Latin literature IV: Lyric Posted by leire on Mar 20, 2012
Lyric This poetic genre includes diverse forms and themes. Most of the times the common subjects are about the private sphere of human beings, in contrast to the epic in which the subject is marked by a public or social man. Lyric was the poetry played on the lyre, hence its name, and it was…
Latin literature III: Epic Posted by leire on Mar 13, 2012
Epic The epic was born in Greece at a time that is lost in the mists of time. The world it evokes and recalls the Iliad and the Odyssey is the Mycenaean world, but the poems, as have reached us, were written many centuries later, about 8th century BC. They are the first literary works…
Latin literature II Posted by leire on Feb 29, 2012
Literary genres Classical literature was divided into various literary genres, which remain to these days. However, the scope of this concept has changed: in Greece and Rome genres had a clear formal distinction, no one could write a play with dactylic hexameter verses. The formal distinction between genders was sharp and did not affect only…
Latin literature I Posted by leire on Feb 28, 2012
Literature is one of the great achievements of the classical world, and it still survives with great vigor. Giving the written word an aesthetic value is something that had happened before, but not with the intensity and importance that it acquired during classical antiquity. A crucial aspect of the character of the Roman world was…
Latin Numerals Posted by leire on Feb 25, 2012
The cardinal numerals The cardinal numerals express the number or quantity. Most of the cardinal did not decline, the only ones that were declined are: UNO Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative unus una unum Accusative unum unam unum Genitive unius Dative uni Ablative uno una uno DOS Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative duo duae duo…
Latin Adjectives II Posted by leire on Feb 19, 2012
DEGREES OF SIGNIFICANCE Comparative degree The systematic degrees of comparison are: inferiority, equality and superiority. The comparison of inferiority and equality is made with an adverb that modifies the adjective in positive degree and the second term (which will be in the same case as the first) introduced by quam. Titus minus doctus quam…
Latin Adjectives I Posted by leire on Feb 16, 2012
1st GROUP They are declined using the ends of the first and second declensions. Using the second declension for masculine and neuter, and the first for feminine. Singular Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative -us, -er -a -um -i -ae -a Vocative -e, -er -a -um -i -ae -a Accusative -um…