Comparative Teaching of Old Greek and Latin/Lesson 03 Part 3

Comparative Teaching of Old Greek and Latin Lesson 03 Part 3

Translated from the Greek Wikipedia|Wikiversity: "Συγκριτική διδασκαλία των κλασικών γλωσσών / (Comparative Teaching of the Classical Languages)"


LESSON 03 PART 3. The substantives of male gender. Masculine substantives.


3.3.1. Analyse and translate the dialogues:


Α. Old Greek


Teacher: Χαίρετε, ὦ φίλοι μαθηταί!

Student: Χαῖρε, ὦ διδάσκαλε!

Teacher: Τίς (which of you) ἡμῶν μετασχεῖν (to participate) τοῦ μαθήματος βούλεται;

Student: Ἔγωγε.

Teacher: Τίς εἶ ὁ λέγων (who is speaking?);

Student: Νικολάου Ἰωάννης.

Teacher: Ἄκουσον καὶ σύνες (understand) ὅ σοι λέγω!

Student: Ἀκούω καὶ συνίημι (I undestand), ὦ διδάσκαλε.

Teacher: Εἶεν (well, all right), λέγε. Τίς (who is) ἐστιν ὁ συγγράψας (who wrote) τὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς Πέρσας Ἀλεξάνδρου ἀνάβασιν;

Student: Ἀρριανὸς Φλάβιος, ἐκ Βιθυνίας ὤν (being).

Teacher: Πηλίκος (how old) τὸν βίον ἐτελεύτησεν (did he die);

Student: Ὀγδοηκοντούτης (eighty years old).

Teacher: Τὶς (who) τῷ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ (for Alexander's sake) τοὺς ἱππέας (cavalry men) ἦγεν (to lead);

Student: Ἡγέλοχος ἦγεν αὐτούς.

Teacher: Πόσον (how far) Ἀλέξανδρος τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἀπεῖχε;

Student: Οὐ πολύ.

Teacher: Τί δύνασαι ἡμῖν εἰπεῖν;

Student: Ὅ, τι βούλει, ὦ διδάσκαλε.

Teacher: Ἄγε δή (go on), λέγε!

Student: Ἀναγνῶ (to read) ἐκ τοῦ δράματος (play) (Shall I read the play?);

Teacher: Ἴδωμεν τί ποιῶμεν (Let us see what to do)!

Student: Τί δαί (what then), ἀναγνῶ ἤ μή (shall I read or not?);

Teacher: Ναίχι (of course), ἀλλὰ ἐπείγου (but be in a hurry), ταχὺ (quickly) σχολὴ (interval) ἔσται!

Student: Ἀνέγνων (I read) καὶ μεταγέγραφα (I've translated), ὦ διδάσκαλε.

Teacher: Εὖ γε! Ἴθι (Well done, go)!

Student: Χαῖρε, ὦ διδάσκαλε!

Teacher: Καὶ σύ γε (and you, as well), τέκνον (child)!


Β. Latin:


Praeceptor: Salve’te (good morning), disci’puli (students)!

Discipulus: Salve tu quoque (good morning, as well)!

Praeceptor: Quis Nicola’us est?

Discipulus: Ego, magi’ster.

Praeceptor: Veni in ta’bulam. Intellexisti’ne (did you understand) lectio’nem (the lesson)?

Discipulus: Ita (of course).

Praeceptor: Cur (Why) Remum Ro’mulus neca’vit (to kill)?

Discipulus: Ro’mulus neca’vit Remum quod (because) Remus muros (the city-walls) novi o’ppidi vitupera’verat (he had accused).

Praeceptor: Quo modo (how, by what means) Ro’mulus fe’minas (the women) po’pulo Roma’no para’vit?

Discipulus: Dolo (by deceiting) Roma’ni Sabi’nas et fi’lias sabino’rum raptave’runt.

Praeceptor: Quis dux (leader) Romano’rum fuit (was)?

Discipulus: Ro’mulus, certe, dux fuit.

Praeceptor: Cur (why) Roma’ni Sabi’nas raptave’runt?

Discipulus: Roma’ni Sabi’nas raptave’runt quod fe’minae non erant in novo o’ppido.

Praeceptor: Hoc factum (the act, the deed) Romano’rum justum (right) erat?

Discipulus: Immo (the opposite) inju’stum (unjust) erat.

Praeceptor: Cur iniu’stum erat?

Discipulus: Iniu’stum erat quia (because) Sabi’nae erant fe’minae Sabino’rum, non Romano’rum.

Praeceptor: Quota hora est (what time is it), puer?

Discipulus: Vix (hardly, just as) hora de’cima (ten) est, magi’ster (teacher).

Praeceptor: Euge (well done, bravo), i (go) in sedem (the seat, the place) tuam!

Discipulus: Gra’tias (I thank you) ago tibi, magi’ster!


3.3.2. Fill in the forms that are missing in the following table:


Nouns / ὁ / τοῦ / τῷ / τὸν / ὦ / οἱ / τῶν / τοῖς / τοὺς / ὦ


λίθος / ................................................................................................................

μανδύας / .................................................................................................................

ἡρώων / ................................................................................................................

δράκουσι/ ................................................................................................................

μύρμηκας/ ................................................................................................................


Write all the cases in the following table for the words: pu΄eri, agri΄colam, sena΄tus, die΄rum, fo΄ntibus.


Singular number


Nominative / ................................................................................................

Genitive / ...............................................................................................

Dative / ................................................................................................

Accusative / ...............................................................................................

Vocative / ..............................................................................................

Ablative / ..............................................................................................


Plural number


Nominative / .............................................................................................

Genitive / ............................................................................................

Dative / ...........................................................................................

Accusative / ...........................................................................................

Vocative / ............................................................................................

Ablative / ...........................................................................................

(Agricola,-ae= the farmer, puer,-i = the child, fons,-tis = the spring, senatus,-us = the senate, dies,-ei = the day.)


3.3.3. Recognize grammatically and syntacticly the masculine words of the following expressions:


1. Λέγει ὡς ὑβριστής (arrogant) εἰμι.

2. Οὐ λέγω ὅτι δεῖ σε ἰέναι (to go) ἐπὶ (against) τοὺς πολεμίους (enemies).

3. Τοιαύτη δόξα (opinion) γέγονε, ὡς ὁ βάρβαρος κήδεται (to care for, to be concerned) τῆς Ἑλλάδος.

4. Σεύθης εἶπεν ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἄν ἀπιστήσειεν (to disbelieve) Ἀθηναίων.

5. Εἰ ἦσαν ἄνδρες ἀγαθοί, οὐκ ἄν ποτε ταῦτα ἔπασχον (to suffer).


1. Capti’vi (the captives) dulcem (sweet) liberta’tem cu’piunt (to desire, to want).

2. Ve’teres (the elders) ho’mines (people) ve’tera la’udant (to praise).

3. Demo’sthenes magnus ora’tor (orator, speaker) fuit.

4. Pu’eri (boys) et pue’llae (girls) virtu’tes (the virtues) amant.

5. Repeti’tio (repetition) est mater studio’rum (of studies).


3.3.4. Recognize grammatically and syntacticly the masculine words of the following expressions and decline them in the same number:


1. Ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν τοὺς ἄρτους (the bread) φαγεῖν.

2. Διδάσκαλος ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν τῆς ἀγωγῆς (education) τῶν παίδων ἐπιμελήσεται.

3. Οἷος ὄλλυμαι (to perish) καλλιτέχνης (artist)! (How good an artist and I perish!)

4. Στρατηγὸς τῆσδε τῆς πόλεως τυγχάνω.

5. Γέλωτα ἀνδράσιν ὀφλήσω (They will laugh at me).

6. Ἄγω ἐπὶ τοὺς δικαστάς (To take someone to the court).

7. Οὔτε ἐπὶ λόγοις ἐπαινέσονταί (to praise) σε.

8. Ὁ παῖς δωδεκέτης (twelve years old) ἐστί.


9. Sed vicus (the village) hinc (from here) multum abest.

10. Ego ex pe’dibus labo’ro (I have an ache, a pain on my feet).

11. Numquam pater credidi’sset (Never would my father had believed it).

12. Cogita’vit nos fratres esse (He thought we were brothers).

13. Meministi’ne magi’stri nostri? (Do you happen to remenber our teacher?)

14. Pu’blicus custos (police man).

15. Ad septentrio’nem perge! (Go northern!)

16. Unum abhinc (from now) mense (A month ago).


3.3.5.Recognize grammatically and syntacticly the masculine words of the following expressions and decline them in the opposite number:


1. Ἄβυσσος ἄβυσσον ἐπικαλεῖται (One error, (mistake, fault) brings the other).

2. Ἀδιάψευστος μάρτυς (A witness who cannot be contradicted).

3. Ὁ κύβος ἐρρίφθη (Dies have been thrown. An definite decision has been taken).

4. Κρεῖττον εἰς κόρακας ἤ εἰς κόλακας ἐμπεσεῖν (Ravens are better than flatterers).

5. Ἄλλαι μὲν βουλαὶ (will, wish, desire) ἀνθρώπων ἄλλα δὲ Θεὸς κελεύει (he orders).


6. Anno Do’mini (After the birth of Christ).

7. Fiat justi’tia (may be justice) et pe’reat mundus (let the world perish).

8. Lapsus li’nguae (lapsus, -us, m).

9. Tot (as many as) ca’pita tot sensus (sensus, -us, m, sense, feeling).

10. Unus testis nullus testis (testis, -is, m, witness).


3.3.6. Analyse structurally the following sentences:


Λέγεται Ἀλέξανδρον ἐνταῦθα (then) ξυναγαγόντα (after he had gathered, collected) τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ὅσοι ἐντὸς Πελοποννήσου ἦσαν, αἰτεῖν παρ’ αὐτῶν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν (sovereignty, power) τῆς ἐπὶ τοὺς Πέρσας στρατιᾶς, ἥντινα (which) Φιλίππῳ ἤδη ἔδοσαν.


Delus clara (famous) et Graecis cara (beloved) erat. Fi’lius Lato’nae (Leto) erat Apo’llo, fi’lia Lato’nae erat Dia’na. Delus plena (full of) erat lauro’rum (laurel, bay).


3.3.7. Translate in Old Greek and Latin the following expressions:


In Old Greek:


1. Hegelochus had as horsemen those soldiers who had the sarissas.

2. Alexander was not far of Kelaines.

3. In the meantime Alexander was going toward the river.

4. The soldiers having light armament were about five hundred.

5. The spies were running hastily.

6. I cannot tell you it.

7. I'll read from the book.

8. I'm reading and translating.

9. How old did he die?

10. What do you want, teacher?


In Latin:


1. Romulus and Remus built Rome.

2. Fate was not favourable to Romulus.

3. Romans carried away the Sabine women.

4. The act of the Romans was not just.

5. By what means did Romans carry away the Sabine women?

6. Why Romans did carry away the Sabine women?

7. Who was the leader of the Romans?

8. Which of you is Nickolas?

9. Hi, teacher!

10. Hi, students!


3.4. Information about the Classic Culture.


1. ἐπὶ τὸν Γρανικὸν ποταμὸν: Granikos river springs from the mountain Ida In Asia Minor and flows into the sea of Propontis. When Alexander the Great, after the death of Philip, his father, imposed his sovereignty in the Greek cities and he was given, at the congress of Corinth, the 336 B.C., of all Greek cities except Sparta, the leadership for the conquest of the Persian State, he passed the Hellespont with about 40.000 pedestrians and horsemen. There, near Granikos river, in May of the year 334 B.C., became Alexander's first victorious battle against Persians, that ensured his sovereignty in Asia Minor and had as result the autonomy of Greek Cities and Islands being in Asia Minor.


2. τὴν φάλαγγα τῶν ὁπλιτῶν: The Macedonian phalanx constituted the heavily armed infantry of the Macedonian army. It was separated in six orders and each order it had roughly 500 soldiers. The soldiers were named "peze'teri" and had as equipment helmet, thorax, leg protection, small sword, circular shield and javelin that was named sa'rissa and had length roughly 5-6 metres and peak 10 centimetres. With the sa'rissa being proposed created they a impenetrable wall, that stopped the attack of the enemies.


3. Ro’mulus et Remus Romam aedificave’runt. Romulus and his twin brother Remus, were children of Rea Sy'lvia, a Hera's priestess, and Mars. They were thrown in the river Tiber by the king of Alba Amulius, but the river removed the cradle, in which the children were placed, in the bank. There a she-wolf fed them with her milk, up to the moment that a shepherd found them and grew them as his own children. Later, when they grew up, they killed Amulius and in recollection of their salvation built Rome in Latium, in the banks of Tiber, in 753 B.C. In a quarrel that had become in 754 B.C. Romulus killed Remus, because he had accused the city-walls of the new city, and became its first king.


4. unus testis nullus testis: This expression constitutes a basic principle of the Roman Right and has passed in the Right of all democratic countries in our era, together with other principles of the Roman Right, as "audiatur et altera pars (let be heard and the other side)" and "nulla poena sine lege (no sentence (condemnation) without law)". The meaning of this expression is that, in order to be received a testimony into account in the court, it should be crossed with others, because a testimony is equivalent to no testimony and cannot lead to condemnation.


To continue look at: Lesson 04 Part 1

To see the Introduction look at: Introduction