ARE: Lesson - Sight Reading Passage, Part 1

The image shows a man fighting a lion in the arena.Sight Reading Passage, Part 1

It is very important to practice reading and understanding Latin sentences. Below you will find a sight reading passage. Read each sentence aloud. Think about the case and use of the nouns? Is the noun functioning as an indirect object or showing possession? Is the noun the subject or the object of a preposition? Then practice translating each sentence into English. As you meet new vocabulary words in the story, think about English cognates and context within the sentences to help you decipher the meaning. Once you have read through the story, please use the Arena Sight Passage Reading Guide Links to an external site. to take a closer look at the passage. The Reading Guide contains several vocabulary and grammar notes to help you understand what you are reading more clearly. The reading guide will help prepare you for the module test.

If you would like additional practice with the sight passage, please download the Arena Sight Passage Work File Links to an external site.. It contains questions and exercises about the content and grammar found in the passage. Will Decimus and Flavia continue to be friends?

Please listen to the narration of the Latin passage as you read along with the text below.

Sight Reading Passage, Part 1 - Vita est non aequa!

Latin Text

Notes and Vocabulary Help

Note: words/phrases that are in bold are explained in the Notes section

Tandem Titus erat laetus: tempus ludorum venerat. Praefectus Praetorio, Decimus, informationem a nuntiis paraverat et consilia callida fecerat. Habere tantum auxilium erat bonum. Quod Decimus erat doctus et dedicatus, Titus cetera opera complere non timebat. Imperator amphitheatrum novum celebrare sine cura poterat.

Titus autem unam curam magnam habuit. Quamquam Decimus Flaviam amabat, et Flavia Decimum amare apparuit, Titus duos amicos nubere non cupivit. Necesse erat Flaviae virum alterum nubere: Clementem, amicum imperatoriae familiae carum. Militem nubere Flaviam non erat aequum. Titus verba paravit. Praefectum evocavit.
  • consilia callida fecerat - (Praefectus Praetoria, Decimus) had made clever plans (idiom: consilium facere - to make a plan)
  • imperatoriae familiae - imperial family (imperatorius, a, um)

Simul atque Decimus intravit, Titus militem salutavit, “Salve, Decime! Dei mihi favent quod tu es praefectus meus. Oportet mihi te iterum laudare: magna facta fecisti et propter te ludi erunt magni. Amphitheatrum nomen meum habebit sed et curam et opus tuum habebit! Vere tibi gratias ago.” Decimus tacebat sed ridebat.

Titus extendit, “Dum ad amphitheatrum ambulamus, necesse est mihi ceterum tibi narrare. Nonne Flaviam amas? Tu, Decime care, Flaviam in matrimonium ducere non potes. Oportet Flaviae Clementem nubere. Cogito! Non est aequum. Tamen Flavia est iuvenis, modo puella, vere. Verba audivisti, ‘Gladiatores et milites virgines totas delectant.’ Amor tuus est non falsus, sed excedet. Clemens est vir bonus. Flaviae vitam laetam dabit et liberos imperatorios habebunt.”
  • favent - (Dei) favor (mihi) (faveo, favere, favi, fautus, used with dative)
  • ceterum - one other thing
  • modo puella, vere - just a girl, really
  • delectant - (Gladiatores et milites) are the delight of (virgines) (delecto, delectare, delectavi, delectatus)
  • excedet - (amor) will fade away (excedo, excedere, excessi, excessus)

Decimus etiam tacebat, sed non iam ridebat. Titus nunc nubem gerebat. “Noli desperare! Tu, Decime, es magnus miles et praefectus callidus. Defige curam tuam in officiis tuis. Extende esse magnum militem! Amor manere potest. Roma Decimum requirit; Decimum requiro. Cum officia tua perfeceris, Roma te celebrabit.”
  • etiam - still
  • nubem gerebat - (Titus) frowned... (literally: he was wearing a frown...)
  • Defige curam tuam - Focus your attention
  • Cum officia tua perfeceris - When you are done with your duties

Tandem Decimus dixit: “Ita, Imperator. Tibi nunc et semper parebo. Me auxisti: te tota debeo. Clemens Flaviam in matrimonium ducere debet. Me sustinere matrimonium amicae est aequum. Vita mea est bona! Te suspicio: custodire regiam et familiam imperatoriam servare extendam.”

 
  • tota - everything
  • debeo - I owe (debeo, debere, debui, debitus)
  • matrimonium ducere debet - ought to marry (idiom: matrimonium ducere = to marry. Literally - to lead (someone) into marriage.)
  • suspicio - I admire (te) (suspicio, suspicere, suspexi, suspectus)

Decimus, ubi verba perfecit, ad ianuam indicavit. Dixit, “Est tempus. Necesse est tibi ad amphitheatrum cedere. Una ludos spectabimus! Te ad cubiculum ducam.”
  • ubi verba perfecit - when he was finished speaking
  • cubiculum - imperial box (cubiculum, cubiculi, n.). This noun usually refers to the bedroom of a villa, but when discussing the amphitheater or games, it refers to the box in which the emperor sat.

Practice Activity

Cavea cross-section image from VRoma Links to an external site..