12.02.25: level 2; reading; a schoolmaster’s treachery; Livy’s account [5] language notes [4]; participles [3]; the gerundive

the Gerundive

deinde eum … redūcendum Faleriōs puerīs trādidit │ he then handed him to the boys to be taken back to Falerii

[i] The gerundive was first briefly mentioned here:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/08/260924-level-2-ora-maritima-24-and-25-6.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/535568889054384/

[ii] The gerundive, which we can also refer to as a future passive participle, is formed from the stem of the present tense with a distinctive -nd- ending + the adjective endings -us, -a, -um; below are its forms with its basic meaning

laudō, laudā¦re [1] > lauda- > lauda¦nd¦us, -a, -um │ which is to be praised (future passive participle i.e. something that is to be done in the future)

timeō, timē¦re [2] > time- > timendus, -a, -um│ which is to be feared

dūcō, dūce¦re [3] > dūc- > dūcendus, -a, -um│ which is to be led

3-iō and 4^th conjugation have -ie- before the ending is added

capiō, cape¦re [3-iō] > capie¦nd¦us, -a, -um│ which is to be captured

audiō, audī¦re [4] > audiendus, -a, -um│ which is to be heard

[iii] The ‘dictionary’ translation, however, is usually expressed in other ways. The gerundive most often refers to something that needs to be or has to be done to the noun which is why the expression ‘gerundive of obligation’.

English has something similar e.g. “That wall needs to be painted” or “that work has to be finished by 4pm”

[iv] The gerundive is adjectival; it agrees in gender, number and case with the noun it describes.

redūcō, -ere, -dūxī, -ductus [3]: bring back > redūcendus, -a, -um: which is / needs / has to be taken back; must be taken back

• deinde eum … redūcendum Faleriōs puerīs trādidit │ he then handed him to the boys to be taken back to Falerii
• He handed him ¦ literally: who was to be taken back to Falerii ¦ to the boys

That clumsy literal translation will not work and so it needs to be rewritten:

• The man who was to be taken back to Falerii he handed over to the boys.
• He then handed him to the boys [and he was] to be taken back to Falerii.

[v] Here are some other examples of the gerundive.

The first one is very well known and is a reworking of a statement made by Cato the Elder during the Third Punic War: Carthāgō dēlenda est. │ Carthage is to be destroyed.

• Vir laudandus est. │ The man must / needs to / has to / be praised.
• Haruspex timenda est. │ The soothsayer is to be feared.
• Pontēs capiendī erant. │ The bridges were / had to be captured.
• Castra (pl.) capienda sunt. │ The camp is to be / must be taken.
• Nunc est bibendum. │ The time has come to drink [literally: it needs to be drunk; now one must drink].

Sometimes, there can be a sense of “worthiness”:

• Hic liber legendus est. │ This book is to be read / has to be read / is worth reading.
• Mīles fortis laudandus est. │ The brave soldier is praiseworthy i.e. he needs to be praised.

[vi] The gerundive is used in constructions with ad + the accusative that express future purpose.

Compare these two English sentences that will give you an idea of how it works:

The estate agent says:

“This is a handy cupboard for ¦ cleaning materials ¦ to be stored.”

or

“This a handy cupboard for you ¦ to store ¦ your cleaning materials.”

Here are examples from previous posts:

[1] Mēnsē proximō ībō prīmum ad Iowa ¦ ad amīcum vīsitandum.  

The literal translation is:

• Next month I shall go to Iowa ¦ to a friend who is to be visited.

The participle agrees in gender, number and case with the noun.

However, English would most often rephrase this, turning the participle into an infinitive:

• Next month I shall go to Iowa ¦ to visit a friend.

[2] Similarly:

Venīte mēcum ¦ ad eōs spectandōs.

• Come with me ¦ to them that need to be looked at (the speaker was referring to reptiles in a lake).
• Rephrased: Come with me ¦ to look at them.

[3] Inter Dubrās et Rutupiās est locus ad nāvigia applicanda idōneus

• Between Dover and Richborough is a place suitable for ¦ vessels to be brought to land [i.e. English can sometimes closely translate the Latin original]

or

• Between Dover and Richborough is a place suitable ¦ to land vessels.

[4] Locus idōneus est ad cōpiās explicandās. 

• It’s a suitable place for ¦ forces to be deployed.

or

• It’s a suitable place ¦ to deploy forces.

[5] If you’re in business, you may well be surrounded by gerundives …

…at a meeting when you are given an agenda i.e. things that need to be done

… when you receive a memo by email i.e. a memorandum (something that needs to be remembered) or maybe you have several things you need to remember: memoranda

… when the boss forgot to include something in a document which needs to be added, and sends you an addendum (or several addenda)

Less so nowadays, but a book may contain a corrigendum or, more commonly, a list of corrigenda i.e. this is added to the book / document after its publication to refer to errors that have been noted and, presumably, are to be corrected in the next edition or which need to be corrected by the reader when they appear. That word often occurs together with errāta (from the perfect passive participle) referring to errors that have been made.

If you’ve watched Britain’s Got Talent, no doubt you know who Amanda Holden is, and her name is telling you that she needs to be loved: amandus, -a, -um

And the formidable boss of Runway in “The Devil wears Prada” is Miranda Priestly, she who is to be wondered / marvelled at: mirandus, -a, -um. And it is a perfect choice of name for her character.

[6] Again, there is more to discuss regarding the gerundive and it will reappear at Level 3. However, if you want to explore it in more depth now, then the Latin Tutorial video will give you more information:

amandus, -a, -um

mirandus, -a, -um

11.02.25: Level 2; the passive voice [33]: the perfect passive [14]; the perfect passive participle as adjective [2]: declined forms

Because the participles are now acting purely as adjectives, they decline not only in gender and number, but also in case because they are agreeing with whatever case the noun is in:

[i] rēx necātus est = perfect passive sentence = the king was killed

[ii] rēgem necātum vīdimus = participle as adjective = Literally: we saw the killed king.

As mentioned in the previous post English cannot always be so concise, the literal translation sounding odd or clumsy. Therefore, English may need to rework it: “We saw the king who had been killed.”

Agrī vastātī saepe iterum colī nōn possunt. │ Destroyed fields [= fields that have been destroyed] often cannot be cultivated again.

mīlitem vulnerātum cūrāvimus │ we cared for the wounded soldier [= the soldier who had been wounded = the soldier after he had been wounded]

Urbem dēlētam hostēs incendērunt │ the soldiers set fire to the destroyed city [= the city which had been destroyed]

Tum Pompēius ¦ pīrātās captōs ¦ in urbibus et agrīs procul ā marī collocāvit. │ Pompey then located the captured pirates in towns and fields far from the sea.

dēserō, dēserere, dēseruī, dēsertus [3]: leave; abandon; desert

in lītore dēsertō stābāmus │ we were standing on the deserted shore

The table shows the declension of the participle captus (captured; taken). It is only there for quick reference since the participles decline in exactly the same way as any other 1^st / 2^nd declension adjective.

Exercise

Choose the appropriate participle. This time, the translations are less literal and some alternatives are given to show that the Latin participle can be conveyed in several ways. If the Latin cannot be translated by a neat, single equivalent in English, then the aim is to retain the idea that something had / has already happened to the person / thing.

[1]

Vōcem sorōris __________ audīvit. │ He heard the voice of (his) frightened sister.

Vōcem frātris __________ audīvit. │ He heard the voice of (his) brother who had been frightened.

Reliquī Rōmānī cīvēs __________ per viās currentēs occīdērunt. │ The remaining Romans killed the terrified citizens as they were running through the streets.

Clāmōrēs cīvium __________ audiēbantur. │ The cries of the terrified citizens could be heard.

[2]

Vōcēs puerōrum __________ audīvimus. │ We heard the voices of the captured boys.

Vōcēs fēminārum __________ audīvimus. │ We heard the voices of the captured women.

Urbem __________ incendērunt. │ They set fire to the city which had been captured.

[3]

Cēnam __________ sōlus ēdit. │ He ate the prepared dinner alone [very literal: how about ‘he was / sat alone eating the dinner that had been prepared’  or ‘the dinner had been prepared and he ate it alone’; the last version is possible i.e. you can break the sentence into two separate clauses provided it is clear that one event was done before the other happened]

Sociī nāvēs __________ ad Menelāum mīsērunt. │ The allies sent to Menelaus ships which they had prepared.

[4]

Pecūniam __________ reddam. │ I’ll return the money that has been found.

Librum __________ reddam. │ I’ll return the book that has been found.

[5]

Mihi epistulam __________ dedit. │ He gave me the letter which had been read [= which he had read = after he’d read it]

Librōs __________ tibi dabō. │ I’ll give you the books that have been read.

[6]

Librum __________ invēnī. │ I’ve found the lost book.

Pecūniam __________ invēnī. │ I’ve found the money that was lost.

[7]

Uxōrēs mīlitum __________ diū lacrimāvērunt. │ The wives of the soldiers who had been killed [= after they had been killed] cried for a long time.

Fīlia mīlitis __________ flēvit. │ The daughter of the soldier who had been killed wept.

[8]

Iuvenēs mīlitem __________ cōnspexērunt. │ The young men caught sight of the wounded soldier.

Iuvenēs fēminam __________ cōnspexērunt. │ The young men caught sight of the wounded lady.

Iuvenēs mīlites __________ cōnspexērunt. │ The young men caught sight of the soldiers who had been wounded.

[9]

Troiānī nāvēs cōnscendere mālunt quam in urbe __________ manēre. │ The Trojans would rather board the ships than stay in the destroyed city.

Inter urbis __________ ruīnās stābat. │ He stood among the ruins of the destroyed city.

[10]

Pontem __________ refēcimus. │ We repaired the broken bridge.

Pontēs __________ refēcērunt. │ They repaired the broken bridges.

āmissam; āmissum; captam; captārum; captōrum; dēlētā; dēlētae; interfectī; interfectōrum; inventam; inventum; lēctam; lēctōs; parātam; parātās; perterritōrum; perterritōs; ruptōs; ruptum; territae; territī; vulnerātam; vulnerātōs; vulnerātum

10.02.25: Level 1; Colloquia Diverbia Fabellae (Meregazzi) [2]

Dē tabulā nigrā

In conclāvī scholārī tabulā nigra est; ea est quadrāta. Ostendite mihi tabulam nigram; ecce illa.

Discipule, ī ad tabulam nigram.

Nōs in tabulā nigrā crētā scrībimus; crēta alba est.

Discipule, sūme crētam, atque nōmen tuum scrībe. Quid nōmen tibi est?

Tabulam nigram mundam facimus spongiā vel pannō. Pannum sūme.

Optimē; nunc tabula munda est.

Discipula, sūme crētam et scrībe nōmen meum. Quid nōmen mihi est?

Nunc scrībe nōmen patriae nostrae.

Nunc scrībe nōmen mātris tuae; nunc patris tuī.

Mihi est frāter et soror; quot frātrēs et quot sorōrēs tibi sunt?

Scrībe ergō eōrum (vel eius) et eārum (vel eius) nōmina. Mundam fac tabulam. Optimē. Nunc discipulus alius veniet.

Puer, venī ad tabulam. Nōmen amīcī tuī / amīcae tuae scrībe.

__________

alius, alia, aliud: other

mundus, -a, -um: clean

pannus, -ī [2/m]: cloth

__________

[A] (image #1) Match the Latin and English sentences:

[B] Match the sentences with the images.

• Crēta alba est.
• Discipulus in tabulā nigrā scrībit.
• Magister in tabulā nigrā scrībit.
• Mihi est ūnus frāter.
• Mihi sunt duae sorōrēs.
• Mihi sunt duo frātrēs.
• Tabula nigra est quadrāta.
• Tabulam nigram mundam facimus pannō.

____________________

09.02.25: level 2; reading; a schoolmaster’s treachery; Livy’s account [4] language notes [3]; participles [2]; the ablative absolute (a brief introduction)

There are two points in this text which are “knocking at the door” of Level 3, one of which was briefly discussed in an earlier post and one which has never been discussed at all; both involve a longer explanation than is given here, but we can at least begin to look at them; they both matter because they both very frequently occur. We’ll deal with the first one in this post, and the second one in the next post.

the ablative absolute

Take a look at these two sentences:

[i] After killing / having killed the traitor, the commander sent envoys to the camp.

In [i] it was the commander who killed the traitor

[ii] The traitor having been killed, the commander sent envoys to the camp.

In [ii] the commander did not kill the traitor or, to be more precise, that is not what is suggested i.e. the phrase in italics is not connected to the subject of the sentence.

We are looking at [ii].

To express [ii] Latin uses a construction called the ablative absolute and it occurs all the time in the literature; it refers to an event that has / had happened to someone / something before the action in the clause; the phrase stands alone, a “self contained” event which is detached from the rest of the sentence: detached = Latin absolūtus

This is formed primarily with a noun + a participle but other word types can be used; here, we are looking only at the noun + perfect passive participle:

[i] prōditor (noun): traitor + interfectus (perfect passive participle): (having been) killed

• prōditor interfectus │ a killed traitor / a traitor (having been) killed

[ii] Both parts are now put into the ablative case:

• prōditōre interfectō [= ablative absolute], dux lēgātōs ad castra mīsit.

[iii] The standard “grammar book” way of translating this is:

• with X ¦ having been Y-ed
• with the traitor ¦ having been killed

That shows precisely what the phrase conveys. However, we would rarely translate it that way.

[1] The following could translate the phrase in italics:

• The traitor having been killed, the commander sent envoys to the camp.
• After / once / when the traitor had been killed, the commander sent envoys to the camp.

None of those translations suggest the commander did it.

[2] The following do not translate the phrase in bold:

• Having killed the traitor, the commander …
• After he had killed the traitor, the commander …

Those two state that the commander himself killed the traitor, and this is not what the Latin phrase is saying. What the Latin says is that the traitor had been killed before the commander sent envoys; there is no suggestion that the commander had anything to do with it.

Could it be translated as [2] above? Yes, it possibly could but only if the context is clear that it was the commander who had killed the traitor e.g. if that had been stated in a previous sentence. At this stage, however, it is best to stick to the translation versions in [1].

Here is a further example:

Caesar, acceptīs litterīs, nūntium mittit.

[i] litterae (noun): letter + acceptae (perfect passive participle): (having been) received

• litterae acceptae │ a letter (having been) received

[ii] both parts in the ablative case

• litterīs acceptīs = ablative absolute
• (With) the letter having been received, Caesar sends a message.
• After / once / when the letter was received, Caesar sends a message.

Here are the examples from the original text:

[1] arma habemus non adversus eam aetatem, cui etiam captis urbibus parcitur

[i] noun + perfect passive participle:

capta (perfect passive participle): (having been) captured + urbs (noun): city

• urbs capta │ a captured city
• urbēs captae │ captured cities

[ii] both noun and participle put in the ablative case:

captīs urbibus = ablative absolute

• (with) cities having been captured
• after / when / once cities have been captured

arma habemus non adversus eam aetatem, cui etiam captis urbibus parcitur │ We do not use our weapons against those of an age which is spared even when cities have been captured

[2] … deinde eum manibus post tergum inligatis … pueris tradidit

[i] manūs (noun): hands + ligātae (perfect passive participle): tied │ tied (bound) hands

• manūs ligātae │ tied hands

[ii] both noun and participle put in the ablative case:

manibus ligātīs = ablative absolute

• (with) his hands having been bound
• after / when / once his hands had been bound;

… deinde eum manibus post tergum inligatis … pueris tradidit │ He then handed the man, with his hands tied behind his back / his hands having been tied behind his back, over to the boys

There will be more on this later but I think that’s enough to get the idea and get started. It will come up again and again.

The video goes into this in a little more depth if you do want to find out more at this point.

08.02.25: Level 2; the passive voice [32]: the perfect passive [13]; the perfect passive participle as adjective [1]: nominative forms

Image #1: I fully admit to stealing this idea from the Latin tutorial video to which I’ll give a link at the end of this series of posts. I just thought it was such a neat way of conveying the idea.

Compare:

[1]

• The building was shaken by an earthquake.
• Once the cake mix has been slowly stirred, put it onto a baking tray.

Both of those are passive sentences; they describe what is done to the subject.

[2] What about this one?

• James Bond ordered a vodka martini – shaken, not stirred.

“shaken” and “stirred” are not creating passive sentences i.e. they are not used with verb ‘to be’; they function as adjectives describing the vodka martini

Latin can do exactly the same

[1] passive sentences, the perfect passive participle agreeing in gender and number with the subject, and working together with esse:

• Mīles vulnerātus est │ the soldier was / has been wounded
• Puer ā magistrō monitus erat │ the boy had been warned by the teacher
• Servus captus est │ the slave was captured
• Cēna parāta erit │ the dinner will have been prepared
• Urbs oppugnata est │ the city was attacked
• Templum in forō aedificatum erat │ a temple had been built in the forum
• Nōs ad convīvium rogātī sumus │ we were invited to the banquet
• Multae navēs dēlētae sunt │ many ships were destroyed

[2] As in English, the perfect passive participle can function without ‘esse’ and act exactly like an adjective

[i] injure – ¦ injured > an injured soldier

vulnerō, vulnerāre, vulnerāvī, ¦ vulnerātus > mīles vulnerātus │ an injured soldier; mīlitēs vulnerātī │ injured soldiers

mīles vulnerātus = an injured soldier [i.e. a soldier ¦ who was / had been injured]

[ii] break – broke – ¦ broken > a broken window

frangō – frangere – frēgī – ¦ frāctus > fenestra frācta │ a broken window; fenestrae frāctae │ broken windows

[iii] destroy – ¦ destroyed > a destroyed town

dēleō – dēlēre – dēlēvī – ¦ dēlētum > oppidum dēlētum │ a destroyed town;  oppida dēlēta │ destroyed towns

They function as adjectives but the key point is that they describe something that already has / had happened to the noun.

An important rule of thumb: when translating anything from Latin into any other language, the translation should adhere to the style of that language. The exercise below does match precisely English and Latin participles. However, that doesn’t always work:

Puella vocāta timēbat │ literally: the summoned girl was afraid; in English it isn’t ‘wrong’ but just sounds ‘odd’ whereas in Latin it doesn’t. It is perfectly possible to rework that into a more fluent style which still conveys the same idea. Context may determine what the best rendering is. Examples:

• Having been summoned, the girl was afraid.
• The girl who had been summoned was afraid.
• The girl, when / after she had been summoned, was afraid.

Again, remember the ‘two stages’ of translation: first go for the literal to ensure you know what the word / phrase actualy means and then pause and think about how it would be best translated in your own language.

Exercise:

Below are ten verbs; focus on the fourth principal part; from the word cloud choose the appropriate participle to complete the Latin phrase and remember that the participle will agree in gender and number

arō, arāre, arāvī, arātus [1]: plough

cēlō, cēlāre, cēlāvī, cēlātus [1]: hide

dēleō, dēlēre, dēlēvī, dēlētus [2]: destroy [deriv. delete]

doceō, docēre, docuī, doctus [2]: educate [deriv. doctor]

frangō, frangere, frēgī, frāctus [3]: break [deriv. fraction]

incendō, incendere, incendī, incēnsus [3]: burn [deriv. incensed]

mūniō, mūnīre, mūnīvī, mūnītus [4]: fortify [deriv. ammunition]

sepeliō, sepelīre, sepelīvī, sepultus [4]: bury

terreō, terrēre, terruī, territus [2]: frighten

vincō, vincere, vīcī, victus [3]: conquer

1. a broken wagon │ plaustrum __________
2. a broken wheel │ rota __________
3. a burned town │ oppidum __________
4. a destroyed temple │ templum __________
5. a fortified town│ urbs __________
6. a ploughed field │ ager __________
7. an educated man  │ vir __________
8. burned towns │ oppida __________
9. conquered soldiers │ mīlitēs __________
10. destroyed cities │ urbēs __________
11. educated men │ virī __________
12. fortified walls │ moenia __________
13. frightened horses │ equī __________
14. hidden gold │ aurum __________
15. hidden money │ pecūnia __________
16. ploughed fields │ agrī __________
17. the buried bodies │ corpora __________
18. the buried body │ corpus __________
19. the conquered commander │ dux __________
20. the frightened boy │ puer __________

arātī; arātus; cēlāta; cēlātum; dēlētae; dēlētum; doctī; doctus; frācta; frāctum; incēnsa; incēnsum; mūnīta; mūnītum; sepulta; sepultum; territī; territus; vīctī; vīctus

07.02.25: Level 1; Colloquia Diverbia Fabellae (Meregazzi) [1]

Conclāve scholāre nostrum

Puerī (puellae), cōnsurgite.

Cōnsīdite; silentium tenēte.

Ego sum magister vester; et imperō vōbīs silentium.

Spectātē hoc conclāve scholāre: hoc conclāve scholāre vestrum est.

Conclāve scholāre quattuor parietēs habet; ostendite eōs; prīmum, secundum, tertium, quārtum.

In conclāvī scholārī sunt quoque lacūnar et pavīmentum.

Pavīmentum sub vestrīs pedibus est: ecce illud.

Lacūnar est suprā capita vestra: ecce illud.

Ā lacūnārī lucerna pendet.

Conclāve scholāre habet iānuam et duās fenestrās.

Puer (puella), ī ad iānuam. Aperī eam.

Optimē; nunc claudē eam.

Redī ad locum tuum; locō tuō sīde.

Num fenestra patet? Spectāte fenestram illam.

Minimē; fenestra illa clausa est.

Complete the Latin phrase by using vocabulary from the text

[1]

Open the door │ __________ iānuam

Close the door │ __________ iānuam

Go to the door │ __________ ad iānuam

Go back to your place │ __________ ad locum tuum

Look at the window │ __________ fenestram

Point out the windows │ __________ fenestrās

Keep quiet │ __________ silentium

Sit down at your place │ __________

Boys, sit down │ Puerī __________

Girls, stand up │ Puellae __________

[2] Match the sentences with the images.

Ā lacūnārī lucerna pendet.

Conclāve scholāre habet duās fenestrās.

Conclāve scholāre quattuor parietēs et ūnam iānuam habet.

Ecce illud.

Iānua aperta est.

Iānua clausa est.

Imperō vōbīs silentium.

In conclāvī scholārī sunt quoque lacūnar et pavīmentum.

Lacūnar est suprā capita vestra.

Magister vester sum.

Pavīmentum sub vestrīs pedibus est.

06.02.25: level 2; reading; a schoolmaster’s treachery; Livy’s account [3] language notes [2]; participles [1]

There’s no getting around it; original literature is crammed with participles! In English we very often need a clause or a phrase to convey an idea which Latin can convey in one word; that feature of Latin allows for more concise expression, often a “faster moving” narrative. Here are four excerpts all of which contain participles:

[i] virgasque eis, quibus proditorem agerent in urbem verberantes, dedit │ and he gave them rods by which they might drive the traitor into the city while beating him

[ii] arma habemus …  adversus armatos │ we use our weapons … against armed men

[iii] … qui nec laesi nec lacessiti a nobis ... │ …who, neither injured nor provoked by us, …

[iv] denudatum deinde eum … pueris tradidit │ he then handed him, stripped, to the boys

Let’s take them apart to see what’s happening …

armō, -āre, -āvi, armātus [1]: furnish with weapons

> armātus, -a, -um: having been furnished with weapons

laedō, -ere, laesī, laesus [3]: offend; hurt

> laesus, -a, -um: having been offended

lacessō, -ere, lacessīvī, lacessītus [3]: provoke

> lacessītus, -a, -um: having been provoked

dēnūdō, -āre, -āvī, dēnūdātus [1]: strip; make naked

> dēnūdātus, -a, -um: having been stripped

[i] present active participle: used to convey two actions happening at the same time

virgasque eis, quibus proditorem [1] agerent in urbem [2] verberantes, dedit │ and he gave them rods by which they might drive the traitor into the city while beating him

The other three are perfect passive participles, used to convey something that had already happened to someone

[ii] The participle being used as a noun:

arma habemus …  adversus armatos │ we use our weapons … against armed men / those who have been armed

[iii] The participle being used in a phrase describing the enemy

… qui nec laesi nec lacessiti ¦ a nobis ¦ ... │ …who, (having been) neither injured nor provoked ¦ by us, ¦ …

[iv] The participle being used as an adjective:

denudatum deinde eum … pueris tradidit │ he then handed him, stripped, to the boys = the man, who had been stripped, he handed over to the boys

05.02.25: level 2; crime and punishment [12]; reading [4]; international headlines

“I would advise you, as you tender your life, to devise some excuse to shift of your attendance of this Parliament".

This is part of an anonymous letter sent to Lord Monteagle, a member of the House of Lords, who passed the letter to the King’s advisors resulting in the discovery of what is known in Britain as the Gunpowder Plot. And they almost got away with it: on November 4^th 1605 Guy Fawkes was found in the vaults of Parliament – together with 36 barrels of gunpowder. King James should have sacked his security team!

The failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament on November 5^th 1605 made international headlines. Interestingly, in order to maximise the readership, the report is written not only in French and German, but also in Latin which does show the significance of the language even at this period in history since the Latin version would have ensured that all the places of learning throughout Europe would have been furnished with the details.

The impression I have of this report is that it was written quickly, which is understandable since it was a major event, and not all the conspirators are listed. Some of the word order is a little chaotic (the French version is much neater), there are spelling errors and omissions, inconsistencies in capitalisation, and confusion with certain words and phrases.

[1] CONCILIVM SEPTEM NOBILVM ANGLORVM CONIVRANTIVM IN NECEM IACOBI I │ The meeting of the seven English noblemen conspiring in the murder of James 1*

• concilium, -ī [2/n]: meeting
• coniūrō, -āre, -āvī [1]: conspire; coniūrāns, coniūrantis (participle): conspiring
• nex, necis [3/f]: murder

 *James VI of Scotland who became James I of both Scotland and England after the union of the crowns in 1603

[2] Vidēs Spectātor hūmānissimē hīc expressās effigiēs septem Anglōrum quī Rēgem suum cum (i) *paraecipuēs* [= praecipuōs] Statūs Anglicī Proceribus ad *Parlementum* [= Parlamentum] ut vocant convocātīs pulvere tormentāriō simul horrendō modō in ipsā domō *Parlemntī* [= Parlamentī] ēvertere voluērunt.

You see, most cultured ‘reader’ (i.e. person looking at the picture) = ‘dear reader’, reproduced here the images of the seven Englishmen who wanted to overthrow their (own) king together with the noblemen as they call (i) the leading men of the English State (who had been) summoned to Parliament at the same time in an horrific manner by means of gunpowder in the House of Parliament itself.

(i) ‘paraecipues’: the writer probably means praecipuōs i.e. the preeminent / distinguished (men) or he has principēs (leaders) in mind. The French translation says ‘les premiers’  i.e. the first (leading) men and ‘les principaus *offic(ie)rs*’ [the missing letters are added above]: the chief officers

• convocātus, -a, -um: summoned; convened < convocō, -āre, -āvī [1]: summon; convene; call together
• effigiēs, -ēī [5/f]: (here) image
• ēvertō, -ere, ēvertī [3]: destroy; (political) subvert; overthrow
• expressus, -a, -um: (here) reproduced < exprimō, -ere, expressi [3]: copy; imitate
• ipse, ipsa, ipsum: himself / herself / itself i.e. in the report it emphasises the enormity of the crime; in ipsā domō Parlamentī │ in the very House of Parliament i.e. right inside it, dear readers!
• procer, -is [3/m]: nobleman (mainly in the plural)
• status, -ūs [4/m]: (here) State
• pulvis, pulveris [3/n]: powder
• pulvis tormentārium: gunpowder; tormentārius, -a, -um is not attested in CL but used by this period and derived from tormentum, -ī [2/n] a Roman war machine for throwing missiles i.e. artillery; the powder is used as a weapon; similarly, globus tormentārius: cannonball

There is a contemporary reference to it by Diego Collado, a Spanish Christian missionary (1587 – 1638):

Ego pulverem tormentārium cōnficiō: cum ergō ita sit: haereticīs et pyrātīs Holandīs vēndidī huiusmodī pulverem; illīs etiam ministrāvī quaerendō vīctū alia, sclopōs, et glandēs seu globōs tormentāriōs, et tormenta et alia īnstrūmenta bellica. │ I make the gunpowder, and as it is, I have sold it to the Dutch heretics and pirates. For obtaining my livelihood, I also procured other stuff for them: guns and bullets or cannon balls and cannons and other instruments of war.

Note the uses of the ablative case:

[i] ablative of means / instruement i.e. what was going to be used

• pulvere tormentāriō │ by means of gunpowder

[ii] ablative of manner i.e. in what way was this going to be done, in this case not nicely …

• horrendō modō │ in an horrific manner

[3] Cuius Coniūrātiōnis nefandae Auctōrēs fuēre inprīmīs Robertus Catesby & Thomas Perci quī sibi deinde adiūnxēre aliōs, vidēlicet, Thomam & Robertum Winter, Guidonem Fawkens …

The perpetrators / instigators of this heinous conspiracy were firstly Robert Catesby and Thomas Percy who then added others to themselves [= involved others], namely Thomas and Robert Winter, Guido Fawkes …

• adiungō, -ere, adiūnxī [3]: add; join
• auctor, auctōris [3/m]: the ‘doer’, author, originator, person who started something
• coniūrātiō, conīurātiōnis [3/f]:conspiracy
• inprīmīs = imprīmīs: firstly; especially
• nefandus, -a, -um: heinous; abominable
• videlicet: namely

The most famous of the conspirators, and after whom the 5^th of November celebration in the UK is named, is Guido [from Italian = Guy] Fawkes which is translated as a 3^rd declension noun i.e. Guido, Guidonis

[4] Sed coniūrātiōne hāc Dīvīnā prōvidentiā & clēmentiā decem aut (i) [minus (?)] hōrīs ante futūra(m) Cessiōnem [= sessiōnem] Parlamentī [note: he gets the spelling right this time] Dētēcta & Coniūrātīs persecūtīs ex iīs Robertus Catesbī & Thomas Percī ictū sclopētī periēre et *eonum* [= eōrum] capita domuī Parlementī (ii) *inperpetuant* [= in perpetuam] reī memoriam imposita *caeterī* [= cēterī; nōn-standard spelling] cum multīs aliīs quī eandem in rem cōnspīrārant adhūc captīvī dētinentur, dignam facinore sententiam expectantēs

But this conspiracy through divine providence and mercy having been disclosed ten or (i) (less [?]) hours before the sitting of parliament (was about to happen) and the conspirators pursued of whom Robert Catesby and Thomas Percy perished from a gunshot (rifle shot) and their heads (were) placed on the house of parliament (ii) as a permanent reminder of the deed / matter / affair / event, the rest together with many others who had conspired in the same deed are still being held captive awaiting a sentence befitting  / worthy of the crime.

(i) This is very unclear in the document (and, if there is a translation, I couldn’t find one); it is possibly ‘minus’ and the French version says ‘environ dix heures devant l’assemblé(e)’ i.e. about ten hours before the gathering

(ii) *inperpetuant* … memoriam [= in perpetuam … memoriam]; I suspect that not only was this document written quickly, but also dictated i.e. he seems to be writing what he is hearing rather than what he knows himself; again, the French says en memoire de l’acte (in memory of the deed)

• dētectus, -a, -um: disclosed; uncovered; revealed; ‘disclosed’ is probably the best translation of this since the conspiracy wasn’t discovered through any detective work or security measures but by the anonymous letter to Monteagle
• dignus, -a, -um: worthy; the adjective is followed by a noun in the ablative case
• facinus, facinoris [3/n]: crime > sententiam, dignam facinore … │ a sentence worthy of / befitting the crime
• ictus, -ūs [4/m]: stab; thrust; (here) shot; note the use of the ablative case to indicate the means by which they died or the cause of death: ictū sclopētī periēre │ they died from (by means of / because of) a gunshot
• impositus, -a, -um: placed (upon) < impōno, -ere, imposuī [3] place, put, lay etc. upon, and what you place the thing on is in the dative case: capita domuī Parlamentī … imposita │ (their) heads (were) placed upon the house of Parliament
• persecūtus, -a, -um: pursued
• sclopētum, -ī [2/n]: rifle

Notes:

contracted forms

This is something that will come up later in the group when literature is discussed in more detail. These are examples of contracted forms; when we say ‘I’m’ instead ‘I am’ of that is a contracted form of two adjacent vowels [I + am > I’m, he + is > he’s etc.], the same is evident in French: il n’est pas [ne + est]. Compare older Latin: homost (Plautus) = homo est.

The most common example of contraction is the 3^rd person plural perfect where the ending -ērunt can be contracted to -ēre which is what you see in the first three examples from the text:

• adiunxēre = adiunxērunt: they joined
• fuēre = fuērunt: they were
• periēre = periērunt: they perished

Other contracted forms occur such as a further example from the text:

• qui eandem in rem cōnspīrārant = cōnspīrāverant │ who had conspired in the same matter

https://www.thelatinlibrary.com/101/contractions.pdf

PS: dignam facinore sententiam expectantēs │ awaiting a sentence befitting the crime

Fawkes and the conspirators who remained alive, were tried for high treason in Westminster Hall on 27 January 1606 and all were convicted and sentenced to death. The executions took place on 30 and 31 January (Fawkes was executed on 31) and included hanging, drawing and quartering. The heads and other portions of the conspirator's bodies were set up at different points around Westminster and London. (parliament.uk)

PPS: as part of British tradition, the Yeomen of the Guard still search the Houses of Parliament before the State Opening!

04.02.25: Level 2; the passive voice [31]: the perfect passive [12]; the fourth principal part / perfect passive participle: ways of learning [5]

More than one derivative can appear in English which was intially formed from a perfect passive participle and they all show the same spelling of the original Latin. Moreover, English quite happily adds Old English endings to Latin and French derivatives, but the spelling of the perfect passive participle has survived!

agō, agere, ēgī, āctus: act; do > act; acting; action; actor

discutiō, discutere, discussī, discussus [3-iō]: (Late Latin meaning) examine > discuss; discussing; discussion

faciō, facere, fēcī, factus [3-iō]: do; make > fact; faction; factor; factoring; factual

perficiō, perficere, perfēcī, perfectus [3-iō]: complete; finish > perfect; perfecting; perfection; perfectionist

The images show derivatives of the following verbs:

colligō, colligere, collēgī, collēctus [3]: gather

dīrigō, dīrigere, dirēxī, dīrēctus [3]: lay straight

dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus [3]: lead

īnficiō , īnficere, īnfēcī, īnfēctus [3-iō]: spoil; taint

inicio, inicere, iniēcī, iniectus [3-iō]: throw in

intellegō, intellegere, intellēxī, intellēctus [3]: understand

legō, legere, lēgī, lectus [3]: read

prōtegō, prōtegere, prōtēxī, prōtēctus [3]: cover; defend

sēligō, sēligere, sēlēgē, selēctus [3]: pick out

03.02.25: Level 1; Julia, a Latin Reader (Reed) [5]

Complete the Latin text by using the translation and the vocabulary listed at the end.

clīvus, -ī [2/m]: slope; hill

iuvencus, -ī [2/m]: bullock

oppidānus, -ī [2/m]: resident of a town; usually plural i.e. oppidanī: townsfolk

vīnea, -ae [1/f]: vineyard

[1] The sky of Italy is blue. The Italians love the blue sky. The British also like the blue sky [= the blue sky is pleasing to the British], but the sky of Britain is not often blue.

___________ est Ītaliae caelum. Italī _______ caeruleum _______. Britannīs quoque caelum caeruleum _______ est, sed nōn ______ Britanniae caelum caeruleum est.

[2] The farmers of Italy praise the olives and vineyards, they plough the fields with white bullocks. The bullocks’ eyes are peaceful. The bullocks are gentle and beautiful. The farmers of Italy like the bullocks [= the bullocks are pleasing to the farmers…]

Ītaliae agricolae olīvās et vīneās _________, iuvencīs ______ agrōs _________. _________ sunt oculī iuvencōrum. Placidī et _________ sunt iuvencī. Ītaliae agricolīs ______ sunt iuvencī.

[3] The British farmers plough the fields not with bullocks but with horses. The large horses are strong and beautiful.

Britannicī agricolae ___ iuvencīs ___ equīs agrōs arant. _______ et pulchrī sunt equī ______.

[4] There are many hills in Italy. They build towns on small hills. The townsfolk live in towns on the hills. Vineyards and olives are in the field, towns on the hills.

In Ītaliā clīvī ______ sunt. Italī __ clīvīs _______ oppida _____________. Oppidānī oppida in clīvīs __________. In campō vīneae __ olīvae sunt, in clīvīs oppida.

[5] Roman roads are through the fields. Roman roads are long and straight. The townsfolk want / desire olives and grapes, the farmers money. Therefore, the townsfolk give money to the farmers, and the farmers carry the olives and grapes in wagons along the Roman roads to(wards) the towns.

___ campōs viae Rōmānae sunt. _______ et _______ sunt viae Rōmānae. Oppidānī olīvās et ūvās, agricolae pecūniam _____________. _______ oppidānī pecūniam agricolīs _____, et per viās Rōmānās agricolae olīvās et ūvās __ oppida in plaustrīs _________.

ad; aedificant; albīs; amant; arant; caelum; caeruleum; dant; dēsīderant; et; grātī; grātum; habitant; in; itaque; laudant; longae; magnī; multī; nōn; parvīs; per; placidī; portant; pulchrī; rēctae; saepe; sed; validī