Latin for Learners: 03/02/25

Sunday, March 2, 2025

eō, īre (go) is classified as an irregular verb in that it does not conform precisely to the way in which other verbs are formed. Despite this, it still has the same personal endings. What is unusual about the verb is that almost all those endings are attached to a single vowel

e¦ō: I go

ī¦s: you (sg.) go

i¦t: he / she / it goes

ī¦mus: we go

ī¦tis: you (pl.) go

eu¦nt: they go

compound verbs

a compound verb is one that is made of two or more parts e.g. over¦eat, black¦mail, under¦estimate etc. In Latin, compound verbs are often created with prefixes, many of which also function as prepositions. Here are a few examples although other compounds with eō exist.

ā / ab [(away) from] > ab¦eō, abīre: go away; depart

ad [towards] > ad¦eō, adīre: go to; approach

circum [around] > circum¦eō, circumīre: go around; surround

ē / ex [out of] > ex¦eō, exīre: go out

in [in(to) > on] in¦eō, inīre: go into

trāns [across] > trāns¦eō, trānsīre: go across

The prefix re- in English in, for example, reread and renew is derived from Latin re(d)- with the same original idea of ‘again’ or ‘back’: redeō, redīre: go back; return

Another commonly found example is: praeter (preposition + accusative): past > praeter¦eō, praeterīre: go past

The slightly odd one is per¦eō, perīre, using the preposition per (through) as a prefix: its meaning is ‘to perish; pass away; die’

You might want to remember this Mediaeval line:

Novus, novus amor est quō pereō!

It’s a new, new love by which I perish!

A word of advice / warning: Latin verbs can have multiple meanings which, while still rooted in the basic sense of the verb, are used to convey many abstract concepts e.g.

domum inīre: to go into a house, but bellum inīre (begin a war), consilium inīre (take a resolution)

You can fall into the trap of becoming too involved in what can be lists of definitions. When reading Latin, the best approach is to look at the use of a word in context (many good publications will provide notes) while bearing in mind the root meaning of the word.

30.05.25: Level 3; summary of the uses of the ablative case [11]: [i] the ablative of time when [ii] the ablative of time within which; practice

Complete the Latin translations with the words and phrases listed below. All of them are examples of the ablative of time when.

In the first year he conquered the Helvetians and in the same year many tribes of Germans surrendered. │ __________ Helvētiōs vīcit, et __________ multae Germānōrum gentēs sēsē dēdidērunt.

At midday Julia calls him to dinner. │ __________ Iulia eum ad cēnam vocat.

In summer the farmers’ sons give help to (their) father. │__________ fīliī agricolae auxilium patrī dant.

That night the girl ran from the fields. │ __________ puella ab agrīs cucurrit.

In autumn the leaves fall. │ __________ folia dēcidunt.

on the twenty-second day │ __________ diē

In the same month the captives were also sent to Italy. │__________ captīvī quoque in Ītaliam missī sunt.

on the third day before the Ides of January │ __________ ante īdūs Iānuāriās

aestāte; alterō vīcēsimō; autumnō; diē tertiō; eōdem annō; eōdem mēnse; illā nocte; merīdiē; prīmō annō

[2] Complete the sentences with the phrases listed below. All of them are examples of the ablative of time within which:

In a few days’ time, I shall go to Rome. │ __________ Rōmam ībō.

The planet Saturn completes its orbit within thirty years. │ Stella Sāturnī __________ cursum cōnficit.

We will be parents in nine months’ time. │ __________ parentēs erimus.

We will capture the city within three hours. │ Urbem __________ capiēmus.

We will leave within three days. │ __________ discēdēmus.

Within a short time Cornelia is tired. │ __________ Cornēliā dēfessa est.

brevī tempore; novem mēnsibus; paucīs diēbus; tribus diēbus; tribus hōrīs; trīgintā annīs

30.05.25: Level 3; summary of the uses of the ablative case [10]: [i] the ablative of time when [ii] the ablative of time within which

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_pOY9MqRZg

Note: not from the same Latin Tutorial videos that have been referred to before; this one looks only at the two ablative usages discussed here.

[i] the ablative of time when: when referring to a specific point or period in time e.g. a clock time, a season, a year, the ablative without a preposition is used:

horā quartā │ at the fourth hour

prīmā lūce │ at dawn

nocte │ at night

hieme │ in winter

annō secundō │ in the second year

eōdem diē │ on the same day

[ii] as the term would suggest, the ablative of time within which indicates the period during which an action take place

tribus proximīs annīs │ within the next three years

paucīs hōrīs │ within a few hours

Diēbus vīgintī quīnque aggerem exstrūxērunt. (Caesar) │ Within twenty-five days they finished building a mound.

Cēnābis bene, mī Fabulle, apud mē │ You will dine well, my Fabullus, at my house

paucīs, sī tibi dī favent, diēbus, │ in a few days, if the gods favour you

Gaius Valerius Catullus

Image #4: expressions of time can be sub-divided into:

[1] Time when: refers to a specific point in time e.g. They set sail on the same day (eōdem diē).

[2] Time within which: the period of time taken to complete an action e.g. They will have reached the island within three days (tribus diēbus).

[1] and [2] have been discussed above. Both use the ablative case.

[3] Duration of time: for how long an action takes place; this is expressed in Latin by the accusative case:

Graecī Troiam multōs annōs oppugnāvērunt. │ The Greeks attacked Troy for many years.

Compare:

Quīnque hōrīs [ablative of time within which] ad urbem vēnērunt. │ They came to the city within five hours.

Quattuor annōs [accusative of duration] in illā urbe labōrāvit. │ He worked in that city for five years.

30.05.25: Level 3; UK GCSE Latin [2]; notes on [i] the subjunctive of purpose, [ii] the subjunctive of result

Part [2]

[i] Translate the following parts of the story into English.

This passage describes how Cleopatra visited Rome.

Cleopatra Caesarī fīlium suum ostendere magnopere volēbat; Rōmam igitur celeriter nāvigāvit. cum Caesare ac parvō puerō in urbe habitāre cōnstituit. Caesar eōs in suam domum libenter accēpit. brevī tempore tamen senātōrēs, quī imperium eius timēbant, Caesarem occīdērunt. Cleopatra in Aegyptum redīre coācta est. ibi trēs annōs rēgnāvit.

Words

senātor, senātōris m: senator

rēgnō, rēgnāre, rēgnāvī: I reign

[ii] Note: this passage contains a grammatical point that has not yet been covered. I will refer to it briefly at the end.

Now continue with your translation.

In this passage, Cleopatra meets Mark Antony.

Cleopatra, quamquam erat optima rēgīna, invidiam virōrum nōbilium timēbat. auxilium Rōmānōrum igitur vehementer cupiēbat. forte Mārcus Antōnius, imperātor Rōmānus, quī comes fidēlis Caesaris fuerat, prope Aegyptum cum quattuor legiōnibus iter faciēbat. Cleopatra prōgressa est ut eum salūtāret; quī, simulatque eam cōnspexit, gaudēbat; nam fēminam pulchriōrem illa numquam vīderat. tantus erat amor Antōniī ut sine eā vīvere nōllet.

Names

Mārcus Antōnius, Marcī Antōniī m: Mark Antony

Words

rēgīna, rēgīnae f: queen

invidia, invidiae f: jealousy

nōbilis, nōbilis, nōbile: noble

auxilium, auxiliī n: help

gaudeō, gaudēre, gāvīsus sum: I am happy

Note:

Two examples in this text of the subjunctive, a feature of the language that has been referred to but not yet covered in any detail:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/070225-speaking-latin-on-campus_49.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/070225-speaking-latin-on-campus_26.html

However, this won’t prevent you from understanding the phrases:

[1] Cleopatra prōgressa est ¦ ut eum salūtāret

[2] tantus erat amor Antōniī ¦ ut sine eā vīvere nōllet

The conjunction ut can translate as [1] in order to (do something); so that (he might do something) i.e. it can express purpose, and [2] “so that” in the sense of “with the result that ..” i.e. it expresses the outcome of the action

[1] the subjunctive of purpose

John went to the store and bought a cake [action concluded]. │ John went to the store to buy a cake [action unconcluded]; the second sentence indicates purpose but it does not indicate that the action was fulfilled. Maybe in the end he did buy a cake but, at the moment the sentence is stated, the action remained unfulfilled.

In ‘older’ English: John went to the store so that / in order that he might buy a cake. English speakers would rarely use that now, but it does exist:

People were bringing little children to him in order that / so that he might touch them (Vulgate transl.)

Cleopatra prōgressa est ¦ ut eum salūtāret │ Cleopatra went forward ¦ literally: in order that she might greet him = in order to greet him

[2] the subjunctive of result

ut here is used to express the outcome of the action in the main clause; it is often signalled by words such as tantus, -a, -um (so great) or tam + adjective e.g. tam fortis (so brave) or tot (so many):

Erant tot aedificia ¦ ut omnia vidēre nōn possem. │ There were so many buildings ¦ that I could not see them all.

tantus erat amor Antōniī ¦ ut sine eā vīvere nōllet │ Antony’s love was so great ¦ that he did not wish to live without her

For reference only since the subjunctive is an extensive topic:

The imperfect subjunctive is being used in the sentences. It is easy to form:

infinitive + personal endings added to the infinitive with no other changes apart from certain vowel lengths; this applies to all verbs both regular and irregular

[1]

[i] infinitive: salūtāre (greet)

[ii] add personal endings; note vowel lengths in italics

salūtārem

salūtārēs

salūtāret

salūtārēmus

salūtārētis

salūtārent

Cleopatra prōgressa est ¦ ut eum salūtāret

[2]

[i] infinitive: nōlle (to be unwilling)

[ii] add personal endings; note vowel lengths in italics

nōllem

nōllēs

nōllet

nōllēmus

nōllētis

nōllent

tantus erat amor Antōniī ¦ ut sine eā vīvere nōllet

29.05.25: Level 2; Sonnenschein; Ora Maritima; Pāx Violāta [2]; listening

Listen to the recording without looking at the transcript.

"Britannī pācem nōn violāverant, sed Rōmānī pācis nōn cupidī erant. Itaque aestāte annī quartī et quinquāgēsimī ante Christum nātum dux Rōmānus cum quinque legiōnibus mīlitum Rōmānōrum et magnō numerō equitum et auxiliōrum Gallicōrum iterum in Britanniam nāvigāvit. Tempestās erat idōnea, sed in mediā nāvigātiōne ventus nōn iam flābat; itaque mīlitibus necesse erat nāvigia rēmīs incitāre. Impigrē rēmigāvērunt, et postrīdiē nāvigia ad ōram Britannicam prosperē applicāvērunt. Labor rēmigandī magnus erat, virtūs mīlitum magnopere laudanda. Britannī Rōmānōs in scopulīs ōrae maritimae exspectābant; sed postquam multitūdinem nāvigiōrum et mīlitum equitumque spectāvērunt, in fugam sē dedērunt. Caesar nāvigia sua inter Dubrās et Rutupiās applicāvit, ut putō, nōn procul ā locō quō priōre annō applicāverat. Inde contrā Britannōs properāvit. Intereā ūnam legiōnem cum trecentīs equitibus ad castra in statiōne reservābat: nam perīculōsum erat nāvigia ad ancorās dēligāta dēfensōribus nūdāre."

[1] Which of the following statements are true (T) or false (F)?

["Britannī pācem nōn violāverant, sed Rōmānī pācis nōn cupidī erant. Itaque aestāte annī quartī et quinquāgēsimī ante Christum nātum dux Rōmānus cum quinque legiōnibus mīlitum Rōmānōrum et magnō numerō equitum et auxiliōrum Gallicōrum iterum in Britanniam nāvigāvit. Tempestās erat idōnea, sed in mediā nāvigātiōne ventus nōn iam flābat; itaque mīlitibus necesse erat nāvigia rēmīs incitāre. Impigrē rēmigāvērunt, et postrīdiē nāvigia ad ōram Britannicam prosperē applicāvērunt.]

[i] The Britons had violated peace agreements.

[ii] The Romans did not want peace.

[iii] They sailed to Britannia in the spring of 54BC.

[iv] They sailed to Britannia in the spring of 54AD.

[v] They sailed to Britannia in the summer of 54BC.

[vi] They had five legions and a large number of cavalry.

[vii] They had a large number of cavalry and Germanic auxiliary forces.

[viii] They sailed in favourable weather.

[ix] The wind kept blowing.

[x] They had to row the ships.

[2] Answer the questions with single words or short phrase:

[Impigrē rēmigāvērunt, et postrīdiē nāvigia ad ōram Britannicam prosperē applicāvērunt. Labor rēmigandī magnus erat, virtūs mīlitum magnopere laudanda. Britannī Rōmānōs in scopulīs ōrae maritimae exspectābant; sed postquam multitūdinem nāvigiōrum et mīlitum equitumque spectāvērunt, in fugam sē dedērunt]

[i] How did they row the ships?

[ii] When did they reach the British coastline?

[iii] What was the rowing like?

[iv] How are the soldiers described?

[v] Where were the Britons waiting?

[vi] (a) What did the Britons eventually do and (b) why?

[3] Complete the Latin text by referring to the English translation and using the words and phrases listed below.

[Caesar nāvigia sua __________ Dubrās et Rutupiās __________, __________, nōn __________ ā locō quō __________ annō __________. __________ __________ Britannōs properāvit. __________ ūnam legiōnem cum __________ equitibus ad castra in __________ reservābat: nam __________ erat nāvigia ad ancorās __________ dēfensōribus __________."]

Caesar steered his ships between Dover and Richborough, in my opinion, not far from the place (to) where he had steered his ships the previous year. From there he rushed against the Britons. Meanwhile he held in reserve one legion with 300 cavalarymen on watch at the camp, for it was dangerous to deprive of defenders the ships tied together at anchor.

applicāverat; applicāvit; contrā; dēligāta; inde; inter; intereā; nūdāre; perīculōsum; priōre; prōcul; statiōne; trecentīs; ut putō

29.05.25: Level 2; Sonnenschein; Ora Maritima; Pāx Violāta [1]; text; exercise

Vocabulary review: Match the Latin and English

applicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
dēligō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
eques, equitis [3/m]
flō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
idōneus, -a, -um
impiger, impigra, impigrum
incitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
inde
laudandus, -a, -um
nūdō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
pāx, pācis [3/f]
prosperus, -a, -um
rēmigō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
rēmus, -ī [2/m]
scopulus, -ī [2/m]
statiō, statiōnis [3/f]

(military) watch; blow; cavalryman; cliff; deprive; energetic; from there; oar; peace; praiseworthy; row; steer; successful; suitable; tie together; urge forwards

28.05.25: Level 1; readings [12] - [15]: review (3); possessive adjectives

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

[i] This is my shield.

[ii] This shield is mine.

In the first sentence my is a possessive adjective; in the second mine is a possessive pronoun, for it takes the place of a noun, this shield is mine being equivalent to this shield is my shield. Similarly, in Latin the possessives are sometimes adjectives and sometimes pronouns.

Images #1 - #3: the possessives my, mine, your, yours, etc. are declined like adjectives of the first and second declensions.

Singular

meus, mea, meum: my, mine

tuus, tua, tuum: your, yours

eius: his, her(s), its

suus, sua, suum: his (own), her (own), its (own)

Plural

noster, nostra, nostrum: our, ours

vester, vestra, vestrum: your, yours

eōrum, eārum: their(s)

suus, sua, suum: their (own), theirs

Notes:

[i] meus has the irregular vocative singular masculine mī, as mī fīlī, O my son.

[ii] When your, yours, refers to one person, use tuus; when to more than one, vester:

Lesbia, your wreaths are pretty │ Corōnae tuae, Lesbia, sunt pulchrae

Girls, your wreaths are pretty │Corōnae vestrae, puellae, sunt pulchrae

[iii] the possessives, as in, for example, French, German and Russian, agree with the name of the thing possessed in gender, number, and case. Compare the English and Latin in:

Sextus magistrum suum videt. │ Sextus sees his teacher.

Iūlia magistrum suum videt. │ Julia sees her teacher.

suum agrees with magistrum, and is unaffected by the gender of Sextus or Julia

[iv] Suus is a reflexive possessive and regularly refers back to the subject.

Vir suōs servōs vocat │ The man calls his (own) slaves.

Here his (suōs) refers to man (vir), and could not refer to any one else (see [v] below).

[v]

eius: his / her(s) / its; eius does not change according to gender or case

eōrum [masculine / neuter]; eārum [feminine]: their(s); it also does not change according to case

Compare the difference in usage from [iv] above:

Vir suōs servōs vocat │ The man calls his (own) slaves.

Vir servōs eius vocat │ The man calls his (somebody else’s) slaves.

[vi] Possessives are used much less frequently than in English, being omitted whenever the meaning is clear without them. When translating from Latin into English, the inclusion of his, her etc. may often be necessary even if the original Latin does not use the equivalents. This is especially true of suus, -a, -um which, when inserted, is more or less emphatic, like our his own, her own, etc.

Vocabulary

auxilium, auxiliī [2/n]: help, aid

castrum, -ī [2/n]: fort; (plural) camp

cibus, -ī [2/m]: food

cōnsilium, cōnsiliī [2/n]: plan

dīligentia, -ae [1/f]: diligence, industry

magister, magistrī [2/m]: master, teacher

aeger, aegra, aegrum: sick

crēber, crēbra, crēbrum: frequent

miser, misera, miserum: wretched, unfortunate

Exercise

Translate the following sentences:

Mārcus amīcō Sextō cōnsilium suum nūntiat.
Est cōpia frūmentī in agrīs nostrīs.
Amīcī meī bonam cēnam ancillae vestrae laudant.
Tua lōrīca, mī fīlī, est dūra.
Scūta nostra et tēla, mī amīce, in castrīs Rōmānīs sunt.
Suntne virī patriae tuae līberī? Sunt.
Ubi, Cornēlī, est tua galea pulchra?
Mea galea, Sexte, est in casā meā.
Pīlum longum est tuum, sed gladius est meus.
Iūlia gallīnās suās pulchrās amat et gallīnae dominam suam amant.
Nostra castra sunt vestra.
Est cōpia praedae in castrīs vestrīs.
Amīcī tuī miserīs et aegrīs cibum et pecūniam saepe dant.
Magister noster dīligentiam Mārcī laudat.
Fīlius meus Sextus praedam suam in castra Rōmāna portat.
Puellae tuae bonae aegrīs et miserīs auxilium dant.
Sunt proelia crēbra in vīcīs nostrīs.
Ubi, mī fīlī, est cibus lēgātī?
Castra sunt mea, sed tēla sunt tua.