Imperator Titus Ruinam Circumspicit et Decimus Auget

An illustration of the Roman Emperor Titus.

Let's continue the story. The Emperor Titus (see image) comes to visit Decimus after the rescue in Pompeii.

Once you have read through the story, please use the Vesuvius Sight Passage Reading Guide 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.

Will Decimus find Admiral Pliny and his friends?

Sight Passage Part 2: Imperator Titus Ruinam Circumspicit et Decimus Auget

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

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

Postmodo:

Pompeiis Decimus multa vulnera acceperat. Tussiebat et cinis corpus arserat. Ob iniurias, Decimus in villa Plinii reciperabat. Hoc tempore de morte et ruina putavit. De Flavia maxime putavit. Vixitne? Fortasse effugerat. Deis, "Servate," orabat, "Flaviam! Ego vobis meam vitam dabo!"

Dum Decimus reciperat, Imperator Titus ad ruinas Pompeiorum veniebat. Imperator urbem circumspexit et lacrimavit. Ruina erat maxima. Quoque ad urbem vicinam, Herculaneum, iter fecit. Nemo relinquebat. Cinis et saxa parva omnia operuerunt. Vulcanus duo urbes vicerat.

Imperator autem nuntios de legionem Decimi audivit. Epistulam a Plinio Secundo quoque receperat. In epistula, Plinius Secundus Imperatori mortem Admiralis Plinii renuntiavit. Plinius Secundus de factis Decimi scripsit: "Faber Decimus non modo officium confecit, sed etiam me et meam familiam curavit. Erat voluntas cum Plinio navigare, sed Plinius Decimo imperavit, 'Remane.' Viros materiasque coegit et naves paravit. Sine Duce Cornelio, legionem duxit et multos cives servavit. Ob Decimum, multi populi hodie vivunt."

Ob nuntios, Imperator Titus Decimum visitare constituit. Decimum in villa Plinii invenit. Titus, "Tibi," dicit, "Decime, gratias ago. Ego fabulas factorum audivi. Tibi praemium dabo. Te augeo: eris praetorianus. Senatum populumque Romanum bene servavisti; nunc custodi me. Responsum 'minima' non accipiam."

Decimus Imperatori demisit: "Ave, Imperator! Ego 'ita' lego. Erit mihi honor."

Titus, "Optime!" respondit. "Recipera cum celeritate. Veni Romam et te in praetorium initiabo."

**Vocabulary Notes: Imperator Titus Ruinam Circumspicit et Decimus Auget**
Vocabulary 1	Vocabulary 2	Vocabulary 3
Postmodo - Afterwards (note: this is an adverb. Could also be translated Later) Tussiebat - He was coughing (tussio, tussire) arserat - (cinis) had burned (ardeo, ardere, arsi, arsus) reciperabat - (Decimus) was recovering (recipero, reciperare, reciperavi, reciperatus) Hoc tempore - During this time (note: ablative of duration of time) maxime - especially (note: this is an adverb) Vixitne? - Did she live? (vivo, vivere, vixi, victus) Fortasse - Perhaps Quoque - also (note: this is an adverb)	Dum Decimus reciperat - While Decimus was recovering (note: the verb is a dum clause will match the tense of the main verb, here: veniebat - past tense) vicinam - neighboring, nearby (adjective describing urbem - vicinus, vicina, vicinum) parva - small (adjective describing saxa - parvus, parva, parvum) omnia - everything (note: this is the direct object) operuerunt - covered (operio, operire, operui, opertus; the subject of the verb is Cinis et saxa parva) duo - two nuntios - reports (nuntius, nuntii, m.) non modo...sed etiam - not only...but also	Erat voluntas cum Plinio navigare - It was his desire to sail with Pliny... constituit - (Imperator Titus) decided praetorianus - a praetorian guard bene - well nunc - now minima - no demisit - (Decimus) bowed (demitto, demittere, demisi, demissus - to bow w/ dative) Ave - Hail ita - yes Optime! - Great! Romam - to Rome (note: this is called locative) initiabo - I will admit (initio, initiare, initiavi, initiatus)

Practice Activities: Imperator Titus Ruinam Circumspicit et Decimus Auget

Complete the following activities in your notes. The goal is to reflect on what you have read to help when it is time to recall it later.

Reading Comprehension

Please respond to the following questions in English. Your response should use evidence from the passage, but you do not have to quote the Latin here or use literal translations.

Where did Decimus receive his injuries? What are the symptoms?
What is Decimus doing in Pliny’s house?
What is Decimus’ hope for Flavia?
Who comes to survey Pompei? Where else does he go?
What is Titus’ reaction to the destruction?
What sort of substance has covered the cities?
From whom does Titus hear about Decimus?
What deeds did Decimus do, according to the letter, to deserve accommodation?
What position does Titus offer to Decimus?
Does Decimus accept Titus’ offer? What does he say about the position?

Grammar Review: 3rd Conjugation Verbs

Find five unique 3rd conjugation verb (either regular or i-stem) in Part 1. For each verb, list the type (regular or i-stem), person, number and tense and a basic translation. Do not include any imperative or infinitive forms. An example from the passage (dixit) is included:

dixit
- Type: 3rd regular (dico, dicere)
- Person: 3rd
- Number: singular
- Tense: perfect
- Translation: (he/she/it) said

Grammar Review: 4th Conjugation Verbs

Find five unique 4th conjugation verb in Part 1. For each verb, list the person, number and tense and a basic translation. Do not include any imperative or infinitive forms. An example from the passage (audivit) is included:

audivit
- Person: 3rd
- Number: singular
- Tense: perfect
- Translation: (he/she/it) heard

Grammar Review: Verb Tense

Select any five verbs from the passage. For each verb, write the principal parts, then the person, number, and tense, along with a translation of the verb demonstrating correct tense. The verb paruerat is completed as an example:

paruerat
- PPs: pareo, parere, parui, paritus - to obey
- Person and Number: 3rd singular
- Tense: Pluperfect Tense
- Translation: (he/she/it) had obeyed

Passage Analysis

In Part 2, the Emperor Titus surveys the destruction of Pompei. Pretend you are the Emperor: compare and contrast Titus’ reaction and subsequent promotion of Decimus to how you might have reacted. Using the Latin text as support (including your English translation), compare yourself with Titus. Write a short paragraph.

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Emperor Titus image courtesy of FCIT.