Monday, June 1, 2026

09.12.26: Level 1-2 (review): Julia (a Latin Reader) [7] (1)

HORĀTIUS PUER (1)

...carmina nōn prius

audīta Mūsārum sacerdōs

virginibus puerīsque cantō.

Horātius, Carmina, III.i.2-4

Fābulam dē Horātiō, poētā praeclārō, nunc vōbīs nārrābō. Āpūlia regiō est Italiae. Multās silvās, multōs et amoenōs campōs habet. In prātīs herbōsīs multī gregēs, multa equōrum boumque armenta errant.

Hīc ōlim Horātius habitābat, parvulus adhūc et mātrī patrīque cārus. Forte servōs, forte patrem mātremque fefellit, et sōlus per prāta amoena errābat. Grātī puerō erant flōrēs et herba et rūra dīvīna. Mox autem puer, lūdō et errōribus fessus, in valle herbōsā iacuit et animum somnō profundō laxāvit. Intereā parentēs sollicitī puerum dīligenter quaerēbant. Et parentēs et servī vehementer timēbant.

"Lupī saevī," inquiunt, "et ursī silvās incolunt. Lupus fortasse puerum etiam nunc crūdēliter necat." Itaque diū et dīligenter puerum quaerēbant.

Vocabulary XVII

[i]

Apūlia, -ae [1/f]: Apulia, a district of Italy

armentum, -ī [2/n]: herd

bōs, bovis [3 m/f]: ox

error, -ōris [3/m]: wandering

flōs, flōris [3/m]: flower

grex, gregis [3/m]: flock

Horātius, -ī [2/m]: Horatius, a brave Roman

lupus, -ī [2/m]: wolf

parēns, -entis [3 m/f]: parent

poēta, -ae [1/m]: poet

rēgiō, -ōnis [3/f]: region, district

rūs, rūris [3/n]: country

servus, -ī [2/m]: slave

ursus, -ī [2/m]: bear

vallis, -is [3/f]: valley

[ii]

fallō, -ere [3]: deceive, escape the notice of

incolō, -ere [3]: inhabit, dwell in

quaerō, -ere [3]: seek, look for

[iii]

amoenus, -a, -um: pleasant; lovely

praeclārus, -a, -um: splendid; famous

saevus, -a, -um: savage; cruel

sollicitus, -a, -um: anxious

sōlus, -a, -um: alone; only

[iv]

crūdēliter: cruelly

fortasse: perhaps

vōs: you (plural)

____________________

I, a priest of the Muses, sing songs not heard before to maidens and boys.

Now I shall tell you a story about Horace, a famous poet. Apulia is a region of Italy. It has many forests and many beautiful fields. In the grassy meadows many flocks and many herds of horses and cattle wander.

Here once Horace used to live, still a little boy and dear to his mother and father. By chance he slipped away from the slaves, perhaps from his father and mother too, and wandered alone through the pleasant meadows. Flowers and grass and the divine countryside were pleasing to the boy. But soon the boy, tired by play and wandering, lay down in a grassy valley and relaxed his mind in deep sleep. Meanwhile his anxious parents were carefully searching for the boy. Both parents and slaves were greatly afraid.

“The savage wolves,” they say, “and bears inhabit the forests. A wolf perhaps is even now cruelly killing the boy.” And so for a long time and carefully they were searching for the boy.

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