pars interior

I love the attention to detail in these Lego modulars, and I want to showcase them as best as possible in my stories and illustrations. The attic room at the top of the Parisian Restaurant has a fold down wall that allows the artist's workplace to be seen. Note the stove that backs onto the chimney and the rack for storing completed paintings. I wanted the reader to be able to imagine this as a liveable space, so I invented a tiny sleeping area that is just out of sight, behind the entrance way.

I was reading this story yesterday with a group of seniors who have just completed their trial examinations. One of them responded immediately to the use of the supine - mirabile dictu - by saying that it was 'very Virgilian'. I hadn't thought of it that way, but I pleased that he did.

This - miraculous to see - is the interior part. You are able to see the stove, flowers and two pictures. You are not able to see the sleeping room.

usque ad cenaculum

The journey of Marcellus to his attic apartment is complete. Now we are asked if we want to see inside.

I was reading pars secunda of this story with my Form III class yesterday, and one of them commented after reading yet another question - 'This book is very interactive'. I smiled to hear that.

This might be the best shot we've had so far of the other neighbouring building. I wonder what goes on there!

Finally he climbs more steps all the way to the cenaculum. His home, as I said, is small. Do you wish to the the interior part (inside)?

in maeniano

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I first encountered the word maenianum at Rusticatio. Rusticatio is a one week full Latin emersion held annually in West Virginia. Living in the beautiful Claymont Mansion, participants eat, drink, laugh, play, work, cook, learn, teach and tell stories entirely in Latin. And the best place for telling and hearing stories is, sine dubio, the maenianum. After the sun goes down, and the glow bugs begin to circle the trees, participants drag up a chair and a glass of wine to listen to and enjoy the sharing of tales, Latine tantum.

In our story nemo alius is on the balcony as Marcellus crosses it. At Rusticatio it seems that there is always someone on the balcony, ready to hear a tale or to tell one.

And for those of you still new to Latin, note that elegant ablative of time when, hoc tempore. Its almost as beautiful as the flowers hanging from the lamp posts. ;)

Then Marcellus walks across the balcony. At this time no one else is on the balcony.

pars cauponae

One of the challenges of beginning a new story is world building. Legonium is a very small town, but it  is important to me that readers have a sense of place as the characters move around within it. The long journey from the street to the cenaculum gives the reader a chance to learn the 'geography' of the restaurant building.

Firstly, Marcellus climb the stairs to the balcony. The balcony is part of the restaurant.

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cenaculum

When I went looking for a word to describe Marcellus' small home at the top of the building, I remembered that Quintus and Flaccus had rented this type of room in Rome in Chapter 18 of the Oxford Latin Course. The line is ibi erat cenaculum, parvum et sordidum. The definition in the margin defines cenaculum as garret or attic room. The Oxford Latin Dictionary adds that they were often let as lodgings.

The Cassell's Latin Dictionary says that a cenaculum literally means 'an eating room', of the same family as cena, dinner and cenare, to dine. And as the 'eating room' was commonly at the top of the building, it came to mean 'the upper story of a house' or 'attic'.

This is the reason that I decided to go with the passive verb vocatur, is called, rather than the more direct est, is.

Perhaps you are asking what a cenaculum is. A small room situated on the top floor of a building is called a cenaculum.

-ne nonne num

Some questions begin with a question word, such as quis, cur, quo modo or ubi. But questions asked to simply confirm whether or not something is a fact have their own elegant set of rules in Latin. 

You can simply indicate a question with the tone of your voice or, in a modern punctuation system, with a question mark. But to very clear, you can add an enclitic -ne to the first word in the question (often a verb). For example. Marcellus in caupona habitat. Marcellus lives in the restaurant.  habitatne Marcellus in caupona? Does Marcellus live in the restaurant?

If I have an opinion as to what I think the answer of my question should or will be, I can indicate that by adding nonne or num to my question. For example. nonne Marcellus in caupona habitat? Marcellus does live in a restaurant, doesn't he? num Marcellus in caupona habitat? Marcellus doesn't live in a restaurant, does he?

Surely Marcellus does't live in a restaurant? No, not at all! The restaurant is situated on the ground floor. Our Marcellus lives in the cenaculum.

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aedificium pulcherrimum

This is the official Lego product image of Parisian Restaurant (Set No. 10243-1). This was the first modular set I ever saw being built - at my friend Will's house. It was also the first modular set I bought. It was Will who described this as the 'perfect modular'.

Talking about tabulata and the maenianum reminds me of Rusticatio and brings a smile to my face. If you don't know about the wonderful Rusticatio program, I highly recommend you look into it. If you have any opportunity of going (and you know some Latin) it is a life changing experience.

This is the building in which Marcellus lives. It has three floors. On the second floor there is a balcony.

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ambulans

Not too much to say here. Marcellus is crossing the modular boundary from the Brick Bank to the Parisian Restaurant. You can just make out the menu on the left side of the screen. I have a friend who describes the Parisian Restaurant as the 'perfect modular'. In that case, its probably not inappropriate to use the superlative pulcherrimum.

Marcellus is walking home. The home of Marcellus is situated in this street. Marcellus lives in a very beautiful building.