Unit II reading

Lectio: Gemini et Lupa

Instructions: 

Read aloud the passage below, paying attention to how much you can understand as you read in Latin. Then, read through the passage more carefully, working to understand the sense of the passage; don’t write out a translation! As you do so, label all conjunctions, subjects and predicate nominatives, verbs and infinitives, direct objects, adjectives, and prepositions in the passage, and put all (prepositional phrases) in parentheses. Finally, answer the questions below.

Geminī et Lupa

Rōmulus et Remus erant frātrēs et auctōrēs Rōmae antīquae. Rhea Silvia, fīlia rēgis et virgō, fīliōs geminōs parit et dīcit: “Deus magnus est pater puerōrum meōrum.” Sed tyrannus malus puellam culpat: “Tē in cūstōdiam traham et fīliōs in aquam iaciam.”

Cōpiae istīus tyrannī puerōs parvōs in aquam iaciunt. Tamen geminī nōn dēscendunt, sed enim in alveō fluitant! Lupa puerōs beātōs invenit et ex aquā trahit. Ea erat māter et mammās puerīs dabat. Sōla lupa igitur Rōmulum Remumque servat!

Geminī, Rōmulus Remusque, cum lupā diū vīvēbant. Sed pāstor, Faustulus, eōs invēnit et ad uxōrem, Lārentiam, portāvit. Ea dīxit: “Ego in stabulō nostrō hōs puerōs ēducābō!” Post multōs annōs, geminī frātrēs Rōmam condidērunt. Propter lupam et uxōrem pāstōris, eī fuērunt rēgēs populī Rōmānī.

Glossary:

All vocabulary not found in capita 1-13 are glossed below. Words in bold on DCC Latin Core Vocabulary List.

• geminus, gemina, geminum - twin

• lupa, lupae, f. - she-wolf

• Rōmulus, Rōmulī, m. - Romulus, one of the twin founders of ancient Rome

• Remus, Remī, m. - Remus, one of the twin founder of ancient Rome

• auctor, auctōris, m. - founder, originator

• Rōma, Rōmae, f. - Rome

• Rhea Silvia, Rheae Silviae, f. - Rhea Silvia, princess of Alba Longa, mother of Romulus & Remus

• pariō parere peperī partum - to give birth

• dīcō dīcere dīxī dictum - to speak, say

• pater, patris, m. - father

• tē = accusative singular form of second person pronoun (you)

• cūstōdia, cūstōdiae, f. - custody, jail

• iaciō iacere iēcī iactum - to throw (iaciam = 1st person singular future active indicative)

• aqua, aquae, f. - water

• dēscendō dēscendere dēscendī dēscēnsum - to sink, descend

• alveus, alveī, m. - basket

• fluitō, fluitāre fluitāvī, fluitātum - to float

• ea = nominative feminine singular form of third person pronoun (she)

• māter, mātris, f. - mother

• mamma, mammae, f. - breasts

• pāstor, pāstōris, m. - shepherd, herdsman

• Faustulus, Faustulī, m. - Faustulus, a shepherd who takes in Romulus & Remus

• Lārentia, Lārentiae, f. - Larentia, Faustulus’s wife, who raises Romulus & Remus

• portō, portāre portāvī, portātum - to carry

• stabulum, stabulī, n. - stable, shack

• ēduco, ēducāre, ēducāvi, ēducātum - to raise, educate (children)

• condō, condere, condidī, conditum - to found (a city)

Comprehension Questions:

• Who are Romulus & Remus?

• Who is the mother of Romulus & Remus? Who, according to her, is their father?

• What do the tyrant’s troops do?

• What happens to the boys after they’re thrown in the river?

• What does the she-wolf do when she finds the boys?

• With whom are the boys living when Faustulus finds them?

• What does Faustulus do when he finds the boys?

• What does Larentia decide to do with the boys?

• What do the boys one day grow up to do?