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When all else fails for me I go back to one thing that I feel truly competent at: teaching reading skills, real reading from left to right. Over the years I have been developing my understanding of mental expectations. In working with my Latin 4s, we were talking about how important it is to truly understand what participles are doing, and to read with expectations with regards to infinitives. I decided it was time to try to write up some thoughts:
Participles:
1. Most likely there is a noun of the same case nearby, usually before it, though it can come later in the sentence. The main thing is that they will be in agreement in CASE, NUMBER, & GENDER.
· astrologus ancillās lacrimantēs vīdit. – He saw the slavegirls crying. [acc]
· Phormiō ad urbem contendit, medicum quaerēns. – Phormio hurried to the city, searching for the doctor. [nom]
· mīlitēs gladiīs dēstrictīs intrāvērunt – The soldiers entered with swords drawn.
2. Often other words are in between noun and participle, including prepositional phrases and adverbs.
· Salvius et Memor, in hortō ambulantēs – Salvius and Memor, walking in the garden,
· servus, graviter vulnerātus – the slave, (having been) seriously wounded
3. Present Active Participles can have Accusative objects.
· servī, Barbillum portantēs – the slaves, carrying Barbillus,
4. Perfect Passive Participles often have “by” phrases (ablatives) with it.
· faber, ab architectō laudātus – the craftsman praised by the architect
· mīlitēs, gladiīs armātī – the soldiers, armed with swords
5. Perfect Active Participles can have Accusative objects.
· Latrō, haec verba locūtus – Latro, having spoken these words
6. Future Active Participles can have Accusative objects.
· nunc ego quoque moritūrus sum. – Now I am also about to die.
· praecō puellam vīdit, nāvem cōnscēnsuram. – The herald saw the girl about to go on board the ship.
7. If there doesn’t seem to be a noun of the same case for it to modify but it is clearly acting as a participle, consider the subject of the previous sentence as being understood.
· haec verba locūtus, rēgī pōculum obtulit. – Having spoken these words, he (Cephalus) offered the cup to the king.
8. If you have a perfect tense participle but feel you really need a verb (or an infinitive in indirect statement), consider whether a form of “est” should be understood.
· Haec ubi dicta [sunt] – When these words were spoken,...
· ēmissamque [esse] hiemem sēnsit Neptūnus – Neptune sensed that a storm had been sent out,
9. If it is a present participle by itself, consider translating with “those (people)” (pay attention to the case!).
· strepitum labōrantium – the noise of those (people) working
· ad praetereuntēs – toward those (people) passing by
10. Present participles in the dative are frequently used in the give and take of a conversation.
· Salviō rogantī quid esset agendum, aliī alia suādēbant. – To Salvius asking what must be done, different people answered different things.
· Tālia iactantī strīdēns Aquilōne procella / vēlum adversa ferit... – To him (Aeneas) hurling such words, a storm squealing with the North Wind opposite (the sail) struck the sail.
11. The “time” of the participle is relative to that of the main verb. Present Participles are the same time as the main verb, Perfect Participles are one step back in time, Future Participles are one step forward in time. This affects how you translate Ablative Absolutes.
· iānuā apertā, in līmine appāruit praecō. – After the door had been opened, the herald appeared on the threshold.
· Olympō recitante, ingressus est Epaphrodītus. – While Olympus was reciting, Epaphroditus entered.
· Martiālis, recitātiōne perfectā, ex audītōriō ēgreditur, omnibus plaudentibus. – Martial, after the recitation was finished, leaves from the auditorium while everyone is applauding.
Infinitives:
1. When reading in word order, if you encounter an infinitive first, consider that it may be a complementary infinitive—completing a verb. Common suspects are:
· volō (I want), nōlō (I don’t want), malō (I prefer), possum (I am able)
· dēbeō (I ought), audeō (I dare), cōnor (I try)
· incipiō (I begin), coepī (I began)
2. Neuter adjectives with a form of est or impersonal verbs often infinitives.
· victōribus decōrum est victīs parcere. – It is proper for victors to spare the conquered.
· necesse est mihi exīre. – It is necessary for me to leave.
· licetne mihi īre ad fontem aquae? – Is it permitted forme to go to the water fountain?
3. When reading in word order, if you encounter a form of iubeō, expect accusatives and infinitives. This is particularly helpful in identifying and properly understanding those hard to recognize passive infinitives.
· iubeō tē ipsum Cogidubnō pōculum offerre. – I order you yourself to offer the cup to Cogidubnus.
4. When reading in word order, a “verb of the head” will often precede indirect statements formed with accusatives and infinitives. However, it doesn’t have to:
· Intereā magnō miscērī murmure pontum, / ēmissamque hiemem sēnsit Neptūnus – Meanwhile Neptune sensed that the sea was being mixed with a great murmur, and that a storm had been sent out...
5. If you can see one obvious infinitive and there are conjunctions (et, -que, etc), reread and look for passive infinitives.
· Chionē iussit lectīcam parārī et lectīcāriōs arcessī. – Chione ordered the sedan chair to be prepared and the chair carriers to be summoned.
6. If you see no obvious governing verb but seem to have a string of infinitives, you may have historic infinitives (for creating immediacy).
· dein concutī ferrum, vincula movērī. – Then iron is clashed together, chains are rattled.
Participles:
1. Most likely there is a noun of the same case nearby, usually before it, though it can come later in the sentence. The main thing is that they will be in agreement in CASE, NUMBER, & GENDER.
· astrologus ancillās lacrimantēs vīdit. – He saw the slavegirls crying. [acc]
· Phormiō ad urbem contendit, medicum quaerēns. – Phormio hurried to the city, searching for the doctor. [nom]
· mīlitēs gladiīs dēstrictīs intrāvērunt – The soldiers entered with swords drawn.
2. Often other words are in between noun and participle, including prepositional phrases and adverbs.
· Salvius et Memor, in hortō ambulantēs – Salvius and Memor, walking in the garden,
· servus, graviter vulnerātus – the slave, (having been) seriously wounded
3. Present Active Participles can have Accusative objects.
· servī, Barbillum portantēs – the slaves, carrying Barbillus,
4. Perfect Passive Participles often have “by” phrases (ablatives) with it.
· faber, ab architectō laudātus – the craftsman praised by the architect
· mīlitēs, gladiīs armātī – the soldiers, armed with swords
5. Perfect Active Participles can have Accusative objects.
· Latrō, haec verba locūtus – Latro, having spoken these words
6. Future Active Participles can have Accusative objects.
· nunc ego quoque moritūrus sum. – Now I am also about to die.
· praecō puellam vīdit, nāvem cōnscēnsuram. – The herald saw the girl about to go on board the ship.
7. If there doesn’t seem to be a noun of the same case for it to modify but it is clearly acting as a participle, consider the subject of the previous sentence as being understood.
· haec verba locūtus, rēgī pōculum obtulit. – Having spoken these words, he (Cephalus) offered the cup to the king.
8. If you have a perfect tense participle but feel you really need a verb (or an infinitive in indirect statement), consider whether a form of “est” should be understood.
· Haec ubi dicta [sunt] – When these words were spoken,...
· ēmissamque [esse] hiemem sēnsit Neptūnus – Neptune sensed that a storm had been sent out,
9. If it is a present participle by itself, consider translating with “those (people)” (pay attention to the case!).
· strepitum labōrantium – the noise of those (people) working
· ad praetereuntēs – toward those (people) passing by
10. Present participles in the dative are frequently used in the give and take of a conversation.
· Salviō rogantī quid esset agendum, aliī alia suādēbant. – To Salvius asking what must be done, different people answered different things.
· Tālia iactantī strīdēns Aquilōne procella / vēlum adversa ferit... – To him (Aeneas) hurling such words, a storm squealing with the North Wind opposite (the sail) struck the sail.
11. The “time” of the participle is relative to that of the main verb. Present Participles are the same time as the main verb, Perfect Participles are one step back in time, Future Participles are one step forward in time. This affects how you translate Ablative Absolutes.
· iānuā apertā, in līmine appāruit praecō. – After the door had been opened, the herald appeared on the threshold.
· Olympō recitante, ingressus est Epaphrodītus. – While Olympus was reciting, Epaphroditus entered.
· Martiālis, recitātiōne perfectā, ex audītōriō ēgreditur, omnibus plaudentibus. – Martial, after the recitation was finished, leaves from the auditorium while everyone is applauding.
Infinitives:
1. When reading in word order, if you encounter an infinitive first, consider that it may be a complementary infinitive—completing a verb. Common suspects are:
· volō (I want), nōlō (I don’t want), malō (I prefer), possum (I am able)
· dēbeō (I ought), audeō (I dare), cōnor (I try)
· incipiō (I begin), coepī (I began)
2. Neuter adjectives with a form of est or impersonal verbs often infinitives.
· victōribus decōrum est victīs parcere. – It is proper for victors to spare the conquered.
· necesse est mihi exīre. – It is necessary for me to leave.
· licetne mihi īre ad fontem aquae? – Is it permitted forme to go to the water fountain?
3. When reading in word order, if you encounter a form of iubeō, expect accusatives and infinitives. This is particularly helpful in identifying and properly understanding those hard to recognize passive infinitives.
· iubeō tē ipsum Cogidubnō pōculum offerre. – I order you yourself to offer the cup to Cogidubnus.
4. When reading in word order, a “verb of the head” will often precede indirect statements formed with accusatives and infinitives. However, it doesn’t have to:
· Intereā magnō miscērī murmure pontum, / ēmissamque hiemem sēnsit Neptūnus – Meanwhile Neptune sensed that the sea was being mixed with a great murmur, and that a storm had been sent out...
5. If you can see one obvious infinitive and there are conjunctions (et, -que, etc), reread and look for passive infinitives.
· Chionē iussit lectīcam parārī et lectīcāriōs arcessī. – Chione ordered the sedan chair to be prepared and the chair carriers to be summoned.
6. If you see no obvious governing verb but seem to have a string of infinitives, you may have historic infinitives (for creating immediacy).
· dein concutī ferrum, vincula movērī. – Then iron is clashed together, chains are rattled.
