Level 4; literature; Mediaeval; Gesta Rōmānōrum; Fīlia Pīrātae [1]

Compiled by an unknown author about the late 13^th / early 14^th century, Gesta Rōmānōrum (the deeds of the Romans) is a collection of anecdotes and tales which, despite its title, have little, if anything, to do with the Romans. Nevertheless, it was not only one of the most popular books at the time but also a direct or indirect source for literature including the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Giovanni Boccaccio and William Shakespeare.

Like the Vulgate it can be regarded as a “bridge” between textbook Latin and the works of the Roman authors. Sentence structure is generally less complex, and language is neither poetic nor oratorical in style. The only proviso is that certain features occur that are not evident in Classical Latin, although the meaning remains clear. Where variations occur, they will be noted.

Rēx quīdam rēgnāvit, in cuius imperiō erat quīdam iuvenis ā pīrātīs captus, quī scrīpsit patrī suō prō redemptiōne. Pater nōluit eum redimere sīc, quod iuvenis multō tempore in carcere erat macerātus. Ille, quī eum in vinculis habēbat, quandam pulchram fīliam ac oculīs hominum grātiōsam genuerat, qu(a)e nutrīta in domō erat, quousque vīgintī annōs in etāte (aetāte) suā complēverat, quae saepius incarcerātum visitātum īvit ac cōnsōlābātur. Sed ille in tantum dēsōlātus erat, quod nūllam cōnsōlātiōnem recipere poterat, sed suspīria et gemitūs continuē ēmittēbat.

Accidit quōdam diē, quod, cum puella eum visitāret, ait iuvenis eī: “Ō bona puella, utinam vellēs prō meā līberātiōne labōrāre!”

Quae ait: “Quōmodo poterō hoc attentāre! Pater tuus, quī tē genuit, nōn vult tē redimere, ego vērō, cum sim tibi extrānea, quōmodo deberem hoc cogitāre? “Et sī tē līberārem, offēnsiōnem patris meī incurrerem, quia tuam redemptiōnem perderet pater meus. Vērumtamen mihi ūnum concēde, et līberābō tē.”

Ait ille: “Ō bona puella, pete ā mē quid tibi placuerit! Sī mihi est possibile, ego concēdam.”

At illa: “Nihil aliud petō prō tuā līberātiōne, nisi quod mē in uxōrem dūcās tempore opportūnō.”

Quī ait: “Hoc tibi firmiter prōmittō.”

Vocabulary

[i]

consolātiō, -ōnis [3/f]: consolation, comfort

gemitus, -ūs [4/m]: groan

offēnsiō, -ōnis [3/f]: offence, wrongdoing

pīrāta, -ae [1/m]: pirate

rēdemptiō, -ōnis [3/f]: ransom, redemption

suspirium, -ī [2/n]: sigh

vinculum, -ī [2/n]: bond, chain, fetter

[ii]

cōnsolor, cōnsolārī, cōnsolātus sum [1 deponent]: console, comfort

dēsolō, dēsolāre, dēsolāvī, dēsolātus [1]: desolate, distress

gignō, gignere, genuī, genitus [3]: beget, bring forth

incurrō, incurrere, incursī, incursus [3]: incur, fall into (e.g. offence/blame)

macerō, macerāre, macerāvī, macerātus [1]: wear down, exhaust

nūtrīō, nūtrīre, nūtrīvī, nūtrītus [4]: nourish, bring up, rear

rēdīmō, rēdimere, redēmī, redemptus [3]: ransom, redeem

[iii]

dēsōlātus, -a, -um: desolate, distressed

extrāneus, -a, -um: foreign, unrelated, outsider (as adjective)

grātiōsus, -a, -um: pleasing, charming, graceful

opportūnus, -a, -um: suitable, favourable, opportune

Notes

[1] Rēx quīdam rēgnāvit, in cuius imperiō erat quīdam iuvenis ā pīrātīs captus …

A feature of some texts in the Gesta Rōmānōrum is their deliberate vagueness. The phrase rēx quīdam introduces an unnamed and unspecified king, while in cuius imperiō provides only a minimal narrative setting. This lack of specificity shows that the king serves merely as a framing device and plays no further role in the story. This kind of opening is similar to a folk tale (“once there was a king”), signalling that the moral narrative, rather than historical detail, is the focus.

[2] visitātum īvit | she went to visit …; supine

https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/supine

[3] There are few challenges in reading Mediaeval Latin (ML); differences will be noted as we work through the text:

[i] ae > e; this reflects the shift in pronunciation from the Classical Latin (CL) diphthong /ae/ to /e/ and commonly occurs in Mediaeval writing:

CL: quae > ML: que (Compare Fr. / Sp. que)

CL: aetate > ML: etate

[iii] word order, although still displaying Classical Latin structure, is simpler in style; note in particular that verbs are trending towards an order similar or identical to, for example, French and English:

… quī scrīpsit patrī suō prō redemptiōne.

who wrote to his father about a ransom

… cum sim tibi extrānea, …

since I am a stranger to you, …

Nihil aliud petō prō tuā līberātiōne, …

I ask nothing else for your freedom

Sī mihi est possibile …

If it is possible for me,

līberābō tē

I will free you

[iv] A major change to note: far wider-ranging use of quod to express the conjunction ‘that’; these are not CL structures but show the influence of Romance languages that had developed from Latin. Both of the examples below would require ut + subjunctive in CL:

Sed ille in tantum dēsōlātus erat, quod nūllam cōnsōlātiōnem recipere poterat

But he was so utterly desolate that he was unable to receive any consolation

Accidit quōdam diē, quod, … ait iuvenis eī

It happened one day that, … the young man said to her

Subjunctive usage

The text is an excellent source of review of the subjunctive, and their uses are very clear:

[i] cum puella eum visitāret, …

when the girl was visiting him,

cum sim tibi extrānea, …

since I am a stranger to you, …

cum-clause: circumstance

https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/subjunctive%3A%20cum-clauses

[ii] utinam vellēs prō meā līberātiōne labōrāre!

if only you were willing to work for my freedom!

optative

https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/subjunctive%3A%20optative

[iii] quōmodo deberem hoc cogitāre?

how should I think of doing this?

deliberative

https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/subjunctive%3A%20deliberative

[iv] Et sī tē līberārem, offēnsiōnem patris meī incurrerem, …

And if I were to free you, I would incur the anger of my father, …

conditional clause: present contrary-to-fact

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2026/03/100926-level-3-conditional-clauses-7.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2026/03/100926-level-3-conditional-clauses-8.html

[v] … quia tuam redemptiōnem perderet pater meus.

… because my father would lose your ransom.

causal clause

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2026/03/230826-level-3-subjunctive-90-dependent.html

[vi] pete ā mē quid tibi placuerit [perfect subjunctive]

ask from me whatever you please [literally: what may have pleased you]

indirect question

https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/subjunctive%3A%20indirect%20questions

[vii] Nihil aliud petō …, nisi quod mē in uxōrem dūcās

I ask nothing else …, except (for the fact) that you take me as your wife

indirect command: in CL usually with ut but ML uses quod [see note [1][iv] above]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/subjunctive%3A%20indirect%20commands

____________________

A certain king reigned, in whose realm there was a certain young man who had been captured by pirates, and who wrote to his father about a ransom. The father was unwilling to ransom him in this way, because the young man had been worn down by a long time in prison. The man who was holding him in chains had begotten a certain beautiful daughter, pleasing in the eyes of men, and she had been brought up in the house until she had reached twenty years of age. She often went to visit the imprisoned man and used to comfort him. But he was so utterly desolate that he was unable to receive any consolation, and instead he continually let out sighs and groans.

It happened one day that, when the girl was visiting him, the young man said to her: “O good girl, if only you were willing to work for my freedom!”

She said: “How shall I be able to attempt this? Your father, who begot you, is unwilling to ransom you; but I, since I am a stranger to you, how should I think of doing this? And if I were to free you, I would incur the anger of my father, because my father would lose your ransom. Nevertheless, grant me one thing, and I will free you.”

He said: “O good girl, ask from me whatever you please! If it is possible for me, I will grant it.”

But she said: “I ask nothing else (in exchange / in return) for your freedom, except that you should take me as your wife at a suitable time.”

He said: “I firmly promise you this.”

Gesta Romanorum (1493)

Level 4; listening; Nūntiī Latīnī [1]

Kalendīs Iūniīs in Finlandiā Fīnis Annī scholasticī celebrābātur. Tum amplius quīngenta mīlia scholārium ad fēriās aestīvās agendās dīmissa sunt. Vīgintī quīnque mīlia studentium in exāmine mātūritātis approbāta sunt, octōgintā mīlia specimina scholae professiōnālis absolvērunt. Quī numerus quīnque mīlibus maior est quam annō praeteritō.

[i] What was celebrated on June 1^st?

[ii] What was the total number of students involved?

[iii] How many students passed the matriculation examination?

[iv] How many students completed vocational school qualifications?

[v] How does this figure compare with the previous year?

____________________

[i] end of the school year

[ii] more than 500,000; amplius quīngenta milia

[iii] 25,000

[iv] 80,000

[v] 5,000 more / higher; quīnque mīlibus maior

____________________

On 1 June, the end of the school year was celebrated in Finland. Then more than five hundred thousand pupils were dismissed / released to spend the summer holidays [ = began the summer holidays]. Twenty-five thousand students passed the matriculation examination, and 80,000 completed vocational-school qualifications. This figure is 5,000 higher than the previous year.

Level 3+ (review); Dooge LXXV [7] (1) impersonal passive; (2) connecting relative; (3) participial constructions; (4) subjunctive; (5) indirect statement

 CIVIL WAR BREAKS OUT BETWEEN CÆSAR AND POMPEY; THE BATTLE OF PHARSALIA [2]

Plūribus leviōribus proeliīs factīs, tandem cōpiae adversae ad Pharsālum in Thessaliā sitam castra posuērunt. Cum Pompeī exercitus esset bis tantus quantus Caesaris, tamen erant multī quī veterānās legiōnēs quae Gallōs et Germānōs superāverant vehementer timēbant. Quōs ante proelium commissum Labiēnus lēgātus, quī ab Caesare nūper dēfēcerat, ita adlocūtus est: “Nōlīte exīstimāre hunc esse exercitum veterānōrum mīlitum. Omnibus interfuī proeliīs neque temerē incognitam rem prōnūntiō. Perexigua pars illīus exercitūs quī Gallōs superāvit adhūc superest. Magna pars occīsa est, multī domum discessērunt, multī sunt relictī in Italiā. Hae cōpiae quās vidētis in citeriōre Galliā nūper cōnscrīptae sunt.” Haec cum dīxisset, iūrāvit sē nisi victōrem in castra nōn reversūrum esse. Hoc idem Pompēius et omnēs reliquī iūrāvērunt, et magnā spē et laetitiā, sīcut certam ad victōriam, cōpiae ē castrīs exiērunt.

Item Caesar, animō ad dīmicandum parātus, exercitum suum ēdūxit et septem cohortibus praesidiō castrīs relictīs cōpiās triplicī aciē īnstrūxit. Tum, mīlitibus studiō pugnae ārdentibus, tubā signum dedit. Mīlitēs prōcurrērunt et pīlīs missīs gladiōs strīnxērunt. Neque vērō virtūs hostibus dēfuit. Nam et tēla missa sustinuērunt et impetum gladiōrum excēpērunt et ōrdinēs cōnservāvērunt. Utrimque diū et ācriter pugnātum est nec quisquam pedem rettulit. Tum equitēs Pompēī aciem Caesaris circumīre cōnātī sunt. Quod ubi Caesar animadvertit, tertiam aciem, quae ad id tempus quiēta fuerat, prōcurrere iussit. Tum vērō integrōrum impetum dēfessī hostēs sustinēre nōn potuērunt et omnēs terga vertērunt. Sed Pompēius dē fortūnīs suīs dēspērāns sē in castra equō contulit, inde mox cum paucīs equitibus effūgit.

(1) review: impersonal passive

Utrimque diū et ācriter pugnātum est | on both sides there was a long and fierce battle

https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/impersonal%20passive

pugnō, -āre: fight; it is an intransitive verb, meaning that it cannot take a direct object. Other examples of intransitive verbs include:

currō, -ere: run

dormiō, -īre: sleep

eō, īre: go

veniō, -īre: come

Intransitive verbs cannot have passive forms with a subject e.g. *he has been slept*, *they were being run*. However, passive forms of intransitive verbs without a subject are used to convey impersonal ideas.

pugnātum est | literally: it was fought

Translations will vary but focus not on who performed the action, but on the action itself:

> There was fighting going on / people were fighting / ‘they’ fought / a battle was taking place

Pugnātum est ab utrīsque ācriter (Caesar)

• There was fierce fighting on both sides [ literally: ‘it’ was fought bitterly …]

Ea mē spectātum tulerat per Dionȳsia. postquam illō ventum est, iam, ut mē collocāverat, exorītur ventus turbō (Plautus)

• She had taken me to see (the show) at the Dionysiac festival. After we’d arrived there, just as she had settled me, a storm wind arose.

Ergō ex omnibus locīs urbis in forum curritur (Livy)

• Therefore, from all parts of the city people are running into the forum.

Macte novā virtūte, puer: Sīc ītur ad astra (Vergil)

• Be blessed in your new courage, boy; this is the way to the stars / one goes to … [literally: In this way it is being gone …]

Ad arma conclāmātum est (Livy)

• The cry ‘to arms!’ was raised.

Et Rōmam inde frequenter migrātum est, ā parentibus maximē ac propinquīs raptārum (Livy)

• And from there, there was frequent migration to Rome, especially by the parents and relatives of those / the women who had been abducted.

Magnīs opibus dormītur in urbe (Juvenal)

• Only with great wealth is it possible to sleep / do people sleep in the city.

(2) review: connecting relative pronouns

[i] Quōs … Labiēnus lēgātus … ita adlocūtus est:

[ii] Quod ubi Caesar animadvertit, …

(3) review: participial constructions

[i] Pompēius dē fortūnīs suīs dēspērāns …

[ii] mīlitibus studiō pugnae ārdentibus …

[iii] plūribus leviōribus proeliīs factīs, …

[iv] septem cohortibus … relictīs …

[v] pīlīs missīs gladiōs strīnxērunt …

[vi] tēla missa sustinuērunt …

(4) review: subjunctive

[i] Haec cum dīxisset, …

[ii] Cum Pompeī exercitus esset bis tantus quantus Caesaris, tamen erant multī …

(5) review: indirect statement

[i] Nōlīte exīstimāre hunc esse exercitum veterānōrum mīlitum

[ii] iūrāvit sē … in castra nōn reversūrum esse

____________________

After several lighter engagements had been fought, at last the opposing forces pitched camp at Pharsalus, situated in Thessaly. Although Pompey’s army was twice as large as Caesar’s, there were nevertheless many who greatly feared the veteran legions that had defeated the Gauls and the Germans. Before the battle was joined, Labienus, the lieutenant who had recently defected from Caesar, addressed them as follows:

“Do not suppose that this is an army of veteran soldiers. I have been present at all the battles, and I do not rashly pronounce on a matter I do not know. A very small part of that army which defeated the Gauls still survives. A large part has been killed; many have gone home; many have been left behind in Italy. These forces which you see in Cisalpine Gaul have recently been levied.”

When he had said this, he swore that he would not return to camp unless as victor. Pompey himself and all the rest swore the same, and with great hope and joy, as though victory were certain, the troops marched out from the camp.

Caesar likewise, his mind prepared for battle, led out his army and, seven cohorts having been left behind to guard the camp, drew up his forces in a triple line. Then, as the soldiers were burning with eagerness to fight, he gave the signal with the trumpet. The soldiers charged forward and once the javelins had been thrown, drew their swords. Nor indeed did courage fail the enemy: they both withstood the missiles that had been hurled, met the assault of the swords, and kept their ranks. On both sides the fighting went on long and fiercely, and no one gave ground. Then Pompey’s cavalry tried to outflank Caesar’s line. When Caesar noticed this, he ordered the third line, which up to that time had been at rest, to charge. Then indeed the exhausted enemy could not withstand the attack of fresh troops, and all turned their backs. But Pompey, despairing of his fortunes, made his way on horseback to the camp, and soon afterwards fled from there with a few horsemen.

Level 3+ (review); Dooge LXXV [6] review; (1) the predicative dative / the dative of purpose and result; (2) the double dative; the dative of reference

Item Caesar, animō ad dīmicandum parātus, exercitum suum ēdūxit et septem cohortibus (1) praesidiō [dative] (2) castrīs [dative] relictīs cōpiās triplicī aciē īnstrūxit.

• Caesar likewise, his mind prepared for battle, led out his army and, seven cohorts having been left behind (1) as a guard (2) for the camp [ = to guard the camp], drew up his forces in a triple line.

You can see that there are two nouns in the dative case. We will look at these separately.

(1) praesidiō: the dative of purpose

We have a noun in the dative case very often (but not exclusively) occurring after the verb esse, the dative indicating the purpose of that noun or the result which is achieved by that noun; this is also known as the predicative dative or the dative of purpose and result.

septem cohortibus (1) praesidiō … relīctīs

• seven cohorts having been left behind (1) as a guard …

English can convey a similar idea using expressions such as: ‘as a’, ‘a cause of’, ‘a source of’ or ‘a means of’, for example:

• How can I be ¦ of assistance?
• I did it ¦ as a favour.
• I use these glasses ¦ as a means of / for protection.
• That is ¦ (a cause) of great concern.
• That’s ¦ (a source) of benefit

Below are examples of nouns which commonly use this construction:

argūmentō esse: to be proof

auxiliō esse: to be a help; to be of help

bonō esse: to benefit; to be (a source) of benefit

cūrae esse: to be a concern; to be (a cause) of concern

dolōrī esse: to be a cause of grief

dōnō esse: to be (as a) gift (Compare English: he gave him a gift │ He gave a book to him as a gift.)

• Hōs librōs dōnō mīsit │ He sent these books as a gift

exemplō esse: to be (as) an example (Compare English: I’ll show this picture to you ¦ as an example.)

exitiō esse: to bring destruction; to be a source of destruction

honōrī esse: to be an honour

laudī esse: to be a credit

malō esse: to be a cause / source of harm

mūnerī esse: to be (as a favour); to be of service

odiō esse: to be an object of hatred

onerī esse: to be a burden

perīculō esse: to be a (source of) danger

praesidiō esse: to be a means of protection

pudōrī esse: to be a cause / source of shame

salūtī esse: to be a salvation

subsidiō esse: to be (a source of) help / support

ūsuī esse: to be of use (to benefit)

(2) castrīs: the dative of reference

septem cohortibus (1) praesidiō (2) castrīs … relīctīs

• seven cohorts having been left behind (1) as a guard (2) for the camp

This indicates the person / thing  for whom / which the purpose is intended or who is affected by it: 

Since this construction most often occurs with the two parts, it is known as the double dative:

(1) Māgnō ūsuī [dative of purpose] (2) nostrīs [dative of reference] fuit (Caesar)

• It was (1) of great service (2) to our men.

Translations may not convey the double dative so literally:

bellum est (1) exitiō ¦ (2) incolīs 

[Literally: war is (1) a source / cause of destruction ¦ (2) to the inhabitants]

• War brings destruction to the inhabitants.

Illa fēmina, quae līberōs interfēcit (1) odiō [ii] omnibus est.

[Literally:  That woman who killed her own children is (1) a source of hatred (2) for everybody

• That woman who killed her own children is hated by everyone.

The order may be reversed:

Puella (2) mihi [dative of reference] est (1) cūrae [dative of purpose]

• The girl is (1) of concern (2) to me

(2) nōbīs  (1) exemplō fuit ad imitandum │ He was (1) an example (2) for us to imitate

Caesar omnem ex castrīs equitātum (2) suīs (1) auxiliō mīsit. (Caesar)

• Caesar sent all the cavalry in the camp (1) as a relief (for the purpose of relief) (2) to his men

A neat way of remembering this construction is a two word quotation from Cicero:

Cui [dative of reference] bonō [dative of purpose]?

[Literally: to whom (is it) of advantage?]

• Who benefits?

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/030525-level-3-verbs-with-dative-case-9.html