Latin II/Verbs Present 2 Lesson 4/Reading

Piscēs Absunt

Dramatis personae: Gāius, Flāvia, Quīntus

Gāius in tabernā labōrat. Cotīdiē piscēs in mēnsā pōnit, sed piscēs saepe absunt!

Gāius: "Pater! Iterum piscēs nōn videō!"

Quīntus: "Quid dīcis, fīlī? Piscēs absunt?"

Gāius: "Cotīdiē paucōs piscēs pōnō, sed aliquis piscēs capit!"

Flāvia sorōr: (audit et cōgitat) "Fortasse puerī dē viā piscēs capiunt. Multī puerī in viā sunt - nōn omnēs vidēre possumus."

Gāius: "Crēdō. Multī Rōmae ēsuriunt, sed nōn possum omnēs grātīs pāscere."

Proximō diē, Gāius māne vigilat et exspectat. Subitō fēlem videt! Fēlēs nigra et parva est, sed callida. Lentē venit et piscēs videt.

Gāius: "Aha! Ecce fūr!"

[Fēlēs perterrita est et fugit. Gāius patrem vocat.]

Gāius: "Pater! Fēlēs piscēs capit!"

Quīntus: Fēlēs? Audi, Gāī. Piscēs in locō altiōre pōne. Sed fēlēs necessāria est - rattōs capit! Fēlī reliquiās piscium dare possumus, et cibum corruptum. Hoc est pretium labōris.

Flāvia: Ergō fēlēs nōbīscum labōrat?

Quīntus: Labōrat! Rōmānī multās pecūniās postulant, et tribūta magna sunt. Pretium pānis cotīdiē crescit. Sed rattī semper prosperant - vērō prosperant! Fortasse nōs omnēs prō rattīs labōrāmus!

[Gāius et Flāvia rīdent. Nunc piscēs in locō altō sunt, et fēlēs cotīdiē reliquiās accipit. Bene labōrat - rattī fugiunt!]

New Words

• fūr - thief
• prosperō - prosper, thrive
• tribūtum - tax
• callida - clever
• perterrita - frightened
• reliquiae - leftovers, scraps
• corruptus - spoiled
• pretium - price, payment
• rattus - rat

Comprehension Questions

1. Quid cotīdiē in tabernā accidit?
2. Quis piscēs capit?
3. Quōmodo Quīntus problema solvit?
4. Quid fēlī prō labōre dat?
5. Quid dē rattīs et tribūtīs Quīntus dīcit?

Cultural Note

Roman shopkeepers often kept cats to control rats, which could destroy valuable grain stores. Cats were not worshipped as in Egypt but were valued for their practical uses. The joke about taxes and rats would have resonated with Roman small business owners, who had to pay various taxes to the state.

Grammar Note: Verb Echoes in Latin Dialogue

In Latin, people often answered "yes" by repeating the main verb from the question. This is called a verb echo. It's very different from English, where we usually just say "yes"!

For example:

• "Venisne?" (Are you coming?)
• "Veniō!" (Yes! [literally: I am coming!])

Or in our story:

• "Ergō fēlēs nōbīscum labōrat?" (So the cat works with us?)
• "Labōrat!" (Yes! [literally: It works!])

Sometimes Romans would add "vērō" after the verb for emphasis:

• "Venisne?" (Are you coming?)
• "Veniō vērō!" (Yes indeed! [literally: I am coming indeed!])

As we see in our story:

• "Rattī semper prosperant - vērō prosperant!" (The rats always prosper - they really do prosper!)

This way of saying "yes" feels more active and engaged than just using a single word for "yes". When you read ancient Latin texts, you'll often see this pattern in dialogues.