DI: Lesson - Reading Passage, Part 1

Dolus Imperialis, Part 1

It is very important to practice reading and understanding Latin sentences. While working on the reading handout, read each sentence aloud and listen to the recitation. Be sure to look for ideas in the passage as you read: see if you can get a general sense of the story just from reading out loud. Then practice translating each sentence into English. As you encounter new vocabulary words in the story, think about English cognates and context within the sentences to help you decipher the meaning.

The image on the right is an illustration of Livia, wife of Augustus and mother of Tiberius.

Reading Passage Help Handout

Download the DI Reading Help Links to an external site. handout. This document provides the full text of the story in Latin with additional resources to help you understand, including notes on vocabulary and grammar.

Below you will be able to read and explore the story. Parts will be in English, setting up the context, then there will be sections in Latin to fill in details. Read each section carefully to get the full story! Some additional notes will be included as well. If you see a word or phrase highlighted in bold, check below the passage for additional information.

Chapter 6: Dolus Imperialis, Part 1: What's the news?

A voice resounded, "Mother! Mother! Where are you? I have to speak to you. What are you doing?"

A woman responded, "Oh hey, Tiberius! I'm in the study. Why are you shouting? Why are you so upset and making such a fuss? Calm yourself: I will speak to you!"

Livia, who was wearing an expensive stola, knew her son well: he was frequently yelling and she was accustomed to such things. Tiberius was a boy in an adult's body. He loved to fight and argue. He may have had the mind of a fierce soldier, but beyond thought, he rarely thought any deeper. Fortunately, Rome loved their great warriors and Tiberius had already proven himself to be skilled on the field of battle. Still, as his mother, Livia wanted more: for her, Tiberius simply had to rule Rome when Augustus died. Everything which Livia did, she did it for Tiberius' future happiness.

**Latin Portion I**
Tiberius tells Livia about the rumors he heard at the funeral.
Mox Tiberius dixit, "In turba pompae funebris, servus ad me appropinquavit. Intra turbam, rebus de terribilibus mihi narravit. Ego, qui non eo credidit et audire magis non cupivit, eum relinquere iussi. Tu verbis quae dixit non credes!" "Quae," Livia interpellavit, "verba dixit? Nonne hic erat Hermanes? Est bonus servus, Tiberi, fidus et unus ex aucipibus meis." Tiberius, "Ita," respondit, "erat Hermanes. Verba illius erant: hostes Augusti Liviam malorum accusare cupiunt. Est fama: tu invida Marcellum occidisti. Veneno!" Notes: Nonne: this particle introduces a question expecting a yes answer: Surely it was... unus ex aucipibus: with numerals, Latin does not use the partitive genitive, but instead uses ex + abl = one of my spies Veneno!: ablative of means, used as an interjection to complete the thought of the previous sentence. With poison, of all things!

Livia laughed. She was scaring Tiberius: why was she laughing? Certainly she must have heard him wrong. Soon Livia said, "Have you never heard, my dear Tiberius, the expression: 'Let us judge all the rumors of severe old men as being worth nothing but a penny.'? These foolish 'enemies' of Augustus know nothing and more importantly, can do nothing. What now, because you've heard some words, am I suddenly a killer? Am I a notorious poisoner because some slave whispered in your ear? Hermanes, who ought to know better, will not bother you with any future rumors."

**Latin Portion II**
Livia's true feelings are exposed and plans are made
Livia filium confusum dimisit. Livia, quamquam iram suam non demonstravit, arsit. Erat multum facere: necesse erat Liviae Hermanem occidere (sed non prius originem famarum aperuerat). Quomodo auceps eius fuerat tam stultus? Cur Tiberio in turba dixerat? Livia unam rem cognovit: famae celeriter tetenderunt. Audiverantne aliqui aliquid? Turba multas aures habet. Tamen auceps fidus erat difficillimum invenire: fortasse Hermanes iam esse utilis poterat. Livia litteras scribere coepit: nox longa futura erat. Notes: difficillimum: most difficult. This is one of the special -lis adjectives that forms its superlative by adding limus, a, um to the base: difficil + lim + ending futura erat: it was going to be

Investigation Notes: Part 1

Tiberius returns home and reports what the slave told him at the funeral. Livia dismisses the rumors.

Describe, using content from the first paragraph, Tiberius.
What does Livia think of her son? Does she love him? Infer from the passage and describe their relationship.
How does Livia respond to the rumors? How would you have reacted if told the same thing about yourself?
Thought Exercise: Compare and contrast Livia’s outward actions with her inner thoughts. Do they match? If not, why are they not similar?