Vocabulary

verbs (1st person singular, infinitive, past perfect) sum, esse, eram, fuī to be (I am) superō, superāre, superāvi to overcomediscēdō, discēdere, discessī to go away, depart legō, legere, lēgi to read crēdō, crēdere, crēdidī + dat. to believe, trustprōmittō, prōmittere, prōmīsī to promise efficiō, efficere, effēcī to carry out, effect

nouns hōra, -ae f. hour pecūnia, -ae f. money dīvitiae, -ārum f. pl. riches candidātus, -ī m. candidate numerus, -ī m. numberōrātiō, ōrātiōnis, f. speech ōrātiōnem habēre to make a speech vulnus, vulneris n. wound

adverbs deinde then, next enim for, because igitur and so, therefore tamen however, but

adjectives candidus, -a, -um white optimus, -a, -um best pessimus, -a, -um worst vērus, -a, -um true vēra dīcere to speak the truth gravis, grave heavy, serious

conjunction cum when

• enim, igitur and tamen always come second word in their clause
  • sero venimus; festinamus igitur ad ludum.
  • magister iratus est; sero enim ad ludum venimus.
  • lente ambulavimus; non tamen sero advenimus.

Comitia

comitia(election) iam aderant. cīvēs(citizens) novōs duovirōs creāre(to elect) debebant. per omnes vias in muris casarum nuntii candidātorum pictī(painted) erant sicut:

ORO VOS M. EPIDIUM SABINUM DUOVIRUM FACIATIS. CANDIDATUS DIGNUS EST, COLONIAE VESTRAE DEFENSOR.

cives in vias festinabant et candidatos spectabant. illi per vias ambulabant; togas candidas gerēbant(wear); turba fautōrum(a crowd of spporters) eōs comitābat(accompanied). ōrātiōnēs habēbant(they made speech); multa prōmittēbant(promised) quae efficere non poterant; cives eos audiebant, paucī(few) tamen eīs credebant.

Flaccus in tabernā(a pub) sedēbat et colloquium(conversation) cum amīcīs faciēbat. Ganymēdēs, senex(senior) querulus(complaining, querulous) et miser, 'candiatis credere non possumus' inquit; 'cum enim magistātum(magistracy, office) petunt(seek) omnia prōmittunt(promise). cum duovirī sunt, nihil(nothing) faciunt. nihil cūrant nisi(except) pecūniam(money) suam.'

Philerus 'vēra dicis, Ganymēdēs,' inquit; omnes candidati putidī(rotten) sunt, sīcut(like) Chrȳsanthus, homō pessimus. ōlim(once) pauper erat(was), quī parātus fuit quadrantem dē stercore dentibus(a farthing from the dung with his teeth) tollere. nunc dīvitiās innumerābilēs(countless riches) habet. quōmodo(how) illās divitias sibi comparāvit?(did he get?) furcifer(thief) est.

Flaccus tamen amīcōs invitus(unwillingly) audivit: 'nōlī nūgās(nonsense) nārrāre, amice,' inquit; 'iam debemus ad comitium(the polling station) īre et suffrāgia ferre(to cast our votes). surgite(rise), amici, et mecum venite.' omnes igitur ad forum processerunt et festinaverunt ad comitium. in triviīs(at a crossroads) duōbus candidatis ocurrerunt qui ad comitium procedebant. pistōrēs(the bankers) alterī(one) favēbant(favored, supported) alba(notice boards) ferēbant(carried) cum hāc īnscrīptiōne:

C. IULIUM POLYBIUM DUOVIRUM ORO VOS FACIATIS; PANEM(bread) BONUM FACIT.

alterī(the other) favēbant mūliōnēs(the muleteers, hybrid of donkey & horse).

aliī aliōs vituperābant(began to abuse) mox saxa(rocks) per aurās volābant(were flying). multī vulnera accēpērunt(receive wounds), multi timuērunt domumque redierunt(returned home in fear). tandem candidatus quidam, vir gravis et spectātus(respected), ōrātiōnem(speech) ad cives habuit tumultum(riot)que sēdāvit(calmed). omnes ad comitium processerunt, suffragia tulerunt. novos duoviros creaverunt. fautores eorum laeti clāmāvērunt(shouted) victōrēsque triumphantēs(in triumph) domum dūxērunt(lead back). Flaccus domum festīnāvit Scintillaeque omnia nārrāvit.

• Respondē Latīnē

1. cūr cīvēs candidātis nōn crēdēbant? cives candidatis non credebant quod omnes candidatī multa promittebant quae efficere non poterant.
2. quid dixit Ganymedes de candidatis? dixit candidatus credere non posse quod omnia promittunt cum enim magistratum petunt. cum duoviri sunt, nihil curant nisi pecuniam suam.
3. quid dixit Philerus de Chrysantho? dixit ille fucifer est.
4. quid respondit Flaccus? Flaccus respondit suffragia ferre debeunt.
5. quid accidit in triviis? fautorum tumultum habeunt.

• compounds of mittō, mittere, mīsī (send)
  • admittō, admittere, admīsī to admit, to commit
  • āmittō, āmittere, āmīsī to send away, to lose
  • committō, committere, commīsī to join together, to entrust
  • dēmittō, dēmittere, dēmīsī to send down
  • dīmittō, dīmittere, dīmīsī to dismiss
  • ēmittō, ēmittere, ēmīsī to send out
  • immittō, immittere, immīsī to send into, to send against
  • permittō, permittere, permīsī to permit send through
  • prōmittō, prōmittere, prōmīsī to promise forward
  • remittō, remittere, remīsī to send back to return

Decimus Quintum lacessit

dum Flaccus ad comitia procedit, Quintus in ludo sedebat. Flavius arithmēticam(arithmetic) docēbat(is teaching); 'dīc mihi(tell me), Gai,' inquit; 'sī de quīnque remōtus(removed, subtracted) est unus, quid superest(is left)?' Gaius respondit: 'quattuor.' Flavius 'euge!(good)' inquit, 'tu potes rem tuam(your fortune) servare.' multi puerorum etiam(even) nunc(now) numerōs nec addere nec dēdūcere(neither add nor subtract(deduct)) poterant. Quintus iamdūdum(long ago) numeros didicerat(had learnt) litterāsque facile(easily) legebat. nunc igitur pictūras scribebat, saepe(often) hiābat(was yawning), interdum(from time to time) dormiēbat. tandem Flavius pueros domum dimisit.

ille laeti in viam festinaverunt. Quintus cum accessit(approach) Decimus; ille Quinto invidēbat(envying) quod ingeniōsus(clever) erat. ad pugnam eum vocavit. ille resistere temptāvit(attempted to), Decimus tamen eum facile superāvit(overcame). ad terram cecidit(fell); tunica(tunic) scissa(torn) erat, sanguis(blood) ē nāribus(from his nostrils, nose) effluēbat(was pouring). surrēxit(gets up) et domum cucurrit(ran).

ubi domum redit, Scintilla eum rogāvit(asked): 'Quinte, cur tam sordidus(so dirty) es? cur tunica scissa est?' Quintus matri omnia narravit. illa nihil respondit sed casam tristis intrāvit(entered).

Election

• quaestor treasury officer
• duovirī two magistrates who were to run a town for a year
• decuriōnēs assembly for senate; recruited from ex-magistrates, held office for life

How to conduct election campaign by Quintus Cicero

A campaign for election to a magistracy can be divided into two kinds of activity: first to gain the support of one's friends, secondly to win the good will of the people. The support of one's friends should be secured by kindness done and repaid, by long-standing acquaintance and by a charming and friendly nature. But the word 'friend' has a wider application in an election campaign than in the rest of life. Anyone who shows any sympathy towards you, who pays attention to you, who frequents your house, should be reckoned among your 'friends'... It is necessary to have friends of every kind: for the sake of appearance, make friends with men who are distinguished in rank and title. These, though they may not actively support the campaign, none the less confer some prestige upon the candidate... You should have knowledge of people's names, winning manners persistence, generosity, reputation and confidence in your public program... You badly need to use flattery, which, though disgraceful in the rest of one's life, is essential while electioneering... All men naturally prefer you to lie to them than to refuse your aid... To make a promise is not definite; it allows postponement, and affects only a few people.

Grammar

Verbs in Latin alter their endings to indicate different tenses. Two past tenses are introduced in this chapter.

The imperfect tense

used when an action in the past is continuous, repeated or incomplete, e.g.

The perfect tense

most often used to express completed past action

• -s added to the consonant causes certain spelling changes: c+s -> x
• d drops out in conjugation: claud-si -> clausī

Exercises

• 17.6 Conjugation

1. Scintilla Quintum Horatiamque vocavit; ad agrum eos miserunt.
2. pueri ad agrum ambulabant; cenam ad patrem portaverunt.
3. non festinaverunt sed in via diu ludebant.
4. tandem ubi agrum intraverunt, Horatia patrem vocavit.
5. ille filiam non audivit; sub arbore dormivit; nam fessus fuit.
6. Horatia fratrem monuit; 'noli patrem excitare,' inquit; 'fessus est.'
7. sed ille evigilavit puerosque salutaverunt.
8. pueri in agro diu manserunt; tandem Quintus Horatiam domum reduxit.

• 17.7 Translation

1. Quintus and Horatia were hurrying to school. Quintus et Horatia ad ludum festinabant.
2. But on the way they stayed and played with a friend, who was exercising his dog. sed in via manserunt et cum amico ludebant, quō canem exercebat.
3. When they approached the school, the master was standing near the door. ubi ad ludum accederunt, magister prope ianuam stabat.
4. He watched them and said, 'Why are you coming late?' illos spectavit et inquit, 'cur serum venitis?'
5. Quintus laughed and said, 'We are not coming late.' Quintus risit et inquit 'non serum venimus.'
6. The master was angry. He told them to go in at once. Magister iratus erat. iubuit illos intrare statim.
7. When he dismissed the other children, he told them to stay and write their letters again. ubi pueros ceteros dimittit, iubuit manere litterumque iterum scribere.