Wednesday, May 6, 2026

07.11.26: Level 1-2 (review): Julia (a Latin Reader) [4] (3)

CERĒS ET PERSEPHONĒ (3)

Tandem Cerēs prope parvam agricolae casam in saxō gelidō sedēbat. Dea maesta diū lacrimābat. Tum ē casā puella parva ad Deam vēnit. Puellae oculī plēnī erant lacrimārum. “Puerum parvum,” inquit, “habēmus. In cūnīs aeger iacet. Lacrimāmus, quod aeger est puer.”

Tum Cerēs lacrimās suās tenuit, et cum puellā ad casam properāvit. Ibi Metanīra fīlium aegrum in gremiō tenēbat. Fīlius Metanīrae Triptolemus erat. Lacrimābant et agricola et Metanīra et puella parva, quod nōn valēbat puer. Tum Cerēs puerō ōsculum dedit, et ecce! statim valuit puer. Mīrum et dīvīnum est ōsculum Deae.

Laetī erant et agricola et Metanīra et puella. Iam laetus et validus puer in cūnīs dormītābat. Tum Cerēs Triptolemum in gremiō suō tenuit. Dea cum tōtā familiā cēnam habuit; in mēnsā erant ūvae purpureae et pōma iūcunda. Adhūc ignōta erant Italīs Graecīsque et vīnum et frūmentum. Deae tamen flāvae grāta erat rūstica cēna. Post cēnam in agricolae casā Dea manēbat et cottīdiē Triptolemum cūrābat.

[1]

Metanīra, -ae [1/f]: Metanira

Triptolemus, -ī [2/m]: Triptolemus

cūnae, -ārum [1/f]: cradle

gremium, -ī [2/n]: lap

saxum, -ī [2/n]: rock

[2]

aeger, aegra, aegrum: sick

gelidus, -a, -um: cold

maestus, -a, -um: sad

ignōtus, -a, -um: unknown

rūsticus, -a, -um: rustic

[3]

teneō, tenēre [2]: hold

valeō, valēre [2]: be strong, be well

dormiō, dormīre [4]: sleep

[4]

tandem: at last

diū: for a long time

ecce: look!

___________________

At last Ceres sat on a cold rock near a small farmer’s cottage. The sad goddess wept for a long time. Then from the house a little girl came to the goddess. The girl’s eyes were full of tears. “We have a little boy,” she said. “He lies sick in the cradle. We weep because the boy is sick.”

Then Ceres held back her tears and hurried with the girl to the house. There Metanira held her sick son in her lap. The son of Metanira was Triptolemus. The farmer, Metanira, and the little girl were weeping because the boy was not well. Then Ceres gave the boy a kiss, and look! immediately the boy became well. The kiss of the goddess is wondrous and divine.

The farmer, Metanira, and the girl were happy. Now the boy, happy and strong, was sleeping in the cradle. Then Ceres held Triptolemus in her lap. The goddess had dinner with the whole family; on the table were purple grapes and pleasant fruits. Wine and grain were still unknown to Italians and Greeks. Nevertheless the rustic meal was pleasing to the golden goddess. After dinner the goddess stayed in the farmer’s house and cared for Triptolemus daily.


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