02.10.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria: Review Units [1] – [5]; [ii] adjectives

Ager est magnus et longus. │ The field is large and long.

Estne vīta nautae perīculōsa? │ Is the life of a sailor dangerous?

Amīcum bonum habeō. │ I have a good friend.

Iūlia cēnam bonam parat. │ Julia is preparing a good dinner.

Laetī sunt. │ They are happy.

Multās īnsulās videt. │ He sees many islands.

Multōs virōs et fēminās videt. │ He sees many men.

Links:

20.04.25: Level 1; readings [6] - [11]: review (7); adjectives [ii]; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives [i]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/200425-level-1-readings-6-11-review-7.html

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Latin_for_beginners_(1911)/Part_II/Lesson_VIII

23.04.25: Level 1; readings [6] - [11]: review (9); adjectives [iv]; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives [iii]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/230425-level-1-readings-6-11-review-9.html

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Latin_for_beginners_(1911)/Part_II/Lesson_X

26.04.25: Level 1; readings [6] - [11]: review (11); adjectives [vi]; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives [v]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/260425-level-1-readings-6-11-review-11.html

02.10.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria: Review Units [1] – [5]; [i] nouns, cases and declensions

The first five units of Carolus and Maria focus on several important points. They have all been discussed in depth in earlier posts and so there is only a brief summary with links to some of the main posts.

Cases: only the uses which appear in the first five units are referred to here. In the links, there is far more information.

[1] Nominative Case

[i] the subject of the sentence i.e. the person / thing performing the action

Labōratne pater tuus in Americā? │ Does your father work in America?

Discipulī in scholā labōrant. │ The pupils are working in school.

[ii] predicate nominative, most commonly found after the verb esse (to be)

Cassius est amīcus meus. │ Cassius is my friend.

[2] Vocative Case

Used when talking directly a person

Quis, Carole, est amīcus tuus? │ Who is your friend, Carolus?

Quis, Cassī, est pater tuus? │ Who is your father, Cassius?

Links for [1] and [2]

19.02.24: Addressing people directly

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/addressing-people-directly-look-at.html

23.02.24: Declensions and cases [1] (nominative; vocative)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/declensions-and-cases-1-nominative.html

26.02.24: nominative plural of first and second declension nouns [1]; hī / hae

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/nominative-plural-of-first-and-second.html

26.02.24: nominative plural of first and second declension nouns [2]; quot?

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/26.html

[3] Genitive Case

[i] Indicates the ‘possessor’ i.e. the equivalent of English ‘s (John’s book)

Estne vīta nautae perīculōsa? │ Is a sailor’s life [ = the life of a sailor] dangerous?

[ii] in various constructions often expresses English ‘of’

incola Hispāniae est Hispānus │ an inhabitant of Spain is a Spaniard

Links:

01.03.24: genitive case singular and plural of 1st declension nouns

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/10324-genitive-case-singular-and-plural.html

[4] Accusative Case

the direct object of the sentence i.e. the person / thing experiencing the action

Aquam portō. │ I carry water.

Amīcum meum nōn saepe videō. │ I don’t often see my friend.

Epistulās scrībō. │ I write letters.

Multōs virōs … videt. │ He sees many men.

Links:

28.02.24: the accusative case (singular and plural) of first declension nouns

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/28_7.html

29.02.24: accusative case singular of first declension nouns

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/29.html

29.02.24: accusative case plural of first declension nouns

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/29_7.html

29.02.24: accusative singular and plural of second declension nouns in -us

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/29_63.html

[5] Ablative Case

Many uses, one of which is with certain prepositions:

Discipulī in scholā labōrant. │ The pupils are working in the school.

Fīlius in agrō labōrāre cupit. │ The son wants to work in the field.

In casīs sunt. │ They are in the cottages.

24.02.24: saying where you live / you were born; saying where you are; cases [2] ablative singular with the preposition in; Roman provinces

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/24.html

24.02.24: saying where you're from; ē / ex with the ablative case

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/24_4.html

24.02.24: cases [3] second declension nouns in the ablative case

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/24_46.html

[6] Declensions

First declension:

agricola

magistra

nauta

schola

Second declension:

amīcus

discipulus

fīlius

puer

ager

vir

Links:

23.02.24: declensions [1] first and second declension

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/declensions-1-first-and-second.html

14.04.25: Level 1; readings [6] - [11]: review (2); 1st declension nouns [i]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/140425-level-1-readings-6-11-review-2.html

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Latin_for_beginners_(1911)/Part_II/Lesson_VII

17.04.25: Level 1; readings [6] - [11]: review (4); 2nd declension nouns [i]; vocative case

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/170425-level-1-readings-6-11-review-4.html

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Latin_for_beginners_(1911)/Part_II/Lesson_IX

26.06.25: learning Vietnamese – in Latin

Referring to:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/719703460640925/

Vīsne discere linguam Vietnamicam? │ Do you want to learn the Vietnamese language?

Meā sententiā, nōn est difficilis. │ In my opinion, it’s not difficult.

Prīmum omnium, facile est legere et scrībere. │ First of all, it’s easy to read and (to) write.

Anteā ūtēbāmur* 𡨸喃 / Chữ Nôm │ Before (previously) we used 𡨸喃 / Chữ Nôm [the writing system formerly used to write the Vietnamese language]

Sed nunc, ad scrībendum ūtimur* litterīs Latīnīs. │ But now we use Latin letters to write [literally: for the purpose of writing]

Praetereā nōn sunt dēclīnātiōnēs │ Besides, there are no declensions

nec genera nōminum │ nor genders of nouns

nec coniugātiōnēs verbōrum temporālium. │ nor conjugations of verbs [literally: ‘time’ words]

Exemplī grātiā “muốn” significat: │ For example “muốn” means:

velle│to want

volō│I want

velim│I would like

vīs│you want

volēbāmus │we were wanting

voluimus│we have wanted

et cētera │ and so on.

Omnia illa verba sunt ūnum in linguā Vietnamicā. │ All those words / verbs are one (the same) in Vietnamese.

Nōn necesse est cūrāre dē fōrmā verbī │ It isn’t necessary to bother about the form of the verb / word

quia fōrma numquam mūtātur │ because the form never changes [= is never changed]

__________

*ūtor, utī, ūsus sum [3/deponent]: use; followed by the ablative case

ūtimur litterīs Latīnīs │we use Latin letters

Some useful words related to language learning:

coniugātiō, coniugātiōnis [3/f]: conjugation

dēclīnātiō, dēclīnātiōnis [3/f]: declension

fōrma, -ae [1/f]: form

genus, generis [3/n]: [i] kind; type [ii] (here) gender

lingua, -ae [1/f]: language

nōmen, nōminis [3/n]: [i] name [ii] (here) noun

verbum, -ī [2/n]: word; verb

verbum temporāle: a word denoting time i.e. a verb

Side note: Vietnamese is a beautiful language and, living an hour away from Vietnam, I’ve always felt I should learn it. What Vincent says about the lack of tenses, declensions and conjugations also applies to other Asian languages e.g. Malay (which I taught) and Khmer. What Vincent (Nguyễn Duy Thiên)  doesn’t mention (as a true salesman) is that Vietnamese is a tonal language with six different tones (two more than Mandarin) and a head-spinning number of diacritics above, below and to the side of the vowels! But, in terms of ‘easiness’ Vietnamese is way ahead of Latin.

01.10.25: Level 3; epistolary tenses; a brief note

Here again is the answer to the last question in the previous post:

https://adckl2.blogspot.com/2025/06/level-3-review-irregular-verbs-7-possum.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/06/011025-level-3-review-irregular-verbs-7.html

[i] Yesterday, [ii] to the best of my ability [= in whatever way I could] [iii] I myself wrote a letter containing predictions, which I hope may prove false.

Nam [i] prīdiē quidem, quōquō modō [ii] potueram, [iii] scrīpseram ipse eās litterās, quārum vāticinātiōnem falsam esse cupiō. (Cicero)

[Literally: [i] The day before [ii] in whatever way I had been able [iii] I myself had written … ]

Take a close look at both the Latin original and the translation

[i] Yesterday [ii] I myself wrote a letter │ [i] prīdiē quidem … [ii] scrīpseram ipse eās litterās

• The translation is ‘yesterday’; the original is prīdiē (the day before)
• The translation is ‘I wrote’; the original is scrīpseram (I had written)

in whatever way I could │ quōquō modō potueram

• The translation is ‘I could / was able to’; the original is potueram (I had been able)

These are examples of epistolary tenses i.e. used in letter writing. It is a feature to be aware of when, for example, reading Cicero’s letters.

Very few people nowadays write postcards, but here’s an example: “We’re in Majorca and the kids are having a lovely time.  I’m sitting by the pool as I write this, and yesterday we all went to the beach.”

The content is from the time perspective of the writer. On the basis that a reliable postal service will get the postcard to its recipient within a few days, the sequence of tenses presents an ‘ongoing’ situation where events are happening or have recently happened: We’re in Majorca; the kids are having a lovely time; I’m sitting by the pool as I write this; yesterday we all went to the beach.

One theory – which is reasonable enough – is that, given the length of time it would take in Ancient Rome for any correspondence to reach its recipient, a considerable time lapse would ensure that events described in a letter would be well and truly over by the time the recipient reads about them. Therefore, you will come across a shift in tenses where the writer describes the events from the time perspective of the recipient i.e. the content ‘moves back’ in time like a past tense narrative with no sense of ‘now’.  In other words, imagine that the postcard took several weeks to arrive: “We were in Majorca and the kids had a lovely time. I was sitting by the pool as I wrote this, and the day before we had all gone to the beach.”

Neque tamen, haec cum scrībēbam, eram nescius quantīs oneribus premerēre (Cicero) │ Nor while I write this am I ignorant under what burdens you are weighed down.

Cicero is writing the letter in his present time, but he shifts it to past tenses because, by the time the recipient reads it, the events have already happened. Therefore, what he literally writes is: “Nor while I was writing this was I ignorant …”

Similarly:

Nunc eram plānē in mediō marī. │ At present I am far out at sea. [i.e. by the time the recipient reads the letter, Cicero is no longer far out at sea, but that’s where he was at the time the letter was written]

Ā Brundisiō nūlla adhūc fāma vēnerat, et erat hic diēs VII Īdūs │ From Brundisium no news has come yet, and to-day is the 9^th of March. [i.e. he is writing the letter on March 9^th and, at the time of writing, no news has come, but, again, by the time the recipient read it, the day was March 9^th and no news had come]

Hīc nōs C. Mārcellum habēmus, eadem vērē cōgitantem aut bene simulantem; quamquam ipsum nōn vīderam, sed ex familiārissimō eius audiēbam.  │ Here I have C. Marcellus, who holds the same views as myself or makes a good pretence of doing so. Although I have not met him I hear it from one of his most intimate friends. 

Capuae Nōnīs Febr. esse volēbam, quia cōnsulēs iusserant. │ I want [literally: I was wanting] to be at Capua on the 5th of February, as the consuls have ordered [literally: had ordered].

Therefore:

[i] Yesterday [ii] I myself wrote a letter …│ [i] prīdiē quidem … [ii] scrīpseram [pluperfect] ipse eās litterās Literally: [i] the day before (I was writing this) [ii] I myself had written a letter …

in whatever way I could │ quōquō modō potueram [literally: in whatever way I had been able]

Further examples from Cicero, all of which use a pluperfect tense whereas English translates them as perfect or simple past tenses:

Dē Caesare vīcīnō scrīpseram ad tē │ I wrote to you about your neighbour Caesar

Ad Hirtium dederam epistulam ..., quam scrīpseram proximē in Tusculānō. │ I have given / sent a letter to Hirtius ... which I wrote lately at Tusculum.

Philotimō dederam ad tē litterās │ I gave Philotimus a letter to you.

Nūllās enim adhūc accēperam │ I’ve received no <letter> so far.

Ad tuās omnīs [epistulās] rescrīpseram ¦ prīdiē. │ I answered all your letters ¦ yesterday [literally: the day before].

This use of epistolary tense, however, is not consistent and tends to be used when referring to temporary situations i.e. events happening at the time the letter was written. It is not an aspect of the language that needs much focus, but simply awareness that it exists.

01.10.25: Level 3 (review); irregular verbs [7]: possum, posse [iii]: practice; answers

[A]

[i] Can you (sg.) show me the way? │ Potesne mihi viam mōnstrāre?

[ii] He was unable to summon help because he wasn’t strong enough. │ Auxilium vocāre nōn poterat quod nōn satis validus erat.

[iii] I can send you the money. │ Possum tibi pecūniam mittere.

[iv] I couldn’t do this alone.│ Nōn sōlus hoc facere poteram.  

[v] I shall soon be able to play │ Mox lūdere poterō.     

[vi] Indeed, you (pl.) will never be able to help me. │ Mē quidem numquam poteritis adiuvāre.

[vii] Is he able? │ Potestne?

[viii] Nobody will be able to sleep. │ Nēmō dormīre poterit.

[ix] They cannot go with you. │ Tēcum īre nōn possunt.

[x] They were able to see the ships, but saw nobody. │ Nāvēs vidēre poterant sed nēminem vidēbant.

[xi] They won’t be able to pay the money. │ Pecūniam solvere nōn poterunt.

[xii] We can’t. │ Nōn possumus.

[xiii] We were not able to wait. │ Exspectāre nōn poterāmus.

[xiv] We’ll be able to do everything. │ Omnia facere poterimus.

[xv] Were you (pl.) able to conquer the enemy? │ Poterātisne hostēs vincere?

[xvi] Were you (sg.) able to go out the house this morning?│Poterāsne domō exīre hodiē manē?

[vxii] Who can do this? │ Quis hoc facere potest?

[xviii] Will you be able to come tomorrow? │ Poterisne crās venīre?

[xix] You (pl.) cannot understand what I’m saying to you. │ Intellegere nōn potestis quod vōbīs dīcō.

[xx] You (sg.) will barely be able to escape misfortune. │Vix poteris effugere īnfortūnium.

[B]

[i] He could not ring a word out of anybody │ vōcem exprimere nōn potuit.

[ii] I (have) stirred up Brutus out of his dejection as much as I could [ = have been able]. │ Brūtum abiectum, quantum potuī, excitāvī.

[iii] and you were the person best qualified to do so [ = because you alone were especially able to do this] │ quod ūnus tū facere maximē potuistī

[iv] Nothing could be [could have been] more delightful. │ Nihil potuit esse iucundius.

[v] I have done everything that I could accomplish in my own province │Omnia fēcī, quae potuī  aut in meā prōvinciā perficere

[vi] There was no alternative [ = it could not have become otherwise] │ fierī nōn potuit aliter

[vii] I' faith, that's the very reason why we, wretched creatures, have never been able to find you out here. │ Istoc pol nōs tē hīc invenīre miserae numquam potuimus. (Terence)

[viii] But you (referring to more than one person) were able to see clearly [understand] │ sed intellegere potuistis

[ix] They were unable to bear the attack │ impetum ferre nōn potuērunt (Caesar)

[x] You’ll say “So, you haven’t seen the man?” How could I fail to [ = was I able not to] see (him)  …? │“Nōn vīdistī igitur hominem?” inquiēs. Quī potuī nōn vidēre …?

[C]

[D]

[i] The few honest folk among them, that he had not managed [ = been able] to remove in his selection … │ Paucī tamen bonī inerant, quōs reiectiōne fugāre ille nōn potuerat …

[ii] …nor had the woman been able to keep quiet │ … nec mulier tacēre potuerat

[iii] and now this (disaster) of which ¦ we had been in daily fear [ = we had been able to fear] has suddenly happened │  ea … quam cotīdiē timēre potuerāmus, subitō exorta est.

[iv] Couldn’t you have said so at first? [ = Had you not been able to say … ?] │  Nōn potuerās hoc igitur ā principiō … dīcere?

[v] Therefore, after they had not been able to take (possession of) the camp …  │ Itaque posteāquam castra nōn potuerant potīrī (Caesar)

[vi] Yesterday I wrote myself to the best of my ability [in whatever way I had been able] a letter containing predictions, which I hope may prove false. │ Nam prīdiē quidem, quōquō modō potueram, scrīpseram ipse eās litterās, quārum vāticinātiōnem falsam esse cupiō. (Cicero)

01.10.25: Level 3 (review); irregular verbs [6]: possum, posse [ii]: practice

Answers are in the second post

[A]  present, imperfect, future tenses of possum, posse

Complete the Latin sentences with the appropriate form of possum, posse

[i] Can you (sg.) show me the way? │ __________ mihi viam mōnstrāre?

[ii] He was unable to summon help because he wasn’t strong enough. │ Auxilium vocāre nōn __________ quod nōn satis validus erat.

[iii] I can send you the money. │ __________ tibi pecūniam mittere.

[iv] I couldn’t do this alone.│ Nōn sōlus hoc facere __________.   

[v] I shall soon be able to play │ Mox lūdere __________.

[vi] Indeed, you (pl.) will never be able to help me. │ Mē quidem numquam __________ adiuvāre.

[vii] Is he able? │ __________?

[viii] Nobody will be able to sleep. │ Nēmō dormīre __________.

[ix] They cannot go with you. │ Tēcum īre nōn __________.

[x] They were able to see the ships, but saw nobody. │ Nāvēs vidēre __________ sed nēminem vidēbant.

[xi] They won’t be able to pay the money. │ Pecūniam solvere nōn __________.

[xii] We can’t. │ Nōn __________.

[xiii] We were not able to wait. │ Exspectāre nōn __________.

[xiv] We’ll be able to do everything. │ Omnia facere __________.

[xv] Were you (pl.) able to conquer the enemy? │ __________ hostēs vincere?

[xvi] Were you (sg.) able to go out the house this morning?│ __________ domō exīre hodiē manē?

[vxii] Who can do this? │ Quis hoc facere __________?

[xviii] Will you be able to come tomorrow? │ __________ crās venīre?

[xix] You (pl.) cannot understand what I’m saying to you. │ Intellegere nōn __________ quod vōbīs dīcō.

[xx] You (sg.) will barely be able to escape misfortune. │Vix __________ effugere īnfortūnium.

possum; possumus; possunt; poteram; poterāmus; poterant; poterāsne; poterat; poterātisne; poterimus; poteris; poterisne; poterit; poteritis; poterō; poterunt; potesne; potest; potestis; potestne

[B]  perfect tense of possum, posse

Complete the Latin texts with single verbs or phrases listed below

(1) I have sometimes included [in brackets] very literal translations where appropriate to show the different tenses

(2) In some these sentences, the translation ‘could have [done]’ is possible. However, Latin has other ways in which that concept can be expressed (i.e. using the subjunctive) and so, for the moment, simply recognise that, for example, id facere potuit can mean, depending upon context, “he could have done it” rather than “he was able to / could do it” i.e. it is a statement of potential rather than fact.

(3) Most of the quotations are from Cicero; other authors are indicated

[i] he could not ring a word out of anybody │ vōcem exprimere _______________

[ii] I (have) stirred up Brutus out of his dejection as much as I could [ = have been able]. │ Brūtum abiectum, _______________, excitāvī.

[iii] and you were the person best qualified to do so [ = because you alone were especially able to do this] │ quod ūnus tū facere _______________

[iv] Nothing could be [could have been] more delightful. │ Nihil _______________ iucundius.

[v] I have done everything that I could accomplish in my own province │Omnia fēcī, _______________  aut in meā prōvinciā perficere

[vi] There was no alternative [ = it could not have become otherwise] │ _______________ aliter

[vii] I' faith, that's the very reason why we, wretched creatures, have never been able to find you out here. │ Istoc pol nōs tē hīc invenīre miserae _______________. (Terence)

[viii] But you (referring to more than one person) were able to see clearly [understand] │ sed intellegere _______________

[ix] They were unable to bear the attack │ impetum ferre _______________ (Caesar)

[x] You’ll say “So, you haven’t seen the man?” How could I fail to [ = was I able not to] see (him)  …? │“Nōn vīdistī igitur hominem?” inquiēs. Quī _______________ vidēre …?

fierī nōn potuit; maximē potuistī; nōn potuērunt; nōn potuit; numquam potuimus; potuī nōn; potuistis; potuit esse; quae potuī; quantum potuī

[C] Image: Crossword; Distinguish between [i] the future and [ii] the future perfect

[D] Pluperfect tense

Again, focus not only on the forms of the verb, but also the way in which it is translated, the pluperfect in Latin emphasising that something had been done before something else happened. English may not specifically use ‘had’, but I have included it in all of the translations.

[i] The few honest folk among them, that he had not managed [ = been able] to remove in his selection … │ Paucī tamen bonī inerant, quōs reiectiōne fugāre ille _______________…

[ii] …nor had the woman been able to keep quiet │ … nec mulier tacēre _______________

[iii] and now this (disaster) of which ¦ we had been in daily fear [ = we had been able to fear] has suddenly happened │  ea … quam cotīdiē timēre _______________, subitō exorta est.

[iv] Couldn’t you have said so at first? [ = Had you not been able to say … ?] │  _______________ hoc igitur ā principiō … dīcere?

[v] Therefore, after they had not been able to take (possession of) the camp …  │ Itaque posteāquam castra _______________ potīrī (Caesar)

[vi] Yesterday I wrote myself to the best of my ability [in whatever way I had been able] a letter containing predictions, which I hope may prove false. │ Nam prīdiē quidem, quōquō modō _______________, scrīpseram ipse eās litterās, quārum vāticinātiōnem falsam esse cupiō. (Cicero)

nōn potuerant; nōn potuerās; nōn potuerat; potueram; potuerāmus; potuerat

01.10.25: Level 3 (review); irregular verbs [5]: possum, posse [i]

[1] possum, posse, potuī: to be able

Images #1 - #3: possum, posse is derived from a combination of potis (‘able’; ‘capable’) + esse:

Images #4 - #6: The same applies to the perfect, pluperfect and future perfect i.e. it is a combination of potis plus the perfect stem of esse i.e. fu¦ī; note the third person plural of the future perfect: potuerint

30.09.25: Level 2; Easy Latin Plays (Newman: 1913); Māter Gracchōrum [5][ii]; Scaena Quīnta; answers

[i] What phrase in Latin does Cornelia use to show her great love for Gracchus? (1)

[i] Summō hodiē amōre eum exspectō.

[ii] What makes Cornelia think that Gracchus is not coming? (1)

[ii] the people are not shouting │ Cūr nōn cum clāmōribus populī venit?

[iii] How does Blossius describe the news he is bringing? (1)

[iii] very sad (the saddest) │ Nūntiō -- trīstissima.

[iv] According to Cornelia, the only way the news could be so bad is if … (1)

[iv] Gracchus has shown himself to be disgraceful / dishonourable│ Haud trīstissima, amīce, potes nūntiāre, ¦ (1) nisi turpem scīlicet fīlius meus sē praebuit. [You cannot announce very sad news ¦ (1) unless my son, of course, has shown himself (to be) disgraceful]

[v] What does Blossius say to her in reply? (1)

[v] Tiberius is dead │ Tiberius mortuus est.

[vi] What reason does Cornelia give for this? (1)

[vi] He has truly died for the fatherland │ prō patriā vērō mortuus est.

[vii] What two instructions does Cornelia give her friends? (3)

[vii] (1) go away (2) bring her son (3) here │ Ō amīcī, (1) ābīte! (2) Fīlium meum (3) hūc (2) addūcite! 

[viii] Translate the first part of the final speech [Salvē, mī fīlī! … laborābit!]

[viii] Greetings, my son! Never before have I received you with such great happines as today. Especially today I love and praise you. Oh, me! Three and four times now I am blessed – my father conquered Hannibal: my husband gained glory for himself in Spain; one of those sons whom I bore for him is lying here – he has died for the fatherland; another lives, will live and (will) labour for the fatherland!

Notes

[1] tantus … quantus: as much … as …

[2] ter: three times; quater: four times

[3] maximē (most greatly; very greatly): superlative adverb from maximus, -a, -um (greatest), the irregular comparative of magnus, -a, -um (great); can often translate as ‘especially’

[4] peperī < pariō, -ere, peperī, partus [3-iō]: bear; give brith to

[5] sentence structure

(1) fīliōrum, ¦ (2) quōs (3) illī peperī, ¦ (1) ūnus hīc iacet

(1) one of the sons [genitive plural] ¦ (2) who [accusative plural] I bore (3) for him [dative] ¦ lies here

One of the sons … lies here: main / principal clause; … who I bore for him … : relative clause

[5] mortuus est: morior, mori, mortuus sum (die); a deponent verb

[ix] In the last sentence of the scene, how does Cornelia describe herself? (4)

[ix] (1) a very / most blessed woman (2) daughter of Scipio (3) wife of Gracchus (4) mother of the Gracchi │ (1) Mulierem beātissimam … addūcite – (2) Scīpiōnis fīliam, (3) Gracchī uxōrem, (4) mātrem Gracchōrum!

[x] Review verb forms; find the Latin:

(a) I have been waiting for him for many hours.

What tense is used in Latin to convey this? What case is used in Latin to convey ‘for many hours’?

(a) multās hōrās eum exspectō; (1) present tense (2) accusative case (duration of time)

(b) Surely, he’s not coming? [He’s not coming, is he?] │ (b) Num ille venit?

(c) Go away! (pl.) │ (c) ābīte!

(d) Bring (pl.) [my son] (to) here! │ (d) (Fīlium meum) hūc addūcite!

(e) Come, girls! │ (e) Venīte, puellae!

(f) Hurry (pl.)! │ (f) Festīnāte!

(g) Listen (sg.)! │ (g) Exaudī!

(h) You (sg.) can not announce │ (h) haud … potes nūntiāre

(i) You (pl.) have announced │ (i) nūntiāvistis

(j) You (pl.) have brought │ (j) addūxistis

(k) I shall receive him │ (k) eum accipiam

(l) I give back thanks to you │ (l) Vōbīs … grātiās reddō

(m) We shall give back thanks (to the immortal gods) │ (m) (Deīs Immortālibus) grātiās reddēmus.

(n) We shall depart / go out │ (n) Excēdēmus

30.09.25: Level 2; Easy Latin Plays (Newman: 1913); Māter Gracchōrum [5][i]; Scaena Quīnta; text, vocabulary and questions

SCAENA QUĪNTA: APUD CORNĒLIAM

Persōnae: Cornēlia, Famulae, Blossius, Cīvēs

CORNĒLIA

Cūr cessat Tiberius? Summō hodiē amōre eum exspectō.

FAMULA QUAEDAM

Exaudī, domina! Venit.

CORNĒLIA

Num ille venit? Cūr nōn cum clāmōribus populī venit?

(Intrant Blossius et cīvēs)

BLOSSIUS

Salvē, Cornēlia!

CORNĒLIA

Salvē, amīce! Quid mihi nūntiās?

BLOSSIUS

Trīstia, ēheu! Nūntiō -- trīstissima.

CORNĒLIA

Quid? Haud trīstissima, amīce, potes nūntiāre, nisi turpem scīlicet fīlius meus sē praebuit.

BLOSSIUS

Cornēlia, Tiberius mortuus est.

CORNĒLIA

Ā ... prō patriā vērō mortuus est. Ō amīcī, ābīte! Fīlium meum hūc addūcite! ... multās hōrās eum exspectō, iam tandem eum accipiam.

(Intrant cīvēs cum Tiberī corpore)

CORNĒLIA

Salve, mī fīlī! Numquam anteā tantā laetitiā quantā hodiē tē accēpī. Maximē hodiē tē amō atque laudō. Ō, mē! Ter quaterque nunc beāta sum -- pater meus Hannibalem superāvit: vir meus in Hispāniā glōriam sibi comparāvit; fīliōrum, quōs illī peperī, ūnus hīc iacet -- prō patriā mortuus est; vīvit alter -- prō patriā vīvet et labōrābit!

(cīvibus) Vōbīs, amīcī, grātiās reddō, quod haec tam laeta mihi nūntiāvistis, hoc tam cārum corpus ad mē addūxistis.

(famulīs) Venīte, puellae! Excēdēmus. Deīs Immortālibus grātiās reddēmus. Festīnāte! Mulierem beātissimam ad templa deōrum addūcite -- Scīpiōnis fīliam, Gracchī uxōrem, mātrem Gracchōrum!

Questions [answers and notes are in the second post]

[i] What phrase in Latin does Cornelia use to show her great love for Gracchus? (1)

[ii] What makes Cornelia think that Gracchus is not coming? (1)

[iii] How does Blossius describe the news he is bringing? (1)

[iv] According to Cornelia, the only way the news could be so bad is if … (1)

[v] What does Blossius say to her in reply? (1)

[vi] What reason does Cornelia give for this? (1)

[vii] What two instructions does Cornelia give her friends? (3)

[viii] Translate the first part of the final speech [Salvē, mī fīlī! … laborābit!]; refer to the notes and vocabulary in the second post if needed

[ix] In the last sentence of the scene, how does Cornelia describe herself? (4)

[x] Review verb forms; find the Latin:

(a) I have been waiting for him for many hours.

What tense is used in Latin to convey this? What case is used in Latin to convey ‘for many hours’?

(b) Surely, he’s not coming? [He’s not coming, is he?]

(c) Go away! (pl.)

(d) Bring (pl.) [my son] (to) here!

(e) Come, girls!

(f) Hurry (pl.)!

(g) Listen (sg.)!

(h) You (sg.) can not announce

(i) You (pl.) have announced

(j) You (pl.) have brought

(k) I shall receive him

(l) I give back thanks to you

(m) We shall give back thanks (to the immortal gods)

(n) We shall depart / go out

29.09.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [5][ii] vocabulary check

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

always

dangerous

friend (f.)

friend (m.)

island

life

man

money

much; a lot

often

poet

sailor

sometimes

water

well

amīca; amīcus; aqua; bene; incola; interdum; multus, -a, -um; nauta; pecūnia; perīculōsus, -a, -um; poēta; saepe; semper; vir; vīta

[2] Match the English verbs with the Latin in the wordcloud; the verbs are given in bold in shorts sentences, but focus only on the verb form:

[i]

Where do you live? │ Ubi __________?

I live in America │ In Americā __________.

He does not live in America │ In Americā __________.

[ii]

I praise the life of the sailor │ Vītam nautae __________.

The teacher praises the poet │ Magistra poētam __________.

[iii]

The son wants to work in the field │ Fīlius in agrō __________ cupit.

I work in a field │ In agrō __________.

Does he work in America? │ __________ in Americā?

He does not work in America │ In Americā __________.

The pupils are working in the school. │ Discipulī in scholā __________.

[iv] I want to have money │ Pecūniam __________ cupiō.

Do you have many friends? │ __________ multōs amīcōs?

Yes, I have many friends │ Ita, multōs amīcōs __________.

She has many friends │ Multās amīcās __________.

He does not have money │ Pecūniam __________.

[v]

I often see my friend │ Amīcum meum saepe __________.

Does he see many countries? │ __________ multās terrās?

He sees many islands │ Multās īnsulas __________.

[vi]

I write letters │ Epistulās __________.

The poet writes well │ Poēta bene __________.

habeō; habēre; habēsne; habet; habitās; habitō; labōrant; labōrāre; labōratne; labōrō; laudat; laudō; nōn habet; nōn habitat; nōn labōrat; scrībit; scrībō; videō; videt; videtne

29.09.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [5][i]

Carolus et Maria V

Hīc est schola. Discipulī in scholā labōrant.

Magistra: Salvēte, discipulī.

Discipulī: Salvē, magistra.

Magistra: Quis, Carole, est pater tuus?

Carolus: Nauta est pater meus.

Magistra: Bene est. Labōratne pater tuus in Americā?

Carolus: Interdum, sed nōn semper in Americā labōrat.

Magistra: Cūr nōn semper in Americā labōrat?

Carolus: Haec est causa: pater nōn semper in Americā labōrat quod est nauta.

Magistra: Ubi, puer, habitās?

Carolus: In parvā casā habitō.

Magistra: Estne pater tuus nunc in casā?

Carolus: Ita, magistra, pater meus est nunc in casā, sed nōn est semper in casā. Saepe nōn est in Americā.

Magistra: Bene est. Videtne pater tuus multās terrās?

Carolus: Multās terrās et īnsulās videt. Multōs virōs et fēminās videt. Cubam et Siciliam et Hiberniam videt et laudat. Hae sunt īnsulae. Multās īnsulās videt.

Magistra: Estne pater tuus Americānus?

Carolus: Ita, Americānus est, sed nōn semper in Americā habitat.

Magistra: Incola Italiae, discipulī, est Italus. Incola Britanniae est Britannus; incola Hispāniae est Hispānus. Hibernus est incola Hiberniae. Intellegitisne, discipulī? Americānī sumus. Incolae Americae sumus. America est patria. Americam amāmus. Quis, Carole, est amīcus tuus?

Carolus: Cassius est amīcus meus.

Magistra: Quis, Cassī, est pater tuus?

Cassius: Agricola bonus est pater meus. Agrum parat et in agrō labōrat. Interdum in agrō labōrō. Aquam portō et labōrō. Ager est magnus et longus. Pater est laetus quod fīlius in agrō labōrāre cupit. Interdum pecūniam habeō quod in agrō labōrō. Pecūniam habēre cupiō.

Magistra: Amīcum bonum habeō quoque. Poēta est. Italus est. Magnam pecūniam nōn habet. Fāma nōn est magna, sed bene scrībit. Amīcum meum nōn saepe videō. Epistulās scrībō et poēta epistulās scrībit. Hās epistulās laudō. Habēsne amīcās, Maria?

Maria: Ita, multās habeō.

Magistra: Estne vīta nautae perīculōsa?

Carolus: Nōn semper est. Interdum est. Vītam nautae laudō.

Nunc cēna in casīs est parāta et discipulī nōn labōrant. In casīs sunt.

Vocabulary

[1]

amīca: friend (f.)

aqua: water

incola: inhabitant

nauta: sailor

pecūnia: money

poēta: poet

vīta: life

vir: man

amīcus: friend (m.)

[1a]: these words can be nouns or adjectives; spelling may either be with a capital or small letter

Americānus: an American (man)

americānus, -a, -um: American

Americānī sumus: We are American

Britannus: a Briton; britannus, -a, -um: British

Hibernus: Irishman; hibernus, -a, -um: Irish

Hispānus: Spaniard; hispānus, -a, -um: Spanish

Italus: an Italian man; italus, -a, -um: Italian 

[2]

multus, -a, -um: much; a lot; plural multī, -ae, -a: many; a lot

Multōs virōs … videt │ He sees many men.

Multās terrās et īnsulās videt │ He sees many countries and islands.

Habēsne amīcās? │ Do you have friends (f.)? > Ita, multās habeō. │ Yes, I have many (a lot).

perīculōsus, -a, -um: dangerous

[3]

[i]

In parvā casā habitō │ I live in a small cottage

Ubi … habitās? │ Where do you live?

nōn semper in Americā habitat │ He does not always live in America

[ii]

Hās epistulās laudō │ I praise these letters.

Siciliam … laudat │ He praises Sicily.

[iii]

Pecūniam habēre cupiō │ I want to have money.

Interdum pecūniam habeō │ Sometimes I have money.

Habēsne amīcās …? │ Do you have friends …?

Magnam pecūniam nōn habet. │ He does not have a lot of money [literally: ‘big’ money]

[iv]

Amīcum meum nōn saepe videō │ I do not often see my friend.

et Siciliam et Hiberniam videt │ He sees both Sicily and Ireland.

Videtne pater tuus multās terrās? │ Does your father see many countries?

[v]

Epistulās scrībō │ I write letters.

Bene scrībit│ He writes well.

[vi]

intellegō │ I understand

intellegit │ he / she understands

intellegitisne, discipulī? │ Do you understand, pupils?

[4]

bene: (adverb) well; bene est: that’s good

interdum: sometimes

saepe: often

semper: always