Latin course for the Virtual School of Languages

Lesson 18: Damocles' sword

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Text
"Ego", inquit Epicharmus, "cunctos tyrannos miseros esse video. Quis enim
ignorat tyrannis semper insidias imminere? Itaque ne tyranni quidem putant
vitam suam beatam esse. Si placebit, vobis parvam fabulam de Dionysio
narrabo..."
Tum Marcus: "Placet, nam constat te semper pulchras fabulas narrare."
Et Epicharmus: "Damocles, unus ex amicis Dionysii, divitias tyranni semper
laudabat, Dionysium fortunae filium esse praedicabat.
Aliquando tyrannus: 'Quid, si demonstrabo te errare meque non tam
beatum esse, quam tu putas? Te hodie ad cenam invito.'
Iam Damocles laetus triclinium intrat. Videt mensas bonis cibis abundare,
gaudet servos verbis suis parere - subito autem horret: Desuper gladius
imminet, et apparet gladium saeta equina pendere!
Et Dionysius: 'Ecce fortuna tyrannorum! Num me esse beatum adhuc putas?'"
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Reading vocabulary you needn't learn:
ad cenam: to a meal
triclinium: dining-hall
desuper: from above
saeta equina (Ablative): on a horse's hair


Vocabulary

apparet

it is obvious, it is clear

Practise the vocabulary of this lesson by matching it.

Grammar
In this lesson you'll learn about a typically Latin construction, the AcI 
(Accusativus cum Infinito). It means that there is an Accusative noun
and a verb in the infinitive form that don't appear to fit anywhere. Let's
take the example "Apparet Dionysio insidias imminere.". In order
to translate a Latin sentence, you first have to look at the verb, 
apparet in this case, which means "It is obvious". The logical question to 
ask is "what is obvious?" and in English the answer would be framed like "It is
obvious, that ...". In Latin, an AcI is used for this type of clause. In contrast
to languages like French or Italian, where the verb would probably be put into
the subjunctive form, the Latin language uses a much simpler form: the
infinitive (imminere in this case). When we translate an AcI clause, we have 
to find the correct form of the verb for ourselves because the infinitive doesn't
give us any clue as to whether the verb refers to singular, plural, 1st, 2nd or
3rd person. Fortunately, there's the subject of the AcI that can most often solve 
this problem. The subject of the AcI has been put in the Accusative case.
In the example sentence, it would be "insidias". So as a first translation of
"apparet insidias imminere" we get "it is obvious that a conspiracy threatens" or
"it is obvious that a conspiracy is imminent". The name Dionysio is left over
and it's either Dative or Ablative case, so one can add it to the sentence as 
"it is obvious that a conspiracy threatens Dionysius" or "it is obvious that a 
conspiracy against Dionysius is imminent".
When there are adjectives that belong to the subject of the AcI, they are put
into the Accusative case, too, because the link would get lost if they stayed
Nominative. For example, see the sentence "Puto villam pulchram esse." -> 
"I think that the villa is beautiful."
When the subject of the AcI refers to the subject of the main sentence, the
reflexive pronoun "se", which you learned in lesson 14, is used. "Tyrannus
putat se iustum esse." -> "The tyrant thinks that he is just." 

Now would be a good time to review translation technique, taking into account the new
grammar you have learned since lesson 11, especially the AcI. 


Exercise
Take every second sentence and transform it into an AcI depending on the
first sentence. 
Example: Valde gaudemus: Amicos bonos adiuvate.
          --> Valde gaudemus vos amicos bonos adiuvare.
1. Marcus gaudet: Cornelia adest.
2. Mox apparebit: Marcum ludi delectant.
3. Constat: Dei ira vacant.
4. Aliquando Titus videbit: Aemilia maesta est.


Information: Eating and drinking
Romans ate their main meal (cena) around 4pm. This was actually the dinner,
which could last 'til midnight if guests were invited.
In the morning, one ate very little - some water, a piece of bread, olives, some
cheese. Lunch (prandium) consisted of yesterday's cold left-overs.
One drank wine at all times of the day, warm or cold, with a lot of water and 
sometimes with honey.

The dining-room (triclinium) contained three couches. Up to three people fit
on each couch. Wives were only allowed to participate in a guest's meal since
imperial time. 
The couches were arranged in the shape of a horseshoe, so that slaves could
easily serve. Between the three couches there was a round table, on which
the food was put one after the other. More tables for the beverages stood
beside the couches. Since it was rather difficult to eat with the fingers while
lying, every guest put a napkin in front of himself. It was also used in order
to put the rests in it and to take them home. 
A custom that is foreign to us is that the Romans threw everything that couldn't
be eaten, e. g. bones and shells, on the ground, where it was swept together by
a slave.

In summer, it was popular to eat outside. Many houses in Pompeii had stone
couches at a particularly beautiful spot in the garden just for that purpose.
One only ate while lying when the occasion was formal. If the meal was routine,
one ate while sitting or even standing.

Exercise answers:
1. Marcus gaudet Corneliam adesse.
2. Mox apparebit Marcum ludos delectare.
3. Constat deos ira vacare.
4. Aliquando Titus videbit Aemiliam maestam esse.