Unit III reading

Lectio: Ariadna et Minotaurus

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.

Ariadna et Minotaurus

Sum Ariadna, fīlia rēgis et rēgīnae in Crētā, et frātrem habuī. Iste erat fīlius parentis ūnīus, meae mātris. Sed pater eius erat animal. Itaque meus frāter erat mōnstrum! Iste caput taurī sed corpus virī habēbat. Meus frāter, Mīnōtaurus, cīvēs in urbe terrēbat et sōlus igitur in labyrinthō vīvēbat. 

Meus frāter, Mīnōtaurus, hominēs dēvorābat. Itaque meus pater, Mīnōs, rēx Crētae, eī cīvēs Athēnārum dabat, quōs vīcerat. Post multōs annōs, fīlius rēgis Athēnārum, Thēseus, trāns mare ad Crētam vēnit. Thēseus mortem meī frātris cupiēbat quod mōnstrum septem puerōs et septem puellās Athēnārum per omnēs annōs dēvorāverat. Ille dīxit: “Ipse mōnstrum vincam!” 

Illō tempore Thēseum vīdī, et amor mē cēpit! Thēseus mortem meī frātris cupiēbat, sed Thēseum cupiēbam. Dīxī: “Thēseus ā mōnstrō necābitur! Sed ego Thēseum prō frātre meō iuvābō?” Thēseus mē invēnit et dīxit: “Tua sapientia ab omnibus laudātur. Sī mē iuvābis, tibi omnia dabō, quae cupis. Mē iuvā, Ariadna, amābō tē!” 

Eō tempore Thēseum iūvī, quem amābam. Itaque fīlum longum eī dedī, quod ad iānuam labyrinthī adfixum est. Propter fīlum, ille errāre nōn potuit. Ibi in parte altissimā labyrinthī Thēsēus meum frātrem invēnit! Ille vī mōnstrī ācris territus erat, sed erat fortis. Is gladiō potentī suō mōnstrum necāre et ē labyrinthō fugere potuit. 

Nunc meus frāter necātus est! Et fortūnāta et misera sum, nam meus frāter erat mōnstrum potēns, quī hominēs omnēs necāre dēsīderābat, sed is quoque erat pars meae familiae. Et īrā ācrī patris meī terrēbar. Sed iam Thēseus mē uxōrem suam faciet, et ā virō meō ex Crētā capiar. Ita ipse dīxit!

Glossary:

All vocabulary not found in capita 1-22 are glossed below. Words in bold on DCC Latin Core Vocabulary List.

• Ariadna, Ariadnae, f. - Ariadne, princess of Crete

• Mīnōtaurus, Mīnōtaurī, m. - the Minotaur (a hybrid mythological creature)

• Crēta, Crētae, f. - Crete (an island in the Mediterranean)

• parēns, parentīs, m./f. - parent

• mōnstrum, mōnstrī, n. - monster

• taurus, taurī, m. - bull

• labyrinthus, labyrinthī, m. - labyrinth

• dēvorō, dēvorāre, dēvorāvī, dēvorātum - to devour

• Mīnōs, Mīnōnis, m. - Minos, the king of Crete and Ariadne’s father 

• Athēnae, Athēnārum, f. (pl., as some city names are) - Athens

• Thēseus, Thēseī, m. - Theseus (a Greek hero from Athens)

• per omnēs annōs (idiom) - every year (literally: through all years)

• amābō tē (idiom) - please (literally: I will love you)

• fīlum, fīlī, n. - thread

• iānua, iānuae, f. - door 

• adfīgō, adfīgere, adfīxī, adfīxus - to affix, attach

• altissimus, altissima, altissimum (superlative adj.) - deepest

• ​​gladius, gladiī, m. - sword

• vir, virī, m. - man, husband

• ita (adv.) - so, thus

Comprehension Questions:

• Who is Ariadne?

• Who is Ariadne’s brother?

• Where is Ariadne’s brother living? Why?

• How does Minos feed the Minotaur?

• Who is Theseus? Where does he come from?

• What does Theseus want? Why?

• What happens to Ariadne when she sees Theseus?

• Why is Ariadne concerned about Theseus?

• What does Theseus want Ariadne to do? What does he offer her in return?

• Why does Ariadne help Theseus? How does she help him?

• What does Theseus do with Ariadne’s gift? Why?

• What does Theseus do in the labyrinth?

• How does Ariadne feel after the death of her brother?

• What is Ariadne afraid of?

• What does Ariadne believe will happen next?