The End of April /  by Anthony Gibbins

salvete amici amicaeque. I do hope that this message finds you well. Thank you, once again, for the support that has been shown Legonium, especially throughout April. Next month (i.e. tomorrow) will see the release of Legonium pars decima, which has a slightly different feel to what has come before. As Miranda questions Jessica, we learn a little of Jessica’s history, and find that there is more to the suitcase than a whole lot of cash. And for those of you with an interest in the Lego Modular Series, you will see a little more of the most recent set, the impressive Assembly Square.

Speaking of Assembly Square, it now features in the beginning of pars prima. Check it out! I have retaken a few of the photographs from episodes one and two that I was never really happy with. I haven’t made any change to the text, however - Han still shoots first! 

Meanwhile, I have been thinking a good deal about the future of Legonium. Episodes one to twelve will conclude the story of the suitcase, which I will call Season One. I have plans for what will probably be a three-part love story exploring the history of two Legonium characters, but that will not begin until later in the year. Season Two will hopefully follow that, whenever one of the Muses visits with an appropriate concept. In the meantime, we will be seeing videos of each episode of Season One, with a narrator reading the text.

Some readers may be aware that I once had a YouTube series called Learning Latin with Virgil, aimed at complete Latin beginners. A few people have said that the course helped them to begin their Latin studies. Introducing Latin to a new audience is a passion of mine, and I would like to make it part of what Legonium offers. To that end, as soon as Season One finishes, my prime focus will be on developing the start of another beginner course, making the most of Lego.

Lastly, I have a dilemma. I am kept up nights wondering whether Season One - when completed - should be released in English. I could post an English version - one episode, one week at a time - over the space of three months. The advantages are that it might bring a new audience to the site and may be a useful resource for both teachers and learners. The risk, as I see it, is that it might take something away from what makes the story so special - that to enjoy it, one must read it in Latin. I am honestly torn as to which is the better course, and if you have any opinion at all, I would welcome hearing from you.

Well, that is all from me for now. Be well.

Anthony

I hope that this part of the story was pleasing to you. Miranda has found her fugitive in the pet store, but what will she do now? I hope that you will return soon. Be well!

Legonium Takes a Break /  by Anthony Gibbins

salvete lectores,

si vos valetis, bene est. ego tamen fessus sum. octo nunc menses brevem nuntium cotidie mane scripsi de aliqo Lingae Latinae. per mensem Aprilem ergo Commentarium Grammaticum scribere constitui. quiescere volebam et putabam id multo facilius esse. sed - confiteor - me taedet tantum de rebus grammaticis cotidie scribere. pauci praeterea hos Commentarios legunt. itaque per dies reliquos mensis Aprilis nihil nisi picturam paginae cum fabula Anglice reddita in lucem edam. mense Maio fortior et renovatus reveniam.

gratias vobis omnibus,

Antonius

Ps. See you May 1st!

Marcellus enters the pet store. ‘Hello mam,’ he says uncertainly. (The name of the shopkeeper is not yet known to Marcellus). ‘Hello,’ Jessica responds, looking at the letter.

Meanwhile Marcellus… - A Grammatical Commentary /  by Anthony Gibbins

Today’s page has two sentences. The bare bones of the first are Marcellus ambulat Marcellus is walking. The Adverb interea meanwhile links this sentence with what has come before. The Prepositional Phrase ad zoopolium to the pet store tells us to where Marcellus is walking. Marcellus is described by the Present Active Participle tenens holding. The Object of tenens is epistolam letter. The Prepositional Phrase in manu in [his] hand tells us where Marcellus is holding it. quam in suo limine modo invenit is a Relative Clause. A Relative Clause tells us a little more about the word to which it relates, which in grammatical terms is called the Antecedent. A Relative Clause begins with a Relative Pronoun - here quam which - that has the same Gender and Number as its Antecedent. The Antecedent of quam is epistolam. The Verb in the Relative Clause is invenit he found. The Adverb modo just tells us when Marcellus found the letter. The Prepositional Phrase in limine on the threshold tells us where he found it. limine is described by the Reflexive Possessive Adjective suo his. (Reflexive simply means that it refers back to the Subject of the sentence, in this case Marcellus.)

Marcellus meanwhile is walking to the pet store holding in his hand the letter which he just found on his threshold.

The bare bones of the second sentence are anxior solito videtur he seems more anxious than usual. The Verb video videre to see has two potential meanings in the Passive Voice, to be seen or to seem. anxior more anxious is the Comparative Form of the Adjective anxius anxious. solito than usual is an Ablative of Comparison. While the Subject of videtur is not written, it can be understood as Marcellus from the Third Person Singular ending of the Verb. This Understood Subject is described by the Present Active Participle circumspectans looking around and the Perfect Passive Participle sollicitatus having been disturbed. omnibus by all the things is an Ablative of Cause (who makes these names up?) working with sollicitatus to tell us what Marcellus has been disturbed by. It may be worth mentioning that omnibus is an Adjective being used Substantively, which means it is playing the role of a Noun. quae modo legit is another Relative Clause. The Relative Pronoun is quae which and its Antecedent is omnibus. The Verb in the Relative Clause is legit read. The Adverb modo just tells us when Marcellus read these things.

He seems more anxious than usual, looking around, disturbed by all the things which he just read.

Miranda Finds a Clue - A Grammatical Commentary /  by Anthony Gibbins

Today’s page has two sentences. The bare bones of the first are Miranda aliquid invenit Miranda finds something. aliquid something is described with the Superlative Adjective ultissimum very useful. The Adverb mox soon tells us that this is occurring not long after the events of the previous sentence. duas pennas two feathers is in Apposition to aliquid. The duas pennas are described as unam rubram et unam viridem one red and one green. They are also described by the Present Active Participle iacentes which means lying. The Prepositional Phrase in cloaca in the drain tells us where they are lying.

Soon Miranda finds something very useful; two feathers, one red and one green, lying in the drain.

The second sentence has two parts, the Main Clause Miranda sibi dicit Miranda says to herself and a Direct Statement. The bare bones of the Direct Statement are tempus est zoopolium visitare It is time to visit the pet store. tempus est it is time is often followed by an Infinitive Verb, as with visitare to visit here. The Dative mihi for me tells us for whom it is time to visit the pet store. Miranda qualifies her statement with nisi fallor unless I am mistaken. fallor is the First Person Singular Passive Form of the Verb fallo fallere to deceive.

Unless I am mistaken, it is time for me to visit the pet store.