27.10.25: Level 2; Reading (review): [26] Against the arch-enemy [2] links: [i] perfect, pluperfect and future perfect passive [ii] all posts on the passive

[1] Perfect, pluperfect, future perfect passive: links to earlier posts

https://mega.nz/file/DBlUnKQT#oipBEnlDn4DPxYA9CBn2KJJsDBwZeSeuDRUuDYSnxbo

[2] Passive voice: all posts

https://mega.nz/file/rYkjzCgC#gfnqLlfHt23oFmHeGZyWaNsmtbXQag9Tkwm4rcXJZPs

27.10.25: Level 2; Reading (review): [26] Against the arch-enemy [1]

Cato continues his speech:

“Postquam cōpiae nostrae secundō bellō Pūnicō ad Cannās superātae sunt, populus Rōmānus nōn dēspērāvit. Paucīs annīs nōn sōlum novae cōpiae ā nōbīs parātae, sed etiam Poenī ex Ītaliā fugātī et in Āfricā superātī sunt. Carthāgō nōndum dēlēta est, sed dēlēbitur sine dubiō brevīque interībit. Quis enim ignōrat sociōs nostrōs ā Poenīs lacessī, quem fallit eōs ā nōbīs auxilium petere? Appāret dīvitiās Poenōrum rūrsus crēscere, quamquam ā nōbīs tantae pecūniae requīsītae sunt. Et Hannibal nōn sōlum Carthāgine, sed tōta Āfrica multum valet. Suō locō dē eō dīcam; numquam quiētus erō, dum vīvet! Cēterum cēnseō Carthāginem esse dēlendam!”

Notes:

[1] quem fallit ¦ eōs ā nōbīs auxilium petere?

fallō, -ere, fefellī, falsus [3]: deceive; dupe

fallit: it escapes (one’s notice)

Whom does it deceive = whose notice does it escape │ that they seek help from us?

[2] Quis enim ignōrat ¦ sociōs nostrōs … lacessī [present passive infinitive]…? │ For who is unaware / does not know ¦ our allies to be provoked = … that our allies are being provoked?

[3] Cēterum cēnseō ¦ Carthāginem esse dēlendam

Moreover, I argue that Carthage has to be destroyed

This is an example of the gerundive which was discussed in detail at level 3; links below:

02.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [1]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/020625-level-3-gerundive-1.html

02.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [2]; practice (1)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/020625-level-3-gerundive-2-practice-1.html

05.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [3]; practice (2)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/050625-level-3-gerundive-3-practice-2.html

05.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [4]; practice (3)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/050625-level-3-gerundive-4-practice-3.html

08.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [5]; purpose

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/080625-level-3-gerundive-5-purpose.html

08.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [6]; practice (4)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/080625-level-3-gerundive-6-practice-4.html

08.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [7]; practice (5)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/080625-level-3-gerundive-7-practice-5.html

[4]

Carthāgō nōndum dēlēta est │ Carthage has not yet been destroyed

novae cōpiae ¦ ā nōbīs ¦ parātae │ new / fresh troops [that have been] prepared ¦ by us

Poenī ex Ītaliā fugātī │ the Carthaginians [who have been] chased out of Italy

ā nōbīs tantae pecūniae requīsītae sunt │ such large amounts of money have been demanded by us

Poenī … superātī sunt │ the Carthaginians were / have been conquered

cōpiae nostrae … superātae sunt │ our troops were / have been conquered

numquam quiētus erō │ I shall never be quiet / at rest / keep quiet*

*Literally: quiēscō, quiēscere, quiēvī, quiētus [3]: rest; keep quiet. Therefore, the literal  meaning is “I shall never have been kept quiet” but it is often possible simply to translate certain passive participles as adjectives i.e. “quiet”

Carthāgō … dēlēbitur │ Carthage will be destroyed

26.10.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [12][iii] principal parts

If you are a non-native speaker of English, or, for example, French or German you will be aware of this even if you don’t know the specific term principal parts.

I play –  he plays – I played – I have played; in English, this is most commonly known as a regular verb i.e. it has a set of endings that are consistently added to thousands of verbs.

But: I sing – he sings – I sang – I have sung; these are generally classified as irregular verbs i.e. their forms cannot be anticipated, but need to be recognised and memorised. English grammar books usually provide a list of these e.g  fall – fell – fallen; break – broke – broken. Once those parts are learned then all other tenses of the verb can be formed, for example:

fall: he falls, he is / was falling, he will fall, he would fall

fell: he fell on the stairs

fallen: he has fallen on the stairs; I would have fallen if I had done that

Latin does the same; most verbs have four principal parts but, for now, just become aware of three of them:

portō, portāre, portāvī [1]: carry

[1] portō: 1^st person singular present tense

[2] portāre: infinitive

[1] and [2] were discussed in the previous section (Carolus et Maria [11][i])

[3] portāvī: 1^st person singular perfect tense

Knowing these becomes increasingly important as you move on and are introduced to other tenses. In the previous section (Carolus et Maria [12][ii]), it was shown that the perfect tense is formed from the 3^rd principal part for example: portō, portāre, portāvī

[i] portāv¦ī

[ii] remove the ending > portāv-; you now have the stem for the perfect tense. Once you have that, it never changes and that applies to all verbs in Latin

[iii] add the perfect tense endings to the stem

portāvī │ I (have) carried

portāvistī │ you (sg.) (have) carried

portāvit │(s)he / it (has) carried

portāvimus │ we(have) carried

portāvistis │ you (pl.) (have) carried

portāvērunt │ they (have) carried

It is the third principal part that needs attention because, as with the English irregular verbs, it very often cannot be anticipated. The image shows some examples of three of the four principal parts of verbs. It isn’t necessary to learn all of these at this stage, but just be aware of what these three parts are and take note of the frequent irregularity of the third part.

From now on, all the verbs in the Carolus et Maria texts will be listed with their principal parts. You are not going to need them all (not yet:

lacrimō, lacrimāre, lacrimāvī [1]: cry

More information is available at the following links:

13.03.24: principal parts of verbs

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/130324-principal-parts-of-verbs.html

13.03.24: Daily routine [1]; the principal parts of verbs

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/130324-daily-routine-1-principal-parts.html

13.03.24: daily routine [2]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/130324-daily-routine-2.html

21.05.24: Level 2: perfect tense [1] stem, endings; first conjugation (1)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/200524-level-2-perfect-tense-1-stem.html

26.10.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [12][ii] introduction to past tenses

The text throws you in at the deep end slightly, but only slightly since it is gradually introducing the two past tenses of Latin: [1] the imperfect tense; [2] the perfect tense

At this stage it is enough to grasp the difference in meaning between the two, and to recognise the endings.

[1] Imperfect tense: describes what somebody was doing or used to do, or an action that went on for a period of time (with no sense of end) or happened more than once

Diū vocābat │ She was calling for a long time

hī puerī multās hōrās aquam … portābant │ These boys were carrying water for many hours

Maesta erat et diū lacrimābat │ She was gloomy and was crying for a long time

Hōrae erant longae quod puerum exspectābat │ The hours were long because she was waiting for the boy

Nōn erat laeta │ She was not happy (i.e. this was how she felt over a period of time)

mātrēs erant miserae │ The mothers were sad

iānua … clausa erat │ The door was closed

From Carolus et Maria 10:

Herī medicus erat in casā │ Yesterday the doctor was in the cottage

Puerō medicīnam dabat │ He gave (was giving) medicine to the boy

Medicīnam habēre nōn cupiēbat │ He didn’t want to have the medicine

Medicus puerum esse aegrum vidēbat │ Literally: The doctor was seeing the boy to be ill = The doctor saw / could see that the boy was ill

Puer medicō grātiās agēbat │ Literally: The boy was thanking the doctor = The boy was thankful to the doctor

From Carolus et Maria 11:

Maria, puella bona erās. │ Maria, you were a good girl

LINK: imperfect tense; all posts

https://mega.nz/file/DIVQXRSL#68KnGlwq6-6lFYguvSxIYL8p3b-kQHlGHDKjN_JSjnQ

[2] Perfect tense: describes single, “one off” / finished actions in the past; it is the most common tense used in past tense narrative. None of the examples suggest that the action was still continuing. In English this is most often translated as a simple past e.g. dīxit │ (s)he said, but it can (less frequently) express the English present perfect i.e. ‘I have done something’ e.g. ad aquam iērunt │ they went, or (depending on context) they have gone to the water

Post ūnam hōram magistra hoc dīxit: … │After an hour the teacher said this: …

Mox Carolum vocāvit │ She soon called Carolus

Nōn saltāvit │ She did not dance

… respondit puella │ … the girl replied

Maria … sōla domum iit │ Maria … went home alone

Māter domō iit │ The mother went from the house

Cum Cassiō ad aquam iit │ He went / has gone with Cassius to the water

Ad aquam iērunt │ They went to the water

Carolus et Cassius domum nōn iērunt │ Carolus and Cassius did not go home

Diū ibi mānsērunt │ They stayed there for a long time

Multum dē tabernāculō … dīxērunt │ They said / talked a lot about the tent

Diū puerōs exspectāvērunt │ They waited for the boys for a long time

fīliōs suōs nōn vidērunt │ They did not see their sons

From Carolus et Maria 10:

Puerō pecūniam dedit │ He gave money to the boy

LINK: perfect tense; all posts

https://mega.nz/file/WQtmyLQL#pRb1pfjewQtMCIAyiApva9LHKPTakittNaCdQ1RC7po

Images #1 and #2

Although this text focuses on the 3^rd person i.e. what he / she / they were doing or did, both tenses have very distinct endings which are summarised in the images and you should become familiar with them.

Image #3: the imperfect tense of esse (to be)

26.10.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [12][i]

Carolus et Maria XII

Read and listen to the text, and refer to the vocabulary

Note the verbs in the image which are in two colours

Check the translation and note, in particular, the parts of the translation marked in bold

Move on to [12][ii] and [12] [iii]

Interdum, ubi aestās est et agricolae in agrīs labōrant, discipulī in scholā manēre nōn cupiunt. Diū ex fenestrīs silvam spectant. Post scholam est aqua et ibi puerī et puellae esse cupiunt. Carolus et Cassius tabernāculum habent sed hoc est domī. Tabernāculum est validum et puerōs tegit. Tabernāculum est praemium quod hī puerī multās hōrās aquam ad agricolās portābant.

Herī vesperī Carolus et Cassius domum nōn iērunt. Ad aquam iērunt. Diū ibi mānsērunt. Multum dē tabernāculō, dē hōrīs grātīs aestātis dīxērunt. Post ūnam hōram magistra hoc dīxit: “Bonī puerī domum eunt, sed malī puerī post scholam in aquā manent.” Magistra sōla in oppidum it. Nōn erat laeta; nōn saltāvit.

In tectīs puerōrum mātrēs erant miserae. Diū puerōs exspectāvērunt, sed fīliōs suōs nōn vidērunt.

“Ubi est fīlius meus?” dīxit māter Carolī. Maesta erat et diū lacrimābat. Hōrae erant longae quod puerum exspectābat. Mox Carolum vocāvit. Diū vocābat.

Maria, soror Carolī, sōla domum iit. “Ubi est frāter tuus?” dīxit māter.

“Cum Cassiō ad aquam iit,” respondit puella.

Māter domō iit et ubi iānua tēctī clausa erat, puerum vocāvit. “Carole! Carole!” Diū māter vocābat.

Nunc puerī sunt in silvā. Nox est et lūna est obscūra. Viam nōn vident. Maestī sunt et lacrimant. Māter quoque lacrimat quod fīlium suum nōn videt.

“Mātrem meam vidēre cupiō,” dīcit Carolus.

Māter ad silvam ambulat. Mox puerōs videt et vocat. Nunc puerī nōn sunt maestī et nōn lacrimant quod mātrem Carolī vident. Laetī sunt et saltant.

Nunc vesperī puerī post scholam nōn manent.

Vocabulary; all notes referring to the tenses in the text are in the next two posts

domus: house

• domī: at home
• domō: from the house

eō, īre: go

• eō: I go / am going
• īs: you (sg.) go
• it: (s)he / it goes
• īmus: we go
• ītis: you (pl.) go
• eunt: they go

hōra: hour

maestus, -a, -um: sad; gloomy

malus, -a, -um: bad

post + accusative: after; post scholam │ after school; post ūnam hōram │ after one hour

ūnus, -a, -um: one

suus, -a, -um: his / her / its / their own

• Māter quoque lacrimat quod fīlium suum nōn videt │ The mother is also crying because she doesn’t see her son, i.e. her own son (rather than somebody else’s); Latin makes the distinction clear by using suus
• Fīliōs suōs nōn vidērunt │ They did not see their sons

vesper: evening

• vesperī: in the evening

____________________

Sometimes, when it’s summer and the farmers are working in the fields, the pupils don’t want to stay in school. For a long time they look out of the windows at the forest. There is water behind the school and the boys and girls want to be there. Carolus and Cassius have a tent but this is at home. The tent is strong and protects the boys. The tent is a reward because, for many hours, these boys were carrying / used to carry water to the farmers.

Yesterday in the evening Carolus and Cassius did not go home. They went to the water. They stayed there for a long time. They said a lot about the tent, (and) about the pleasing hours of summer. After one hour the teacher said this: “Good boys go home but bad boys stay in the water after school.” The teacher goes alone into the town. She was not happy; she did not dance.

In the houses the boys’ mothers were sad. For a long time they waited for the boys, but they did not see their sons.

“Where is my son?” said Carolus’ mother. She was sad and for a long time (she) was crying. The hours were long because she was waiting for the boy. Soon she called Carolus. She was calling for a long time.

Maria, Carolus’ sister, went home alone. “Where is your brother?” said mother.

He went / has gone with Cassius to the water,” the girl replied.

Mother went from the house and when the door of the dwelling was closed, she called her son. “Carolus! Carolus!” The mother was calling for a long time.

Now the boys are in the forest. It’s night and the moon is dark. They don’t see the way. They are gloomy and they are crying. The mother is also crying because she doesn’t see her son.

“I want to see my mother,” says Carolus.

The mother walks to the forest. Soon she sees the boys and calls (them). Now the boys aren’t gloomy and they’re not crying because they see Carolus’ mother. They are happy and they are dancing.

Now, in the evening, the boys don’t stay after school.

25.10.25: Level 3; ferō and its compounds [6]

Choose the appropriate verb listed below to complete each sentence.

1. Are you offering me something? │__________ mihi aliquid?
2. Bring me the two best horses. │__________ mihi duōs equōs optimōs!
3. Go to the middle of the forest, boys! │__________ vōs ad mediam silvam, puerī!
4. They take away a very large amount of money from the allies. │Ab sociīs maximam pecūniam __________.
5. Come on, pass round the wine! │Age, __________ mulsum!
6. I go to bed before sunset. │Ante sōlis occāsum mē in lectum __________.
7. You make a display of your greed! │Avāritiam __________!
8. They transfer the camp to the other side of the river. │Castra trāns fluvium __________.
9. They bring a golden crown into the Senate House. │Corōnam auream in cūriam __________.
10. I take myself back home. │Domum mē __________.
11. We go home. │Domum nōs  __________.
12. We take the statues out of the temples. │Ē templīs statuās __________.
13. I want to return this letter to him. │Hanc epistulam ad eum __________ volō.
14. Lucretius translates the book into Latin. │Lucrētius librum in linguam Latīnam __________.
15. My eyes look (round) in every direction. [ = I take (my) eyes around] │ Oculōs __________
16. Pompey gathers his troops together. │Pompēius cōpiās suās __________.
17. The Romans win [= bring back] a great victory. │Rōmānī magnam victōriam __________.
18. Sextus orders the slave to bring water. │Sextus servum aquam __________ iubet.
19. The soil and climate are not much different from Britain. │sōlum caelumque ... haud multum ā Britanniā __________.
20. He refuses to offer any help. │Ūllum auxilium __________ nōn vult.
21. They were waging war on their neighbours. │ Fīnitimīs [dative] bellum __________.

____________________ 

1. Offersne mihi aliquid?
2. Affer mihi duōs equōs optimōs!
3. Cōnferte vōs ad mediam silvam, puerī!
4. Avāritiam praefers!
5. Age, circumfer mulsum!
6. Ante sōlis occāsum mē in lectum cōnferō.
7. Ab sociīs maximam pecūniam auferunt.
8. Castra trāns fluvium trānsferunt.
9. Corōnam auream in cūriam īnferunt.
10. Domum mē referō.
11. Domum nōs cōnferimus.
12. Ē templīs statuās efferimus.
13. Hanc epistulam ad eum referre volō.
14. Lucrētius librum in linguam Latīnam trānsfert.
15. Oculōs circumferō.
16. Pompēius cōpiās suās cōnfert.
17. Rōmānī magnam victōriam referunt.
18. Sextus servum aquam afferre iubet.
19. sōlum caelumque ... haud multum ā Britanniā differunt.
20. Ūllum auxilium offerre nōn vult.
21. Fīnitimīs bellum īnferēbant.

25.10.25: Level 3; ferō and its compounds [5]

[1] per (through) + ferō > perferō: the prefix per- can convey the meaning of doing something all the way through i.e. [i] carry through; convey news i.e. get that news to somebody [ii] bear; endure to the end

[i]

tum lapis ipse virī …nec spatium ēvāsit tōtum neque pertulit ictum (Virgil) │ Then that very stone of the man … neither passed over the whole space nor carried through a blow.

Interim ad Labiēnum per Rēmōs incrēdibilī celeritāte dē victōriā Caesaris fāma perfertur (Caesar) │ Meanwhile the report respecting the victory of Caesar is conveyed to Labienus through the country of the Remi with incredible speed [i.e. the new isn’t merely announced to Labienus, but brought to him]

[ii] nec quae fugit sectāre, nec miser vīve, / sed obstinātā mente perfer, obdūrā (Catullus) │ do not keep chasing one who flees, do not live miserably, / but endure with a resolute mind, harden yourself.

[2] prō (in front of) + ferō > prōferō: [i] bring out; expose; [ii] put off; adjourn

'Prōfer, Galla, caput.' 'Nōlī vexāre, quiēscit.' (Juvenal) │ 'Bring out your head, Galla.' 'Don't disturb her, she's resting.'

[i]

Argentārius nummōs ex arcā prōfert. │ The moneychanger produces coins from the box. [ = He brings them out in front of him.]

Massiliēnsēs arma ex oppidō prōferunt. │ The Massilians bring their weapons out of the town.

[ii] quod sī laxius volent prōferre diem, poterunt vel bīduum vel trīduum vel ut vidēbitur (Cicero) │ But,  if  they want  to  put  off  the  date  still  further,  they can do so two or three days or as much as they  like [think of the opposite English expression: Can we bring the meeting forward to Tuesday?]

[3] Briefly to return to the use of dictionaries, it is common practice in the most authoritative works to list examples of the different meanings any word may have. This, however, from a learner’s perspective, can be misleading since there may only be a handful of instances where Roman authors have used the word in that specific sense.

sufferō (or subferō) is a case in point where its compound rarely occurs in a literal sense, but that definition will be included in the dictionary because it is evident in a few isolated cases; sufferō is far more common in its abstract sense:

sufferō: [i] carry / lay under; [ii] suffer; bear; endure

imbrem perpetiar, labōrem sufferam, sōlem, sitim (Plautus) │ the torrents of rain I'll submit to; labour, heat, and thirst, will I endure

nec poterant pariter dūrum sufferre labōrem (Lucretius) │ and they were able to endure, like copper, hard labour

25.10.25: Level 3; respect paid to age

Lȳsander Lacedaemonius hoc dīxisse dīcitur; "Lacedaemone optimē vīvere possunt senēs." Nusquam enim tantum tribuitur aetātī, nusquam est senectūs honōrātior. Athēnīs ōlim, lūdis īnstitūtīs, quīdam in theātrum grandis nātū vēnit, nec eī locus datus est ā suīs cīvibus, tum ad lēgātōs Lacedaemoniōs accessit; hī autem omnēs cōnsurrēxēre et sēnī locum dedērunt. Hoc factum probantibus Athēniēnsibus, ūnus ē lēgātīs dīxit, "Athēniēnsēs quidem sciunt rēcta facere, sed facere nōlunt."

Athēnae, -ārum [1/f/pl]: Athens; Athēnīs: (locative) at Athens

Athēniēnsis, -e: Athenian

Athēniēnsēs: Athenians

Lacedaemon (or with long /ō/), -is [3/f]: Lacedaemon, Sparta

Lacedaemonius, -a, -um: [i] (adj.) of / belonging to Lacedaemon or Sparta; [ii] (noun) a Spartan (man)

Lacedaemonēs: Lacedaemonians; Spartans

accēdō, -ere, accessī [3]: come forward; approach

cōnsurgō, -ere, cōnsurrēxī [3]: stand up; rise; rise together

grandis nātū: aged; quīdam … grandis nātū: a certain elderly man

nusquam: nowhere

tribuō, -ere, -uī, tribūtus [3]: grant; bestow; (here) idea of (respect) being paid

Notes:

[i] Lȳsander … hoc (2) dīxisse (1) dīcitur │ Lysander … (1) is said (2) to have said this

[ii] hī autem omnēs cōnsurrēxēre = cōnsurrexērunt; another example of a syncopated verb form [LINK] where the 3^rd plural of the perfect tense is contracted. These can be misread because they look like infinitives but the -ēre is attached to the perfect tense stem:

habitāv¦ērunt (they lived) > habitāv¦ēre

dīx¦ērunt (they said) > dīx¦ēre

[iv] Hoc factum ¦ probantibus Athēniēnsibus; ablative absolute: literally ‘with the Athenians applauding’ = As / while the Athenians were applauding this act …

___________________

Lysander the Lacedaemonian is said to have said this: ‘Old men can live best at Lacedaemon.’ For nowhere is so much (respect) paid to age, nowhere is old age more honoured. Once upon a time at Athens, at the beginning of the public games [literally: with the games having been started], a certain old man came into the theatre, and a place was not given to him by his own citizens; then he approached the Lacedaemonian ambassadors, but all these rose together and made room for [literally: gave a place to] the old man. As the Athenians were applauding this act [literally: with the Athenians applauding], one of the ambassadors said ‘The Athenians indeed know how to do what is right [literally: to do the right things], but they are not willing to do it.”