Sunday, May 3, 2026

04.11.26: Level 1-2 (review): Julia (a Latin Reader) [4] (2)

CERĒS ET PERSEPHONĒ (2)

Cerēs nōn in Siciliā erat, sed iam ad īnsulam properāvit. Nusquam erat Persephonē. Tum Dea, īrāta et perterrita, passīs capillīs per terrās errābat. Per clīvōs altōs, per campōs lātōs, per silvās et agrōs, per terrās et caelum fīliam vocābat.

Frūstrā agricolās, frūstrā lūnam et stēllās rogābat, “Ubi est fīlia mea?” Sed neque agricolae neque lūna neque stēllae puellam Deae mōnstrāvērunt.

Nōn iam Deae miserae grātum erat frūmentum; nōn iam herba erat in prātīs, neque ūvae purpureae in vīneīs, neque pōma in agrīs, quod Dea īrāta neque herbam neque vīneās neque pōma cūrābat. Frūstrā iuvencī albī agrōs arābant. Nōn iam cibum in plaustrīs magnīs ad oppida portābant.

[1]

lūna, -ae [1/f]: moon

silva, -ae [1/f]: forest

stēlla, -ae [1/f]: star

cibus, -ī [2/m]: food

[2]

miser, misera, miserum: wretched

purpureus, -a, -um: purple

[3]

rogō, rogāre [1]: ask

mōnstrō, mōnstrāre [1]: show

[4]

nusquam: nowhere

neque…neque: neither…nor

___________________

Ceres was not in Sicily, but now she hurried to the island. Persephone was nowhere. Then the goddess, angry and terrified, with hair unbound, wandered through the lands. Through high hills, through wide fields, through forests and lands, through earth and sky she called for her daughter.

In vain she asked the farmers, in vain the moon and the stars, “Where is my daughter?” But neither the farmers nor the moon nor the stars showed the girl to the goddess.

No longer was grain pleasing to the wretched goddess; no longer was there grass in the meadows, nor purple grapes in the vineyards, nor fruit in the fields, because the angry goddess cared for neither grass nor vineyards nor fruit. In vain the white oxen ploughed the fields. No longer did they carry food in great carts to the towns.

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