Exempla antiqua

Classical and Medieval Latin examples for learners

Abl absolute Participles Perf pass indic

Elogium of Romulus

CIL 10.809 (restored/rubricated)

The Elogium of Romulus

Photo © MrJenkins

Romulus Martis
[f]ilius urbem Romam
[condi]dit et regnavit annos
duodequadraginta isque
primus dux duce hostium
Acrone rege Caeninensium
interfecto spolia opi[ma]
Iovi Feretrio consecra[vit]
receptusque in deoru[m]
numerum Quirinu[s]
appellatu[s est]

Romulus Martis filius urbem Romam condidit et regnavit annos duodequadraginta isque primus dux, duce hostium Acrone rege Caeninensium interfecto, spolia opima Iovi Feretrio consecravit receptusque in deorum numerum Quirinus appellatus est.

Translation from http://attalus.org/docs/cil/elogia.html#10.809

Romulus, son of Mars. He founded the city of Rome, and reigned there for 38 years. He was the first general to dedicate the spolia opima to Jupiter Feretrius, after killing the enemy general Acro, king of the Caeninenses. He was accepted among the gods, and was given the name Quirinus.

Abl absolute Participles

Coins of conquest

Reverse of coin showing eagle, clipeus virtutis (inscribed CL V), standard. Inscribed SIGNIS RECEPTIS and SPQR.

Reverse of silver denarius of Augustus. BC 19–15. RIC I (second edition) Augustus 86A.

signīs receptīs

Silver denarius. ca. 19–18 BC. Obverse: head of Augustus. Reverse: tiara, quiver, and bow case; inscribed ARMENIA CAPTA. © The Trustees of the British Museum

Silver denarius. ca. 19–18 BC. Obverse: head of Augustus. Reverse: tiara, quiver, and bow case. © The Trustees of the British Museum R.6184

Armeniā captā

Reverse of coin showing captive (with hands behind back), palm tree, figure respresenting Judaea (seated with head in hand)

Copper sestertius of Vespasian. AD 71. © The Trustees of the British Museum. R.10657

Iūdaeā captā

Reverse of coin showing crocodile. Inscribed AEGVPYO CAPTA

Silver denarius of Augustus. 28 BC. © The Trustees of the British Museum. 1860,0328.114

Aeguptō [= Aegyptō] captā

Abl of description

Catullus 43

ad Ameanam

Salvē, nec minimō puella nasō
nec bellō pede nec nigrīs ocellīs
nec longīs digitīs nec ōre siccō
nec sane nimis elegante linguā,
decoctōris amīca Formiānī.
tēn prōvincia narrat esse bellam?
tēcum Lesbia nostra comparātur?
ō saeclum insapiens et infacētum!

Body part help:

Image of human body and face with parts labelled in Latin

http://clasiciencias.blogspot.com/2010/04/parts-of-body-in-latin.html (corrected)

Abl absolute Participles Perf pass ppl Pres act ppl

RIB 730: Restored bathhouse

Drawing of altar with inscription

Stone Altar. AD 197–198. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Cambridge, UK). D 1970.3

D(e)ae Fortunae
Virius Lupus
leg(atus) Aug(usti) pr(o) pr(aetore)
balineum vi
ignis exust-
um coh(orti) I Thr-
acum resti-
tuit curan-
te Val(erio) Fron-
tone praef(ecto)
eq(uitum) alae Vetto(num)

Deae Fortūnae.
Virius Lupus, lēgātus Augustī prō praetōre,
balineum vī ignis exustum cohortī I Thrācum restituit
cūrante Valeriō Frontōne, praefectō equitum ālae Vettōnum.

Abl of comparison Comparative adj Participles

Catullus 9

Verani, omnibus e meis amicis
antestans mihi milibus trecentis,
venistine domum ad tuos Penates
fratresque unanimos anumque matrem?
venisti. o mihi nuntii beati!
visam te incolumem audiamque Hiberum
narrantem loca, facta, nationes, 
ut mos est tuus, applicansque collum
iucundum os oculosque saviabor.
o quantumst hominum beatiorum,
quid me laetius est beatiusve?

Catullus 9

Could reasonably be done with Shelmerdine 18 (but 21 would cover last two lines)

domum – Shelmerdine 16

participles – Shelmerdine 17

nuntius – Shelmerdine 17

mos – Shelmerdine 18

Interrogative pronoun quid – Shelmerdine 18

Comparative adjectives – Shelmerdine 21

Abl of comparison Comparative adj Indirect statement

Martial 1.109 Issa

Issa est passere nequior Catulli,
Issa est purior osculo columbae,
Issa est blandior omnibus puellis,
Issa est carior Indicis lapillis,
Issa est deliciae catella Publi.     5
Hanc tu, si queritur, loqui putabis;
sentit tristitiamque gaudiumque.
Collo nixa cubat capitque somnos,
ut suspiria nulla sentiantur;
et desiderio coacta uentris     10
gutta pallia non fefellit ulla,
sed blando pede suscitat toroque
deponi monet et rogat leuari.
Castae tantus inest pudor catellae,
ignorat Venerem; nec inuenimus     15
dignum tam tenera uirum puella.
Hanc ne lux rapiat suprema totam,
picta Publius exprimit tabella,
in qua tam similem uidebis Issam,
ut sit tam similis sibi nec ipsa.     20
Issam denique pone cum tabella:
aut utramque putabis esse ueram,
aut utramque putabis esse pictam.

Textbooks notes:

In Shelmerdine, comparative adjectives (ch. 21) are 2 chapters after indirect statement (ch. 19), so could read most of it. Could revisit when get to purpose and result (lines 17–20).

In Wheelock, the sequence is indirect statement (25), comparatives (26 & 27), purpose (28), result (29).

 

Handout with interlinear translation (omits a couple of lines) and grammar exercises at

http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/Latin1000/Readings/1020B/29Martial22.pdf