The Walls of Pompeii / February 7, 2017 by Anthony Gibbins

The city of Pompeii, that which is contained within its walls, measures approximately 66 hectares. It was enclosed by a 3.2 kilometer or 2 mile wall. The city could be entered or departed through seven gates, five of which led to other towns in the Campania region. The porta gate shown in this photo is the Porta Marina, the gate closest to the Forum and that which led to the town’s harbor. Fishing and maritime trade were important aspects of the Roman economy, and sailors, merchants and visitors would have passed through this gate daily. It is interesting that, despite the huge changes that took place in Pompeii between its birth and its destruction in 79 AD, the circuit of the town walls on their present line dates back to the sixth century BC.

And there are sharp differences of opinion about how the area within the walls was used in the sixth century BCE. One view holds that it was mostly enclosed farmland, and that our [archaeological] finds come from isolated agricultural buildings or cottages or rural sanctuaries. A more recent and rival position sees a much more developed urban framework, even at this early date. This does not mean that sixth-century Pompeii was a densely occupied town in our sense. In fact, even in 79 CE there was plenty of open, cultivated land within the circuit of the walls. Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town, Mary Beard, 2008

Today I arrived at Pompeii so early that the sun was not yet in the sky. The entire town is surrounded by tall walls. I entered through one of the gates.

The Lego model of Pompeii is housed in the Nicholson Museum of The University of Sydney, Australia. Entry to the museum is entirely free, and you may visit Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 4:30. The Nicholson is Australia’s oldest University museum and contains the largest collection of antiquities in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Pompeii model was commissioned by the Nicholson and constructed by LEGO Professional Builder Ryan McNaught. It is the third such model the museum has exhibited, following the Colosseum and Acropolis. The Colosseum was returned to McNaught and recently exhibited around Australia. The Acropolis was denoted by the Nicholson to the Acropolis Museum in Athens. The Pompeii model is estimated to include 190 000 bricks and took 420 hours to complete.

the view from on high / February 6, 2017 by Anthony Gibbins

If you are planning on reading the entirety of Claudia’s Pompeii visit (and I certainly hope that you are), the view from the plane may help you orientate yourself. In the very top left corner can be seen the Temple of Jupiter, the first major monument Claudia visits in the Forum. Down from that, with the open roof surrounded by four colonnades, is the Eumachia Building, about which we will have more to say. Unmissable with its checked tiles is the bath complex, which would not have been quite so open to the sky, and down from there is the theatre, in which Claudia will watch a play. In the bottom right hand corner, you can see a public swimming pool. To the right of this, but sadly out of picture, was the amphitheatre, in which the Pompeiians watched gladiator bouts and animal hunts. If you compare the model against a ground plan of Pompeii you will find that, despite some necessary liberties having been taken, the model is true to the layout of the ancient town.

Yesterday I arrived in Italy. Flying above Pompeii in an airplane, I was able to look down upon the entire most beautiful town.

If you are well, it is well. / February 5, 2017 by Anthony Gibbins

Claudia’s letter to Miranda begins in the fashion of traditional Roman letter writing. Notice that the opening salutation occurs in the third person. Claudia suae Mirandae salutem dat Claudia gives greetings to her Miranda. This is modelled directly on Seneca’s letters to his student, Lucilius; Seneca Lucilio suo salutem. The formula was so, well, formulaic, that the final verb, dat, could even be dropped without any confusion. Indeed, the entire thing could be abbreviated to sal. or s.d.

Seneca begins one letter to Lucilius with a reference to an old and apparently discontinued nicety;

The old Romans had a custom which survived even into my lifetime. They would add to the opening words of a letter: ‘If you are well, it is well; I also am well.’

In Latin this is si vales, bene est; ego valeo. Claudia begins her letter si vales, bene est If you are well, it is well. And then dives straight into the topic of her letter.

Claudia gives greetings to her Miranda. If you are well, it is well. Today I visited Pompeii. It was a marvel! Now I should like to tell you everything.

the (Roman) art of letter writing / February 4, 2017 by Anthony Gibbins

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that there is nothing new under the sun. Despite this, Roman literature is often criticised for its reliance on preexisting Greek examples. Even the masterpiece that is Virgil’s Aeneid has suffered from comparison:

Virgil seems to have copied Greek models completely, imitating them slavishly and lifelessly, and so they appear as plagiarisms more or less devoid of spirit. (Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, 1770-1831)

The late 1st Century Roman rhetorician, Quintilian, wrote satura nostra tota est Satire is ours alone, claiming it as an (only) original Roman genre. But there is another contender for Roman Literary Creation. Consider the following;

Not Satire, however, whose genealogical credentials are rather mixed, but letters, genuine correspondence, other people’s mail, are the major contribution of Latin speakers to the development of the literary genres. (Cecelia A. E. Luschnig, Latin Letters: Reading Roman Correspondence, 2006)

So, as Miranda settles down to read Claudia’s epistula, here are three extracts, each from one of Rome’s great letter writers;

And as for you, who have so often relieved my anxiety and depression by your talk and advice, who are my constant ally in public affairs, my confidant in private, my partner in every conversation and project, where on earth are you? For my spectacular put-on friendships with the great, though they are not without glamour in the world at large, give me no enjoyment in private. Thus when my house is well filled with callers in the morning, and I go down to the Forum surrounded by troops of friends, I cannot find in all that crowd a single soul with whom I can exchange an unguarded joke or an intimate grumble. Cicero

I am delighted, and I send my congratulations on your decision to wed your daughter to Fuscus Salinator. He comes from a patrician family, his father is a most honourable man, and his mother merits equal praise. The young man himself is devoted to his books and to literature, and is also an eloquent speaker. He has a child’s openness, a young man’s affability, and an elder’s dignity. It remains for him with all speed to make you a grandfather of children like himself. Pliny

Wherever I turn, I see evidence of my advancing years. I visited lately my country place, and protested against the money which was being spent on the building. My bailiff maintained that the flaws were not his fault, ‘but the house was old’. And this the house that grew by my own hands! What has the future in store for me, if stones my own age are already crumbling? I was angry, and I embraced the first opportunity to vent my spleen. ‘It is clear,’ I cried, ‘that these plane-trees are neglected; they have no leaves. Their branches are so gnarled and shriveled.’ The bailiff swore that he was doing everything possible, but those trees were old. Between you and me, I had planted those trees myself! Seneca

Miranda carries the letter to her chair. She sits down and begins to read. The letter was written by her amica, Claudia. Miranda smiles.

How the Dative Case got its Name / February 3, 2017 by Anthony Gibbins

Today’s page contains a clear and straightforward example of the Dative Case - doing the very thing that gives it its name. Let’s take the opportunity to have a closer look.

Imagine an alternate Legonium universe in which Marcellus did NOT misplace his envelope on the way to see the bank manager. He reaches into his pocket and pulls it out. Marcellus, in this alternative tale, is now holding (tenet) the envelope. Marcellus involucrum tenet. Marcellus is the Subject of the Verb (he is holding), and so Marcellus is written in the Nominative Case. The envelope is the Object of the Verb (it is being held), and so involucrum is written in the Accusative Case. All good.

Now he wants to give the envelope to the bank manager. Marcellus gives the envelope to Augustus. The Verb he gives is dat. Marcellus is the Subject of dat (he is giving) and involucrum is the Object (it is being given). Marcellus involucrum dat. But where does Augustus fit into this sentence? Marcellus is giving the envelope to Augustus. Latin has a special Case for just this circumstance, and it takes its very name from the verb dat. It is the Dative Case. Augustus in the Dative Case is written Augusto. And so our final sentence would be Marcellus involucrum Augusto dat Marcellus gives the envelope to Augustus.

tradit hands over is a Verb closely related to dat. Read the final sentence of today’s page; The postman hands over a letter to Miranda tabellarius epistulam Mirandae tradit. tabellarius is in the Nominative Case, epistulam in the Accusative, and Mirandae in the Dative. Too easy.

Now the Dative Case would be of limited use if that was all it was good for. Luckily it has spread its domain; it can be also be used to tell something to someone, show something to someone and do something for someone. Let’s imagine what might happen when Claudia returns from Pompeii.

Claudia donum Mirandae dat. Claudia gives a present to Miranda.

Claudia fabulam Mirandae narrat. Claudia tells a story to Miranda.

Claudia picturam Mirandae ostendit. Claudia shows a picture to Miranda.

Miranda cenam Claudiae parat. Miranda prepares dinner for Claudia.

Soon someone knocks on the door. Miranda hurries to the door and opens it. The postman is here! The postman hands over a letter to Miranda.

all you need to know before reading episode 7 / February 2, 2017 by Anthony Gibbins

Not all that much, really. There will be a full refresher before episode eight, but for now you need know only a couple of things;

Firstly, as our episode opens, Miranda, a police officer, is sitting in her apartment anxiously contemplating the events of the previous day. For, having spotted a woman (known to us as Jessica) carrying a suitcase and climbing down the side of a building, she allowed said individual to escape before properly questioning her about her activities.

Secondly, Claudia, who has a keen interest in all things ancient, and in Roman ruins in particular, has left for a trip to Pompeii. Departing, she promised Miranda a letter. Miranda’s contemplations are disturbed by a knock at the door. *spoiler* It’s the postman.

Hello reader. Today Miranda is sitting in a chair at home thinking about the previous day. She is anxious on-account-of (propter) the woman who fled yesterday.

the end of episode 6 / January 29, 2017 by Anthony Gibbins

Thank you for following (and hopefully enjoying) another Episode of Legonium. Marcellus has the suitcase and Jessica knows about it. How will things play out from here? But first, I am looking forward to posting Episode Seven on February 1st, in which Claudia spends a day in Pompeii. We will follow Claudia as she visits a number of the city’s key sites, and I will be posting a little about these too. Expect a number of extracts from Mary Beard’s wonderful book, Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town. See you in the ruins!

Now you know how the suitcase was placed in the dumpster. Soon I will return to read to you a letter written by Claudia. Goodbye!

cum, quom and why the republic belongs to the people / January 28, 2017 by Anthony Gibbins

One the difficulties that meets the Latin learner is the wide range of meanings that appear to be attached to a single word. One of the great offenders, for sake of an example, is the Noun res, rei f a thing, object, matter, affair, circumstance, the world, the universe, nature, the real thing, fact, truth, reality, possessions, property, wealth, interest, advantage, benefit, cause, ground, reason, a matter of business, an affair, a lawsuit, cause, action. And these are just the meanings offered by The Cassell’s Latin Dictionary; the list is the Oxford is even longer.

And while we are discussing res, here is an interesting piece of etymology. It is res modified by the Adjective publicus belonging to the people that gave the Romans their res publica which in turn gave us our republic. But I digress…

There is often confusion about the two very different uses of the word cum (pronounced coom). The first is the preposition which means with, for example Claudia cum Marcello ambulabat Claudia was walking with Marcellus. The second is the Conjunction meaning when, for example cum Claudia cum Marcello ambularet, Mirandam vidit When Claudia was walking with Marcellus, she saw Miranda.

What can be helpful to understand is that this is NOT a word with disparate meanings, but two completely different words that just happen to be written (and spoken) the same way. We know this to be a fact, because the Conjunction when was once spelt quom. quom Claudia cum Marcello ambularet, Mirandam vidit When Claudia was walking with Marcellus, she saw Miranda.

You may also have noticed that cum when seems to be followed by a Verb in the Subjunctive Mood. More on that some other time.

But when she had returned, she found that this man, not yet known to her, had the suitcase. She sighed and retreated (literally: carried back her foot) to consider this with herself.