Writing School Work and Poems

Latin Translation: Stage 7

fabula mirabilis (Marvelous Story):

Many friends and Caecilius ate dinner. Felix was also there. All the friends praised the cook, because the dinner was good.

After they all ate, Caecilius said "Where is Decens? Decens is not here." Then Caecilius sent Clements out of the house. The slave looked for Decens in the city.

After the slave left the house, Felix drained his wine cup. Then the freedman told a marvelous story:

"Once my friend left the city. It was night, but a full moon was shining. The friend hurried through the streets, where the woods were, and suddenly caught sight of a centurion. My friend greeted the centurion. The centurion, however, said nothing. Then the centurion disposed of his tunic. See! The centurion vanished. A huge wolf suddenly appeared. My friend was very afraid. The huge wolf howled and hurried into the forest. A tunica rested in the street. The friend cautiously inspected the tunica. See! The tunica was made of stone. Then the friend understood the truth. That centurion was a werewolf."

_____
Decens:

After Felix told the story, Caecilius and the guest applauded. Then all were silent and wait for another story. Suddenly they heard a noise. All hurried to the reception hall, where Clemens stood.

Caecilius: Dead! What is? Why are you making noise?

Clemens: Decens, Decens...

Caecilius: What is?

Omnes (All): What? Dead? Oh Dear!

(Two slaves etered)

Caecilius: What do you have to say?

servus primus (The First Slave): My master was coming to your house; master saw a gladiator by the amphitheater.

servus secundus (The second slave): The gladiator frighten master, because he waves his huge sword. Then the gladiator yelled, "You do not frighten me, lion, you do not frighten me! My friend kills lions in the arena, but you do not scare me!"

servus primus: Decens was very scared. "You are insane," exclaimed the master. "I am not a lion. I am a man."

servus secundus: The gladiator, however, fiercely attacked master and dragged him into the amphitheater. Master screams in fear. Clemens heard the yelling.

servus primus: Clemens, because he was brave, entered the amphitheater. He saw Decens in the arena. My master was dead!

Caecilius: I understand the truth. The gladiator was Pugnax. Pugnax was a very well known gladiator. Pugnax once fought in the arena, and Pugnax killed a lion. Pugnax is not alive. PUgnax is a ghost, Decens was killed by a ghost.

_____

post cenam (After dinner):

After Caecilius explained the truth, all the friends were silent. Soon the friends said goodbye and left the house. They nervously walked through the streets. No stars were shining. No moon was visible in the sky. The friends made no noise because the streets were empty. The friends carefully walked through the city, because they were afraid of the ghost.

Suddenly a cat disappeared. The friends were very afraid. All of them rushed through the city in terror, because they were desperate for their lives. Something was making a strange sound. Many Pompeians were worried because they heard the noise. Caecilius, however, did not hear the noise, because he was asleep in the bedroom.

_____

animal ferox (Fierce Animal):

The next day, Felix came to the study. Caecilius was invited to a hunt.

"A huge boar," said Caeciliusm "Lies hidden on Mount Vesuvius. My friend saw it once. The animal, however, is fierce. My friend never captured it."

"I am very brave when it comes to hunting," responded Felix. "I could be frightened by a gladiator, perhaps. A living boar, however, does not scare me." But why are you not inviting Quintus to the hunt? Surely Quintus is not afraid of a boar?"

Caecilius called his son. Quintus happily took a long hunting spear and hurried with his father and the freedman to the hunt. Many slaves and dogs were there. Everyone proceeded up the mountain, where the boar laid hidden.

A slave, after seeing the boar, made a noise. The fierce boar, after hearing the noise, made an attack. Felix threw a hunting spear, but the boar was not hit. The freedman, because he feel to the ground, yelled, "See! The boar attacked me!"

Quintus bravely proceeded and threw his hunting spear. See! The boar was stabbed. The huge boar laid dead on the ground.

"Hurrah!" yelled Caecilius. "Felix saved Quintus once. Now my son has saved Felix!"

_____
Metella et Melissa (Metella and Melissa):

Metella, after Caecilius, Quintus, and Felix left for the hunt. looked for Melissa in the house. Metella entered the kitchen, where Grumio was working. Grumio was angry.

"Why are you angry, Grumio? Why do you look tense?" asked Metella.

"Yesterday, Melissa prepared a good dinner," responded the cook. "Today, I prepared a very bad dinner, because there is no food here. Yesterday, there was a lot of food in the kitchen. The slave girl cooked all of it. Melissa is very pretty but Melissa is a pest!"

Metella left the kitchen and hurried to the study, where Clemens was working. Clemens was also angry.

"Melissa is very beautiful but she is a pest!" yelled the slave.

"What has Melissa done?" asked Metella.

"Yesterday Melissa was in the dining room working," responded Clemens. "Today I was in the dining room working. See! The wax tablet and stilus aren't here. Nothing is in the right place."

Metella, after left the study and entered the garden. Metella saw Melissa in the garden. Oh dear! The slave girl was crying.
"Melissa, why are you crying?" Asked Melissa.
"I am crying because Grumio and Clemens swore at me." responded the slave girl.
"I, however, will not curse at you," said Metella. "I praise you. See! You did a good job arranging my hair." You did a great job arranging my Stola. Perhaps Grumio and Clemens do not praise you; but I praise you, because you carefully take care of me.