Minimus Pupil's Book: Starting out in Latin

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Starting out in Latin

CAMBRIDGE

MINIMVS ��

Starting out in Latin

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Barbara Bell Joint Association of Classical Teachers Illustrations by

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Helen Forte

CAMBRIDGE UNIVE}lSITY PRESS

PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

The Pin Building,Trumpingron Street,Cambridge,United Kingdom CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

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© Cambridge University Press 1999 This book is in copyright. Subject ro starurory exception and ro the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the wrinen permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 1999 Seventh printing 2004 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press,Cambridge Designed by Angela Ashron

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Macra Marydale and Heatwave

catalogue recordfor this book is available from the British Library

ISBN

0 521 65960 4 paperback

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks are due ro the following for permission ro reproduce phorographs: p. 5,p. 23 p. 60 p. 44

r, r,

t, b, p. 30,p.

44 I, p. 55

t, © CSAD

and The British Museum; p.6,p. 13, p. 23

c,

Vindolanda Trust; p. 24,Corbridge Museum and English Heritage Phorographic Library; p. 51,p. 60 I, courtesy of the Museum of London; p. 55

b,

p. 70, Museum of Antiquities

of the University and Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne. Every effort has been made ro locate copyright holders for all material in this book. The publisher would be happy ro hear from anyone whose copyright has been unwittingly infringed.

Scanned by Ratio aeterna IP - KL - FF - BU

1

INTRODUCTION

1

MEET THE FAMILY

2

2 FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!

8

3 WORK, WORK, WORK

15

4 THE BEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE

21

5 ROMANS AND BRITONS

27

6 OFF TO TOWN

33

7 THE MILITARY MACHINE

40

8 CLEAN AN 0 HEALTHY

46

' 9 A SOLDIER S LIFE 10 HOW BEAUTIFUL! 11

A SAD DAY

12

GODS! HEAR OUR PRAYERS!

53 59 64 71

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Britain was conquered by the Romans,

9-nd the Britons became part of the huge Roman Empire. The Roman family that you are going to read about lived in the north of Britain, at a place called Vindolanda. Look at this map of Roman Britain, and find Vindolanda. It is

close to Hadrian's Wall. o

lIII

..

Vindolanda

Corbridge

About 75 years after the

Romans arrived, the Roman Emperor Hadrian came to Britain and ordered his soldiers to build a great wall. The soldiers then

had to patrol the wall. It is known as Hadrian's Wall, and you can still see-parts of it today. Gloucester •

It stretches across the north of Britain from east to west, and passes near to Vindolanda.

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That's where I live!

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WORDS TO HELP

quis es? Who are you? (said to one person) qui estis? Who are you? (said to more than one person) mater mother infans little child pater father servi slaves filia daughter Vindolandae at Vindolanda filius son In the picture story you met the Latin words which mean "l am" , "you are", and "we are". Here they are again:

sum I am es you are (when "you" is one person) sumus we are estis you are (when "you" is more than one person)

4

quis es?

(

) Minimus sum.

/'

�

GRASP THE GRAMMAR

Have another look at the picture story, where you met Flavius and his family. In the Latin sentences you met a number of nouns. A noun is a naming word, like mns (a mouse), H�les (a cat), mater (a mother), and the name Flavia.

1

Using the Latin word for "I am", introduce yourself to a partner. Try to make your name sound like a Latin name. Add -us to your name if you are a boy and add -a if you are a girl. So Marc will be Marcus, and Helen will be Helena.

2 Ask your partner his or her name by asking the Latin question which means "Who are you?" N.B. (This is short for a Latin phrase

-

nota bene

-

which means "note

well".) The men and boys have names ending in -us, for example Flavius and Corinthus. The women and girls have names ending in -a, for example Flavia and Lepidina. ROMAN REPORT

th e harge 0f. c n i is ed faun· 1y, r o f ou r amily hv e f h t s i fa h e . d h n t a. Be a Flav1US, ndoland i V t a t r fo Roman 7 -102. . . . important out AD 9 b a n 1 1t 1s , e y r o t th e r ) s i in h s e t a Christ d e s r s o . o f r e c b a ( BC me U hr se, fer to a t1l' When yO re y e h r Latin p � t e r h e t h o t w for Lord . to check hr1· St) . AD is short 0 f ou r " r a 11 e C y fter 1n the or AD (a . gs his h m e an s C 1 · h W i, min ral, bnn o e n d e o g n n n a R oma . Caesar, a stay long s u li Ju 0 esn't 1\ d . t u b 5 5 an d Brita1n arm y to vince of � . man pro o 54 B C R e th b o rn 1 n Christ.is '-_ \ �, o lestine. vades ) Pa ud·1uS in la C r o r an Em pe · . Th e Rom nquers 1t o c d � n a in � Brita , burns ca rebe1s ic d u 0 B "Celtic queen ated. ut is defe b , n o d nda. n Lo . ve at Vindola h y il 1S fam us and h" . across ,.) Flavi s a wall d l 1 U b n ria ror Bad The Empe 1. n. A D 12 2 e rn Brita h t r o n '

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The birthday party One day, Lepidina receives an exciting letter from her friend Claudia, who lives in another Roman fort. QQ.a ••�Q Geaoa.OQao ••oa8e8000._eB.a •• Q.onoQa

• a • [2J o • 8

IJ a tl Jl • m ••

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carissima Lepldina, iii Idus Septembres, venI ad diem natalem meum. vale, soror, anima mea. Claudia

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•

WORDS TO HELP

carissima dearest iii ldiis the eleventh diem natal em birthday

soror sister anima soul

This photograph shows the actual birthday invitation, found at Vindolanda.

Lepidina arrives at the party.

I"�I

WORDS TO HELP

salve! hello (to one person) salvete! hello (to more than one person) omnes everyone exspectatissimus very welcome donum a present tibi for you habeo I have felix dies tibi sit! Happy Birthday! (May you have a happy day 1)

gratia.s tibi ago I thank you quam pulcher how beautiful sed but quid? what? famosa famous sedete! sit down! olim once upon a time

Claudia entertains her guests by telling them the Greek myth. PERSEUS AN D MEDU SA

Long ago, in Greece, lived a girl called Medusa, who was beautiful but proud and cruel. She made the gods angry, so to punish her they turned her into a monster. Her lovely hair came alive, a tangled nest of hissing snakes. Her face became so ugly that anyone who looked straight at her turned to stone. Full of hate and bitterness, she spread terror through the land. Many men tried to defeat the monstrous Medusa, but all failed. Far away, a young hero called Perseus swore to kill Medusa, and set out bravely on this almost impossible quest. Luckily, the gods helped him. They lent him winged sandals, a magic sickle and a shiny bronze shield. Perseus flew for days until he reached Medusa's lair. He found her fast asleep and snoring, surrounded by stone statues of terrified men. Looking only at Medusa's reflection in his shield, Perseus cut off her head and flew home.

Remember! A noun is a naming word for a person, a place or a thing. WORDS TO REMEMBER

salvete hello** omnes everyone quis? who? quid? what? * you (one person) ** you (more than one person)

sum I am es you are* sumus we are

estis you are ** sedete! sit!** salve hello*

The Governor is comi ng! Flavius and Lepidina have received a letter telling them that Marcellus, the Governor of Britain, is coming to see them at Vindolanda. The family prepares for this important visitor.

o

c.he..vl tvnic--Cl non pvbhv-a e..�t.

Lepidina tells Candidus to clean the house and tidy up the garden. Then he must cook a magnificent dinner. Corinthus must order a special dinner service from Londinium'''. and he must buy the best wine. 1'Can you guess what this city is called today?

t�1

WORDS TO HELP

eheu! oh dear! villa house sordida dirty

hortus garden squalidus messy tunica dress

fessi tired euge! hooray! miles soldier

Why do you think that Lepidina, Flavius and Flavia are worried about the Governor's visit? Remember that Marcellus is in charge of the whole of Britain. Why are Candidus and Corinthus not pleased about it? Why is Iulius excited about Marcellus's visit? And why is the visit good for Minimus? And Vibrissa?

GRASP THE GRAMMAR

In chapter 1 you learnt that a noun is a naming word for a person, a

place or a thing. Our writing becomes much more interesting when we

describe the nouns. The words we use to describe nouns are called adj ectives. The word "desk" is a noun, because it's a thing. You might describe it with an adj ective like "new", "old", "wooden", "scratched", "big" or "rectangular" . Nouns which end in -a are called feminine nouns (like villa, tunica and the name, Flavia). Nouns which end in -us are called masculine nouns (like hortus and the name, Flavius).

1

Have another look at the picture story. Lepidina describes the house as "dirty" : villa sordida.

Flavius describes the garden as "messy" : hortus squalidus. Can you see that the end ing of the ad jective matches the end ing of the noun?

Look at picture 3. Which Latin noun means "dress" ? Which

adjective describes it? Are these words masculine or feminine?

2

These sentences describe animals. The animal names are nouns. Each sentence has one noun and one adjective. Can you translate them into English?

§:,�, .. .

a

c

b balaena maxima est.

vespa parva est.

d delphinus benignus est.

e

� cuniculus improbus est.

equus magnus est.

Every sentence also contains the important word est. Do you remember what it means?

t�1

WORDS TO HELP

vespa wasp parva small balaena whale maxima very big

cunIculus rabbit improbus naughty delphInus dolphin

b enignus friendly magnus big porcus pIg

�------�

How d id you d o? If you got most of them right, you are

callidissima

(if you're a girl) or

callidissimus

(if you're a boy). It means "very clever"!

3

Describe yourself to a partner. Remember, the adjective you use must have the right ending: -us for a boy, and -a for a girl. You'll

need the Latin word sum ("1 am") too. Now describe your partner, or perhaps your teacher. Use the word est for "he is" or "she is".

t�1

WORDS TO HELP

bonus/bona good callidus/callida clever formosus/formosa beautiful ignavus/ignava lazy improbus/improba naughty

magnus/magna big minimus/minima very small optimus/optima very good parvus/parva small strenuus/strenua energetic

Now you s ee how I got my name. If I were a girl mouse, I would be called Minima!

LATIN ROOTS

all come fro �� underlined O h i rd o : � � : � � � ;; :. e� P answer the

In these sentences the words which a ' . Some LatIn. of them may be new to

� ; � i � : � � ; � ': : ��:� :���:a� :f£�:�� that each of the u u

i

1

2

e

words on page 10. )

£

. What anlmal does pork come from?

What wouId an equestrian statue look like?

. . If you scored the maximum pomts in a test would you be happy? ' . . . 4 If you put mlmmal effort mto your work, would your teacher be pIeased with you?

3

visit. overnor's G e h t r o hey dinner f nch, but t a special u g l n r o ni t n s a la is p r breakf Candidus is was t mu c h f o a e t o n noon. Th r d e i ft d a s e n h a t his The Rom n late in d provide hich bega l u o w al w e n a m y, thy Rom ate a big ffer poetr o a. A weal n t h ce g i e m h t s he y eal, and known a them as t ressive m e p s u m i m a n a o t th pire, display guests wi oman Em crobatic R a e n h a t n f o e v d re e far en special singing o nda, at th ner, with la n o i d d l n u i V rf at wonde ate. Even s guests a i h e v gi enison. ould ers and v t Flavius c s y o s a h day: food suc e enjoy to w t wine and a h t s d also of the foo uit. They y r n f a d m n a e s t ns a g egetable The Roma n disgustin e d lots of v v n e a or h, s fi pork, strange chicken, uld think o w e w h de a s whic cooks ma n a m ate thing o R e\ d dormic ch P like stuffe amen whi u q li d r e ll a c e c u sa sts e u G rich fish s. e recip d in many cena, they use ine at the w f o y t n p le enjoyed ith water. mixed w s a w it though us's der Flavi n u s r ie d mpler The sol e eaten si v a h d l u d wo on comman ables, bac t e g e v d, e brea y also foods lik olanda the d n i V t A . and ham er. drank be

o(\. Roman fo

_

Dinner for the Governor Everyone is ready for the special dinner. The place of honour is reserved for Marcellus, the Governor. Candidus and Corinthus have brought in the food. But where is Rufus?

-0

c;e/de.., viv opti/Yle/, e/xc;pe/c,..tatic;c;i/YlvC; e/C;,

-

-

-

-

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, -

-- .

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no I, lac..-vimovc,1 fZvfv� non impvoDv� c,�+. �c..-'liG.-t/+ fZvfv� c..-vvio�v� c,�+.

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omnes rId ent,

praecipue Rufus.

t�1

WORDS TO HELP

vir optime sir caseus cheese surge! get up! nunc now noli tangere don't touch omnes silent everyone is silent

This photo s hows some pottery found at Vind oland a

redi go back cubiculum bedroom noli lacrimare don't cry scilicet of course rident smiles praecipue especially

Marcellus tells the story of another boy who, like Rufus, didn't listen to his father!

DAEDALU S AN D ICARU S

Minos, King of Crete, asked Daedalus, a famous designer and inventor, to build a maze for him. However, as soon as the maze was finished, the king became angry with Daedalus and locked him

)

and his son Icarus away in a tower on his island.

� (

�

They could not escape by land or sea . Daedalus was determined to get away, and he used his skills to make wings for himself and for Icarus

'\'.,P

by joining feathers together with thread and wax. When Daedalus attached the

wings to their arms, they were

able to fly up into the sky. "Fly close by me," Daedalus warned his son. "If you fly too high, the sun will melt the wax. If you dive too low, the sea will make the feathers wet. " Daedalus flew safely to Sicily, but Icarus disobeyed his father's instructions. He flew too close to the sun. The wax melted, the feathers fell off, and the boy plunged into the sea.

Remember that adjectives are d escribing word s which tell us more about nouns.

WORDS TO REMEMBER

servi slaves miles soldier cibus food villa house parvus/parva small improbus/improba naughty

bonuslbona good optimus/optima very good eheu! oh dear! euge! hooray! se de sit noli lacrimare don't cry

,

What are you doing? Everyone is busy in Flavius's household.

o

t�1

WORDS TO HELP

verro I am sweeping subito suddenly andlla slave girl intrat she is entering nova new nunc now laborant they are working rident they are smiling

fads you are doing scribo I am writing scribit he is writing spectat he is watching piirgo I am cleaning piirgat he is cleaning lego I am reading legit he is reading GRASP THE GRAMMAR

In the picture story, each of the people is doing something. The words we use to talk about actions are called verbs, for example: Corinthus is

writing and Candidus is cleaning. What is Rufus doing ? 1

Have another look at the picture story. Find the Latin words which tell you what the characters are doing. These words - the verbs­ come at the end of each sentence. Write down the verbs in Latin and then write the English meaning next to each one, for example:

scribit he is writing. I want you to remember that if a verb end s in

2

-t,

then he or she is d oing that action.

Now look back at the picture story to see who is doing the action when the verb ends in -0 or -nt. In Latin you d on't need to use a separate

The ending of the verb tells us who is doing the action.

word for "I" or "he" or "they".

3

Write down these Latin verbs. Circle the ending which tells you

who is doing the action. Then write down the English meaning of the word, making it clear who is doing the action. a

scribit

b spectat c

specto

d scribo

e

spectant

f facis g scribunt h scribis

-

-

e s? w h o are th e slav

Greece. H e h as om fr e av sl a is s u C o ri n th an d L ep id in a for li ve d w it h F la vi us d ca n is v er y clever, an m an y ye ar s. H e G re ek ell. H e ca n sp ea k w te ri w d an ad re as w el l as Latin.

in. ay s li ve d in Brita C an d id u s h as al w la nd a, ar ri v ed at V in do y il m fa e th en h W ea k s a as a slave. H e sp im h t h g u o b ey th ea k d is le ar n in g to sp an , ge ua ng la c ti Cel a o d cook, so h e is L at in . H e is a g o e is tr ea te d k in d ly h d an e, av sl le va lu ab ep id in a. b y F la vi us an d L a sl av e girl. L ep id in ew n a is ra o d P an a r, be ca us e sh e is he e av h to ed as is p le es se r. v er y g o o d ha ir dr rk p ai d for th ei r w o Slaves w er e n o t ey . little po ck et -m on b u t w er e gi ve n a sa v ed th ei r m o n ey S om et im es sl av es n m . If th ey h ad b ee to b u y th ei r fr ee do r ig h t b e g iv en th ei m ey th , es av sl em g o o d an d fa it hf ul h e m ig h t in vi te th r O l. il w s r' te as m at fr ee d o m in th ei r T hi s w as a si g n th . er nn di g in en ev to jo in h im at th e ee. th ey w er e n o w fr L. .--_ _

_ _---'

t . re fu lly a t th e p .lC u re s o f C a n.n th u s a n d C Look ca ld d u s. Is th er em an · g ab o u t th . h w a n yth ln ts es g g su othes w h ic h th ey co m e fr o cl e r er el 1 f o d in k t or wha sa v e s th ey are?

Pandora settles in The two slaves are having a competition. They both want to impress Pandora.

o �alllc,/ C-ovinthv� �VM. o tiMv� p �VM, ev'0d k&.

, . ,.

MiniMc,/ Riifv� optiMv� c..�tl ev'0d �c..Mpc..V vTdc..t.

tW'1

WORDS TO HELP

quod because minime! no legis you read

coquis you cook validus strong semper always

PAN DORA' S BOX

The Greeks told this story to explain how trouble came into the world. When the world was young, and men were new and perfect, Jupiter, King of the gods, became afraid. What if these humans tried to take over from him? He studied them carefully, and then came up with a plan. Jupiter asked Vulcan, god of craft and skill, to make a woman out of clay. The gods then gave her gifts of beauty, kindness and grace. Jupiter brought her to life and named her Pandora. He led her to Earth, to a house where a man called Epirnetheus lived. Epimetheus was a good but simple man and Jupiter gave him Pandora as his bride. He also gave them a box, with strict instructions not to open it. Pandora was happy with her husband but she kept thinking about the '\

�

strange box. Why shouldn't she open it? She grew more and more

curious, just as Jupiter had intended. Eventually, she couldn't stand it any longer. She took out the box and opened the lid. Immediately a cloud of flying, stinging creatures filled the air. They were all the troubles of humanity - disease, hate, anger, old age and many more. Pandora tried to shut the lid but it was too late. Only one thing was left, shining in a corner of the box. It was Hope. Humans would never trouble Jupiter now, with so many troubles of their own, but at least they had hope for the future.

LAT I N ROOTS

• Working with a partner, see how many English words you can think

of which come from these Latin words:

scribit (he writes) spectat (he watches) laborant (they work). Score one point for every correct answer. • In each of the following sentences, a word is underlined. These

words all come from Latin. Working with a partner, write down the Latin word that each English word comes from. Then write down what you think these words mean. You can find clues by looking carefully at the picture story Pandora settles in. For example: The doctor wrote out a prescription. Prescription: from the Latin word scribit

-

a written message to a

chemist.

1

The optimum time to do your homework is soon after school before

2

Nurses take care of invalids.

3

You can minimize the dangers of crossing the road

you are too tired.

by following the Green Cross Code.

4 What kind of job is a sedentary job? 5

How d id you d o? Could you gues s

This book is an introduction to Latin.

the meanings? Latin is useful for learning new English word s !

Remember! Look at the end of a Latin verb to see

who

is d oing the action. Latin

d oes n't need a word for "I" or "you" or "they". For example, rid eo

I.iil

=

I s mile.

WORDS TO REMEMBER

coquo I cook facio I do intro I enter laboro I work lego I read

rideo I smile scribo I write sedeo I sit specto I watch semper always

subito suddenly ancilla slave girl novus/nova new nunc now

rh e best clays of your life A writing lesson Roman children usually began school at about the age of seven. Children of rich families were often taught at home. Corinthus is teaching Flavia and Iulius.

5

:Go��nthmrn6 Coi"ipthus

.'., ·':!r{ ; '-·: .

p

docet teaches laetus happy iratus angry

cur? why? fatigata bored

(r� "

Remember! Action words are called verbs. Nami n g words are called nouns. Words used to describe nouns are called adjectives. 1

Pick out the verbs in the picture story. Can you remember what they mean? Look closely at the endings, to see if the person doing the action is "you", "he/she" or "they".

2

Corinthus is angry (iratus). Flavia is bored (fatigata). These words are adj ectives, telling us more about the nouns they describe. Remember that in Latin, adjectives need to match their nouns (Flavia/fatigata, Corinthus/iratus). Here are pictures of some of the family with a short sentence describing each one. The adjectives are missing - choose one to fit each sentence. The adjective you choose must have the right ending as well as making sense! The first one has been done for you.

a Flavia doesn't do her writing, so Corinthus is (iratus/irata/callidus). The answer is iratus (angry). Corinthus can't be irata because he is masculine.

b Candidus sees Pandora, so he is (iratus/laetus/laeta). Rufus wants to go to sleep because he is (laeta/fessus/iratus).

d Everyone enjoys the meals Candidus cooks because he is a (fessus/optimus/irata) cook. e

Lepidina is glad she bought Pandora because she is a

(fatigatus/optima/irata) hairdresser.

•

PORT R O M A N RE v

s to C o ri n th u s trie m o re m a k e le ss o n s r Flavia in te re st in g fo te a c h in g lo n g p o e m b y a g in y d tu s a n d Iu li u s b y e y a re of Rome. First ti n p o e tr y . T h a ry L e to m is h o s y rl m a e e th f th e o ri n th u s tells , w h ic h tells o C il g n e ir h V T t . e o m p e o e th th e p us a lo u d lines o f d a re y e lavia a n d Iu li F th , ll te a ri of w o T s. ed a o u t s o m e line ecial stick call sp a g in s th e m to c o p y u , ts le t th e x -c o v e re d tab e n d b u t flat a g n ti ri w e sc ra tc h o n w a th t a y use lu s is p o in te d o m e ti m e s th e S s. e k ta st il u s. T h e s ti is m t ou ove th e y c a n ru b T h e p h o to a b . k in in d o th e r e n d , so e p is a p e n d ip g . C o ri n th u s n ti ri w s s' u li s h o w s Iu it. If y o u lo o k h it w d e s a le n o t v e ry p e w o rd SEG. th e se n a c u o carefully, y is r se g n it e r. Th fo rt o h s is h w h ic y w o rk " ! m e a n s " s lo p p th e y still b o re d . In sl u io v b o is e Flavia left, y o u c a n se e th n o h p ra nd p h o to g d h e r w o rk , a e g d u m s s a h th a t s h e . She d re w a g n li d o o d n e e she has b . h o rs e a n d cart a p ra c ti se w it h t h ig m r te ri A Roman w w o u ld ra ft . T h e n h e d a e k a m to x ta b le t first, s ti lu s a n d w a n e a tl y w it h c o p y his w o rk in, p e o p le a p e n . In Brita v e ry th in also w ro te o n d . H e re pieces o f w o o an a re s o m e R o m w ri ti n g tablets a n d d ip p e n s.

Rufu s! Don't touch! Rufus is too young for lessons, so he has been playing a game outside the room. Here is a gaming board and counters.

5

The ink goes flying.

Corinthus decides to abandon the writing lesson and tells the children the story of someone who loved to look at his own reflection. ECHO AN D N ARCISSU S

A beautiful girl called Echo once offended the goddess Juno. Juno punished Echo by making her repeat what other people said­ she no longer had any words of her own. Echo fell in love with Narcissus. He was very handsome but vain and cruel. Echo followed him everywhere, repeating his words, but he wouldn't even look at her. She faded away with sorrow, until only her voice was left. Narcissus made many other lovers unhappy, and so the gods decided to punish him too . One day, Narcissus saw his own reflection in a pool, and fell in love with it at once. He realized that he could never love anyone else as much, and stayed there, gazing into the water until he starved to death. In the place where he lay, the gods made a lovely flower grow the narcissus. You can often find this flower growing beside a lake or pool, nodding for ever at its own reflection in the water.

R

S

Can you think of any English words which come from dormio? Would you be pleased if your teacher was in an irate mood? (Use your dictionary to help you if you are stuck. )

You have now met six different endi n gs for a Lati n verb. The endi n gs cha n ge to show who is doi n g the action of the verb. This is how we usually write them out: laboro I work laboras you work�';­ laborat he/she works �'rone person

dormio I sleep lacrimo I cry laboro I work scribo I write

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laboramus we work

laboratis you work�h'r laborant they work

more tha n one person

lego I read sedeo I sit rideo I smile cur? why?

Brito n s are best! Rufus, Flavia and Candidus are kicking a ball. They sit down for a rest and begin to talk. . .

e Rllfus et Flavia et Candidus sedent.

Flavia asks Candidus what life was like before he became a slave. Before the Romans conquered Britain, the British people lived in groups called tribes. Candidus belonged to the tribe called the

Brigantes. Candidus daydreams about how his people used to live...

Who is doi n g the action when the verb e nds in -mus?

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WORDS TO HELP

celeriter quickly equito I ride ferociter fiercely

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pugno I fight diligenter carefully cola I farm

GRASP THE GRAMMAR

In chapter 2, we learnt that we can make nouns more interesting by

adding describing words, or adj ectives, to them. In this chapter, we will see how to make verbs (action words) more interesting by using words which tell us how the action is done. We call these words

adverbs (because they add to the verb). Candidus said, "We ride quickly." Quickly is an adverb. 1

Use an adverb to answer these questions, first in English and then in Latin.

a How does Candidus describe the way that the Britons fight? b How does he describe the way that they farm the land?

Who has a good memory? I n chapter 4, Corinthus was not pleased with the way in which lulius had copied out a piece of Latin. Corinthus used an adverb to describe how lulius had worked. Can you remember it, in E n glish or in Latin? ( Look at page 2 3 if you are stuck!)

2

Look at the adverbs in English. Which two letters do you see at the end each time?

3

Look at the adverbs in Latin. Which three letters do you see at the end?

T b e B ri to n s

fight e co ul d ri d e an d ib tr s hi ay w e th d of th ey C an d id u s is p ro u ar ri v ed in Britain s an m o R e th en . Wh er e an d fa rm th e la nd e British p eo p le w th l fu il sk d an st h o w fa w er e su rp ri se d at r, th e first R o m an sa ae C us li Ju . ts r chario r w h en d ri v in g th ei ), de sc ri be d th ei BC 55 n (i in ta m e to Bri co m m an d er to co : w ar ri o rs like th is

hurling Speetrs. The ld fie e th er ov ll et g They begin by drivin the enemy soldiers ke et m s el he w e th f o they horses etnd the noise ise every dety etnd so ct et pr nd et in et tr y terrified. The e they cetn control op sl p ee st et on en ett ev moment. They become so skilful th et in em th op st nd llop et tck the horses ett {ull gq the yoke etnd get be on nd et st , le po ot ri et run etlong the ch ick etS lightning. into the chetriot ets qU

o m a n s tb in k o f R e tb id d t a b w e ir c o u n tr y ? tb d n a s n to ri B tb e

o m an ar d ag ai n st th e R h t h g u fo es ib tr ro l ritish em an d to ok co nt A lt h o u g h so m e B th ed at fe de ly al s ev en tu w er e ar m y , th e R o m an e R o m an so ld ie rs th e us ca be as w of E ng la nd . This w el l or ga ni ze d. pr of es si on al an d

shows that Vindolanda m o fr ets bl writing ta the Britons: One of the better than re e w ey th t ans though ere are very some Rom armour. Th by ed ct te e s are unpro s, nor do th "The Briton use sword ot n o d ry al s." ry. The cav ow javelin many caval order to thr in nt u o m ritons silly little B

alled us much. They c ery v s u e lik They didn't Britons". ns "silly little ea m h ic wh Brittuncu\i they ed by what s es r p m i iously not ter Cicero s were obv n a m o R e ple, the wri m m a So ex or F ther. es, among t Britain ei er than slav oth heard abou oty o e for b erature or e is no hop illed in lit sk ly h said: "Ther g hi ct any there were cannot expe o, felt that ab tr S , whom you er t her wri ack from wever, anot uld bring b musiC." Ho o c s n a m o R d in the gs that the on are foun ir d n a certain thin er slaves gold, silv mal skins, Grain, cattle, ni a " : h n it tai w ri er B rted togeth ey are expo h T d. an sl i g dogs." and huntin

LATIN ROOTS

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The underlined words corn from Latin words in the p,cture . story . Brztons are best! Find the Latm word for each one to help you understand the meanIng. 1

2

3

Would your teacher be pleased or angry with a diligent pupil? Which English word comes from feriiciter? . A dog mIght be described as pugnacious. What does that mean?

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4 Wh�t happens if you put your foat on the a WhIch Latin w d' c e story has p and means SO th th speed?

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Romans are best! Flavia is trying to prove to Candidus that life is better now that the Romans rule Britain.

e.t viae. KOrYlonae. J've-vtae. c;vnt.

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WORDS TO HELP

tesserae mosaics ita vero yes directae straight

commodae comfortable nobiscum with us

Is Canclicius happy at vincioIancia?

Before the Romans came, Candidus's family farmed their own land. His father was brave and strong, and could fight in a chariot. On the other hand, Candidus and his family lived in a dark, smoky hut. The British tribes often fought each other and, when Candidus was a child, his village was destroyed by warriors from an enemy tribe. Candidus was taken prisoner and treated badly by his captors. He was glad when they sold him to a Roman family who were kind to him. Do you think that Candidus's life has improved now that he works for a Roman family? Does he agree with what Flavia and Rufus say? Explain why you think it is a better life - or not.

Rufus wants a story. Corinthus offers to tell him another Greek myth but Candidus interrupts. "No, it's my turn to tell Rufus a story. We have some great British tales of our own." A TRAVELLER' S TALE

I heard this story as a child, by the fireside in our smoky hut. It was told by an old traveller from the West. As you know, Britain is a great island. The seas round it are filled with small islands, some inhabited by people but others only by ghosts. Roman ghosts belong under the earth, but the spirits of British heroes haunt the sacred islands. The traveller told us of a terrible experience he had when he was a young fisherman. He was rowing his boat in rocky coastal waters when a sudden storm blew up from a cloudless sky. Without warning the sky darkened and thunder roared. Violent winds rushed over the sea, tossing the light boat on the vast waves, and flinging it aground on a strange shore. Lightning flashes showed the fisherman that he was on an island. A single figure, in a long robe, stood on the shore. He was a Druid, a Celtic priest. The traveller fell on his knees in fear; he must be trespassing on a holy island. "Somewhere, a great man has died," said the Druid. "The tempest you experienced was his spirit passing. Flee now, for you are in deadly danger as his spirit flies to this holy place in storm and fury." The fisherman scrambled into his boat and rowed desperately away over a suddenly calm sea. When he reached land, he found that his hair had turned as white as bone from fear.

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Remember that adverbs describe action words (verbs). WORDS TO REMEMBER

verbs

adverbs

nouns

phrases

liido I play equito I ride pugno I fight

celeriter quickly ferociter fiercely diligenter carefully

viae streets vi1lae houses

ita vero yes nobiscum with us

Let's go shopping! Flavius and his family are planning to travel to the large town of Eboracum. Today, this town is called York. You can find it on the map of Roman Britain on page 1. Flavius and Lepidina have been to

Eboracum before, when they first came to Britain from Holland, but this will be the children's first visit.

pi/v/ac, v'av-iac,