27.03.25: Vincent; the verdict of a dog

[1] literal translation

Tē īnspicit oblīquīs oculīs et sollicitātur. │ He observes / looks upon you with sidelong eyes and is made anxious / disturbed

inspiciō, -ere, inspēxī [3-iō]: examine, inspect, consider

obliquus, -a, -um: sidelong; slanting i.e. the dog is not looking directly, but with uncertainty or suspicion out the corner of his eye

Omnibus ipse placet, iūdicat ille simul. │ Everybody likes him [literally: he himself is pleasing to everyone], at the same time, he judges / passes judgement

ipse [m], ipsa [f], ipsum [n]: himself, herself, itself

simul: at the same time; Engl. simultaneously

[2] less literal but I’ve tried to keep as close as possible to the original meaning and mood:

Observing you with eyes askance and

Anxious look he’s liked

By all - and all by him are meanwhile

Judged.

30.06.25: Level 2; Sonnenschein: Britannia Pācāta [3](ii): listening

[1]

["In parte flūminis Tamesae ubi fīnēs Cassivellaunī erant ūnum tantum vadum erat. Quō cum Caesar adventāvit, cōpiās hostium ad alteram rīpam flūminis collocātās spectāvit. "]

The following statements are false. Correct them.

[i] None of the territory of the Cassivellauni was by the river.

[ii] The river had several shallow parts.

[iii] Caesar observed the enemy on the same side.

[2]

["Rīpa autem sudibus acūtīs firmāta erat; et Britannī multās sudēs sub aquā quoque occultāverant. Sed Caesar hostibus instāre nōn dubitāvit. Aqua flūminis profunda erat, et mīlitēs capite solum ex aquā exstābant; "]

Complete each statement with a single word or short phrase:

[i] The river was defended by __________ which were __________ under the water.

[ii] Caesar did not hesitate to __________.

[iii] Because the water was __________ only the __________ of the Romans were visible.

[3]

["sed Rōmānī sē aquae fortiter mandāvērunt, et Britannōs in fugam dedērunt. "]

[i] How did the Romans deal with the depth of the water? (2)

[ii] What happened to the Britons? (1)

[4]

["'Oppidum' Cassivellaunī nōn longē aberat, inter silvās palūdēsque situm, quō Britannī magnum numerum hominum, equōrum, ovium, boum, congregāverant. Locum ēgregiē et natūrā et opere firmātum Caesar ex duābus partibus oppugnāre properāvit: oppidum expugnāvit et dēfensōrēs fugāvit."]

[i] Where was the town of the Cassivellauni? (3)

[ii] What had the Britons gathered there? (5)

[iii] Why was the place very well defended? (2)

[iv] Describe Caesar’s attack and the outcome. (3)

30.06.25: Level 2; Sonnenschein: Britannia Pācāta [3](i): text, exercises

"In parte flūminis Tamesae ubi fīnēs Cassivellaunī erant ūnum tantum vadum erat. Quō cum Caesar adventāvit, cōpiās hostium ad alteram rīpam flūminis collocātās spectāvit. Rīpa autem sudibus acūtīs firmāta erat; et Britannī multās sudēs sub aquā quoque occultāverant. Sed Caesar hostibus instāre nōn dubitāvit. Aqua flūminis profunda erat, et mīlitēs capite solum ex aquā exstābant; sed Rōmānī sē aquae fortiter mandāvērunt, et Britannōs in fugam dedērunt. 'Oppidum' Cassivellaunī nōn longē aberat, inter silvās palūdēsque situm, quō Britannī magnum numerum hominum, equōrum, ovium, boum, congregāverant. Locum ēgregiē et natūrā et opere firmātum Caesar ex duābus partibus oppugnāre properāvit: oppidum expugnāvit et dēfensōrēs fugāvit."

Vocabulary

sudis, -is [3/f]: stake; log

īnstō, -āre, īnstitī [1]: pursue

palūs, palūdis [3/f]: marsh; swamp

Note

Quō: can be a question word or a conjunction meaning ‘to / in which place’:

…, inter silvās palūdēsque situm, quō Britannī magnum numerum hominum … congregāverant │ … situated between the forest and marshes, in which place (where) the Britons had gathered together a large number of men …

However, it can also refer to the previous sentence:

Quō cum Caesar adventāvit …│ And when Caesar arrived at that place / there …

[i] Vocabulary review: match the Latin and English

acūtus, -a, -um

alter, -a, -um

bōs, bovis [3 m/f]

collocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]

congregō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]

dubitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]

ēgregiē

expugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]

exstō, -āre [1]

firmō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]

mandō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]

profundus, -a, -um

rīpa, -ae [1/f]

situs, -a, -um

tantum

vadum, -ī [2/n]

bank (of a river); commit; deep; excellently; gather; head of cattle (e.g. cow, bull, ox); hesitate / doubt; only; place; shallow water; sharp; situated / positioned; stand out; strengthen; fortified; take by storm; the other (of two)

[ii] Find the Latin

[1] he observed the troops positioned on the other side

[2] the bank had been fortified ¦ by sharp stakes

[3] the Romans had committed themselves to the water

[4] a large number … of cattle

[5] the place, … naturally  … defended …

[6] from two sides (directions)

29.06.25: Topical Vocabulary [1]: air and fire

[1] Match the English with the Latin in the wordcloud

air

ashes, embers

blaze, glow; be eager

breeze

fire

flame, fire

from or of heaven

light of day

moon

pure upper air, ether, heaven, sky

sky, heavens

space

star

star, constellation (2 words)

sun

torch

wind

[2]  Label the images; more than one word can be used with each picture.

29.06.25: Level 1; Road to Latin [2]; Schola Americāna I; Schola Americāna II: notes and exercises

Exercise [1]

Quid est? │ What is this?

Exercise [2]

Quis est? │ Who is this?

1. Quis est fēmina ?
2. Quis stat?
3. Quis est Iūlia?
4. Quis est discipula bona?

Exercise [3]

Quālis? │ of what kind?; used when an adjective or some form of description is needed in the answer

1. Quālis est sella?
2. Quālis est mēnsa?
3. Quālis est fenestra?
4. Quālis est iānua?
5. Quālis est schola?

Notes: Schola Americāna I

A noun which is used as the subject of a verb (the person / thing performing the action) is said to be in the Nominative Case. The nouns in the story above, when used as the subject of a verb, end in -a. 

The words which describe nouns are adjectives. These adjectives, like the nouns, end in -a and are in the Nominative Case. They are said to agree with the nouns which they describe. 

The verb est is often used to connect the subject with a noun or adjective, as in fēmina est magistra (the woman is a teacher) or sella est parva (the chair is small). Such a noun or adjective is also in the Nominative Case and is called the predicate nominative or predicate adjective. 

Nouns that refer to one person or thing are singular in number. The ending of the Nominative Singular is -a. Nouns that end in -a in the Nominative Singular are in a group call the first declension. There are nouns with other endings in the Nominative Singular, but we will cover them later. 

Quid? and Quis? are also used as subjects and therefore are in the Nominative Case. 

There is no Latin word for a, an (the indefinite article) or the (definite article). Therefore fēmina means woman, the woman, or a woman. Use whichever article works best for your translation.​

Schola Amēricana II

Exercise [4]

Quālēs? What kind of (when referring to something or someone in the plural)

1. Quis est Iūlia?
2. Quis est Cornēlia?
3. Quālēs discipulae sunt Iūlia et Cornēlia?  
4. Quis stat?
5. Quālēs sunt scholae Americānae?
6. Quālēs sunt fenestra?
7. Quālēs sunt iānuae?

Notes: Schola Americāna II

In the sentences (1) Iūlia est discipula and (2) Puellae Amēricanae sunt discipulae, ‘Iūlia’ and ‘Puellae’ are the subjects, and are in the Nominative Case.

Nouns that refer to one person or thing are singular in number.

Nouns that refer to more than one person or thing are plural in number.

The ending of the Nominative singular for the 1^st Declension is -a

The ending of the Nominative Plural for the 1^st Declension is -ae

The verb ends in -t if the subject is singular:

Magistra stat │the teacher stands / is standing

The verb ends in -nt if the subject is plural:

Discipulae stant │the pupils stand / are standing

Unit 01: Grammar Exercise

1. Mēnsa est magn___; sellae sunt parv____.
2. Schol_____ sunt magn_____.
3. Iānu_____ sunt apert_____.
4. Fenestr_____ est apert_____.
5. Discipul_____ bōn_____ stat.
6. Quid est? Sell_____ parv_____ est.
7. Iūlia et Cornēlia sunt puell_____ parv_____.
8. Quālis discipul_____ Iūlia est? Iūlia bōn_____ discipul_____ est.
9. Discipul_____ est puell_____ American_____.
10. Quis stat? Magistr_____ stat; discipul_____ nōn stant.

29.06.25: Level 1; Road to Latin [1]; Schola Americāna I; Schola Americāna II: reading and vocabulary

[First Declension, Nominative Case]

Schola Americāna I

Schola est schola Americāna. Schola est magna. Iānua est clausa. Fenestra nōn est clausa. Fenestra est aperta. Mēnsa est magna. Sella nōn est magna. Sella est parva.

Fēmina est Americāna. Fēmina est magistra. Magistra stat. Puella est Americāna. Puella magistra nōn est. Puella est discipula. Puella quoque stat. Puella est Iūlia. Iūlia discipula bona est. Cornēlia est discipula. Cornēlia quoque discipula bona est.

Sella nōn est magna. Sella est parva. Mēnsā nōn est parva. Mēnsa est magna. Fenestra clausa nōn est. Fenestra aperta est. Iānua nōn est aperta. Iānua est clausa.

Schola Americāna II

Iūlia est discipula. Cornēlia est discipula. Discipulae sunt Cornēlia et Iūlia. Puellae Americānae sunt discipulae. Discipulae bonae sunt. Discipulae stant. Magistra quoque stat. Scholae Americānae sunt magnae. Fenestra magnae sunt et iānuae parvae sunt. Iānuae sunt clausae sed fenestrae sunt apertae.

Americāna: American

aperta: open

bona: good

clausa: closed

Cornelia: Cornelia

discipula: (female) student

est: he/she/it is; sunt: they are

et: and

femina: woman

fenestra: window

ianua: door

Iulia: Julia

magistra: (female) teacher

magna: big; large; great

mensa: table

non: not

parva: small: little

puella: girl

quoque: also

schola: school

sed: but

sella: seat: chair: bench

stat: he/she/it stands; stant: they stand

28.06.25: Level 3; the ablative absolute [6]: practice (2)

These examples show the way in which the ablative absolute phrase can be extended by the use of adjectives or demonstratives modifying the noun, or by phrases indicating, for example, where the action took place or when it took place or by whom it was done example:

cēterīs urbis captīs │ since the remaining cities have been captured

pecūniā in hortō inventā│when the money had been found in the garden

Urbe ab hostibus captā, Rōmānī discessērunt. │ with the city having been captured by the enemy, the Romans departed

Translate into English:

1. [Hīs rēbus | cognitīs], Caesar equitātum revocāvit.
2. [Cēterīs urbibus | captīs], Troiam ipsam mox capiēmus.
3. [Cēnā magnā | parātā], omnēs amīcī laetissimī erant.
4. [Pecūniā | in hortō | cēlātā], servī statim fūgērunt.
5. [Vestīmentīs | ā fūre | trāditis], puerī domum iērunt.
6. [Lūdīs │ in palaestrā │confectīs] │in tepidārium intrāvērunt.
7. [Fūre | ā Sextō | trāditō], dominus ē thermīs statim exiit.

____________________

1. After these things had been known, Caesar called back the cavalry
2. Since the other cities have been captured, we will soon capture Troy itself.
3. Because a large dinner had been prepared, all the friends were very happy.
4. The money having been hidden in the garden, the slaves immediately fled.
5. Once the clothes had been handed over by the thief, the boys went home.
6. Sports having been completed in the exercise area, they entered into the warm room.
7. After the thief had been handed over by Sextus, the master immediately went out from the baths.

28.06.25; Level 3; the ablative absolute [5]: practice (1)

Translate into English, and take note of question [9] i.e. a deponent verb and so the ablative absolute is not expressed by a passive but active i.e. “having done (something)”

1. Caesar, acceptīs litterīs, nūntium mīsit.
2. Mīlitibus convocātīs imperātor haec verba dīxit.
3. Rōmulus signō datō iuvenēs puellās rapere iussit.
4. Equō vēnditō agricola domum rediit.
5. Horātius in aquam ponte dēlētō cum omnibus armīs dēsiluit.
6. Rēge vīctō, patria lībertātem accēpit.
7. Duce interfectō, hostēs dēspērābant.
8. Victōriā nūntiātā, epistulam patrī mīsimus.
9. Nūntiō locūtō portae apertae sunt.

____________________

Other translations are possible, but the key point is to convey that one action took place before the other.

1. After the letter had been received, Caesar sent a messenger.
2. Once the soldiers had been called together, the general said these words.
3. The signal having been given, Romulus ordered the young men to seize the girls.
4. Since the horse had been sold, the farmer returned home.
5. When the bridge had been destroyed, Horatius slipped into the water with all his armour.
6. Because the king had been conquered, the country received freedom.
7. The leader having been killed, the enemy were in despair.
8. After the victory had been announced, we sent a letter to our father.
9. Once the messenger had spoken, the gates were opened.

27.06.25: Level 3; the Labours of Hercules; [III] Hercules becomes subject to Eurystheus; he strangles the Nemean lion

[III] HERCULES BECOMES SUBJECT TO EURYSTHEUS; HE STRANGLES THE NEMEAN LION

Itaque Herculēs Pȳthiae tōtam rem dēmōnstrāvit nec scelus suum abdidit. Ubi iam Herculēs finem fēcit, Pȳthia iussit eum ad urbem Tiryntha discēdere et ibi rēgī Eurystheō sēsē committere. Quae ubi audīvit, Herculēs ad illam urbem statim contendit et Eurystheō sē in servitūtem trādidit et dīxit, "Quid prīmum, Ō rēx, mē facere iubēs?"

Eurystheus, quī perterrēbātur vī et corpore ingentī Herculis et eum occīdī studēbat, ita respondit: "Audī, Herculēs! Multa mira nārrantur dē leōne saevissimō quī hōc tempore in valle Nemaeā omnia vāstat. Iubeō tē, virōrum omnium fortissimum, illō mōnstrō hominēs līberāre." Haec verba Herculī maximē placuērunt. "Properābō," inquit, "et pārēbō imperiō tuō." Tum in silvās in quibus leō habitabat statim iter fēcit. Mox feram vidit et plūris impetūs fēcit; frūstrā tamen, quod neque sagittīs neque ūllō aliō tēlō mōnstrum vulnerāre potuit. Dēnique Herculēs saevum leōnem suis ingentibus bracchiīs rapuit et faucīs eius omnibus vīribus compressit. Hōc modō brevī tempore eum interfēcit. Tum corpus leōnis ad oppidum in umerīs reportāvit et pellem posteā prō veste gerebat. Omnēs autem quī eam regiōnem incolēbant, ubi fāmam dē morte leōnis ingentis accēpērunt, erant laetissimī et Herculem laudābant verbīs amplissimīs.

[1] Tyrins; this is an example of a Greek-type noun; some of these nouns have case endings that are originally from Greek or the Greek ending is an alternative to the Latin:

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Tiryns

Notes on Greek-type nouns:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/080824-level-2-practice-in-reading.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/473759851901955/

[2] Eurystheus was king of Tiryns, a Grecian city, whose foundation goes back to prehistoric times.

[3] Quae ubi audīvit │ and when he heard these things

When we see forms of quī, quae and quod, the immediate translation which comes to mind is ‘who’ or ‘which’; in grammar this is known as a relative pronoun as it is referring back to a person / thing in the same sentence (the antecedent) i.e. they introduce a relative clause.

Tum in [i] silvās [antecedent] ¦ [ii] in quibus leō habitabat [relative clause] ¦ statim iter fēcit. │ Then he immediately travelled into the [i] forests ¦ [ii] in which the lion lived.

[i] Omnēs [antecedent] ¦ [ii] quī eam regiōnem incolēbant [relative clause] ¦ erant laetissimī │[i] Everyone ¦ [ii] who inhabited that region ¦ was very happy.

However, the relative pronouns quī etc. can also start a sentence referring to [a] a specific person or thing in the previous sentence or [b] the entire idea of the previous sentence.

The relative pronoun, therefore, is making a connection with the preceding sentence which is why, in grammar, it is known as a connecting relative.

In this position it is not translated as “who” or “which” but by a pronoun or demonstrative that refers to the antecedent.

(a)

[i] Caesar Rubicōnem trānsiit. [ii] Quī posterā diē adversus Rōmam profectus est. │ [i] Caesar crossed the Rubicon. On the next day [ii] he set out towards Rome.

It is common in translation to connect the two sentences with ‘and’:

Caesar crossed the Rubicon, and he set out towards Rome on the next day.

[i] Ancilla tandem advēnit. [ii] Quam ubi vīdī, laetissimus eram │ [i] The slave girl arrived. When I saw [ii] her, I was very happy, or The slave girl arrived, and when I saw her, I was very happy.

[i] Ille servus effugit. [ii] Quem posteā captum graviter pūnīvī. │ [i] That slave escaped, and afterwards, when he had been caught [ii] I punished him severely.

(b)

In the following examples, the connecting relative does not refer to a specific noun, but to the entire statement made in the preceding sentence:

[i] Canis equum adiūvit. [ii] Quod ubi vīdimus, mīrātī sumus │ The dog helped the horse. When we saw that, we were amazed, i.e. the connecting relative is not referring to the dog or to the horse, but to the whole event.

Similarly:

[i] Mīlitēs nostrī omnēs effūgērunt. [ii] Quod ubi vīdimus, laetissimī erāmus. │ [i] All our soldiers escaped. [ii] When we saw that, we were very happy.

Note in the next example the inclusion of verbīs to indicate that the connecting relative is referring to something that was heard.

[i] Victōria tandem Rōmae relāta est. [ii] Quibus verbīs audītīs omnēs gāvīsī sumus. │ [i] The victory was finally reported in Rome, [ii] and with these words having been heard [= and when these words had been heard, we all rejoiced.

In the text we are dealing with (b) i.e. the connecting relative referring to the whole preceding sentence.

Pȳthia iussit eum ad urbem Tiryntha discēdere et ibi rēgī Eurystheō sēsē committere. │ Pythia commanded him to depart to the city of Tiryns and there commit / entrust himself to Eurystheus.

> Quae ubi audīvit, Herculēs ad illam urbem statim contendit │ and when he heard these things Hercules immediately hurried to that city.

[4] eum occīdī studēbat │ was eager for him to be killed

occīdī: present passive infinitive

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/110125-level-2-passive-voice-19-present.html 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/644124801532125/

[5] illō mōnstrō hominēs līberāre │ to free people from that monster; the ablative of separation

neque ūllō aliō tēlō mōnstrum vulnerāre potuit │ nor was he able to wound the monster with any other weapon

[6] ūllus, -a, -um: any

[7] alius, -a, -ud: other

[8] prō: instead of

25.03.25: Level 3; the Riot at Pompeii (Tacitus: XIV.17); it’s only a game?

This is the account to which below refers: the riot and bloodshed at the amphitheatre of Pompeii (AD59) reported by the Roman historian Tacitus. When dealing with an original Latin text, word order will become a major player, and so I have broken it up into clauses and phrases and then matched them with the English translation.

(1)

[1] Sub idem tempus ¦ [2] levī initiō ¦ [3] atrōx caedēs orta ¦ [3] inter colōnōs Nucerīnōs Pompēiānōsque ¦ [4] gladiātōriō spectāculō ¦ [5] quod Livinēius Rēgulus, ¦ [6] quem mōtum senātū rettulī, ¦ edēbat.

[1] At about the same time ¦ [2] from a trivial beginning ¦ [3] arose terrible carnage / bloodshed ¦ [4] between the inhabitants of Nucernia and Pompeii ¦ [4] at a gladiatorial show ¦ [5] which Livineius Regulus ¦ [6] whom, as I have related, had been expelled from the Senate ¦ was staging.

caedēs, -is [3/f]: slaughter; massacre; carnage; some translations of atrōx caedēs are less dramatic e.g. “serious affray” and “serious trouble”, but caedēs is stronger than that, suggesting bloodshed and killing i.e. it wasn’t just a spot of "trouble" because it reached the Senate and Tacitus wrote about it.

ēdō (with long /ē/), -ere, ēdidī [3]: give out; produce; publish (from which there are the English derivatives editor and edition); here it is referring to games organised, and presumably financed, by Livineius; Note: edō (with short /e/), -ere, ēdī [3]: eat

īdem [m], eadem [f], idem [n]: the same

levis, -e: light, trivial, trifling

mōtus, -a, -um: (literally) moved; mōtum senatū: expelled from the Senate

ortus, -a, -um: having arisen

referō, referre, retulī: (here) report; relate

(2) This section starts, in a sense, no differently from a football match nowadays where the rival fans are shouting at each other, but it soon turns nasty …

[1] quippe oppidānā lascīviā ¦ [2] in vicem incessentēs probra, ¦ [3] dein saxa, ¦ [4] postrēmō ferrum sūmpsēre, ¦ [5] validiōre Pompēiānōrum plēbe, ¦ [6] apud quōs spectāculum edēbātur.

[1] For with unruliness typical of townsfolk ¦ [2] hurling abuse in turns / at each other ¦ [3] they then took up stones ¦ [4] and finally weapons ¦ [5] with the people of Pompeii being / proving to be the stronger [i.e. the Pompeians had the upper hand] ¦ [6] where (literally: among whom / in whose presence) the show was being staged

ferrum, -ī [2/n]: iron, but can refer to any metal tool including a weapon or a sword

incessō, -ere, incessīvī [3]: assault; attack; abuse

invicem or in vicem: in turns; alternately

lascivia, -ae [1/f]: can be positive i.e. playfulness, or negative: wantonness; Tacitus writes that the incident grew from a trivial beginning (levī intiō) and so, possibly, what simply began as light-hearted “pot-shots” got out of hand

probrum, -ī [2/n]: insult; abuse

quippe: used to introduce an explanation or cause i.e. for, indeed, in fact

sūmpsēre = sūmpsērunt: they took (up) < sūmō, -ere, sūmpsī [3]: take

validus, -a, -um: strong; comparative: validior, -ius: stronger

(3)

[1] ergō ¦ [3] dēportātī sunt in urbem ¦ (2) multī ē Nucerīnīs ¦ [4] truncō per vulnera corpore, [5] ac plērīque līberōrum aut parentum mortīs dēflēbant.

[1] Therefore, ¦ (2) many of the Nucerians ¦ [3] were carried to the city ¦ [4] their bodies maimed through wounds ¦ [5] and most of them were lamenting the deaths of parents or children.

dēfleō, -ēre, dēflēvō [2]: weep / cry over; lament

dēportō, -āre, -āvī [1]: (here) convey; carry

truncus, -a, -um: mutilated; maimed

(4)

[2] cuius reī iūdicium ¦ [1] prīnceps ¦ [3] senātuī, ¦ [4] senātus cōnsulibus permīsit. [5] et rūrsus rē ad patrēs relātā, [6] prohibitī ¦ [8] pūblicē in decem annōs ¦ [7] eius modī coetū ¦ Pompēiānī ¦ [9] collēgiaque ¦ [10] quae contrā lēgēs īnstituerant ¦ dissolūta;

[1] The emperor delegated ¦ [2] judgement of this matter ¦ [3] to the Senate, (and) ¦ [4] the Senate to the consuls. [5] And the matter having again been referred back to the Senators, ¦ [6] the inhabitants of Pompeii were barred ¦ [7] from a gathering of this type ¦ [8] in public for ten years, ¦ [9] and associations ¦ [10] which they had formed against the law ¦ were dissolved.

collēgium, -ī [2/n]: association; society

coetus, -ūs [4/m]: meeting; gathering; Pompēiānī … coetū … prohibitī (sunt) │ The Pompeians were barred from (any) gathering

īnstituō, -ere, īnstituī [3]: establish; set up

patrēs: refers to patrēs concrīptī; literally: conscript fathers, the term used to refer to members of the Senate

(rūrsus) relātus, -a, -um: (here) having been referred back

(5)

[1] Livinēius et ¦ [2] quī aliī ¦ [3] sēditiōnem concīverant ¦ [4] exiliō multātī sunt.

[1] Livineius and ¦ [2] those others who ¦ [3] had provoked the riot ¦ [4] were punished with exile.

concieō, -ēre, concīvī [2]: provoke

multō, -āre, -āvī [1]: punish

sēditiō, sēditiōnis [3/f]: rebellion; riot; uprising

25.03.25: A tragic tale of two cousins …

When we read history books we are effectively reading about something that is over. At school that never really interested me (although it does now). What did interest me much later in life was a little letter in a modest frame in a quiet corridor in an English country house. The letter was in French, the writer simply talking about how she was spending her days, but, at one point (and I paraphrase) she mentioned that she didn’t know how the situation would end. I froze because I knew how it would end.

The letter was written by Mary Queen of Scots, now under house arrest having been convicted of treason against Elizabeth I. The latter was hesitant to authorise the execution since Mary was her cousin and a fellow queen, and Elizabeth may also have feared the political consequences. Nevertheless, Elizabeth I did eventually sign the death warrant, and Mary was executed on February 8th, 1587, the headsman brutally inflicting two strokes of the axe before she was finally decapitated.

As I read Mary’s letter, the history was “over” for me – because I knew the outcome – but it wasn’t over for her, because she didn’t.

On the morning of her execution, Mary supposedly wrote the following poem; the first line does exist in other religious works, but the rest of the poem is only ascribed to Mary herself.

Ō Domine Deus! spērāvī in tē. │ Lord God ! I have hoped in Thee.

Ō cāre mī Jēsū! nunc līberā mē. │ My dear Jesus, now set me free.

In dūrā catēnā, in miserā poenā dēsīderō tē: │ In unyielding chain, in wretched torment I long for Thee:

Languendō, gemendō, et genū flectendō, │ In fainting, moaning, and bending at the knee

Adōrō, implōrō, ut līberēs mē. │ I adore, and implore that you might free me.

[i] Ō Domine Deus!; Ō cāre mī Jēsū!

Vocative case: addressing God and Jesus directly

Dominus > Domine; Iesus > Iesū; meus > mi; cārus > cāre

[ii] languendum, gemendum, flectendum: all examples of gerunds which describe the act of doing something

languendō, gemendō, et ¦ genū ¦ flectendō │ in (the act of) fainting, moaning, and bending ¦ at the knee

[iii] implōrō, ¦ ut līberēs mē: this is a subjunctive, used when you ask somebody to do something, the literal translation being “I implore / pray ¦ that you might free me

Image #1: Mary’s poem with a less literal translation than I’ve given above.

Image #2: copy of Mary’s death warrant, signed by Elizabeth I

Image #3: (left) Mary’s tomb at Westminster Abbey; (right) the tomb of Elizabeth I, also at Westminster Abbey

25.03.25; Vincent: rejoicing in Spring

Salvēte │ Hello

Vēr iam adest │ Spring is already here.

Gaudeāmus igitur │ Therefore, let us rejoice.

Hodiē sōl lūcet │ The sun is shining today.

Avēs volant in caelō et canunt │ The birds are flying in the sky and singing.

Aliae bēstiolae vigent │ Other little creatures are thriving / flourishing.

Flōrēs crēscunt │ The flowers are growing.

Ergō scrīpsī novōs versūs │ Therefore, I have written new verses

Laudāns vēr │ While praising the spring.

Pepigī distichon │ I’ve composed a couplet (two-line verse)

Dē hōc tempore annī │ About this season

Quod mihi valdē placet │ Which I really like (which is really pleasing to me).

Ecce │ Here it is

Adsunt nunc flōrēs vernālēs suāveolentēs │ The sweet-smelling spring blooms are now here

Bēstiolae gaudent, frīgora nunc aberunt │ The little creatures rejoice, the cold will now be away / gone

Valēte │ Good-bye

The fragrant vernal flowers now are here

The cold will go and little beasts will cheer

Vocabulary

alius, -a, -ud: other

bēstiōla, -ae [1/f]: little beast / creature; -ol- creates a diminutive (smaller version) of bēstia, -ae [1/f]: beast

frīgus, frigoris [3/n]: cold; coldness; often appears in the plural even though we would translate it as singular

distichon, distichī [3/n]: couplet; two-line verse; distichon; a Greek-type noun hence the /n/ in the nominative: distichon

pangō, -ere, pepigī [3]: compose (usually in verse, but also in song)

tempus, temporis [3/n] annī: (literally) time of the year = season

vēr, -is [3/n]: spring

vērnālis, -e: spring (adjective); flōrēs vērnālēs: spring flowers

versus, -ūs [4/m]: verse

vigeō, -ēre, viguī [2]: be vigorous; thrive; flourish

Notes

[i] Vēr iam adest │ Spring is already here; adsunt … flōrēs │ the flowers are here

frīgora nunc aberunt │ the cold(s) will now be away / distant / gone

The verb sum; esse (be) with prefixes:

adsum, adesse: be here / present

absum, abesse: be away

[ii] flōrēs crescunt │ the flowers are growing

When you see -sc- before the verb ending it indicates the beginning of something or becoming something else; in grammar they are known as inchoative verbs:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/200424-inchoative-verbs.html

sōl lūcēscit │ the sun is beginning to shine

vesperāscit │ it’s becoming evening

[iii] participles; look out for -ns and -nt-

Ergō scrīpsī novōs versūs │ Therefore, I have written new verses

Laudāns vēr │ While praising the spring

flōrēs … suāveolentēs │ sweet-smelling flowers < suāvis, -e: sweet + oleō, -ēre, oluī: smell

[iv] gaudeāmus igitur │ let us, therefore, rejoice

From the academic song:

Gaudeāmus igitur / Iuvenēs dum sumus │ Let us, therefore, rejoice, while we are young

This is a subunctive: gaudēmus │ we rejoice > gaudeāmus │let us rejoice; Latin uses the subjunctive to express “Let’s do something”

27.06.25: Level 2; Sonnenschein: Britannia Pācāta [2](ii): listening

[1]

["Itaque Rōmānī ordinēs suōs contrā equitēs Britannōrum in prīmō certāmine nōn servāverant. Sed postrīdiē Rōmānī victōriam reportāvērunt; Britannī in collibus procul ā castrīs Rōmānīs stābant. Caesar magnum numerum cohortium et ūniversōs equitēs lēgātō suō Trebōniō mandāverat.”]

[i] What had the Romans failed to do during the first battle? (1)

[ii] When did the Romans achieve a victory? (1)

[iii] Where were the Britons standing? (2)

[iv] Why is Trebonius mentioned? (3)

[2]

["Hostēs subitō prōvolāvērunt, et ordinēs Rōmānōs impugnāvērunt. Sed Rōmānī superiōrēs fuērunt. Cōpiās Britannicās prōpulsāvērunt, et in fugam dedērunt. Magnum numerum hostium trucīdāvērunt. "]

In what order are the following mentioned?

attack on the Roman ranks

enemy driven back

number of enemy killed

enemy put to flight

sudden attack

superiority of the Romans

[3]

["Tum dux continuīs itineribus ad flūmen Tamesam et in fīnēs Cassivellaunī properāvit. Cassivellaunus autem cum quattuor mīlibus essedāriōrum itinera Rōmānōrum servābat, et paulum de viā dēclīnābat sēque in silvīs occultābat. Interdum ex silvīs prōvolābat et cum mīlitibus Rōmānīs pugnābat; Rōmānī autem agrōs Britannōrum vastābant."]

Which of the following statements are true? (8)

1. The troops marched using several routes.
2. The troops marched continuously.
3. They first went to the river and then into the territory of the Cassivellauni.
4. The Cassivellauni territory was on the River Thames.
5. They entered the territory of the Cassivellauni and then headed to the River Thames.
6. Cassivellaunus had 4,000 infantry.
7. Cassivellaunus had 4,000 charioteers.
8. Cassivellaunus had 4,000 cavalry.
9. Cassivelaunus was at the roadside.
10. Cassivellaunus had moved away from the roadside.
11. Cassivellaunus was hiding in forests.
12. Cassivellaunus was observing the Romans.
13. Cassivellaunus made a single attack.
14. The Romans fought with Cassivellaunus in the forests.
15. Cassivelllaunus  sometimes came out of the forests to attack.
16. The Romans destroyed the Britons’ fields.
17. The Romans destroyed all the fields at the same time.

____________________

attack on the Roman ranks [2]

enemy driven back [4]

number of enemy killed [6]

enemy put to flight [5]

sudden attack [1]

superiority of the Romans [3]

Hostēs [1] subitō prōvolāvērunt, et [2] ordinēs Rōmānōs impugnāvērunt. Sed Rōmānī [3] superiōrēs fuērunt. Cōpiās Britannicās [4] prōpulsāvērunt, et [5] in fugam dedērunt. [6] Magnum numerum hostium trucīdāvērunt.

27.06.25: Level 2; Sonnenschein: Britannia Pācāta [2](i): text, exercises

"Itaque Rōmānī ordinēs suōs contrā equitēs Britannōrum in prīmō certāmine nōn servāverant. Sed postrīdiē Rōmānī victōriam reportāvērunt; Britannī in collibus procul ā castrīs Rōmānīs stābant. Caesar magnum numerum cohortium et ūniversōs equitēs lēgātō suō Trebōniō mandāverat. Hostēs subitō prōvolāvērunt, et ordinēs Rōmānōs impugnāvērunt. Sed Rōmānī superiōrēs fuērunt. Cōpiās Britannicās prōpulsāvērunt, et in fugam dedērunt. Magnum numerum hostium trucīdāvērunt. Tum dux continuīs itineribus ad flūmen Tamesam et in fīnēs Cassivellaunī properāvit. Cassivellaunus autem cum quattuor mīlibus essedāriōrum itinera Rōmānōrum servābat, et paulum de viā dēclīnābat sēque in silvīs occultābat. Interdum ex silvīs prōvolābat et cum mīlitibus Rōmānīs pugnābat; Rōmānī autem agrōs Britannōrum vastābant."

[i] Vocabulary review: match the Latin and English

autem

collis, -is [3/m]

continuus, -a, -um

dēclīnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]

interdum

itaque

mandō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]

occultō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]

paulum

postrīdiē

prōpulsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]

reportō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]

servō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]

subitō

tum

ūniversus, -a, -um

(here) watch (over); a little; bring back; continual / uninterrupted; deviate / turn aside; drive back / repulse; however; hill; hide; entrust; sometimes; suddenly; whole / entire; then; therefore; the following day

[ii] Find the Latin

[1] (he) entrusted … the cavalry … to Trebonius

[2] (he) turned aside / deviated from the road

[3] and was hiding himself in the forests

[4] far from the camp

[5] they put the troops to flight [i.e. they made them flee]

[6] with / by means of uninterrupted / continual marches

26.06.25: topic; ships [10]; Comenius; CXLII; the Sea-Fight

thorow = through or thorough!

the Sea-Fight │ Pugna nāvālis

A sea-fight is terrible, when huge ships, like castles, run one upon another with their beaks, or shatter one another with their ordnance, and so being bored thorow they drink in their own destruction, and are sunk.

Nāvāle prœlium terribile est, quum [ = cum] ingentēs nāvēs, velutī arcēs, concurrunt rōstrīs, aut sē invicem quassant tormentīs, atque ita perforātæ, imbibunt perniciem suam & submerguntur.

Or when they are set on fire and either by the firing of gun-powder, men are blown up into the air, or are burnt in the midst of the waters, or else leaping into the sea are drowned.

Aut quum igne corripiuntur, & vel ex incendiō pulveris tormentāriī, hominēs ēiciuntur in ærem, vel exūruntur in mediīs aquīs, vel etiam dēsilientēs in mare, suffōcantur.

A ship that flieth away is overtaken by those that pursue her, and is taken.

Nāvis fugitīva intercipitur ab īnsequentibus & capitur.

[i] Passives:

nāvēs perforātae │ ships (which have been) pierced penetrated

nāves submerguntur │ ships are sunk

nāvēs ¦ igne ¦ corripiuntur │ ships are (literally) seized by fire

incendō, -ere, incendī, incēnsus [3]: set on fire

hominēs … │ men …

[1] … ēiciuntur │ … are cast out

[2] … exūruntur │ … are burnt up / consumed by fire

[3] … suffōcantur │ … are drowned

nāvis intercipitur │ the ship is intercepted / cut off

nāvis capitur │ the ship is captured / taken

[ii] present active participle:

hominēs … dēsilientēs in mare │ men (who are) leaping into the sea

nāvis …  intercipitur ¦ ab īnsequentibus │ the ship is intercepted ¦ by those (who are) pursuing (it)

[iii] nāvālis, -e: naval

proelium nāvāle; pugna nāvālis: naval battle

[iv] arx, arcis [3/f]: citadel; fortress; castle

[v] quassō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: shake violently; shatter; dash to pieces

Note: sē … quassant; reflexive i.e. they shatter each other

invicem: in turn; reciprocally; one another

[vi] pulvis, pulveris [3/n]: powder; dust; ashes

tormentārius, -a, -um: (rare) relating to a gun

25.06.25: Level 3; the ablative absolute [4]: translation; ablative absolute with deponent verbs

[1] The term absolute means that the phrase is grammatically set apart from the main clause; in other words, the participle does not modify any noun in the main clause. The rather unwieldy literal translation is “with something having been done” e.g. “with the city having been captured” and this is the standard way in grammar books of translating it. However, it is often preferable to refine the construction into an English clause. Various translations are possible:

urbe captā

• time: When / after the city had been captured ..
• cause: Since / because the city had been captured ..
• concessive: Although the city had been captured ..
• condition: If the city had been captured ..

Equally, the sentence could be restructured to include a compound sentence:

• Urbe captā, cīvēs fūgērunt. │ The city had been captured and the citizens fled.

Context will determine the most appropriate translation.

[2] Watch out for deponent verbs when translating the ablative absolute; remember that the deponents are passive in form but active in meaning:

loquor, loquī, locūtus sum [3/deponent]: speak

proficīscor, proficīscī, profectus sum [3/deponent]: set out

i.e. profectus and locūtus are not passive but active and so they are translated as:

locūtus: having spoken

profectus: having set out

ōrātōre locūtō, cīvēs inter sē loquēbantur │ With the orator having spoken = After the orator had spoken, the citizens began talking among themselves.

poētā sīc locūtō, cīvēs magnopere timēbant. │ After the orator had spoken in this way, the citizens were greatly afraid.

Omnibus profectīs, tamen ego tē exspectāvī. │ Although everybody had set out, I neverthless waited for you.

25.06.25: Level 3; the ablative absolute [3]: literal translation

All of the following phrases are ablative absolutes; translate them into English using, at this stage, the literal construction ‘with X having been Y-ed’

Examples:

urbe ¦ captā │ with the city ¦ having been captured

servō monitō │ with the slave having been warned

1. urbe incēnsā
2. cōnsule interfectō
3. librō lectō
4. epistulā scriptā
5. oppidō oppugnātō
6. mīlitibus revocatīs
7. hīs litterīs acceptīs
8. hīs verbīs dictīs

____________________

1. with the city having been set on fire
2. with the consul having been killed
3. with the book having been read
4. with the letter having been writeen
5. with the town having been attacked
6. with the soldiers having been recalled
7. with this / these letter(s) having been received
8. with these words having been said

25.06.25: Level 3; the Labours of Hercules; [II] Hercules conquers the Minyæ; he commits a crime and goes to the Delphian oracle to seek expiation

[II] HERCULES CONQUERS THE MINYÆ

Herculēs ā puerō corpus suum gravissimīs et difficillimīs labōribus exercēbat et hoc modo vīrēs suās cōnfirmāvit. Iam adulēscēns Thēbīs habitābat. Ibi Creōn quīdam erat rēx. Minyae, gēns validissima, erant fīnitimī Thēbānīs, et, quia ōlim Thēbānōs vīcerant, quotannīs lēgātōs mittēbant et vectīgal postulābant. Herculēs autem cōnstituit cīvīs suōs hoc vectīgālī līberāre et dīxit rēgī, "Dā mihi exercitum tuum et ego hōs superbōs hostīs superābō." Hanc condiciōnem rēx nōn recūsāvit, et Herculēs nūntiōs in omnīs partīs dīmīsit et cōpiās coēgit. Tum tempore opportūnissimō proelium cum Minyīs commīsit. Diū pugnātum est, sed dēnique illī impetum Thēbānōrum sustinēre nōn potuērunt et terga vertērunt fugamque cēpērunt.

[1] ā puerō: from boyhood

[2] hōc modō vīrēs suās cōnfirmāvit │ in this way he asserted his strength

vīs, vīs [3/f] can be misread, especially in the plural; the word means ‘force’, ‘power’, ‘strength’, ‘violence’, but it is often used in the plural: vīrēs (strength; physical force) and looks similar to virī (men) but they are completely different words [image]

Image: vīs is also an example of a defective noun which refers to a noun where not all the case endings are attested in Classical Latin; the English verb “can” is defective since there is no infinitive “to can”, “to be able” being used instead of the original Anglo-Saxon infinitive cunnan (Modern German: können)

[3] Thēbīs: locative case < Thēbae (Thebes); plural noun

[4] vectīgal, vectīgālis [3/n]: tax, tribute

[5] pugnātum est: impersonal passive; literally: it has been fought = there was fighting

HE COMMITS A CRIME AND GOES TO THE DELPHIAN ORACLE TO SEEK EXPIATION

Post hoc proelium Creōn rēx, tantā victōriā laetus, fīliam suam Herculī in matrimōnium dedit. Thēbis Herculēs cum uxōre suā diū vivēbat et ab omnibus magnopere amābātur; sed post multōs annōs subitō in furōrem incidit et ipse suā manū līberōs suōs interfēcit. Post breve tempus ad sānitātem reductus tantum scelus expiāre cupiēbat et cōnstituit ad ōrāculum Delphicum iter facere. Hoc autem ōrāculum erat omnium clārissimum. Ibi sedēbat fēmina quaedam quae Pȳthia appellābātur. Ea cōnsilium dabat iīs quī ad ōrāculum veniēbant.

[1] in furōrem incidit: went mad

[2] ad sānitātem reductus │ literally: led back to sanity = came back to his senses 

[3] iīs = eīs

[4] Ibi sedēbat fēmina quaedam │ a certain woman was sitting there

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/09/301124-comenius-in-17th-century-school_29.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/597986606145945/