[5] video: Vincent’s complete recitation with lines scanned and key points noted.
Take away:
dactyl(ic)
spondee
anceps
hexameter
/i/ + V: either ia / io or i-a / i-o
diphthong
long by nature i.e. always long in any form of written or spoken Latin
long by position: [i] VCC; [ii] V+X[ks] i.e. becomes long in
verse
elision: -(V) ͜
V- / -(V) + (h)V
[1] In fīnītiōne mundī circulī sunt parallēlī quīnque, in quibus tōta ratiō sphaerae cōnsistit, praeter eum quī zōdiacus appellātur; │ At the boundary of the world there are five parallel circles, in which the entire system of the sphere is contained, except for that one which is called the zodiac;
[2] quī, quod nōn ut cēterī circulī certā dīmēnsiōne fīnītur et inclīnātior aliīs vidētur, λοξός [loksos] ā Graecīs est dictus. │ and this (circle), because it is not bounded by a fixed dimension like the others and appears more inclined than the rest, is called loxos by the Greeks.
[3] Quīnque autem quōs suprā dīximus sīc in sphaerā mētiuntur: │ The five (circles), which we have mentioned above, measure out / divide the sphere in this manner:
[4] initiō sūmptō ā polō quī boreus appellātur, ad eum quī notius et antarcticus vocātur, in trīgintā partēs ūnumquodque hēmisphaerium dīviditur, ita utī dīmēnsiō significārī videātur in tōtā sphaerā sexāgintā partēs factās. │ Beginning from the pole called Boreas (the northern pole) to that which is called Notus or Antarctic, each hemisphere is divided into thirty parts, so that the entire sphere is seen to be marked out into sixty parts in all.
05.12.25: Level 3; indefinites [16] -que
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/09/051225-level-3-indefinites-16-que.html
Image: woodcut from the 1482 edition
Note further features of abbreviation
[i] the letter /q/ with a stroke through it (ꝗ); again, depending on the writer, it could equal an entire word e.g. quam, but here it indicates the omission of letters:
Eꝗnoctialis = equinoctialis
28.11.25: the Domesday Book; reading the manuscript [v] types of abbreviation [iv]; mind your p’s and q’s
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/08/281125-domesday-book-reading-manuscript_35.html
[ii] (Difficult to make out in the image): zodiacʔ (the sign usually marking the omission of -us or -rum) = zodiacus
[a] negō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1] [i] deny; [ii] refuse
This verb is also used to create a negative statement [literally: say … not] for example:
He does not understand. │ Nōn intellegit.
> He says ¦ that he does not understand. │ Negat ¦ sē intellegere.
i.e. the concept of ‘not’ in the indirect statement is already contained in the verb negat; nōn is not required
Examples; sometimes ‘deny’ is an alternative translation:
Haec negat sē tuam esse mātrem. (Plautus)│ She denies that she is your mother = She says that she is not your mother.
Negāvī mē scīre (Cicero) │ I said that I did not know.
Hostēs negāvērunt sē arma dissimilia habēre. │The enemies denied that they had different weapons = the enemies said that they did not have different weapons.
Magister negāvit sē discipulum verberāvisse. │ The teacher denied that he had beaten the pupil = the teacher said that he had not beaten the pupil.
Negāvit sē mihi pecūniam dedisse. │ He denied that he had given me the money = he said that he had not given me the money.
Nōn it, negat sē itūram [esse]* (Plautus) │ She’s not going, she says that she will not go.
*Note the omission of esse; this is a feature to look out for in original literature.
Marītus negāvit sē Rōmae mānsūrum esse. │ The husband said that he would not stay at Rome.
[b]
Look at the following English example and the different ways in which the same idea can be expressed:
[i] He said that he hadn’t ever [not + ever] seen a more faithful servant than her.
[ii] He said that he had never seen a more faithful servant than her.
Latin conveys the idea using the equivalent of [i] above:
quicquam / quidquam: anything
quisquam: anybody
ūllus, -a, -um: any
umquam: ever
usquam: anywhere
By using negō, -āre, which already contains the idea of ‘not’, those pronouns and adverbs become negative i.e. in translation they change to nothing, nobody, no (not any), never, nowhere.
Examples:
Negat ¦ sē umquam in Ītaliā fuisse │ He denies that he has ever been in Italy = He says that he has not ever been in Italy = he says that he has never been in Italy.
Negāvit sē umquam vīdisse servam fidēliōrem quam hanc. │ He denied that he had ever seen = He said that he had not ever seen = he said that he had never seen ¦ a more faithful servant than her.
Negāvit umquam sē bibisse iūcundius. (Cicero) │ He said that he had not ever drunk = he said that he had never drunk ¦ (anything) more pleasant.
Negāvit quemquam esse in cīvitāte praeter sē quī id efficere posset (Cicero) │ He said that there was not anybody = he said that there was nobody ¦ in the city apart from himself who could carry it out.
Negat quicquam esse … efficācius (Seneca) │ He says that there is not anything more effective = he says that there is nothing more effective.
Negat ūllum esse tempus … (Cicero) │ He says that there is not any time = he says that there is no time …
Negō usquam umquam fuisse maiōrēs (Cicero) │ I say that there never was a time or place where they had more = Literally: I say that there was not ever (and) not anywhere, where they had more.
Exercise: complete the Latin with the words listed below.
[1] He says that he did not do this. │ Hoc sē __________ negat.
[2] [i] I say that [ii] he has not done this. │ [i] __________ [ii] __________ hoc fēcisse.
[3] He says that [i] he (referring to himself) is not [ii] ready. │ [i] __________ [ii] __________ esse negat.
[4] He says he has done nothing. │ Negat sē __________ fēcisse.
[5] He said that he would [i] never [ii] do this. │ Sē hoc [i] __________ [ii] __________ negāvit.
[6] He says that it was not by this man that your brother [i] was [ii] killed. │ Ab hōc homine [ii] __________ [i] __________ frātrem tuum negat.
[7] [i] He denies that Caesar [ii] has been in Gaul. │[i] __________ Caesarem in Galliā [ii] __________.
[8] He said that Caesar had not been in Gaul. │ __________ Caesarem in Galliā fuisse.
[9] [i] We deny that [ii] we [iii] have received a benefit. │ [i] __________ [ii] __________ beneficium [iii] __________ (Seneca)
[10] He denies that he has [i] ever [iii] seen such wonders [ii] anywhere. │ Negat sē [i] __________ [ii] __________ tanta mīra [iii] __________. (Plautus: adapted)
[11] The Carthaginians [i] said that they would not [ii] accept unfair terms of peace. │ Carthāginiēnsēs [i] __________ sē inīquās condiciōnēs pācis [ii] __________ esse.
[12] They denied that they had heard about the arrival of the king. │ Negāvērunt sē dē rēgis adventū __________.
[13] [i] Surely you don’t [ii] deny that [iii] you [iv] did not know these things? │ [i] __________ [ii] __________ [iii] __________ haec [iv] __________?
negāmus; negās; negat; negāvērunt; negāvit; negō
eum; nōs; sē; tē
accēpisse; acceptūrōs; audīvisse; esse; factūrum; fēcisse; fuisse; interfectum; parātum; scīvisse; vīdisse
num; quidquam; umquam; umquam; usquam
____________________
[1] Hoc sē fēcisse negat.
[2] [i] Negō [ii] eum hoc fēcisse.
[3] [i] Sē [ii] parātum esse negat.
[4] Negat sē quidquam fēcisse.
[5] Sē hoc [i] umquam [ii] factūrum negāvit.
[6] Ab hōc homine [ii] interfectum [i] esse frātrem tuum negat.
[7] [i] Negat Caesarem in Galliā [ii] fuisse.
[8] Negāvit Caesarem in Galliā fuisse.
[9] [i] Negāmus [ii] nōs beneficium [iii] accēpisse (Seneca)
[10] Negat sē [i] umquam [ii] usquam tanta mīra [iii] vīdisse.
[11] Carthāginiēnsēs [i] negāvērunt sē inīquās condiciōnēs pācis [ii] acceptūrōs esse.
[12] Negāvērunt sē dē rēgis adventū audīvisse.
[13] [i] Num [ii] negās [iii] tē haec [iv] scīvisse?
[3] Elision
[l.5] Īn cāe-¦ l(o) ͜
ūt tēr- ¦ rīs fī- ¦ āt tŭ-ă ¦ clā-ră vŏ- ¦ lūn-tās [īn cāe-loūt]
[i] -V ͜ V-
i.e. a vowel at the end of a word and a vowel at the beginning of the next word
are usually elided; the term is elision, and you can see that the
end vowel is not scanned as it is either generally omitted when speaking or
spoken rapidly together with the next vowel so that it forms one syllable:
[l.8] Īn-nŭ-mĕ- ¦ r(a)
͜ īn-dūl- ¦ gēns ēr- ¦ rō- rīs
¦ dē-bĭ-tă ¦ prā-vī [-mĕ-¦ r’īn-dūl-]
[ii] Elision also occurs when the following letter is /h/ [V
+ hV]; /h/ is considered silent
[l.6] Vī-tā- ¦ līsqu(e) ͜
(h)ŏ- dĭ- ¦ ē sānc- ¦ tī sūb- ¦ stān-tĭ-ă ¦ pā-nĭs [līs qu’ŏ-dĭ-]
[4] Reciting the verse
It’s all very well talking about long and short syllables –
but how are they actually said? Any poem in whatever language is open to
interpretation, including the mood in which it is spoken, its pace
and what the speaker wishes to emphasise. But you need to start
somewhere to get the basic rhythms. The opening lyrics of “Paperback Writer” by
the Beatles is comprised almost completely of crotchets (a single beat)
and quavers (half a beat). Imagine you’re back in Primary Music class!
Clap your hands, kids …
one q ¦ and a n ¦ two q
¦ and a n ¦ three q ¦ and a n
¦ four q
Omit the first and last words:
(Dear) ¦ Sir q or q Ma-dame n will-you n
read q my q book-it n took-me n years q
to q write q, will-you n take-a
n (look)?
Image #2: The notation is from the sheet music; the Beatles
‘play around’ a little with some of the rhythms when they sing it, but you can
hear the long and short beats in the same way that you can hear the long and
short syllables of the Latin work. Don’t sing it – say it, while tapping
a pencil on the table. Then keep tapping that pencil and say the Latin line,
and you’ll be getting pretty close to a Roman.
Manilius: Astronomica
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomica_(Manilius)
Meter: hexameter [ - - / - uu (x6)]
04.09.25: The best place to start Latin poetry is … in a cave! [2]; some basics concerning Classical Latin poetry
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/09/040925-best-place-to-start-latin-poetry_3.html
[1] Hīs inter sōlisque viās Arctōsque latentīs,
[Hīs īn- ¦ tēr sō- ¦ līs-quĕ vĭ- ¦ ās ārc- ¦ tōs-quĕ lă- ¦ tēn-tīs]
Between these and the paths of the Sun and the hidden Bears,
[2] Axem quae mundī strīdentem pondere torquent,
[Āx-ēm ¦ quāe mūn- ¦ dī strī- ¦ dēn-tēm ¦ pōn-dĕ-rĕ ¦ tōr-quē̆nt]
which turn the axis of the world, creaking under its weight,
[3] Orbe peregrīnō caelum dēpingitur astrīs,
[Ōr-bĕ pĕ- ¦ rē-grī- ¦ nō cāe- ¦ lūm dē- ¦ pīn-gĭ-tŭr ¦ ās-trīs]
in a foreign orbit the sky is painted with stars,
[4] Quae notia antīquī dīxērunt sīdera vātēs.
[Quāe nŏ-tĭ-(a) ¦ ān-tī- ¦ quī dī-¦ xē-rūnt ¦ sī-dĕ-ră ¦ vā-tēs]
which the ancient poets called the southern constellations
notius, -a, -um: southern
Arctos, -ī [2/f]: the Great Bear (Ursa Major); (here) in the plural, referring to Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
vātēs, -is [3 m/f]: various meanings including [i] prophet(ess); [ii] soothsayer; [iii] poet(ess)
Complete the Latin with the appropriate form of the future passive infinitive listed below.
[i] He said that he would be hindered by you. │ Ille dīxit sē ā tē __________.
[ii] Remember that you've undertaken that … all the money will be returned to me│ Mementō prōmīsisse tē … mihi omne argentum __________ (Plautus)
[iii] After he had heard that a wife would not be given to his son │ Quī postquam audierat nōn __________ fīliō uxōrem suō (Terence)
[iv] So long as he thinks it will be known, he is on his guard │ Dum id __________ crēdit tantisper cavet (Terence)
[v] What did you imagine that … she would be brought home to your chamber? │ Quid? crēdēbās … illam … in cubiculum __________ domum? (Terence)
[vi] [that he hoped] … that truly no harm would come to him [= he would not be harmed] │ [spērāre] ... ipsī vērō nihil __________ (Caesar)
[vii] He could see that Sopater would be acquitted │ __________ Sōpatrum vidēbat (Cicero)
[viii] They understood that the matter would appear [ = would be seen] (as) … more unfair. │ … rem … inīquiōrem __________ intellegēbant. (Cicero)
[ix] If, therefore, this money has not been spent as yet, ¦ and if it is evident that it will not be spent, … │ ita sī neque adhūc cōnsūmpta est ista pecūnia ¦ et est perspicuum nōn __________, … (Cicero)
[x] And he adds this assertion, that he will be condemned by the vote … │ Atque hoc addit testimōnī, suā illum sententiā … __________ (Cicero)
absolūtum īrī; condemnātum īrī; cōnsūmptum īrī; datum īrī; impedītum īrī; īrī dēductum; nocitum īrī; redditum īrī; rescītum īrī; vīsum īrī
____________________
[i] impedītum īrī
[ii] redditum īrī
[iii] datum īrī
[iv] rescītum īrī
[v] īrī dēductum
[vi] nocitum īrī
[vii] absolūtum īrī
[viii] vīsum īrī
[ix] cōnsūmptum īrī
[x] condemnātum īrī
[2] Identifying long and short vowels
A syllable is defined as long or short dependent upon the
length of the vowel sound. How do you know if a syllable is long or short?
There are two important terms to note:
[i] long by nature i.e. the vowel is always long – not
only in poetry – for example:
[l.2] NŌ-mĭ-nĭs ¦ Ō-rĀ- ¦ mūs vĕ-nĕ- ¦ rĀ- tiŌ
¦ sĀnc- tĭ- fĭ- ¦ cĒ-tŭr
Diphthongs are always long, for example:
[l.1] cĀE-lī
[l.4] rĕ-¦ clĀU-dăt
[l.9] Ēt nōs ¦ hĀUt ă-lĭ-¦ tēr cōn- ¦ cē-dĕ-rĕ ¦ fŌE-nŏ-ră
¦ nōs-trīs
[l.10] Tē-trī ¦ sĀE-vă prŏ- ¦ cūl tēmp- ¦ tā-tiō
¦ dĀE-mŏ-nĭs ¦ āb-sĭt
[l.11] ĀE-quĕ mă- ¦
[ii] long by position; this is a crucial feature of
Latin poetry:
Where a vowel is followed by two consonants [VCC] – even if
those consonants are split between words –the vowel becomes long; there are
exceptions but it is important to become familiar with this idea since it is an
integral part of the rhythm.
[l.2] The verb ŌrĀmus has two vowels that are long by nature – they are always
long. However, -mus is usually short, but in the verse, because it is
followed by two consonants, it becomes long: ō-rā- ¦ mŪS ͜ Vĕ-nĕ- [VCC]
All the capitalised vowels in bold are normally short, but
here they are long [VCC]:
[l.1] genitor (/o/ usually short) > gĕ-nĭ- ¦ tŌR
͜ Rĕ- [VCC]; in (/i/ usually
short) > ĪN ¦ Vēr [VCC]
[l.3] ĪN ͜ Nō-
¦ bīs Pă- tĕr ¦ ĀL-Tĕ tŭ- ¦ ī: trĀN- ¦ QU-ĪL-Lă-quĕ ¦ mŪN-Dō
[l.5] fīat (/a/normally short) > fī- ¦ ĀT ͜ Tŭ-ă
[l.11] tol-lat (/o/ normally short) > tŌL-Lat
[iii] V + X: a vowel followed by /x/ becomes long since /x/
is composed of two consonant sounds /ks/:
[l.7] mox (normally short) > tŭ-ă ¦ mŌX [V + /ks/]
