Sight Reading Passage - Rescue, Part 2

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. The reading guide will help prepare you for the module test.

If you would like additional practice with the sight passage, please download the Vesuvius Sight Passage Work File. It contains questions and exercises about the c

ontent and grammar found in the passage. Will Decimus find Admiral Pliny and his friends?

Sight Passage Part 2

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

**Sight Reading Passage, Part 2: Imperator Titus Ruinam Circumspicit et Decimus Auget**
Latin Text	Translation Notes and Vocabulary Help
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!"	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
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."	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) Quoque - also (note: this is an adverb) 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...
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."	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)

Sight Passage Practice - Part 2

Emperor Titus image courtesy of FCIT.