Latin Letters Project

Usually our views of antiquity are shaped by the surviving literature of the members
of society who were highly literate. However, thanks to discoveries of papyri from
Egypt and elsewhere, we have recovered every-day documents like letters
(epistulae) between family members. Unlike the Latin of literature, the Latin of
these documents is more fluid and more closely resembles Latin as it was spoken
throughout the Roman empire during the first two centuries A.D. In this assignment,
youll encounter this Latin largely as is with some adaptation.
In the first section, well read as a class a letter recovered from Egypt dating to the
second century A.D. In the second section, youll read and translate two short letters.
For the third section, youll write your own letter in Latin based on the style and
conventions of the letters youve read. Youre free to choose whoever you want as
the letters recipient (Chuck Norris, Julius Caesar, etc.), but please try to use the
vocabulary and grammatical constructions you already know to keep things simple.
Some of you tried to say things you didnt have enough Latin to properly say last
time, so this time use the wealth of vocab you have encountered already at this
point. The letter should be approximately 70-100 words.
In order to receive full points on your composition, please use:
5 perfect tense verbs
1 deponent verb
1 passive verb
1 ablative of time
You can work with other people on this project for help with vocabulary and
declensions, BUT YOUR TRANSLATIONS AND COMPOSITIONS MUST BE YOUR
OWN.
This project is due December 1. It will count as an exam grade
I. Pars Prima
The Address on the envelope: Claudio Tiberiano a Papirio
The Letter: Papirius Claudio Tiberiano salutem. ante omnia opto te ualere, ualeo ego
quoque. osculationem tua gratia facio cottidie apud dominum Sarapim.
Scripsisti mihi. Dicis quod Gaius vendidit aliquid. Rogo te igitur, frater, doce quid
vendidit et rescribe mihi. Et de Sexto audiui quod obivit. Suscitare igitur quis illius
heres est et quando testamentum illius aperitur.
Saluta Zoticen et Cephalona et illius omnes et Ptolemaeum. Salutat vos Papiria et
Hermes et Menuthos et Serapias.

Vocab Help
opto, optare, optavi, optatus=hope
osculatio, osculationis=kiss (in this case, a kiss bestowed on an icon of Serapis)
tua gratia=on your behalf
cottidie=daily
Sarapim= acc. of Sarapis. This is the Egyptian god Serapis.
vendo, vendere, vendidi, venditus=buy
obeo, obire, obiui, obitus=die
suscitor, suscitari, suscitatus=find out
heres=heir
quando=when
testamentum, testamenti=will
II. Pars Secunda: Translate
1. Friend Drama
Rustius Barbarus Pompeio fratri salutem. Opto te bene valere quod mihi in votis est.
Cur mihi tam invidiose scribis, aut tam levem me arbitraris. Si tam cito viridia mihi
non mittis, statim amicitiam tuam obliuisci debeo. Non sum talis aut tam levis. Ego
te non tamquam amicum habeo, sed tamquam fratrem gemellum, qui de uno ventre
exivit.
Vocab Help
quod mihi in votis est=which is in my prayers
invidiose=hatefully
levis, levis=fickle, faint-hearted, unreliable
viridia=the green stuff. Its not certain what exactly this is referring to.
talis=n. m. sing. such a person. In this context, Im not like that
tamquam=like
gemellus/a/um=twin
qui=who
venter, ventris=womb
2. Tabitha (Tabetheus) expresses joy her brother Claudius has come to
Alexandria and reports on the family
Tabetheus Claudio Tiberiano fratri plurimam salutem.
Comperi quod venisti ad Alexandriam. Nimis laeta sum cum meis omnibus. Rescribe
mihi quod mox advenies ad nos, quia filius exspectavit te, a quo fugisti ad hunc diem.
Cottidie exspectamus te cum pueris. quare te rogo venire mox ad nos. Osculationes
tibi dabimus, si venies. Filia tua Segathios paret mihi. Prudens est.

plurimus/a/um=much (here it just intensifies the greeting, e.g. My dearest brother

Claudius Tiberianus...)
comperio, comperire, comperi, comperitus=learn, find out
laetus/a/um=happy
exspecto, exspectare, exspectavi, exspectatus=expect
a quo=from when
quare=consequently
pareo, parere=obey+dative
3. Julius Apollinarius announces his promotion to army scribe to his father
Julius Sabinus
Iulius Apollinarius Iulio Sabino patri plurimam salutem. Ante omnia opto te saluere,
quod mihi in votis est, quia veneror te secundum deos.
Illud vero turbavit quod non iam mihi rescripsisti de salute tua. Sed tamen pro
necessario habe ante omnia scribere mihi de salute vestra. Saepe rogavi Longinum,
qui hanc epistulam tibi adfert: Porta patri aliquid. Sed noluit...Et Claudio Severo
dixi, Fac me librarium tuum. Dixit Locus non vacat. Te librarium exercitus faciam.
Deveni igitur a Severo ad librarium.
Si me amas, statim operam dabis. Scribe mihi de salute tua et mitte epistulam per
Sempronium. Operam dabo statim ut inceperit dux dare commeatum statim venire
ad vos. Salutat te Volusius Proclus, Longinus Paccius, Valerius Sempronius, et
contubernales. Saluta Iuliam dominam meam sororem. Anno X Traiani (=108 A.D.).
Vocab Help
veneror, venerari, veneratus=revere, honor
secundum=after
turbo, turbare, turbavi, turbatus=bother
pro necessario habeo+infinitive=make it a priority+infinitive
saepe=often
librarius, librarii=scribe
locus non vacat=I dont have an opening
devenio, devenire, deveni, devenitus=become +ad what you become
ut inceperit dux dare commeatum+infinitive=that my commander grants me leave
+infinitive
contubernales=bunk mates
III. Pars Tertia
For this part, youll write your own letter in Latin based on the style and
conventions of the letters youve read. Youre free to choose whoever you want as
the letters recipient (Chuck Norris, Julius Caesar, etc.), but please try to use the
vocabulary and grammatical constructions you already know. Some of you tried to
say things you didnt have enough Latin to properly say last time, so this time use

the wealth of vocab you have encountered already at this point. The letter should
be approximately 70-100 words.
In order to receive full points on your composition, please use:
5 perfect tense verbs
1 deponent verb
1 passive verb
1 ablative of time