Vocabulary

Marcus Quintum domum suam invitat

cotidie Flaccus filium ad ludum Orbilii ducebat. Auintus celeriter discēbat(learned). et mox Graece et dicere et scribere poterat. Orbilius eum laudabat, quod bonus discipulus(pupil) erat. prīmum(at first) Quintus valde miser erat. ceteri enim(for) pueri eum vītābant(avoided) nec cum eō ludere volebant; tandem tamen(but) is qui(the one who...) primo die eum salutaverat accessit et 'Quinte,' inquit, 'mihi nomen est Marcus. non debes solus hic stare. veni mecum comitesque saluta.' Quintum ad comites duxit et 'amici,' inquit, 'volo vobis commendare(to introduce) Quintum Horatium Flaccum. salutate eum et sinite(allow) eum ludus nostris interesse(among us).' ceteri pueri Marcum suspiciēbant(looked up to), quod puer erat magnus et lautus(elegant); praeterea pater eius erat vir īnsignis(distinguished), qui consul fuerat et clārus orator. itaque omnes Quintum salutaverunt et eum sīvērunt(allow) ludis suis interesse.

paucis post diebus ubi Orbilius pueros dimisit, Quintus domum ambulabat, cum accurrit Marcus. 'Quinte,' inquit, 'visne domum mecum venire patremque meum visere?' Quintus verēcundus(shy) erat; 'rē vērā(really)' inquit 'me domum tuam vocas? nonne pater tuus rēbus occupātus(occupied by things, busy) est?' ille respondit: 'pater meus semper occupatus est. semper tamen(however) cupit amicos meos videre. tristis est; hoc anno soror mea, Tullia, dēliciae(the darling) patris, periit(prepare). adhūc eam luget(is mourning) sed ubi amicis meis occurrit, hilarior fit(he becomes more cheerful). veni.'

forum trānsiērunt(pass through) et montem Palatinum ascenderunt. mox ad Marci aedēs(building) advenerunt. Marcus ianuam pulsāvit(knocked); ianitor ianuam aperuit(to open) et Marcum salutavit; salve, domine.' inquit; 'intra.' Marcus eum rogāvit(asked): 'ubi est pater?' ille 'pater tuus' inquit 'est in tablino. occupatus est. epistolas enim(for) scribae dictat(dictating).'

Marcus Quintum in ātrium dūxit. ille numquam aedes tam magnificās(so great) viderat. atrium erat et lātum et altum; in omnibus lateribus(sides) erant magnae iānuae. Marcus Quintum duxit ad ianuam quae ā fronte(in front of them) stābat et pulsāvit(knocked) aliquis vōce blandā(pleasant) 'intra' inquit Marcus ianuam aperuit et Quintum in tablinum duxit.

• Word-building: compounds of pōnō, pōnere, posuī to put, place
  • compōnō, compōnere, composuī I put together, compose
  • dēpōnō, dēpōnere, dēposuī I put down
  • dispōnō, dispōnere, disposuī I put in different places, arrange distribute
  • expōnō, expōnere, exposuī I put out, explain
  • impōnō, impōnere, imposuī I put into, put on
  • repōnō, repōnere, reposuī I put back

Marcus Quintum patri commendat

pater Marci prope mēnsam(a table) stabat; vultum tristem habebat et anxium sed benevolum(benevolent, kindly); togam praetextam(purple-blocked) gerēbat(carried) tabulamque in manū tenēbat(hold). ubi Marcus intravit, ei arrīsit(smiled at) et mane paulīsper('for a little),' inquit; 'ego epistolam dictō ad Atticum de rebus publicis.' Marcus Quinto susurrāvit(whispered): 'Atticus est amicus intimus(closest) mei patris; pater semper eī scribit de rebus publicis.' iam Marcī pater epistolam cōnfēcerat(finish) et scrībae(to his secretary) dixit: 'epistolam statim signā(seal) et cursōrī(to my courier) trāde.

Cicero ad pueros se vertit. 'veni huc, Marce,' inquit, 'et amicum tuum mihi commendā(introduce).' Marcus Quintum ad Ciceronem duxit et 'ecce, pater,' inquit, 'volo amicum meum Quintum Horatium Flaccum tibi commendare. puer valde ingeniosus est. Orbilius magnam spem(hope) pōnit(put) in ingeniō eius.' Cicero ad Quintum se vertit et ei arrīsit; 'salve, Quinte,' inquit; 'gaudeo quod filius meus amicum tam ingeniosum habet.' deinde puaca(few) Quintum rogāvit de studiīs; ille studia bene exposuit(exposed) Cicero 'euge,' inquit 'Marcus vērum(truth) dicit; puer rē vērā(truth) ingeniosus es. si vis, tibi licet(you may) libros meus inspicere(inspired). Marce, duc Quintum ad bibliothecam(library)

Grammar

• Perfect stems of verbs

a few verbs form perfects in -vī/īvī or -uī

sinō, sinere, sīvī I allow

petō, petere, petīvī I seek, ask, pursue

quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī I look for, pursue

arcessō, arcessere, arcessīvī I summon

colō, colere, coluī I cultivate

pōnō, pōnere, posuī I place

3rd conjugation -iō

cupiō, cupere, cupīvī I desire

rapiō, rapere, rapuī I seize

4th conjugation

aperiō, aperīre, aperuī I open

• The 5th declension

nouns with stems in -e e.g. rēs thing, affair, matter, property

All 5th declension nouns are feminine except for diēs, diēī m. = day

rēspūblica public affairs, politics, the state; both halves decline

nom. rēspūblica

gen. rēīpūblicae

dat. rēīpūblicae

acc. rēmpūblicam

abl. rēpūblicā

Exercises

• 21.3 Translation

1. Quintus iam multos dies in ludo Orbilii studuerat. Quintus now has studied in Orbili school for many days.
2. die quodam, ubi Orbilius pueros dimisit, Marcus eum iussit domum secum venire. On one day when Orbilius dismissed boys, Marcus asked him to come with him.
3. ubi Marcus Quintum in tablinum duxit, pater eius epistolam scribebat de rebus publicis. when Marcus took Quintus to the studyroom, his father was writing a letter about public affairs.
4. Cicero valde anxius erat de republica epistolasque cotidie ad Atticum mittebat. Cicero was very anxious about politics, and sent letters to Atticum everyday
5. Cicero rempublicam defendere semper temptaverat sed iam spem paene dēposuerat. Cicero always attempted to defend the republic, but nearly had given up the hope.

• 21.4 Translation

1. Every day Flaccus used to tell his son many things about Roman history. Cotidie Flaccus filem eius multi de rem Romani narrabat.
2. He used to praise the leaders of the old republic. ducem republicae veteris laudebat.
3. 'The leaders', he said, 'used to love the republic and cared for the citizens.' 'ducis', inquit, 'republicanem amarat civemque currabat.
4. Today the leaders don't care for the people; they want nothing except to increase their own glory. Hodie ducis non propopulum currabati cupiunt nihil nisi suam glōriam augēre.
5. Who can have hope about the future? Qui spem futurorum habere potest?