Vocabulary

• fracture the breaking of a hard object or material derived from frangere
• maximize make large or great as possible derived from maximus
• perdition a state of eternal punishment and damnation into which a sinful person passes after death derived from perdere
• vespers a service of evening prayer derived from vesper
• veteran a person who has had a long experience in particular field derived from old

Lūdī circēnsēs

paucis post diebus Quintus cum patre ad ludum Orbilii ambulabat; iam ad forum advenerat cum aliquem(someone) se vocantem(calling) audivit. respēxit(turn back) et Marcum vidit ad se currentem(saw Marcus running towards self). ille, ubi accessit(approached), 'quō is, Quinte?' inquit. Quintus 'ad ludum nīmīrum(of course) festino.' Marcus 'noli nūgās(nonsense) narrare,' inquit; 'fēriae(holiday) sunt. hodie nēmō(no one) ad ludum ire debet. veni mecum ad Circum Maximum. praetor(consul) ludos magnificos populō dat(provides people a great game).' Quintus, qui lūdōs cirēnsēs(the circus games) numquam viderat, Marco pārēre(to follow, to obey) volebat, sed pater cautus(cautious) erat; multi scelestī(criminals)' inquit 'tālibus(such) ludus adsunt, perīculōsum(dangerous) est.' sed Marcus Quintum trāns(across) forum iam ducebat. Flaccus se vertit et domum rediit.

ubi ad Circum advenerunt, ingens turba(crowd) aderat(were present); multa mīlia(thousands) cīvium(of citizens), virī, feminae, pueri ad portās concurrēbant(ran together towards gates). Quintus Marcusque intrare vix(scarcely) poterant; tandem loca vacua(empty place) invenerunt et sederunt. maxima pompa(greatest procession/march) iam per circum contendebat(marched); tībīcinēs(flute players) pompam ducebant, deinde milites imāginēs(images) deōrum ferēbant(carry), postrēmō(lastly) plūerimī(very many) agitātōrēs(chariot drivers) currūs quadriiugōs(four-horsed chariots) lentē agēbant(drove).

tandem pompa cōnfecta(finished) erat. duodecim(12) currus in carceribus(the starting cage) stabant ad primum cursum(course) parati. praetor soliō(from his chair) surrēxit(rose) signumque dedit(give up a sign). continuō(immediately) ē carceribus ēvolāvērunt equī(horses fly out from). omnes spectatores clamabant et agitatores incitābant(urged on). illī equos verberābant(lashed) mētam(turning point)que petēbant(pursue). primus metam incolumis(safe) circumiit; alter mētae interiōrem rotam(the inner wheel) īnflīxit(crashed); currus fractus est; ipse(self) ad terram cecidit, habēnīs involūtus(wrapped up, caught in the reins); habenis se expedivit(freed from) fugitque e cursū(courses). ceteri cursum septiēns(7 times) circumvolāvērunt(fly round) sine cāsū(without casualty); vīcit Venetus. gaudebat Marcus, qui illi factionī favebat(supports that team).

totum diem Quintus Marcusque cursus spectabat. vesper(evening) iam aderat cum Marcus 'veni, Quinte,' inquit, 'tempus(time) est domum redire; sine dubiō(without doubt) parentēs nostrī anxii sunt. dum surgit(while he rose), crumēnam(purse) ē sinū(pocket) toage tollere(to lift) temptābat(tempted); sed nihil sinū inerat(be in); curumēnam perdiderat(lost). 'dī immortāles!' inquit, 'aliquis(someone) crumenam meam rapuit(stole).' Quintus valde commōtus(moved) erat, sed Marcus 'nūllīus mōmentī(of no importance) est,' inquit; 'aliam crumēnam domī(at home) habeō.'

• Word-building: compounds of faciō, facere, fēcī I do, I make
  • afficiō, afficere, affēci I affect (ad-:towards)
  • cōnficiō, cōnficere, cōnfēci I finish (~with)
  • efficiō, efficere, effēci I carry ou, effect (ex-:out)
  • interficiō, interficere, interfēci I kill (inter-:between) interfere
  • perficiō, perficere, perfēci I carry through, complete perfect
  • reficiō, reficere, refēci I remake, repair (re-:again)

Fābella: Marcus Quintusque cursibus adsunt

Marcus: festina, Quinte. debemus locum vacuum quaerere.

Quintus: tantam turbam homimum numquam vidi. nulla loca vacua sum.

Marcus: ecce, duo loca vacua. pervenimus(we reach). vide, Quinte, puella pulchra(pretty) proxima(next to us) sedet. euge! pompa(the procession) paene(near) confecta est. tu, qui post(behind) nos spectas, crūra contrahe(pull back your legs)! me trūdis(you are pushing).

spectātor: ignōsce(forgive) mihi, iuvenis. crūra(legs) mihi longa sunt, līnea arta(the seats are narrow).

Quintus: vide, Marce, duodecim currus in carcare stant. praetor signum dat. iam ēvolant equī.

Marcus: (clāmat) festina, Venete. equos verberā(lash). ad metam festina. me miserum(unhappy me)! spatiōsō orbe(in a wide circle) metam circumit. (clāmat) quid facis, ignāve(coward)? proximus currus te subit(is catching up).

Quintus: quid facis, īnfelīx? tende lōra(pull on the reins) sinistrā(left)! ecce! fāvimus(we favor/support) ignāvō. Russātus(the Red team) eum superat(overcome).

Marcus: (ad puellam sē vertit) cūr lacrimās(why crying?), cārissima? tū quoque(also) Venetō favisti?

puella: heu, heu! omnem spem(hope) in Veneto posui, omnem pecūniam(money).

Marcus: noli te vexāre(worry). ego cōnsōlātiōnem(consolidation/comfort) tibi offerō. (eam bāsiāre(to kiss) temptat)

puella: noli procāx(impertinent, rude) esse, iuvenis. vide! currus iterum ad metam accedunt.

Quintus: Russatus metam propius(too close) circumit. ecce! currum in metam illīsit(he has crashed).

puella: ecce! Venetus eum superāvit(overcame). iam ad fīnem(the finish) primus advenit. (Marco arrīdet) ille palmam(prize, palm) tenet(holds), tu palmam tuam petere(to seek) dēbēs.

Marcus puellam bāsiat.

Scintilla ad Flaccum scrībit

Scintilla virō filiōque cārissimīs(dearest) salūtem plūrimam(warmest greetings) dat.

prīmum, ego Horatiaque valēmus(we are well) et res bene agimus. iuvenis qui Horatiam amat nos iuvat; filius est veteris(old) tui amici Terentii. ovēs(sheep) curat; omnes iam tetondit(has sheared=cut the wool off); plurimam lānam(wool) habemus. segetēs(crops) mātūrae(ripe, matured) sunt, sed magna siccitās(drought) fuit; ex quo Romam abiistis rārō pluit(it has seldom/rarely rained). itaque segetēs non bonae sunt. vīnētum(vineyard) tamen(however) flōret(is flourishing); plurimas ūvās(grapes) habebimus. contentae sumus, sed vos valde dēsīderāmus(we miss). Argus tristis est; Quintum semper quaerit.

et vos, carissimi, iter longum cōnfecistis et Romam incolumes advenistis? Quintusne iam in ludo Orbilii studet? domicilium(a lodging) invenistis? nōndum(not yet) epistolam accepimus. sine morā(without delay) scribe longam epistolam et narra nobis omnia quae accidērunt(has happened). cura, mi carissime vir, ut valeās(that you keep well), et Quintum filium nostrum carissimum diligenter cura.

Venusiae data Kalendīs Quīntīlibus(on 1 July).

Grammar

• Perfect stems of verbs

cognō-sc-ō, cognō-sc-ere, cognō-vī I get to know, learn

crē-sc-ō, crē-sc-ere, crē-vī I grow, crescendo

quiē-sc-ō, quiē-sc-ere, quiē-vī I rest

• Ablative case

the ablative has a wide variety of meanings: by, with, from, at, in, on.

1. from: separation from a place or thing, usually with a preposition

ab urbe vēnit he came from the city

ē silvā cucurrit he ran out of the forest

dē monte dēscendit he came down from the mountain

Rōmā discessit he departed from Rome

domō festīnāvit he hurried from home

forō longē aberat he was a long way from the forum

mē cūrā līberāvit he freed me from care

fēminae līberae cūrā women free from care

moenia dēfēnsōribus vacua walls empty of defenders

2. at/in/on: place where, usually with a preposition

in forō stābat he was standing in the forum

sub arbore dormiēbat she was sleeping under a tree

terrā marīque pugnabant they fought on land and sea

3. at/on: time when

prīmā lūce discessērunt they departed at dawn

quinto die redierunt they returned on the fifth day

tribus diebus rediit he returned within three days

multis post annis afterwards by many years

paucis ante diebus a few days before

Exercises

• 22.2 Verb Conjugation

1. die quodam Scintilla Horatiam mane excitavit; nundinae erant.
2. 'evigila,' inquit; 'tempus est ad forum festinare.'
3. Horatia matri parevit et celeriter evigilit.
4. ubi ad forum advenunt, plurimi homines iam erant.
5. in gradibus templi stabant et res suas exposunt.
6. mox omnes res vendidērunt domumque redire parabant.
7. per forum lente ambulabant amicisque occurrit qui ipsi res vendibant.
8. sed nihil emerant; nam pauperes erant.

• 22.3 Translation

1. ubi Quintus Flaccusque domo discesserunt, Scintilla Horatiaque Venusiae manebant. when Quintus and Flaccus left home, Scintilla and Horatia stayed in Venusia.
2. cotidie prima hora diei surgebant diuque in agro laborabant; vespere domum redierunt, valde fessae. everyday they rose up in first hour of the day, and worked in farm for a long time; return home in the evening, very tired.
3. Scintilla rārō curis libera erat sed numquam spem deposuit. Scintilla rarely cared for freedom but never put down hope.
4. paucis post diebus ab agro redierat et in casa quiescebat cum tabellarius epistolam ei tradidit. few days after, she returned from the farm and rested at home, when the postman brought her a letter.
5. Flaccus enim tandem epistolam Roma miserat. Romam cum filio sine casu advenerat. haec epistola Scintillam magna anxietate liberavit. Flaccus for, at last sent a letter from Rome. He arrived in Rome with a boy without misfortune. This letter freed Scintilla from much anxiety.