a slave, if it was one emperor or one slave, the speaker used tū. Similarly, when talking to more than one person – a group of senators or a band of pirates – the speaker used vōs. Spanish, incidentally, has four words for ‘you’, but there’s far less to think about in Latin!