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Page 1 of 11

An Independent Study Guide to Reading Latin
  • 2nd edition
  • Peter V. Jones, Keith C. Sidwell
  • Published online:
    21 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 May 2018
  • Reading Latin, first published in 1986, is a bestselling Latin course designed to help mature beginners read classical Latin fluently and intelligently. It does this by combining the understanding of continuous texts with rigorous teaching of grammar; it provides exercises designed to develop the skills of accurate translation; and it integrates the learning of classical Latin with an appreciation of the influence of the Latin language upon English and European culture from antiquity to the present. The Independent Study Guide is intended to help students who are learning Latin on their own or with only limited access to a teacher. It contains notes on the texts that appear in the Text and Vocabulary volume, translations of all the texts, and answers to the exercises in the Grammar and Exercises volume. The book will also be useful to students in schools, universities and summer schools who have to learn Latin rapidly.

Reading Latin
  • Grammar and Exercises
  • 2nd edition
  • Peter Jones, Keith Sidwell
  • Published online:
    28 May 2018
    Print publication:
    27 October 2016
  • Reading Latin, first published in 1986, is a bestselling Latin course designed to help mature beginners read classical Latin fluently and intelligently. It does this in three ways: it encourages the reading of continuous texts from the start; it offers generous help with translation at every stage; and it integrates the learning of classical Latin with an appreciation of the influence of the Latin language upon English and European culture from antiquity to the present. The Text and Vocabulary, richly illustrated, consists at the start of carefully graded adaptations from original classical Latin texts. The adaptations are gradually phased out until unadulterated prose and verse can be read. The accompanying Grammar and Exercises volume completes the course by supplying all the grammatical help needed, and the second edition has been fully revised and updated. It has also been extensively redesigned to make it clearer and easier to navigate.

Reading Latin
  • Text and Vocabulary
  • 2nd edition
  • Peter Jones, Keith Sidwell
  • Published online:
    28 May 2018
    Print publication:
    18 October 2016
  • Reading Latin, first published in 1986, is a bestselling Latin course designed to help mature beginners read classical Latin fluently and intelligently. It does this in three ways: it encourages the reading of continuous texts from the start; it offers generous help with translation at every stage; and it integrates the learning of classical Latin with an appreciation of the influence of the Latin language upon English and European culture from antiquity to the present. The Text and Vocabulary, richly illustrated, consists at the start of carefully graded adaptations from original classical Latin texts. The adaptations are gradually phased out until unadulterated prose and verse can be read. The accompanying Grammar and Exercises volume completes the course, although the present volume could be used as a self-standing beginner's reader if desired. This second edition has been fully revised and updated, with a new chapter containing stories from early Roman history.

  • Section 2 - Plautus’ Amphitruo

  • Peter V. Jones, Keith C. Sidwell, University of Calgary
  • Book:
    An Independent Study Guide to <I>Reading Latin</I>
    Published online:
    21 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 May 2018, pp 46-72

  • Summary

    2A(Text pp. 56–61)

    Notes for 2A

    In Section 2A we cover future indicative active, including sum, eo, possum, uolo, nolo and malo; 1st and 2nd decl. adj. like noster and uester; 3rd decl. adj. like celer and acer; numerals; and 4th decl. nouns like manus and domus.

    Page 56

  • 1 erunt: the future of sum is based on the stem er-, giving ero, eris, erit etc.

  • 2 alter: is used where one wants to refer to one or the other of two entities, cf. line 8.

  • 3 Amphitruo: means ‘harassed on both sides’ – as he will be, by both Jupiter and Alcumena. Note that her Greek name is Alkmene; Alcmena and Alcimena are also found in Latin.

  • 6–7 seruus: tricky, verbally adept slaves, the source and butt of many jokes, are often the ‘heroes’ of comedy.

  • 8 Iuppiter: is the usual Latin spelling, rarely Iūpiter, the form from which the English derives. Another name for him was Diespiter ‘father of the day’, from which Iuppiter derives. In this play he is more like father of the night!

  • 10 Mercurius: addressing the audience as the prologue, Mercury calls the play a tragicomoedia, a ‘tragicomedy’ – the first known use of that word – because, as he explains, it has heroic ancient kings and gods in it. It is Plautus’ only experiment with Greek mythology.

  • 11 MERCVRIVS: note that classical Latin, always written in capitals, used V to represent both the vowel u and the semi-vowel w. The two sounds were not distinguished in writing till minuscule came in (c. 5th C AD), when u started to be used for the vowel and v for the semi-vowel. Mercury will himself become a tricky slave to act the part properly, thereby doubling the fun for the audience.

  • 13 nomen Mercurio est mihi: lit. ‘the name to me is Mercury’, i.e. ‘my name is Mercury’. mihi is dat. of possession with est, so this could also be translated ‘I have the name Mercury’. Note that in this idiomatic expression, the name (Mercurio) is attracted into the same case as mihi.

  • 15-17 Amphitruonis: further described in the gen. by uir … ducis. exercitus is gen. controlled by ducis – ‘leader of …’.

  • Section 6 - Poetry and politics: Caesar to Augustus

  • Peter V. Jones, Keith C. Sidwell, University of Calgary
  • Book:
    An Independent Study Guide to <I>Reading Latin</I>
    Published online:
    21 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 May 2018, pp 180-197

  • Summary

    6AHigh life and society (Text pp. 220–33)

    General note

    Everything you read from now on is unadapted. Notes on grammar, and difficult expressions and background information, follow each Running Vocabulary. There are grammar sections and exercises on metre. We have produced selected answers to these exercises below.

    Translation of 6A

    6A (i)

    You will dine well, my Fabullus, at my house

    in a few days, gods willing,

    if you bring with you a good, big

    dinner, not forgetting a pretty girl,

    [5] wine, wit and all the giggles.

    As I say, if you bring this, my charmer,

    you will dine well; for your Catullus’

    little purse is full of cobwebs.

    But in return you will get unmixed passion,

    [10] or whatever is sweeter or classier:

    for I shall give you a perfume which my girl

    was given by Venuses and Cupids,

    and when you smell it, you will ask the gods

    to make you all, Fabullus, nose.

    Now learn the Learning vocabulary at Text p. 221.

    6A (ii)

    Marrucinus Asinius, your left hand

    you do not use agreeably: over jokes and wine

    you lift the linen of the rather negligent.

    Do you think this is witty? You're wrong, idiot:

    [5] it's ever such a cheap and tasteless trick.

    You don't believe me? Believe Pollio,

    your brother, who even if it cost him a million,

    would like to reform your larceny: for he's

    a lad stuffed full of charm and wit.

    [10] And so it's either three hundred insulting verses

    you can expect or you can return my linen,

    which does not bother me in terms of its value,

    but is a souvenir of a good old pal of mine.

    For they were Spanish napkins from Saetabis

    [15] that were sent to me as a gift by Fabullus

    and Veranius: I've got to love these napkins

    as much as my little Veranius and Fabullus.

    Now learn the Learning vocabulary at GE p. 223.

    6A (iii)

    Yesterday, Licinius, at leisure

    we played around a lot on my writing-tablets,

    writing gay verse, as we'd agreed:

    as each of us wrote short poems,

    [5] we played around in different metres,

    capping each other over our jokes and wine.

  • Section 1 - Plautus’ Aulularia

  • Peter V. Jones, Keith C. Sidwell, University of Calgary
  • Book:
    An Independent Study Guide to <I>Reading Latin</I>
    Published online:
    21 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 May 2018, pp 7-45

  • Summary

    Introduction: familia Euclionis (Text p. 6)

    Preamble

  • 1 The English translation of the whole of Section 1 is word-for-word, in the Latin word-order. Where English uses more words than Latin, hyphens are used, e.g. amat, ‘he-loves’, serui, ‘of-the-slave’. If the strange word-order makes the English ambiguous, the Latin will solve the problem.

  • 2 Latin does not have a word for ‘the’ or ‘a’.

  • 3 In English, verbs in a question do not take the same form as verbs in a statement. Compare ‘you are’ and ‘are you?’ and ‘you carry’ and ‘do you carry?’ This is not the case in Latin, which uses exactly the same form of the verb in statements and questions. In this Section we have translated all Latin verbs as statements, e.g. quid est? ‘What it-is?’

  • 4 Explanations of the translation are given [in square brackets].

  • 5 Latin Text line numbers are given in the translation thus, [5].

    • Notes for introduction

    Text Page 6

    If you have read the Simplified grammatical introduction (pp. 2–6) of this volume, you will be looking keenly for subjects and objects. You will find plenty of subjects in this Section, but no objects (objects come in Section 1A). What you will find is the verb ‘to be’. This does not control an object but a complement.

    Consider: ‘Euclio is an old man.’ ‘Euclio’ subject, ‘is’ verb, ‘an old man’ – what is ‘an old man’? ‘An old man’ describes ‘Euclio’. ‘An old man’ is the complement to Euclio with the verb ‘to be’. ‘Euclio’ is subject, in the nominative case. ‘An old man’, the complement, is therefore in the nominative case as well, to show he is the same person as Euclio. ‘An old man’, as we say, ‘agrees’ with Euclio.

    Rule: the verb ‘to be’ takes the nominative case before and after (usually the subject before, the complement after, in English).

  • Section 5 - The conspiracy of Catiline in Rome 64–62

  • Peter V. Jones, Keith C. Sidwell, University of Calgary
  • Book:
    An Independent Study Guide to <I>Reading Latin</I>
    Published online:
    21 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 May 2018, pp 153-179

  • Summary

    5A(Text pp. 166–219)

    Notes for 5A

    The translation now reverts to normal English word-order.

    In this section, since GE already gives notes on new grammar, only a general note is given at the beginning of each sub-section telling you what new grammar to expect. References to the original are included at the end of each passage.

    Note on Sallust's style

    Sallust's language is very different from Cicero's. Cicero writes long sentences, with much use of anaphora (repetition), and with much amplification, all building up to tremendous climaxes. Sallust tends to write more concisely.

  • • He often omits esse (‘to be’), e.g. 5A(ii), line 33: libido sic accensa (‘her lust [was] so inflamed’) and line 34: uerum ingenium eius haud absurdum (‘But her intellect [was] not absurd’).

  • • He uses the historic infinitive, e.g. 5A(i), lines 19–21: sed in dies plura agitare, arma … parare, pecuniam portare (‘But day by day he stirred up many things, got arms ready, carried money …’).

  • • He goes to the heart of the matter without lengthy Ciceronian background explanations e.g. 5A(i), lines 5–6: erat ei cum Fuluia muliere nobili stupri uetus consuetudo (‘He had with Fulvia a long-standing sexual relationship’) – the behaviour was reprehensible (stuprum always reflects dishonour on the persons who perform the action and the illicitness of the action itself); it was habitual (consuetudo); and it had been going on a long time (uetus).

    • In these three passages, you will meet:

  • (a) Reinforcement of ut + subjunctive meaning ‘that’, giving the result of an action (introduced in.

  • (b) Reinforcement of ut + subjunctive meaning ‘in order that/to’ and indicating purpose (introduced in.

  • (c) The historic infinitive. See GE 153.

  • (d) The ablative of respect, indicating the point in which someone or something is X (e.g. ‘learned in —’, ‘fortunate in —’). See GE 154A.

  • Preface to the second edition

    • By Peter Jones, Newcastle upon Tyne, Keith Sidwell, Emeritus Professor of Latin and Greek, University College Cork and Adjunct Professor, Department of Classics and Religion, University of Calgary
  • Peter V. Jones, Keith C. Sidwell, University of Calgary
  • Book:
    An Independent Study Guide to <I>Reading Latin</I>
    Published online:
    21 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 May 2018, pp ix-ix

  • Summary

    The second edition of the Study Guide follows the changes made to Reading Latin: Text and Vocabulary and Grammar and Exercises in the second edition. Mostly these are self-evident (new translations for the altered sections of text; new keys to the exercises for sections where text was altered or where grammar was moved). Three additional points should, however, be noted. First, since extended prose begins now in Section 3, we have reverted to a very literal style of translation for the texts from 3D: this continues to the end of Section 4. In the translations from Text, as far as possible line numbers relate to the beginning of the corresponding Latin line (though of course their placement will be inexact where the version is not literal). Secondly, we have moved all additional reading material from the Grammar (originally in the Dēliciae Latīnae sections) of Sections 1 to 5 into pp. 283–328 of the Text and Vocabulary volume. Consequently, the keys to this material are now collected together under the heading ‘Additional reading for Sections 1B to 5G’ at the end of this volume. Thirdly, in case users have missed the announcement in Text and Vocabulary, we hope there will be available, at some stage in the future, to accompany this new edition of Reading Latin, interactive online exercises, produced by Professor Alison Sharrock (University of Manchester). Please contact Cambridge University Press for more information.

  • Section 3 - Early Roman history: from Aeneas to Hannibal

  • Peter V. Jones, Keith C. Sidwell, University of Calgary
  • Book:
    An Independent Study Guide to <I>Reading Latin</I>
    Published online:
    21 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 May 2018, pp 73-97

  • Summary

    3A(Text pp. 86–94)

    Notes for 3A

    The translation remains close to the Latin but becomes moderately colloquial here and there.

    In this Section we concentrate on is, ea, id, ‘that’, pl. ‘those’, and ‘he, she, it’, which functions as an adjective and pronoun, like ille and hic. Thus Text line 2 id ‘that’, ea ‘she’; line 3 eam ‘her’, id ‘that’ and so on. All are in the vocabulary.

    We also introduce comparative and superlative adjectives – ‘longer’, ‘longest’ in English, most commonly -ior, -issimus in Latin (e.g. Text line 2 iratissima ‘very angry’, ‘angriest’, line 11 pulchrior ‘more beautiful’). Note that in comparative constructions the word quam means ‘than’, a meaning you learned at 2C (e.g. line 11, pulchrior … quam alia ‘more beautiful than another’).

    For the first time here, you also meet phrases in the accusative which express the time over which something occurs (e.g. line 20 breue tempus ‘for a short time’; line 27 plurimos annos ‘for very many years’; line 29 omnem uitam ‘for all of your life’). These are glossed as units in the running vocabulary.

    Notes for 3A(i)

    Page 86

  • 2 iratissima: lit. ‘very angry’, but as often, English idiom requires an adverb where Latin uses an adjective. Tr. ‘very angrily’.

  • 3 formosissimae: f. s. dat, so referring to a female, in this case a goddess.

  • 4 propter hoc mālum – malum minimum: note the pun on mālum ‘apple’ and malum ‘bad thing’ (and cf. the old school mnemonic, used by Benjamin Britten in his opera Turn of the Screw, ‘mālō I would rather be, mālō in an apple-tree, malō than a naughty boy, malō in adversity’).

  • 5 discordia Iunoni … fuit: lit. ‘there was discord to/between Iuno … etc.’; dat. of possession (see GE 48).

    • Page 88

  • 19 plus pulchritudinis: lit. ‘more of beauty’. Plus is a noun, not an adjective, and therefore takes a genitive case to express the comparison.

  • 35 inuisi: note that this adjective governs the dative case, which explains Iunoni et Mineruae (‘hateful to’, ‘hated by’).

  • 36 laetissimus: see n. above on iratissima.

  • Preface to the first edition

  • Peter V. Jones, Keith C. Sidwell, University of Calgary
  • Book:
    An Independent Study Guide to <I>Reading Latin</I>
    Published online:
    21 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 May 2018, pp vii-viii

  • Summary

    This Study Guide provides translations, answers and reading hints for Peter Jones’ and Keith Sidwell's Reading Latin (Text and Grammar, Vocabulary and Exercises, Cambridge University Press, 1986). It is designed for two sorts of reader: those who are learning Latin rapidly and intensively, and those who are learning Latin on their own or with only limited access to a teacher.

    There are two important features.

    First, we believe it is important that there should be times when learners are out there on their own. Then again, teachers working with the book need some material which they know students cannot simply lift from this answer book. So the ‘Reading/Test exercises’ at the end of each grammatical section have not been translated. These test only what should have already been learned, and will provide compelling evidence of whether it has been or not. We recommend that those who are learning by themselves try to find someone who will correct these exercises. The exercises marked ‘optional’ have not been provided with a key either. These reinforce what should have been learned from the regular exercises. If teachers need to set them, then they also need to know that the answers are not easily available to students. Again, those who are learning alone will find it advisable to have a teacher check their answers to these exercises, if they have found it necessary to embark on them in order to reinforce earlier work.

    Second, the translations of the Text intentionally vary in style, from the absolutely literal with English words in Latin word-order (in Sections 1 and 4) to the moderately colloquial. The purpose of these extremes is to force constant attention on the Latin. The literal, Latin-order translations, almost gibberish in English, achieve this one way (‘What on earth does that mean? I'd better look at the Latin for clarification’); the moderately colloquial another way (‘How on earth does the Latin mean that?’).

    Users of the course will find an index of topics dealt with in the Text volume listed section by section in The World of Rome: An Introduction to Roman Culture, Cambridge University Press 1997, ed. Peter Jones and Keith Sidwell, Appendix 3, pp. 347–52. This can be used in association with the other indexes to find information about Roman history, culture and literature.

  • Section 4 - Provincial corruption: the Verres scandal 73–71

  • Peter V. Jones, Keith C. Sidwell, University of Calgary
  • Book:
    An Independent Study Guide to <I>Reading Latin</I>
    Published online:
    21 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 May 2018, pp 98-152

  • Summary

    4A(Text pp.126–33)

    Testing shows that the change in register from colloquial Latin in dialogue form to a continuous prose narrative causes problems, especially as more complex syntax begins to be introduced. So, although we have in this second edition begun continuous prose narrative in Section 3, we nonetheless continue with a literal translation in Latin word-order throughout Section 4. A more idiomatic translation is also available in the Text volume for those passages we have selected for ‘quick reading’.

    In these four passages, we introduce one new tense ‘I was —ing’ (the imperfect of active and deponent verbs). You will also meet two new infinitive forms: (1) ‘to have —ed’ (perfect active and deponent); (2) ‘to be going to …’ (future infinitive active and deponent). The central feature of the texts, though, is the introduction of the Latin for ‘that’ clauses after verbs like ‘I say’, ‘I deny’ etc. (indirect statement), which Latin does with accusative and infinitive. Two little words (iste ‘that of yours’, or ‘the defendant’, quidam ‘a’) complete the package.

    From now on, all references are to Text unless otherwise indicated. NB these notes are no longer separated by page number.

    Notes for 4A(i)

  • 4 seruos quosdam: ‘some slaves’. Latin does not have a word for ‘a’. But quidam (like qui GE 29) does duty for it when indefiniteness is emphasised. Other examples are in lines 11 and 11–12.

  • 6 expugnabant: ‘[they] began to storm’. This is the first example of the new tense, the imperfect, which is introduced in this section. Note the marker, after the stem, -eba- or -aba-, to which the personal endings are added. The continuousness of the action is here contrasted with the ‘finished’ action concurrerunt (‘they charged and began storming’). Other imperfects in this section are: conabantur (line 7); commouebant (line 9); percrebrescebat (line 9); fiebat (line 16).

  • 6 clamauere: remember that this is an alternative 3 pl. perfect active form, for clamauerunt. You will find several more examples in 4A(ii). Note the stem very carefully (clamau-) so as to avoid mistaking these forms for infinitives of 2nd conjugation verbs (e.g. commouēre below at line 12).

  • 9 erat: ‘was’. This is the first example of the imperfect tense of sum, which is irregular. See GE 89 Notes 4 for the full forms.

Page 1 of 11