Daily Latin

Statius needs to invoke the muse to continue his epic, as the poem gets more dark and intense. Alias nova suggere vires, Calliope, maiorque chelyn mihi tendat Apollo. Supply new strength, Calliope, and may Apollo string a greater lyre. Alias: other, new or different Nova: new Suggere: supply, in the second person singular present active imperative Vires: force, strength Alias, Nova and vires are b...

The goddesses intervene in the hero’s affairs, then leave.  Accepere deae celerique per aethera lapsu diversas petiere vias. The goddesses accepted and, with swift flight through the heavens, took separate paths. Accepere: they accepted Deae: goddesses Celeri: with swift Per: through Aethera: upper air, sky or heavens Lapsu: with flight Diversas: different, or separate Petiere: they took Vias: roa...

Quid vis, Thracisce? Num quid delectat luctari post cursum? What do you want, Thracian? Does it please you to wrestle after running? Quid: what Vis: you want Quid vis: what do you want Thracisce: Thracian in the vocative singular Num: an interrogative parcel expecting a negative answer Quid: what Delectat: Pleases or delights Luctari: to wrestle, in the infinitive Post: after Cursum: running

Martial boasts of the grandeur that is Rome Barbara pyramidum sileat miracula Memphis. Let savage Memphis speak not of the wonders that are her pyramids. Barbara : foreign, barbarian, savage pyramidum : of the pyramids sileat : be silent; miracula : wonder, marvel Memphis : Memphis, the ancient Egyptian city, Memphis 

Knowledge gives hope, and hope, survival. Vitruvius recounts the wash up from a shipwreck. Bene speremus! Hominum enim vestigia video. Let us hope for the best! For I see the traces of men. Bene: well or favorably. Speremus: Let us hope. A hortatory subjunctive in the first person plural present  Hominum: genitive of homo (man, human), modifying vestigia. Enim: for or indeed. Vestigia: traces or s...

Great are the stakes we try to change, but fate may bind the outcome. Statius gives an account of the dilemmas of gods. "Exscindisne tuas, divum sator optime, Thebas?" "Will you destroy your own Thebes, greatest father of the gods?" Exscindis: present indicative, second person singular from exscindo (to tear down or destroy) Ne: interrogative particle showing a yes or no questi...

Tibullus tells of the goddess of love granting his wishes. "Exsolvit promissa Venus: mea gaudia narret." "Venus has fulfilled her promises: let her now tell of my joys." Exsolvit: has fulfilled; in the perfect indicative, third person singular. Promissa: promises; in the accusative neuter pleural. Venus: the Roman goddess of love in the nominative singular. Mea gaudia: my joys...

When self image and legacy are worlds apart, Nero said this: "Qualis artifex pereo!" "What an artist dies in me!" Qualis : ”what kind of" or "what a”; an exclamatory phrase. Artifex: artist; in the nominative singular. Pereo : I perish or I die; in the first-person singular.

Some inherit privilege, others earn command. Tacitus on the Germans. "Reges ex nobilitate, duces ex virtute sumunt." "They choose their kings from nobility, their leaders from virtue." Reges: kings Ex nobilitate: from nobility Duces: leaders (military leaders in this context) Ex virtute: from virtue  Sumunt: "they take" or "they choose" is the present active...

Everyone who has loved has fought, and Terence doesn’t think this is a bad thing. "Amantium irae amoris integratio est." "The quarrels of lovers are the renewal of love." Amantium ("of lovers") is the genitive plural of amans ("lover").  Irae ("quarrels" or "anger") is the nominative plural of ira, irae ("anger, wrath”). Integratio (...

The great Ulysses knows to avoid the once great Ajax who has lost his mind. Videre mentis compotem compos queam. I wish to see him in possession of his mind and self-controlled. Videre: to see Mentis: of (his) mind Compotem: in control of, in possession of. Compos: self-controlled, possessing control. Queam: I wish to.

Want to live like the rich and famous? Petronius satirises the high life in opulent Rome Hic nescio quid boni debet esse. This must be something good, I don’t know what. Hic (this) is a demonstrative pronoun. Debet (must be or ought to be) is the third person singular present indicative form of "debere." Nescio quid (something) from "nescio" (I do not know), and "quid" (what). Boni (good) is the g...

Ever felt someone is trying to dupe you? Laocoon knew but it would not save him or his countrymen. quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentis. Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when bringing gifts. Quidquid (whatever) a pronoun Id (that or it) Est (it is) Timeo (I fear or I dread) is in the first person singular present indicative form. Danaos (Greeks or Danaans) is the accusative plural...

Seneca faces up to that most valuable of things, time and how to spend our precious moments, when facing into his own mortality. Quid agam? mors me sequitur, fugit vita. What should I do? Death follows me, while life flees. Quid (what) is an interrogative pronoun. Agam (should I do) is the first person singular present subjunctive form of "agere," used here in an indirect question to express the s...

Something trivial getting under your skin? Persius knows this! O curas hominum! O quantum est in rebus inane! Oh, the cares of humans! Oh, how much is vain in their affairs! O is an exclamation or interjection. Curas (cares or anxiety) is an a declension feminine noun in the accusative plural form of "cura." Hominum (of humans or of men) is an i stem masculine noun in the genitive plural form of "...

Looming death can focus the mind. Here Boethius turns his attention on fame and glory. Gloria vero quam fallax saepe, quam turpis est! Indeed, how often is glory deceitful, how base it is! Gloria (glory) is an a decension feminine noun meaning glory or fame and is in the nominative singular form. Vero (indeed or truly) is used to emphasize or affirm the statement that follows. Quam (how) Fallax (d...

The law courts did things differently 2000 years ago. Apuleius defends his modest possessions in a charge of witchcraft. 
 Peram et baculam tu philosophis exprobrares. You would reproach philosophers with a satchel and a staff. 
 Peram (satchel or bag ) is the a declension feminine noun in the accusative singular form. Et (and) Baculum (Staff or stick) is the o declension neuter noun in the accusa...

Orpheus pleads with Pluto to return Eurydice from the dead. In doing this, he points out the inevitability of where all must go. Tendimus huc omnes, haec est domus ultima. We all make our way here; this is the final home. Tendimus (we head or we make our way) is the first person plural present active indicative of "tendere." Huc (here) Omnes (all or everyone) is the mixed stem neuter superlative i...

Ever regretted an outburst in anger? Seneca offers a solution. Maximum remedium irae mora est. The greatest remedy for anger is delay. Remedium (remedy or cure) is an o declension neuter noun in the nominative singular form. Maximum (greatest) is an a/o declension superlative adjective in the nominative singular form agreeing with "remedium." Irae (of anger) an a declension feminine noun is the ge...

Looking for hidden meaning in seemingly unrelated events? Portents of doom always make for a good story, says Statius Quis fluere occultis rerum neget omina causis? Who can deny that omens flow from hidden causes? Quis (who) is an interrogative pronoun in the nominative singular form. Neget (denies) is the third person singular present active subjunctive of "negare" meaning "to deny" or "to refuse...

How did the ancients excuse poor behaviour? Blame it on the gods of course! 
 Deus ultor in iras apportat coeptisque favet. An avenging god brings them to our wrath and favours the work begun. 
 Deus (god) is in the nominative singular form. Ultor (avenging) is in the nominative singular form and can also be used as an adjective or as a noun (the avenger) In (into or onto) is a preposition. Iras (...

Want to change the world but feel like you cannot? Manilius thought the same. Quis tantum mutare potest sine numine fati? Who can change so much without the will of fate? Quis (who) is an interrogative pronoun. Tantum (so much or "so greatly) is an adverb modifying "mutare." Mutare (to change or to alter) is in the present active infinitive form. Potest (can) is the third person singular present a...

Oh booze, you made so much sense at the time, and now the after effects! What does Vincent Obsopoeus say about that? Viribus exhaustis exhaurit et illa crumenam. Once it drains your strength, it empties your wallet too. Viribus (strength) is the ablative plural form of "vis," used here in an ablative absolute construction. Exhaustis (having been drained) is the perfect passive participle of "exhau...

Ovid’s reflections on the changes to the landscape around Troy reminds us of the impermanence of human endeavours. Iam seges est, ubi Troia fuit. Now there is a field where Troy once stood. Iam (now) Seges (field or grain field) is the nominative singular form of "seges," meaning a field or crop. Est (is) Ubi (where) Troia (Troy) is in the nominative singular form. Fuit (was)

Be good, have courage, says the stoic sage in a lesson for the ages. Officia sua vir bonus exequetur inconfusus, intrepidus. A good man will perform his duties undaunted and fearlessly. Officia (duties) is the nominative plural form of "officium." Sua (his own) agrees with "officia." Exequetur (will perform) is the third person singular future passive indicative of "exequi." Inconfusus (undaunted...