17.02.26: Level 3; indirect statement; the accusative-infinitive [24]: use of quod

[i] In the first post on the topic of indirect statement, it was mentioned that quod as an equivalent of the English conjuction ‘that’ is a feature of Late Latin rather than Classical:

Level 3: indirect statement; the accusative-infinitive [1] (note [4])

https://adckl2.blogspot.com/2025/06/level-3-indirect-statement-accusative.html

et vīdit Deus ¦ quod esset bonum (Vulgate) │ and God saw that it was good

lēgātī renūntiāvērunt ¦ quod Pompeium in potestāte habērent │ the ambassadors reported that they had Pompey in their power

This type of clause with quod gradually took over from the accusative and infinitive construction and became the usual way of expressing indirect speech in the Romance languages:

French / Spanish / Portuguese: que; Italian: che; Romanian: că

This parallels with, for example, Old English: þæt; Mediaeval German: daȥ; Modern Russian: chto (что)

However, in Classical Latin quod / quia introduces a causal / explanatory clause rather than an indirect statement:

[ii] quod: “(the fact) that”

quod rediit ¦ nōbīs mīrābile vidētur (Cicero) │ (the fact) that he returned ¦ seems marvellous to us

praetereō ¦ quod eam sibī domum dēlēgit (Cicero) │  I pass over ¦ the fact that he chose that house for himself

i.e. these two do not ‘report’ an event, but express a reaction to something already known

[iii] verbs of emotion / feeling are followed by either quod or quia; a way of differentiating the use of quod (or quia) in this context is mostly to interpret the meaning as ‘because’ rather than ‘that’.

Quod scrībis . . . gaudeō. │ I am glad ¦ that you write.

Gaudēmus quod ad tempus adestis │ We rejoice ¦ that you are here on time

Faciō libenter quod eam nōn possum praeterīre. │ I am glad ¦ that I cannot pass it by.

Gaudet quod vivit │ He rejoices ¦ that he is alive.

Opportūnissima rēs accidit quod Germānī vēnērunt. │ A very fortunate thing happened, ¦ (namely) that the Germans came.

Optimum, quod sustulistī. │ It is a very good thing ¦ that you have removed [him].

dolet mihi quod tū nunc stomachāris (Cicero) │ I'm sorry ¦ that you're angry now

quī ¦ quia nōn habuit ā mē turmās equitum ¦ fortasse suscēnset │ who perhaps feels angry ¦ that he did not receive squadrons of cavalry from me

https://dcc.dickinson.edu/grammar/latin/indicative-quod

[iv] The question is how the term Classical Latin is defined as opposed to, for example, Ecclesiastical or, in this case, “vernacular”. The use of quod to introduce an indirect statement is not considered a feature of Classical Latin i.e. the formal writing of Cicero, Livy etc. There may be occasional examples of quod introducing indirect statement. From Plautus:

Equidem sciō iam fīlius quod amet meus istanc meretrīcem ē proxumō Philaenium. │ I already know that my son is in love with that prostitute from next door, Philaenium.

Nunc sciō ego quod tē amāvī et miser sum factus. │ Now I know that I loved you and have been made wretched.

These would imply that quod was used in the vernacular, which would not be surprising given the common developments in the Romance languages that reflect that use, as well as equivalents in, for example, the Germanic and Slavonic languages, all of which would suggest it is a very early feature. While that is interesting to note, it is the literary language of the Classical period that is the predominant concern, and none of the major writers on Latin grammar refer to it, nor is it standard literary practice.

17.02.26: Level 3; the Pater Noster of Juvencus [5]; notes on Latin poetry [4] video

[5] video: Vincent’s complete recitation with lines scanned and key points noted.

Take away:

dactyl(ic)

spondee

anceps

hexameter

/i/ + V: either ⁱa / ⁱo or i-a / i-o

diphthong

long by nature i.e. always long in any form of written or spoken Latin

long by position: [i] VCC; [ii] V+X[ks] i.e. becomes long in verse

elision: -(V) ͜ V- / -(V) + (h)V

17.02.26: Level 3; Celestial Sphere: from the authors [3] Poeticon Astronomicon; Hyginus

[1] In fīnītiōne mundī circulī sunt parallēlī quīnque, in quibus tōta ratiō sphaerae cōnsistit, praeter eum quī zōdiacus appellātur; │ At the boundary of the world there are five parallel circles, in which the entire system of the sphere is contained, except for that one which is called the zodiac;

[2] quī, quod nōn ut cēterī circulī certā dīmēnsiōne fīnītur et inclīnātior aliīs vidētur, λοξός [loksos] ā Graecīs est dictus. │ and this (circle), because it is not bounded by a fixed dimension like the others and appears more inclined than the rest, is called loxos by the Greeks.

[3] Quīnque autem quōs suprā dīximus sīc in sphaerā mētiuntur: │ The five (circles), which we have mentioned above, measure out / divide the sphere in this manner:

[4] initiō sūmptō ā polō quī boreus appellātur, ad eum quī notius et antarcticus vocātur, in trīgintā partēs ūnumquodque hēmisphaerium dīviditur, ita utī dīmēnsiō significārī videātur in tōtā sphaerā sexāgintā partēs factās. │ Beginning from the pole called Boreas (the northern pole) to that which is called Notus or Antarctic, each hemisphere is divided into thirty parts, so that the entire sphere is seen to be marked out into sixty parts in all.

• boreās, -ae [1/m]: north; north wind
• boreus, -a, -um; boreālis, -e: northern; Aurōra Boreālis: Northern Lights
• Notus, -ī [2/m]: god of the Southern Wind
• hēmisphaerium, -ī  [2/n]: hemisphere
• ūnum¦quodque: each

05.12.25: Level 3; indefinites [16] -que

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/09/051225-level-3-indefinites-16-que.html

Image: woodcut from the 1482 edition

Note further features of abbreviation

[i] the letter /q/ with a stroke through it (ꝗ); again, depending on the writer, it could equal an entire word e.g. quam, but here it indicates the omission of letters:

Eꝗnoctialis = equinoctialis

28.11.25: the Domesday Book; reading the manuscript [v] types of abbreviation [iv]; mind your p’s and q’s

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/08/281125-domesday-book-reading-manuscript_35.html

[ii] (Difficult to make out in the image): zodiacʔ (the sign usually marking the omission of -us or -rum) = zodiacus

16.02.26: Level 2; Vincent (Latin Reader); XL / XLI; [1] A Sudden Attack by the British; [2] British Methods of Fighting (ii) grammar review

[1] A Sudden Attack by the British

Equitēs Britannōrum et essedāriī cum equitibus Rōmānīs in itinere ācriter proeliō cōnflīxērunt. Rōmānī omnibus in partibus erant superiōrēs atque hostēs in silvās et collēs compulērunt. Dum Rōmānī sunt incautī atque castra mūniunt, subitō hostēs ex omnibus partibus contrā mīlitēs, quī prō castrīs erant in statiōne, impetum fēcērunt. Caesar duās cohortēs et partem legiōnis mīsit. Rōmānī hostēs fugāvērunt atque numerum magnum necāvērunt.

[2] British Methods of Fighting

Hōc in genere pugnae nostrī propter arma gravia nec hostibus īnstāre poterant nec ab signīs discēdere audēbant. Nostrī equitēs magnō cum perīculō pugnābant, quod hostēs cōnsultō saepe cēdēbant atque, ubi nostrōs ā legiōnibus remōverant, ex essedīs dēsiliēbant et pedibus contendēbant. Hostēs rārī semper pugnābant et statiōnēs intervāllīs magnīs habēbant atque integrī fessīs succēdēbant. Hīs causīs mīlitēs  Rōmānī magnā cum difficultāte contendēbant.

The questions refer to either of the two texts

[i] Give the nominative singular of the following nouns

cohortēs

difficultāte

equitēs

genere

itinere

pedibus

[ii] Identify the case of the two words in bold and explain why that case is being used:

nec hostibus īnstāre poterant

integrī fessīs succēdēbant

[iii] Translate the following phrases all of which use the ablative case

(1)

prō castrīs

(2)

in itinere

in statiōne

hōc in genere pugnae

omnibus in partibus

(3)

ex essedīs

ex omnibus partibus

(4)

nec ab signīs discēdere audēbant

nostrōs ā legiōnibus remōverant

(5)

cum equitibus Rōmānīs

magnā cum difficultāte

magnō cum perīculō

(6)

hīs causīs

intervāllīs magnīs

pedibus contendēbant

____________________

[i]

cohortēs < cohors

difficultāte < difficultās

equitēs < eques

genere < genus

itinere < iter

pedibus < pēs

[ii] Both are compound verbs followed by the dative case

īnstō, -āre [1]: press on

succēdō, -ere (sub + cēdō) [3]: relieve

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/130425-level-3-verbs-with-dative-case-1.html

[iii]

(1)

prō castrīs │ in front of / before the camp

(2)

in itinere │ on the journey (march)

in statiōne │ at (one’s) post / on guard

hōc in genere pugnae │ in this type (of battle)

omnibus in partibus │ (here) in all respects / every respect

(3)

ex essedīs │ out of the chariots (here: the idea of ‘down from’)

ex omnibus partibus │ from every direction

(4)

nec ab signīs discēdere audēbant │ and they did not dare to go away from / leave their standards

nostrōs ā legiōnibus remōverant │ they had drawn our mean away from the legions

(5)

cum equitibus Rōmānīs │ with the Roman cavalry

magnā cum difficultāte  │ with great difficulty

magnō cum perīculō │ with great danger

(6)

hīs causīs │ for these reasons

intervāllīs magnīs │ lit: at large intervals = with great spaces (between them)

pedibus contendēbant │ they fought on foot

15.02.26: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [24][ix]: the comparative and superlative; reference tables

15.02.26: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [24][viii]: the comparative and superlative; Latin tutorial; irregular forms

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

[1]

Haec avis est alta. │ This bird is high.

Illa avis quoque est alta. │ This bird is also high.

Illa / illa avis est altior  … │ That one / that bird is higher …

… quam haec / haec avis, │ …than this one / this bird,

sed haec avis est altissima. │ but this bird is the highest.

[2]

In itinere sunt tria flūmina lāta. │ On the journey / way there are three wide rivers.

Flūmen prīmum est lātum, │ The first river is wide,

sed flūmen secundum est lātius ¦ quam prīmum │ but the second river is wider ¦ than the first (one)

et flūmen tertium est lātissimum. │ and the third river is the widest.

[3]

Cicerō est ¦ optimus patrōnus ¦ omnium. │ Cicero is ¦ the best patron / protector ¦ of all.

Hortensius est ¦ patrōnus māior ¦ quam aliī patrōnī,  │ Hortensius is ¦ a greater patron ¦ than other patrons.

sed est patrōnus pēior quam Cicerō. │ but he is ¦ a worse patron ¦ than Cicero.

[4]

Rōmānī Mārtem ¦ deum potentem ¦ colunt. │ The Romans worship Mars, ¦ a powerful god.

Rōmānī quoque colunt Iōvem, ¦ patrem maximum ¦ deōrum. │ The Romans also worship Jupiter, ¦ the greatest father ¦ of the gods.

Iuppiter est potentior ¦ quam Mārs, │ Jupiter is more powerful ¦ than Mars,

Habet ¦ vim maiōrem ¦ quam Mārs. │ he has ¦ greater power ¦ than Mars. 

Iūppiter est potentissimus ¦ deōrum. │ Jupiter is the most powerful ¦ of the gods.

Est deus maximē potēns.  │ He is an especially powerful god.

[5] Match the answers with the questions:

[i] Minimē, illud est lātius quam hoc.

[ii] Cicerō est māior patrōnus quam Hortensius.

[iii] Cicerō est optimus patrōnus omnium.

[iv] Iūppiter māiōrem vim habet.

[v] Haec avis est altior.

Quis est optimus patrōnus omnium?

Quae est altior avis? Haec aut illa?

Est Cicerō māior aut pēior patrōnus quam Hortensius?

Estne hoc flūmen lātius quam illud flūmen?

Quis habet māiōrem vim? Mārs aut Iūppiter?

14.02.26: Level 3; indirect statement; the accusative-infinitive [23]: negative statements; denial

[a] negō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1] [i] deny; [ii] refuse

This verb is also used to create a negative statement [literally: say … not] for example:

He does not understand. │ Nōn intellegit.

> He says ¦ that he does not understand. │ Negat ¦ sē intellegere.

i.e. the concept of ‘not’ in the indirect statement is already contained in the verb negat; nōn is not required

Examples; sometimes ‘deny’ is an alternative translation:

Haec negat sē tuam esse mātrem. (Plautus)│ She denies that she is your mother = She says that she is not your mother.

Negāvī mē scīre (Cicero) │ I said that I did not know.

Hostēs negāvērunt sē arma dissimilia habēre. │The enemies denied that they had different weapons = the enemies said that they did not have different weapons.

Magister negāvit sē discipulum verberāvisse. │ The teacher denied that he had beaten the pupil = the teacher said that he had not beaten the pupil.

Negāvit sē mihi pecūniam dedisse. │ He denied that he had given me the money = he said that he had not given me the money.

Nōn it, negat sē itūram [esse]* (Plautus) │ She’s not going, she says that she will not go.

*Note the omission of esse; this is a feature to look out for in original literature.

Marītus negāvit sē Rōmae mānsūrum esse. │ The husband said that he would not stay at Rome.

[b]

Look at the following English example and the different ways in which the same idea can be expressed:

[i] He said that he hadn’t ever [not + ever] seen a more faithful servant than her.

[ii] He said that he had never seen a more faithful servant than her.

Latin conveys the idea using the equivalent of [i] above:

quicquam / quidquam: anything

quisquam: anybody

ūllus, -a, -um: any

umquam: ever

usquam: anywhere

By using negō, -āre, which already contains the idea of ‘not’, those pronouns and adverbs become negative i.e. in translation they change to nothing, nobody, no (not any), never, nowhere.

Examples:

Negat ¦ sē umquam in Ītaliā fuisse │ He denies that he has ever been in Italy = He says that he has not ever been in Italy = he says that he has never been in Italy.

Negāvit sē umquam vīdisse servam fidēliōrem quam hanc. │ He denied that he had ever seen = He said that he had not ever seen = he said that he had never seen ¦ a more faithful servant than her.

Negāvit umquam sē bibisse iūcundius. (Cicero) │ He said that he had not ever drunk = he said that he had never drunk ¦ (anything) more pleasant.

Negāvit quemquam esse in cīvitāte praeter sē quī id efficere posset (Cicero) │ He said that there was not anybody = he said that there was nobody ¦ in the city apart from himself who could carry it out.

Negat quicquam esse … efficācius (Seneca) │ He says that there is not anything more effective = he says that there is nothing more effective.

Negat ūllum esse tempus … (Cicero) │ He says that there is not any time = he says that there is no time …

Negō usquam umquam fuisse maiōrēs (Cicero) │ I say that there never was a time or place where they had more = Literally: I say that there was not ever (and) not anywhere, where they had more.

Exercise: complete the Latin with the words listed below.

[1] He says that he did not do this. │ Hoc sē __________ negat.

[2] [i] I say that [ii] he has not done this. │ [i] __________ [ii] __________ hoc fēcisse.

[3] He says that [i] he (referring to himself) is not [ii] ready. │ [i] __________ [ii] __________ esse negat.

[4] He says he has done nothing. │ Negat sē __________ fēcisse.

[5] He said that he would [i] never [ii] do this. │ Sē hoc [i] __________ [ii] __________ negāvit.

[6] He says that it was not by this man that your brother [i] was [ii] killed. │ Ab hōc homine [ii] __________ [i] __________ frātrem tuum negat.

[7] [i] He denies that Caesar [ii] has been in Gaul. │[i] __________ Caesarem in Galliā [ii] __________.

[8] He said that Caesar had not been in Gaul. │ __________ Caesarem in Galliā fuisse.

[9] [i] We deny that [ii] we [iii] have received a benefit. │ [i] __________ [ii] __________ beneficium [iii] __________ (Seneca)

[10] He denies that he has [i] ever [iii] seen such wonders [ii] anywhere. │ Negat sē [i] __________ [ii] __________ tanta mīra [iii] __________. (Plautus: adapted)

[11] The Carthaginians [i] said that they would not [ii] accept unfair terms of peace. │ Carthāginiēnsēs [i] __________ sē inīquās condiciōnēs pācis [ii] __________ esse.

[12] They denied that they had heard about the arrival of the king. │ Negāvērunt sē dē rēgis adventū __________.

[13] [i] Surely you don’t [ii] deny that [iii] you [iv] did not know these things? │ [i] __________ [ii] __________ [iii] __________ haec [iv] __________?

negāmus; negās; negat; negāvērunt; negāvit; negō

eum; nōs; sē; tē

accēpisse; acceptūrōs; audīvisse; esse; factūrum; fēcisse; fuisse; interfectum; parātum; scīvisse; vīdisse

num; quidquam; umquam; umquam; usquam

____________________

[1] Hoc sē fēcisse negat.

[2] [i] Negō [ii] eum hoc fēcisse.

[3] [i] Sē [ii] parātum esse negat.

[4] Negat sē quidquam fēcisse.

[5] Sē hoc [i] umquam [ii] factūrum negāvit.

[6] Ab hōc homine [ii] interfectum [i] esse frātrem tuum negat.

[7] [i] Negat Caesarem in Galliā [ii] fuisse.

[8] Negāvit Caesarem in Galliā fuisse.

[9] [i] Negāmus [ii] nōs beneficium [iii] accēpisse (Seneca)

[10] Negat sē [i] umquam [ii] usquam tanta mīra [iii] vīdisse.

[11] Carthāginiēnsēs [i] negāvērunt sē inīquās condiciōnēs pācis [ii] acceptūrōs esse.

[12] Negāvērunt sē dē rēgis adventū audīvisse.

[13] [i] Num [ii] negās [iii] tē haec [iv] scīvisse?

14.02.26: Level 3; the Pater Noster of Juvencus [4]; notes on Latin poetry [3] elision; reciting the verse

[3] Elision

[l.5] Īn cāe-¦ l(o) ͜ ūt tēr- ¦ rīs fī- ¦ āt tŭ-ă ¦ clā-ră vŏ- ¦ lūn-tās [īn cāe-l^oūt]

[i] -V ͜ V- i.e. a vowel at the end of a word and a vowel at the beginning of the next word are usually elided; the term is elision, and you can see that the end vowel is not scanned as it is either generally omitted when speaking or spoken rapidly together with the next vowel so that it forms one syllable:

[l.8]  Īn-nŭ-mĕ- ¦ r(a) ͜ īn-dūl- ¦ gēns ēr- ¦ rō- rīs ¦ dē-bĭ-tă ¦ prā-vī [-mĕ-¦ r’īn-dūl-]

[ii] Elision also occurs when the following letter is /h/ [V + hV]; /h/ is considered silent

[l.6] Vī-tā- ¦ līsqu(e) ͜ (h)ŏ- dĭ- ¦ ē sānc- ¦ tī sūb- ¦ stān-tĭ-ă ¦ pā-nĭs [līs qu’ŏ-dĭ-]

[4] Reciting the verse

It’s all very well talking about long and short syllables – but how are they actually said? Any poem in whatever language is open to interpretation, including the mood in which it is spoken, its pace and what the speaker wishes to emphasise. But you need to start somewhere to get the basic rhythms. The opening lyrics of “Paperback Writer” by the Beatles is comprised almost completely of crotchets (a single beat) and quavers (half a beat). Imagine you’re back in Primary Music class! Clap your hands, kids …

one q ¦ and a n ¦ two q ¦ and a n ¦ three q ¦ and a n ¦ four q

Omit the first and last words:

(Dear) ¦ Sir q or q Ma-dame n  will-you n read q my q book-it n took-me n years q to q write q, will-you n take-a n (look)?

Image #2: The notation is from the sheet music; the Beatles ‘play around’ a little with some of the rhythms when they sing it, but you can hear the long and short beats in the same way that you can hear the long and short syllables of the Latin work. Don’t sing it – say it, while tapping a pencil on the table. Then keep tapping that pencil and say the Latin line, and you’ll be getting pretty close to a Roman.