Transcript Scribblers, Sculptors, and Scribes LaFleur

Latin Inscriptions:
Romans Really Used All
That Grammar
Susan Neas Hankins
Tennessee Foreign Language Teachers Association Meeting
November 4-5, 2016
Multas Gratias Tibi Ago!
Where do we write our thoughts?
6000 per second
Where did the Romans write their thoughts?
“The inscriptions discovered at Pompeii
number more than six thousand. They
cover a wide field, ranging from
commemorative tablets put up at public
expense to the scribblings of idlers upon
the plastered walls. It would be an
exaggeration to say that they contribute
to our knowledge of antiquity much that is
new; their value lies rather in the insight
which they give into the life of the city and
its people (Mau 486)”.
Dipinto(dipinti pl.)
Incised or inscribed
mosaics
Sources?
This book provides inscriptions per
chapter per grammatical topic. This also
provides the location of the inscription
and sometimes a picture.
This book groups inscriptions by
the grammatical elements.
Tombstone inscriptions
Inscriptions arranged by topics: i.e.
Military, slaves and freedmen,
children, women, etc.
Provides good “helpful” hints for
translating
Project Gutenberg Ebook project
Projects
Latin 1
2 pamphlets
2011
Latin 2
Vocabulary words in graffiti or inscriptions
How many do you know?
Common vocabulary repeating words
▪ Hic=here
Illic=there
▪ Filius=son
Filia=daughter
▪ Mater=mother
Pater=father
▪ Vivo=I live
▪ Liber/a=free
▪ Libertus/a=free man/woman (L)
▪ Suus=reflexive adjective_____-self
▪ Pono=put, place
Vocabulary words-graffiti
▪ Rog=rogat/nt =he/they ask
▪ OVF=Oro Vos Faciatis=I ask you to make(elect)
▪ IIVir==duum virum=co-mayor of Pompeii
▪ Aed=aedile
▪ Facio=make/elect
▪ F=filius/filia=son/daughter
Tombstone inscriptions
▪ DM-Dis Manibus=to the shades of the Underworld
▪ Uxor=wife
▪ Coniunx=spouse
▪ Posteri=posterity
▪ Inferiae=rights and offerings to the dead
▪ Carissimus,a,um-very dear/precious
▪ Annus=year
▪ Mensis=month
▪ Dies=day
▪ Hora=hour
▪ F/FC=fecit/fecerunt=made/constructed/erected
▪ Vixit=she/he lived
Know-Understand-Do
(purpose)
▪ A student will know Latin
vocabulary and grammar to
translate an inscription into
English.
▪ A student will be able to
translate into English a Latin
inscription, whether it is graffiti
or an epitaph.
▪ A student will understand that
the human being has been
communicating with others in
a form a writing for many
millennia.
▪ A student will be able to write a
Latin inscription both for
political graffiti and tombstone
inscription.
BOTH
Grammatical elements?
Cultural elements?
Arch of Titus
 Nominative =3 words
Rome
The Senate and the Roman People
 Dative case=5 words
To the Divine Titus Vespansianus Augustus son …
f=filio
 Genitive case=2 words
Son of Divine Vespasianus
The Senate and the People of Rome dedicate this to Titus.
Pompeii’s Graffiti
Daily Life
Entertainment
Elections
Real Latin
“American”
real,real Latin
hints
Scribblers, Sculptors, and Scribes
LaFleur
1.Nominative case
“be” verb present tense
This is Rufus.
2.Dative case---”be” verb possessive adjective
To Claudius: I am not yours.
Scribblers, Sculptors, and Scribes
3.Nominative
accusative
Marcus loves Spendusa.
present tense
4.Your Turn-What does this say?
Grammar elements?
Culture?
Marcellum Fortunata cupit!
Fortunata desires Marcellus.
Did the Romans mess up their own
language? Sic!
LaFleur 39
5.Roman numerals-Were the Romans wrong???
L=libertus Why is that important to state?
Oceanus freeman won 13. Aracintus
freeman 4
(LaFleur 88)
6.Ellipsis
Severus free man won 13
or “gapping”
Albanus leftie freeman won 19
(LaFleur 89)
Election Slogan
Helpful Hints
▪ The candidate’s name is always first in the sentence in the accusative
case. Why?
▪
C.Iulium Polybium= C. Iulius Polybius as the candidate
▪ The next word will be the office for which he is running!
▪ aedilem (public works)
duum virum (co-mayor)
▪ Nominative case is the person/group supporting the candidate.
▪ Verb-at the end rogat/rogant or rog or OVF
1.I ask you to elect Gaius Iulius Polybius
as co-mayor.
Roman Order
Who is
candidate?
What is
office?
Who
supports
him?
LaFleur 20
2.Trebium aed. tonsores
▪ Who is the candidate?
▪
Trebius
▪ What is the office?
▪
aedile
▪ Who supports him?
▪
barbers
▪ What do they want?
▪
not supplied but we know they want the passerby to support him
3.Vatiam aed furunculi(pickpockets)
rogant
▪ Who is the candidate?
▪
Vatia
▪ What is the elected office?
▪ aedile
▪ Who supports this candidate?
▪ Pickpockets,thieves
▪ Verb
▪ Rogant
▪ Pickpockets ask you to elect Vatia as aedile.
4.Claudium IIvir animula facit(faciet)
▪ Animula-little soul, small mind
▪ Candidate
▪ Claudius
▪ Office
▪ duo-vir=co-mayor
▪ Who?
▪
a small mind
▪ A small mind will make Claudius co-mayor
Candidates for 79AD
Aedile(aed)
Co-Mayor(duum virum II virum)
C. Cavius Rufus
C. Iulius Polybius
C. Cuspius Pansa
T. Claudius Verus
M. Cerrinus Vatia
Bruttius Balbus
Postumius Proculus
Ceius. Secundus
CN. Heruius Sabinus
M. Holconius Priscus
C. Lollius Fuscus
C. Gavius Putius
Modestus
Trebius
What would one expect today to see on a
tombstone?
from Neumagen depicting husband and wife
clasping right hands over head of young
son (Roman, 3rd century CE)
http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/rawson.html
Severina Nutrix
Tombstone Helpful Hints
▪ DM=Dis Manibus
▪ Who built this tomb?=nominative case
▪ To whom is this built?=dative
▪ What has been built?=accusative
▪ What is the verb?=fecit/fecerunt=FC
▪ How long did the person live?=vixit annos__________
▪ 2 sentences
Early 2015 Gloucestershire, England
1.
Dis Manibus
Anthi
L. Iulius Gamus Pater
Fil Dulcissim
To the shades of the Underworld
Father L. Iulius Gamus (set this
up) for his very sweet son Anthus
http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/rawson.html
2.Perfect tense-why?
While I lived, I played.
(LaFleur 56)
3.Imperative
present v. perfect
Leave; while I live, unfriendly Death,
you come.(or you came?)
vocative
(LaFleur 44-45)
4.What grammatical elements do you see?
Baths, wines, Venus corrupted our bodies, but
Baths, wines, Venus make life.
Neuter nouns!!! present tense
3rd/3io verbs Venus=metonym
(Hartnett 7)
American Academy in Rome
5.Nominative-dative-(acc) posuit.
Subject lived _____ years.
To the Shades of Underworld holy. Gaetulicus the
son set this up for his best Mom Octavia Primigenia.
Let the earth be light upon her. She lived 60 years.
(LaFleur 34-35)
Now it’s your turn.
Think grammar
Mucus holds me.
1.Pituta(mucus) me tenet. (LaFleur 7)
I am the apartment of Marcus
Iunius.
2. Marci Iuni insula sum.(LaFleur 15)
Restitutus often deceives
many girls.
3.Restitutus multas decepit sepe[saepe] puellas(LaFleur 52)
The muledrivers ask you to
elect Gaius Iulius Polybius
as Co-Mayor.
4.C.Iulium Polybium IIVirum Muliones(mule drivers) rogant. CIL IV.113
1.DM
Terra tenet corpus nomen lapis
animam aer
Qu Ammerus servus
atque
1.To the shades of the Underworld
The land holds the body the stone the name and the air the soul
Quintus Ammerus the slave
In this niche mother and son
have been placed.
2.In hac cupa mater et filius positi sunt.
Dis Manibus
Comicus et Auriola, parentes
infelicissimi,P(ublio)
Licinio Successo.Vixit annos
XIII, menses I, dies XIX.
To the shades of the Underworld. Comicus and Auriola, very unhappy
parents, erect this to Publius Licinius Successus. He lived 13 years, 1
month, 19 days.
Art
Culture
Grammar
History
Graffiti and Tombstone
Inscriptions
Students engage in real life contact with the Romans
and their thoughts.
Students use the actual grammar they are studying.
Students discuss the ancient Roman culture: i.e.relationships between slave and master, husband and
wife, parents and children.
Students now want to see the graffiti etc. in situ.
Benefits for Students
Miximus in lecto; fateor, peccavimus,
hospes. Si dices “quare,” nulla metella fuit.
I urinated in the bed; I admit it, I made a mistake,
host. If you will ask “why,” there was no pot.