https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/617962407481698/
Who needs a large audience?! A single sympathetic friend or
student is enough.
Ē’gregiē hoc ‘tertium (dictum) Epi’cūrus (dixit), cum ūnī ex
cōn’sortibus studi’ōrum su’ōrum ‘scrīberet: "haec," inquit, "ego
(dico/scribo) nōn multīs, sed tibi; satis enim magnum alter ‘alterī the’ātrum
sumus."***
Seneca, Epistula VII, 11
1. Read the Latin aloud 2-3 times, trying to understand as
much as you can.
2. Then read my notes.
3. Read the Latin a few more times, focusing on good
pronunciation and reading fluently, without translating.
***Where there are 3 or more syllables, I’ve added an
apostrophe before the stressed syllable.
Ē’gregiē: excellently, brilliantly, uncommonly well
hoc: this; acc sing neut (hic)
‘tertium: third; acc sing neut
(dictum): saying; Seneca earlier mentioned “three sayings”.
Epi’cūrus: nom sing masc, subject of understood verb. Greek
philosopher, 341–270 BC, founder of the Epicurean school of thought. Seneca was
a Stoic (the opposing school) but he greatly admired Epicurus, and often quoted
him.
(dixit): said, spoke. Note how economical Seneca is with
language, omitting words that can be understood from context.
cum: when
‘scrīberet: he was writing: 3rd p sing imperfect subjunctive
(scribo)
ūnī: to one; dative sing masc (unus)
ex: of, from among + abl.
cōn’sortibus: the sharers, colleagues, brothers; abl pl
masc/fem (consors)
su’ōrum: of his; gen pl neut (suus)
studi’ōrum: studies, school; gen pl neut (studium)
haec: this things, words; acc pl neut, direct object of
implied verb (hic)
inquit: he said; 3rd p sing present or perfect. Indicating a
direct quotation.
ego: I; nom sing
(dico/scribo): say, write, intend; understood from context.
nōn: not
multīs: to many (people), for the many, to the masses;
dative pl masc/fem (multus)
sed: but
tibi: to you, for you; dative
enim: for
sumus: we are; 1st p pl (sum)
alter: one: nom sing masc
‘alterī: to the other, for the other; dative sing
satis: (a) sufficiently, enough, adequately; adverb
magnum: large; nom sing neut
the’ātrum: theater; nom sing neut. In Classical Latin “TH”
is pronounced like a breathy “T”.
