Download cincinnatus LFA Lesson 58

LESSON
OBJECTMS
• To learn the story of
Cincinnatus
• To learn how to form
and use the perfect
active infinitive
H
ostes Minucium 1, ducem Romanum, et milites eius in loco alieno 1 M inucius (MimY shus)
magna vi premebant. Ubi id niintiatum est, omnes Romani timentes vim 2 Cincinnatus (Sinsind 'tus)
3
greeting
hostium cupiverunt Cincinniitum2 dictiit6rem facere, quod is solus R~ a
• it was not proper
~~culo non levi prohibere et civitiitem servare poterat. Ille~?fibe'Wm eo 5 soon
temP&e agrum parvum colebat. Niintii a senatii missi eum in agro laborantem 5 6 weapons, spears
invenerunt et constiterunt. Saliite3 data acceptiique, Cincinnatus uxorem 7 under the yoke, i.e., an arch
of spears. This act signified
parare togam iussisse dicitur; nam non oportebar' sine toga niintios audire.
surrender.
Hi niintii eum dictiitorem appellant et dicunt: "Milites nostri ab hostibus 8 procession, parade
premuntur et cives terrentur. Pertculum nostrum non !eve est. Hastes non 9 for
consistent sed mox5 ad portas nostrils ipsiis venient. Auxilium tuum rogiimus." 10 10 on the sixteenth day
11
Itaque Cincinnatus, vocibus eorum adductus, contra hastes contendit.
again (adv.)
Romani, telis6 iactis, hastes opprimunt et castra expugnant. Minucio serviito,
Cincinnatus dicitur hastes sub iugum 7 misisse. Tum, niillis hostibus
prohibentibus, milites ad urbem rediixit et triumphavit. Vis hostium friicta
erat. Ducti sunt in pompa8 ante eum duces hostium, capta arma ostenta sunt; 15
post eum milites venerunt praedam gravem ostendentes. Et haec omnia
Cincinnatus magna celeritiite gessit: potestiite dictiit6ris in9 sex menses
acceptii, sext6 decimo die10 ad agros discessit, non iam dictator sed triumphans ·
agricola. Eodem mense agricola et dictator et iterum11 agricola fuit.
LESSON
LVlll
Cincinnatus, a Roman patriot
and ex-consul In the fifth century
a.c., was chosen to help defend
Rome against the Aequl, a
nearby Latin tribe. Given the
supreme command as dictator,
he left his farm, drove off the
enemy, celebrated a triumph,
laid down his power and
returned to his plow, all in only
sixteen days, unwilling to hold
his absolute power any longer
than was necessary. His example
served as a model for early U.S.
presidents, who voluntarily
limited themselves to two terms
in office.
CINCINNATUS
J9J
Questions
1. Why did the Romans elect Cincinnatus as dictator?
2. Where was Cincinnatus' farm?
3. What did he tell his wife to do as the messengers arrived? Why?
4. How long did he stay away from his farm?
5. What did Cincinnatus accomplish?
6. What did the military parade (triumph) look like?
7. What was Cincinnatus doing when the messengers found him? What did
he end up doing at the end of the story?
8. What lesson should the story teach about holding the extraordinary,
all-powerful position of dictator?
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\tOCABULARY
Nouns
* men'sis, men'sis, men'sium m. month
*vis, vis, virium 12 f.force, violence;
pl. strength
(semester)
(vim)
Adjective
le' vis, -e light (in weight)
12
This is an irregular noun. It is
declined (sing.) vis, vis, vi, vim,
vi; (pl.) vires, virlum, virlbus,
vires, virlbus.
(levitate, levity)
Verbs
consis'to, consis'tere, con'stiti,
constitii'rus stand still, stop
osten 'do, osten 'dere, osten 'di, osten 'tus ·
show, stretch out before, present
prohi'beo, prohibe're, prohi'bui,
prohi'bitus prevent, keep from
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[stO]
[tendo]
[habeo]
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GRAMMAR
The Perfect Active Infinitive
The perfect active infinitive is formed by adding -isse to the perfect stem.
portavisse to have carried
docuisse
to have taught
posuisse
to have put
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UNIT
XI
ROMAN
GODS
AND
ROMAN
cepisse
to have taken
audivisse
to have heard
fuisse (from sum) to have been
HEROES
Society of the Cincinnati, Insignia. (Left) As a third senator
runs up, two others present a sword to Cincinnatus at his
plow. (Right) Cincinnatus returns to his plowing, while over
his head winged Fame (Fama) trumpets his victory. Note,
In the background, ships and cities, signs of commerce
and peace.
The perfect active infinitive is used to indicate an action completed
before the time of the main verb.
Regina terram occupavisse
dicitur.
Dux hostes superavisse
dicitur.
The queen is said (NOW) to have
seized the land (EARLIER).
The general is said (NOW) to have
conquered the enemy (AT A
PREVIOUS TIME).
In these examples, note that the subjects of the perfect infinitives are the
same as those of the main verbs, which are in the passive voice. In cases like
these, no accusative subject for the infinitives is needed (compare page 223).
Oral Practice
Form the perfect active infinitive of dimitto, intercipio, video, expedio,
laudo, cerno.
LESSON
LVlll
CINCINNATUS
J95
I
Exercises
A. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. Ostendite omnibus exemplum bonum.
2. Vim prohibere et pacem conservare est nobile.
3. Regis filia librum scripsisse sine auxilio dicitur.
4. Quis dixit, "Da mihi libertatem aut da mihi mortem"?
S. Romani paucas naves ad Britanniam misisse dicuntur.
6. Milites consistentes arma levia magna cum vi iecisse dicuntur.
7. Homo malus me consistere iussit et omnem meam peciiniam dare.
B. Translate the following sentences into Latin.
1. We cannot breathe under water.
2. I saw your mother folding a letter.
3. That king is said to have tilled the fields himself.
4. Those men are said to have:: come together in a strange land.
C. The leading citizens of Rome sought out Cincinnatus at his farm
because they had such respect for him and his ability to be a leader.
He had once been a consul, holding the highest position in the Roman
state. In times of extraordinary danger, however, the Romans appointed
a dictator who had supreme power, even over the consuls. Work with
a partner to create the dialogue that you imagine took place that day
in which the citizens persuaded Cincinnatus to lead the troops against
the enemy and save Minucius, despite the fact that the former consul
was now a simple farmer. Then create a monologue, imagining what
Cincinnatus said to the citizens as he was laying down his dictatorial
powers after only sixteen days.
Did You Know?
Julius Caesar gave us almost exactly the version of the calendar
that we use today. As Pontifex Maxi.mus, he corrected the Roman
,
calendar, then almost 3 months out of phase with the solar year, by
talcing the 360-day Egyptian solar calendar, and adding 5 days to it,
so that the year 45 B.C. would have 365 days, and the months would
come out as we know them, including the extra day in February in
leap years. The Julian reform worked so well that only a very minor
adjustment by Pope Gregory XIIl was needed in 1582.
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UN IT
XI
ROMAN
~
GODS
AND
ROMAN
HEROES
• The suffix -or is added to the stem of the past participle and,
therefore, is preceded by -t or -s. It indicates the doer of an
action: monitor (one who warns), scriptor (one who writes),
inventor (one who finds). It is used in English in the same way.
• A different suffix -or is added to the present base of a verb
(minus the stem vowel); it usually indicates a state of being or
condition: timor, ainor, terror.
• Find five English words which are formed by adding one of
these -or suffixes to the stems of verbs that you have studied.
• Explain the meanings and etymologies of consistent, dictionary,
ostentation, prohibition.
• The city of Cincinnati, Ohio, was named from the Society
of the· Cincinnati, formed by the regular officers of the
Continental Army at the end of the Revolutionary War. Why
do you suppose the society took that name? What does its motto
Omnia reliquit servare rem publicam mean? There is also a
town named Cincinnatus in New York.
LESSON
LVlll
CINCINNATUS
J97