Book V - Assetsassets.cambridge.org/052179/7926/sample/0521797926ws.pdf · 4 STAGE 35 About the language 1: passive and deponent verbs 1 Study the following examples: m¶ne ¶ clientibus

Cambridge Latin Course

Book VFOURTH EDITION

PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGEThe Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESSThe Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, AustraliaRuiz de Alarcón 13, 28014 Madrid, SpainDock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa

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© University of Cambridge School Classics Project 2003

All rights reserved: no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in aretrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without either the prior written permission ofthe copyright owners or a licence permitting restricted copying issued by theCopyright Licensing Agency, 33–34 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DB.

First published 1971Seventh printing 1982Second edition 1986Thirteenth printing 2002

Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 0 521 79792 6 paperback

Front and back cover photographs: Roger DalladayDrawings by Peter Kesteven, Joy Mellor and Leslie Jones

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks are due to the following for supplying photographs, drawings and paintingsfor reproduction: p. 14, p. 17, p. 44, p. 62b, p. 96, Photo Scala, Florence; p. 28,Colchester Museums; pp. 38–9, p. 85, AKG London/Peter Connolly; p. 46 b, p. 62 t, p. 73 l, r, p. 97, © Copyright The British Museum; p. 64 b, © 1998 White Star S.r.l.; p. 83 tr, Yale University Press.

Other photography by Roger Dalladay.

Thanks are due to the following for permission to reproduce photographs: p. 7 t, b,Museo Boscoreale, Pompeii; p. 11 t, p. 20, p. 23, p. 29, p. 80 t, p. 98, Museo della CiviltàRomana; p. 11 b, Vill Adriana, Tivoli; p. 13, Villa of Piazza Armerina, Sicily; p. 30,Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples; p. 39, p. 48, p. 83 bl, br, p. 84, Soprintendenzaof the Forum Romanum; p. 94, Soprintendenza, Pompeii.

Every effort has been made to reach copyright holders. The publishers would be gladto hear from anyone whose rights they have unknowingly infringed.

Fourth edition 2003Second printing 2004

Contents

Stage 35 r–s page 1

Stage 36 recit¡tiø 17

Stage 37 cønsilium 31

Stage 38 n–ptiae 49

Stage 39 studia 67

Stage 40 i–dicium 85

Language information 101

Part One: About the language 104

Part Two: Vocabulary 136

RUSSTAGE 35

2 STAGE 35

ex urbeWhen you have read this story, answer the questions on the next page.

M¶nius Acªlius Glabriº sal–tem dªcit Lupº amªcº.quid agis, mª Lupe, in vªll¶ tu¶ r–stic¶? quid agit Helvidius,fªlius tuus?

quoti•ns d• t• tu¶que vªll¶ cºgitº, tibi vald• invideº; nam inurbe nusquam est ºtium, nusquam qui•s. ego quidem multªsnegºtiªs cotªdi• occup¶tus sum. prªm¶ hºr¶ ¶ clientibus meªssal–tor; inde ad basilicam vel c–riam contendº; aliquandºamªcºs vªsitº, vel ab eªs vªsitor; per tºtum diem officia prªv¶tavel p–blica agº. at t– intere¶ in rªp¶ fl–minis vel in umbr¶arboris ºtiºsus fortasse iac•s, et dum ego strepit– urbis vexor, t–carmine avium d•lect¶ris. sed satis quer•l¶rum!

Imper¶tor Domiti¶nus triumphum heri d• Germ¶nªs •git.pompa, per tºtam urbem prºgressa, ¶ multªs laud¶b¶tur, ¶nºnn–llªs d•rªd•b¶tur. aliª ‘spect¶culum splendidissimum!’cl¶m¶bant. ‘Imper¶tor noster, pater v•rus patriae, gent•sbarbar¶s iam super¶vit; Germ¶nª per vi¶s urbis iam in triumphºd–cuntur!’ aliª tamen ‘spect¶culum rªdiculum!’ susurr¶bant. ‘illªquª per vi¶s d–cuntur haudqu¶quam Germ¶nª sunt, sed servª, exprºvinci¶ Hisp¶ni¶ arcessªtª et vestªmenta Germ¶na gerent•s!’

litterae cotªdi• ¶ Britanni¶ exspectantur, ubi Agricola bellumcontr¶ Cal•doniºs gerit. Cal•doniª cr•duntur ferºcissimªomnium Britannºrum esse. d• Cal•doni¶ ips¶ omnªnº incertussum, mª Lupe. utrum pars est Britanniae an ªnsula s•i–ncta?

ad cºnsilium Imper¶tºris adesse saepe iubeor. invªtus p¶reº;quoti•ns enim sententiam meam ¶ Domiti¶nº rogor, difficile estmihi respond•re; turpe vid•tur mentªrª, perªculºsum v•ra loquª.nam iuss– istªus tyrannª multª bonª damn¶tª sunt.

audªvistªne umquam po•tam Valerium M¶rti¶lemrecitantem? ego quidem recit¶tiºnibus eius saepe adsum; t– sªeum audªveris, cert• d•lect¶beris. vers–s eius semper •legant•s,nºnnumquam scurrªl•s sunt. eum tamen ideº reprehendº, quodImper¶tºrem nimium adul¶tur.

quandº r–re disc•d•s, mª Lupe? quandº iterum t• in urbevid•bimus? cum prªmum ad urbem redieris, m• vªsit¶, quaesº;sª t• mox vªderº, vald• d•lect¶bor. val•.

sal–tem dªcit sends good wishesquid agis? how are you? how

are you getting on?invideº: invid•re envyºtium leisureofficia: officium dutyprªv¶ta: prªv¶tus privatequer•l¶rum: quer•la

complainttriumphum … •git:

triumphum agere celebratea triumph

d• Germ¶nªs over the Germans

patriae: patria country,homeland

litterae letters, correspondenceCal•doniºs: Cal•doniª Scotsutrum … est … an? is it … or?s•i–ncta: s•i–nctus separatecºnsilium councilturpe: turpis shamefulmentªrª lie, tell a lietyrannª: tyrannus tyrantrecit¶tiºnibus: recit¶tiº

recital, public readingnºnnumquam sometimesideº … quod for the reason

that, becausereprehendº: reprehendere

blame, criticiseadul¶tur: adul¶rª flatterr–re: r–s country, countrysidecum prªmum as soon asquaesº I beg, i.e. please

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3STAGE 35

QuestionsMarks

1 Who is writing this letter? To whom is it written? 12 Where is Lupus? 13 nam … qui•s (lines 4–5). What is Glabrio complaining about here? 14 In lines 6–9 (prªm¶ hºr¶ … p–blica agº) Glabrio explains why he is so busy

every day. Write down two of the reasons he gives. 25 at t– … d•lect¶ris (lines 9–11). How does Glabrio imagine that his friend is

spending his time? 36 What public event has just taken place in Rome? 17 What two different reactions did it get from the people (lines 13–14)? 28 ‘illª … haudqu¶quam Germ¶nª sunt’ (lines 17–18). If they were not

Germans, who did some people think they were? 29 What is going on in Britain (lines 20–1)? 1

10 What has Glabrio heard about the Scots? 111 What problem does Glabrio have about the geography of Scotland

(line 23)? 212 What order does Glabrio often receive (line 24)? 113 Why does he find it difficult to give the Emperor his opinion (line 26)? 214 vers–s eius … adul¶tur (lines 30–2). What is Glabrio’s opinion of the work

of the poet Martial? 315 What evidence is there in this letter to show that Glabrio and Lupus are

close friends? Make two points. 2____

TOTAL 25

dum ego strepit– urbis vexor, t– carmine avium d•lect¶ris.

4 STAGE 35

About the language 1: passive and deponent verbs

1 Study the following examples:

m¶ne ¶ clientibus meªs sal–tor.In the morning, I am greeted by my clients.

Imper¶tºrem d•rªsistª; sev•r• nunc p–nªris.You mocked the Emperor; now you are severely punished.

The words in bold type are passive forms of the 1st and 2nd persons singular.

2 Compare the active and passive forms of the 1st person singular in the followingthree tenses:

active passivepresent portº portor

I carry I am carried

future port¶bº port¶borI shall carry I shall be carried

imperfect port¶bam port¶barI was carrying I was being carried

Further examples:

a nunc ¶ cªvibus acc–sor; cr¶s laud¶bor.b ¶ medicº saepe vªsit¶bar, quod morbº gravª afflªg•bar.c doceor, invªt¶bor, trah•bar, terr•bor, impedi•bar, audior.

3 Compare the active and passive forms of the 2nd person singular:

active passivepresent port¶s port¶ris

you carry you are carried

future port¶bis port¶berisyou will carry you will be carried

imperfect port¶b¶s port¶b¶risyou were carrying you were being carried

Further examples:

a nºlª d•sp•r¶re! mox lªber¶beris.b heri in carcere retin•b¶ris; hodi• ab Imper¶tºre honºr¶ris.c audªris, rog¶beris, iub•b¶ris, mon•ris, trah•b¶ris, d•lect¶beris.

5STAGE 35

4 Compare the 1st and 2nd person singular forms of portº with those of thedeponent verb cºnor:

active passive deponentpresent portº portor cºnor

I carry I am carried I tryport¶s port¶ris cºn¶risyou carry you are carried you try

future port¶bº port¶bor cºn¶borI shall carry I shall be carried I shall tryport¶bis port¶beris cºn¶berisyou will carry you will be carried you will try

imperfect port¶bam port¶bar cºn¶barI was carrying I was being carried I was tryingport¶b¶s port¶b¶ris cºn¶b¶risyou were carrying you were being carried you were trying

Further examples of 1st and 2nd person singular forms of deponent verbs:

a cr¶s deam prec¶bor.b c–r domum meam ingredi•b¶ris?c hortor, hort¶ris, suspic¶bor, suspic¶beris, sequ•bar, sequ•b¶ris.

One of the most enjoyable times in the rural year – gathering the grapesfor wine-making and treading them to press out the juice (right).

6 STAGE 35

vªta r–sticaC. Helvidius Lupus sal–tem dªcit Acªliº Glabriºnª amªcº.cum epistulam tuam legerem, mª Glabriº, gaudium et dolºremsimul s•nsª. gaudiº enim affici•bar, quod tam di– epistulam ¶ t•exspect¶bam; dol•bam autem, quod t– tot labºribusopprim•b¶ris.

in epistul¶ tu¶ dªcis t• vald• occup¶tum esse. ego quoque,cum Rºmae essem, saepe negºtiªs vex¶bar; nunc tamen vªt¶r–stic¶ d•lector. aliquandº per agrºs meºs equitº; aliquandºfundum ªnspiciº. cr¶s in silvªs proximªs v•n¶bor; vªcªnª enimcr•dunt aprum ingentem ibi lat•re. nºn tamen omnªnº ºtiºsussum; nam sªcut t– ¶ clientibus tuªs sal–t¶ris atque vex¶ris, ita ego¶ colºnªs meªs assidu• vexor.

r•ct• dªcis Cal•doniºs omnium Britannºrum ferºcissimºsesse. amªcus meus Sil¶nus, quª cum Agricol¶ in Britanni¶ n–permªlit¶bat, dªcit Cal•doniºs in ultimªs partibus Britanniaehabit¶re, inter saxa et und¶s. quamquam Cal•doniª ferºcissim•pugn¶re solent, Sil¶nus affirmat exercitum nostrum eºs vincereposse. cr•dit enim Rºm¶nºs nºn modo multº fortiºr•s essequam Cal•doniºs, sed etiam ducem meliºrem hab•re.

d• po•t¶ M¶rti¶le t•cum cºnsentiº: inest in eº multumingenium, multa ars. ego v•rº ºlim versibus Ovidiª po•taemaxim• d•lect¶bar; nunc tamen mihi epigrammata M¶rti¶lismagis placent.

in epistul¶ tu¶ Helvidium, fªlium meum, commemor¶s. quemtamen r¶rissim• videº! nam in h¶c vªll¶ tr•s di•s m•cummor¶tus, ad urbem rediit; suspicor eum puellam aliquam in

dol•bam: dol•re grieve, be sad

v•n¶bor: v•n¶rª huntvªcªnª: vªcªnus neighboursªcut … ita just as … socolºnªs: colºnus tenant-farmerr•ct• rightly

affirmat: affirm¶re declare

v•rº indeedepigrammata: epigramma

epigram

aliquam: aliquª some

sªcut t– ¶ clientibus tuªssal–t¶ris atque vex¶ris, ita ego¶ colºnªs meªs assidu• vexor.

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7STAGE 35

urbe vªsit¶re. quªndecim iam annºs n¶tus est; nihil c–rat nisipuell¶s et quadrªg¶s. difficile autem est mihi eum culp¶re; namego quoque, cum iuvenis essem – sed satis n–g¶rum!

nunc t– mihi graviter admonendus es, mª Glabriº. in epistul¶tu¶ d• quºdam virº potentª male scrªbis, quem nºmin¶re nºlº.tibi cavendum est, mª amªce! perªculºsum est d• potentibus malescrªbere. virª potent•s celeriter ªr¶scuntur, lent• molliuntur. nisic¶veris, mª Glabriº, damn¶beris atque occªd•ris. sollicitus haecscrªbº; sal–s enim tua mihi magnae c–rae est. val•.

quadrªg¶s: quadrªga chariotn–g¶rum: n–gae nonsense,

foolish talkadmonendus es: admon•re

warn, advisemale badly, unfavourablynºmin¶re name, mention by

nameªr¶scuntur: ªr¶scª become angry

A country farmThis small farm (vªlla r–stica)at Boscoreale, near Pompeii,was buried by Vesuvius inAD 79. It was possible for thearchaeologists to trace theholes where the vines wereplanted and vines have nowbeen planted there again. Thewine was fermented in buriedjars (below), which were thencovered with lids to store it.

Farmers wererecommended to haveenough jars to store theirwine for up to five years, soas to sell at the time whenprices were highest.

The owner of this sort offarm would probably have letit out to a tenant (colºnus) torun.

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8 STAGE 35

About the language 2: indirect statement

1 In Book I, you met sentences like these:

‘merc¶tor multam pec–niam habet.’‘The merchant has a lot of money.’

In each example, a statement is being made. These examples are known as directstatements. Notice the nouns merc¶tor and servª and the verbs habet and parant.

2 In Stage 35, you have met sentences like these:

scªmus merc¶tºrem multam pec–niam hab•re.We know the merchant to have a lot of money.

Or, in more natural English:We know that the merchant has a lot of money.

cr•dº servºs cibum par¶re.I believe the slaves to be preparing the food.

Or, in more natural English:I believe that the slaves are preparing the food.

In each of these examples, the statement is not being made, but is being reported ormentioned. These examples are known as indirect statements. Notice that the nounsmerc¶tºrem and servºs are now in the accusative case, and the verbs hab•re and par¶reare now in the infinitive form.

3 Compare the following examples:

direct statements indirect statements‘captªvª dormiunt.’ centuriº dªcit captªvºs dormªre.‘The prisoners are asleep.’ The centurion says that the prisoners are asleep.

‘Lupus in vªll¶ r–stic¶ habitat.’ audiº Lupum in vªll¶ r–stic¶ habit¶re.‘Lupus is living in his country villa.’ I hear that Lupus is living in his country villa.

4 Further examples of direct and indirect statements:

a ‘host•s appropinquant.’b n–ntius dªcit host•s appropinqu¶re.c ‘Agricola bellum in Cal•doni¶ gerit.’d audiº Agricolam bellum in Cal•doni¶ gerere.e rh•tor affirmat fªlium meum dªligenter labºr¶re.f dominus cr•dit fugitªvºs in silv¶ lat•re.g scªmus mªlit•s nostrºs semper fortiter pugn¶re.h dªcisne patrºnum tuum esse virum lªber¶lem?

‘servª cibum parant.’‘The slaves are preparing the food.’

9STAGE 35

Word patterns: compounds of faciº, capiº and iaciº

1 Study the following pairs of verbs and note how faciº, capiº and iaciº changewhen a preposition or prefix such as per or re- is put in front of them.

faciº facere f•cª factus make, doperficiº perficere perf•cª perfectus finish

capiº capere c•pª captus takerecipiº recipere rec•pª receptus take back, recover

iaciº iacere i•cª iactus throw•icio •icere •i•cª •iectus throw out

2 Using paragraph 1 as a guide, complete the table below.

d•iciº . . . . . . . . . . d•i•cª . . . . . . . . . . throw down. . . . . . . . . . afficere aff•cª . . . . . . . . . . affectsuscipiº . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susceptus undertakeiniciº . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 Using the paragraphs above, find the Latin for:

to recover; I am undertaking; I have finished; having been thrown down.

4 The following verbs have occurred in checklists:

efficiº, incipiº, coniciº.

Using the table in paragraph 1, can you write out their four parts and give theirmeanings?

Tenants bringinggifts to the villaowner.

10 STAGE 35

Practising the language

1 Complete each sentence with the most suitable verb from the box below, using thecorrect form of the future tense. Then translate the sentence. Do not use any verbmore than once.

terr•bit reficiet dabit pugn¶bit d–cetterr•bunt reficient dabunt pugn¶bunt d–cent

a hª fabrª sunt perªtissimª; n¶vem tuam celeriter . . . . . . . . . . .b cr¶s dominus lªbert¶tem duºbus servªs . . . . . . . . . . .c leºn•s, quª ferºciºr•s sunt quam c•terae b•stiae, spect¶tºr•s fortasse . . . . . . . . . . .d sª templum vªsit¶re vªs, hic servus t• ill–c . . . . . . . . . . .e fr¶ter meus, gladi¶tor nºtissimus, cr¶s in amphithe¶trº . . . . . . . . . . .

2 Turn each of the following pairs into one sentence by replacing the word in boldtype with the correct form of the relative pronoun quª, quae, quod. Use paragraph 1on p. 113 to help you. Then translate the sentence.

For example: prº templº erant duo virª. virºs statim agnºvª.This becomes: prº templº erant duo virª, quºs statim agnºvª.

In front of the temple were two men, whom I recognised at once.

a in fundº nostrº sunt vªgintª servª. servª in agrªs cotªdi• labºrant.b in h¶c vªll¶ habitat lªbertus. lªbertum vªsit¶re volº.c prope i¶nuam st¶bat f•mina. f•minae epistulam tr¶didª.d audª illam puellam! puella su¶viter cantat.e in vi¶ erant multª puerª. puerºrum cl¶mºr•s senem vex¶bant.f vªdistªne templum? templum n–per aedific¶tum est.

3 Select the participle which agrees with the noun in bold type. Then translate thesentence.

a hospit•s, dºna pretiºsissima . . . . . . . . . ., ad vªllam prªncipis contend•bant.(ferent•s, ferentia)

b vers–s po•tae, in forº . . . . . . . . . ., ab omnibus audªtª erant. (recitantis,recitantium)

c pec–ni¶ . . . . . . . . . ., f–r in silvam cucurrit. (rapt¶, raptº, raptªs)d sacerdºtibus, • templº . . . . . . . . . ., victim¶s ostendimus. (•gressºs, •gressªs)e n¶v•s, in lªtore . . . . . . . . . ., ªnspicere vol•bam. (ªnstr–cta, ªnstr–ctae, ªnstr–ct¶s)f puer, canem . . . . . . . . . ., arborem quam celerrim• cºnscendit. (cºnspic¶tus,

cºnspic¶ta, cºnspic¶tum)g f•minae mªlit•s vªd•runt captªvum . . . . . . . . . .. (pulsantem, puls¶tºs, puls¶t–rºs)h puella nesci•bat c–r pater ancillam . . . . . . . . . . esset. (p–nªt–rus, p–nªt–ra,

p–nªt–ram)

11STAGE 35

Country villasMany wealthy Romans, like Lupus on pp. 2–7, owned both atown house in Rome and at least one villa in the country. Therethey could escape from the noise and heat of the city, especiallyduring the unhealthy months of late summer, and relax from thepressures of private business and public duties.

Some of these country houses were fairly close to Rome; theirowners could get a day’s work done in the city and then travelout to their villa before nightfall. The villas were generally eitheron the coast, like Pliny’s villa at Laurentum, or on the hillsaround Rome, for example at Tibur, where the Emperor Hadrianowned the most spectacular mansion of all, surrounded byspecially constructed imitations of buildings that had impressedhim on his travels.

An emperor’svillaHadrian’s villa near Tibur, 19miles from Rome: a vast,sprawling complex covering300 acres (120 hectares). Thephotograph of the modelshows only part of it.

There were two theatresand three bath buildings;huge state rooms contrastedwith more homely quartersfor the emperor’s private use.He loved to enjoy thelandscape. A terrace (top,foreground) has views over avalley he called the Vale ofTempe after a famous Greekbeauty spot. An outdoordining-room (below) looksover a canal which may haverecalled the Canopus atAlexandria.

12 STAGE 35

Other country villas were further afield. A popular area wasCampania; the coastline of the bay of Naples was dotted withthe villas of wealthy men, while holiday resorts such as Baiaehad a reputation for fast living and immorality.

Country villas naturally varied in design, but they usuallycontained some or all of the following features: a series of diningand reception rooms for entertaining guests, often withextensive views of the surrounding countryside; a set of baths,heated by hypocausts, containing the full range of apodyterium,tepidarium, caldarium and frigidarium; long colonnades wherethe owner and his friends might walk, or even ride, shelteredfrom the rain or from the direct heat of the sun; and extensiveparkland, farmland or gardens, preferably with plenty of shadeand running water. In a corner of the estate there might be asmall shrine, dedicated to the protecting gods.

Pliny’s letters include descriptions of two of his villas.Although detailed, the descriptions are not always clear, andmany scholars have tried to reconstruct the plans of the villas,without reaching agreement. An attempt at the plan of Pliny’sLaurentine villa is shown below, together with a model based onthe plan. Among the villa’s special features were the heatedswimming-pool (10), the big semi-circular recess at the end ofthe chief dining-room (4), designed to provide the dinner guestswith an impressive panorama of the sea, and the coveredcolonnade (12) leading to Pliny’s private suite (14). This suite

1 atrium2 courtyard3 inner courtyard4 dining-room5 bedrooms6 slaves’ rooms7 tepidarium

8 apodyterium9 caldarium

10 heated swimming-pool11 ornamental garden with vine pergola12 covered colonnade13 terrace14 Pliny’s private suite

Pliny’s villa at Laurentum

13STAGE 35

was Pliny’s own addition to the building, and it provided himwith quiet and privacy; at the noisy mid-winter festival of theSaturnalia, for example, Pliny could retire to his suite while hisslaves enjoyed themselves in the main villa, so that he did notget in the way of their celebrations and they did not disturb hispeace.

Country pursuits

One of the most popular recreations for a wealthy Roman on hiscountry estate was hunting. Hares, deer or wild boar weretracked down and chased into nets where they could be spearedto death. Long ropes, to which brightly coloured feathers wereattached, were slung from trees to cut off the animal’s retreatand frighten it back towards the nets. The actual chasing wasoften left to slaves and dogs, while the hunter contented himselfwith waiting at the nets and spearing the boar or deer when ithad become thoroughly entangled. Pliny, for example, inreporting a successful expedition on which he caught threeboars, says that he took his stilus and writing-tablets with him tothe hunt and jotted down ideas under the inspiration of thewoodland scene whilehe waited for the boarsto appear. But althoughPliny’s description ofhunting is a verypeaceful one, the sportstill had its dangers: acornered boar mightturn on its pursuers, anda hunter who was slowwith his spear might begashed severely, evenfatally.

The hunter (bottom left) has beengored by the cornered

boar.

14 STAGE 35

Fishing also seems to have been popular, and could easily becombined with rowing or sailing, either on the sea (in the bay ofNaples, for example) or on such lakes as the Lucrine lake,famous for its fish and its oysters. A lazier method of fishing isdescribed by Martial, who refers to a villa with a bedroomdirectly overlooking the sea, so that the occupant could drop afishing-line from the window and catch a fish without evengetting out of bed.

Some of Pliny’s letters describe his daily routine at hiscountry villas. He spent most of his time in gentle exercise(walking, riding or occasionally hunting), working on a speechor other piece of writing, dealing with his tenant-farmers(colºnª), entertaining friends, dining, or listening to a reading orto music. He often spent part of the afternoon reading a Greek orLatin speech aloud ‘for the sake of both voice and digestion’.(Pliny often spoke in the law courts and the senate, and he wasnaturally anxious to keep his voice in good trim.)

The economy of the villa

A country villa of this kind, however, was not just for holidayrelaxation: it was an important investment. Often there was afarm attached to the house, and the property would usually

People with fishing rods (left andcentre) in a Pompeian painting of aseaside villa.

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include an extensive area of land which the ownermight farm himself or lease to tenant-farmers. Inthe ancient world, by far the commonest way ofinvesting money was to buy land. It is notsurprising that many of Pliny’s letters deal with theday-to-day problems of land management. Heagonises over whether to buy a neighbouring pieceof land, fertile and conveniently situated but longneglected; he asks the emperor to excuse him fromRome so that he can be on one of his estates at atime when the tenancy is changing hands; andwhen his tenants get into difficulties and areheavily in debt, he arranges for them to pay their rent with partof their crops rather than in cash. He likes to present himself asan ignorant amateur with no interest in the running of his villas,but some of his comments give the impression that he was in factenthusiastic, practical and shrewd. One of his villas brought himan income of 400,000 sesterces a year. If you compare this withthe annual pay of a centurion – about 6,000 sesterces a year – andremember that Pliny owned other villas and property, you cansee that he was a very successful landowner.

Tenants paying their rent.

What countryactivities can youfind in this picture?

16 STAGE 35

A grand country villa,with symmetrical

wings and a formalgarden in front. A

painting in Pompeii.

Vocabulary checklist 35

ager, agrª fieldan or

utrum … an whether … orcarmen, carminis songcaveº, cav•re, c¶vª bewareculpº, culp¶re, culp¶vª blameinde thenmagis moremale badly, unfavourablymoror, mor¶rª, mor¶tus sum delaymultº muchnusquam nowherequandº? when?quidem indeedquoti•ns wheneverr–s, r–ris country, countrysidesimul at the same time