Medius erat mēnsis September cum patruus meus haec dē Britanniā Rōmānā explicāvit. Mārcus et Alexander tum aderant: nam prīdiē Dubrīs adventāverant et apud nōs pernoctāverant. Et patruō meō necesse erat eīs dē rebelliōne Galgācī et Calēdonum narrāre. Nam historiā patriae suae magnopere dēlectantur. Tum ille "Nōnne rēctē" inquit "Agricola ā Tacitō laudātur? Nam ab aliīs imperātōribus Rōmānīs oppida expugnābantur, agrī vastābantur, nātiōnēs barbarae dēbellābantur; sed Agricola Britannōs nōn sōlum dēbellāvit sed etiam ad vītam hūmāniōrem revocāvit."
Et Alexander "Magnopere dēlector" inquit "sī victor iūstus et clēmēns fuit. Sed num hic vir omnia illa aedificia Rōmāna aedificāvit?" Et ille "Britannia per quattuor saecula aedificiīs Rōmānīs ōrnābātur. Multae ex illīs reliquiīs posteriōris aetātis sunt."
Tum Mārcus "Num fīliī prīncipum Britannicōrum studiō linguae Latīnae dēlectābantur?" inquit.
Et ille "Fīliī Britannōrum antīquōrum animō ācrī et impigrō erant; linguae Latīnae libenter operam dabant. Agricola eōs aptiōrēs esse ad studia litterārum affirmābat quam Gallōrum puerōs. Et Mārtiālis, poēta Rōmānus illīus aetātis, Britannōs carmina sua cantāvisse affirmat. Vōs hodiernī pilā et folle dēlectāminī.
Et ego "Nōnne tū ipse, patrue mī patruissime, corporis certāminibus dēlectāris? Magna est scientia pilam dextrā laevāque captāre."
Et ille "Adulēscentulus" inquit "illā scientiā satis dēlectābar; cum senex fuerō, fortasse nōn dēlectābor."
Nōs cachinnāmus. Nam patruus meus lūdō trigōnālī magnopere dēlectātur. Tū, mī patrue, huius lūdī perītissimus es:
Nec tibi mōbilitās minor est, sī forte volantem
Aut gemināre pilam iuvat aut revocāre cadentem...
Laus Pisonis I.185-186
ut est apud poētam Rōmānum. Mūtātō nōmine dē tē, patrue, fābula narrātur.
https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Laus_Pisonis/text*.html#178
Notes:
[1] patruus meus lūdō trigōnālī magnopere dēlectātur
lūdus, -ī [2/m] or lūsus, -ūs [4/m] trīgōnālis
trīgōnālis, -e: adjective referring to trigōn, -is [3/m] from Ancient Greek τρίγων [trígōn] or τρίγωνον [trígōnon: triangle]; trīgōn was a Roman ball game which involved three people (hence trīgōn) in a triangle; the word could also mean the small ball used in the game:
Fugiō campum, lūsumque trigōnem. (Horace) │ I avoid the Campus (Martius) i.e. the Field of Mars and the game of hand-ball.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigon_(game)
[2]
[a] Agricola ¦ [i] eōs aptiōrēs [ii] esse ad studia litterārum affirmābat quam Gallōrum puerōs.
[b] Et Mārtiālis … ¦ [i] Britannōs carmina sua [ii] cantāvisse affirmat.
Both of these are examples of indirect statement:
[a] Agricola … affirmabat … │ Agricola stated …
[b] Mārtiālis … affirmat … │ Martial states …
In English an indirect statement is introduced by the conjunction that e.g. he stated that …
In Latin an indirect statement is conveyed by [i] the subject of the indirect statement in the accusative case and [ii] the verb of the indirect statement as an infinitive:
[a] Agricola ¦ [i] eōs aptiōrēs [ii] esse ad studia litterārum affirmābat quam Gallōrum puerōs.
Literally: Agricola stated [i] them [ii] to be more suited to the study of letters than the sons of the Gauls.
> Agricola stated ¦ that [i] they [ii] were more suited …
[b] Et Mārtiālis … ¦ [i] Britannōs carmina sua [ii] cantāvisse affirmat.
In this sentence we see a perfect active infinitive meaning ‘to have sung’
[i] Take the 3rd principal part i.e. the perfect tense: cantō, -āre, cantāvī [1]: sing
[ii] remove the -ī ending: cantāv-
[iii] add -isse: cantāvisse │ to have sung
Literally: Martial states [i] the Britons [ii] to have sung their own songs.
> Martial states ¦ that [i] the Britons [ii] sang …
Indirect statements are a lengthy topic and the topic is soon to be discussed in detail. However, it is referred to here:
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/070225-speaking-latin-on-campus_30.html
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/020625-level-3-sonnenschein-pro-patria.html
[3]
Nec tibi mōbilitās minor est, ¦ sī forte volantem / Aut [ii] gemināre pilam [i] iuvat ¦ aut [iii] revocāre cadentem...
No less is your nimbleness, ¦ if perhaps [i] it is your pleasure either [ii] to return the flying ball ¦ or [iii] recover (it) (when) falling …
Exercises
This passage provides some review of the passive voice which was discussed in over thirty posts, all of which are available here:
https://mega.nz/file/jdAB0CJa#VwIVqI9zSGX4JtneJCeb3qfhx4lw3AAE4ye7cHyOadE
[1] Present passive; find the Latin:
[i] I am really pleased [literally: I am greatly delighted]
[ii] you (sg.) take pleasure in / enjoy athletics [literally: you are delighted by contests of the body]
[iii] the tale is told (about you)
[iv] my uncle greatly enjoys a (hand-) ball game [literally: … is delighted by …]
[v] you boys nowadays take pleasure in / enjoy … [literally: you boys of today are delighted …]
[vi] they take interest in history [literally: they are delighted ¦ by history]
[vii] under a different name [literally: with a changed name i.e. a name that has been changed]
[2] Imperfect passive; find the Latin:
[i] Fields were laid waste [devastated]
[ii] Nations were defeated.
[3] passive agent; ablative of means instrument
How is by conveyed in these two sentences in the Latin text? Why is it conveyed differently in each one?
[i] Surely Agricola is justly praised ¦ by Tacitus?
[ii] Britain was decorated ¦ by / with Roman buildings
Translate:
[i] ab aliīs imperātōribus Rōmānīs oppida expugnābantur
[ii] Num fīliī prīncipum Britannicōrum studiō linguae Latīnae dēlectābantur?
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/240525-level-3-summary-of-of-uses-of_26.html
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/240525-level-3-summary-of-of-uses-of.html
[4] Here is a less literal translation of one of the sentences in the text. Find the Latin original and compare them:
As a young man I was happy enough with knowing that; when I’m an old man perhaps I won’t take pleasure in it.
