Salvēte, sodālēs.
Much has been written on the representation of marginalised groups in Latin textbooks. With some notable exceptions, the stories of the poor, of girls and women, and of the enslaved are told only at the service of these textbooks’ real heroes - upperclass free Romans. I’m pleased to say that Medus returns to Lingua Latīna Per Sē Illustrāta later in the book with his own narrative. But rather than wait that long, I have written my own story that tries to tell Medus’s reasons for stealing Julius’s money, and for accusing Davus for the theft.
Mēdus
Quis est Mēdus? Mēdus est vir Graecus. Estne Mēdus amīcus Iūliī? Mēdus nōn est amīcus sed servus Iūliī. Iūlius est eius dominus. Dominus est vir quī servum habet. Vir quī servum habet est vir improbus!
Mēdus sacculum suum in mensā pōnit et pecūniam suam numerat: “Ūnus nummus, duo nummī, trēs nummī.” Numerus nummōrum in sacculō Mēdī est trēs. Nōn multī sed paucī nummī in sacculō eius sunt. Mēdus pecūniam videt et plōrat.
Syra venit et Mēdum salūtat. Dēlia quoque venit et eum salūtat. Mēdus Syram et Dēliam salūtat.
Syra Dēliam interrogat: ‘Cur Mēdus plōrat?’
Dēlia respondet: ‘Mēdus plōrat quia dominus eum rūrsus verberat.’
Syra: ‘Iūlius est vir improbus, quī quoque mē verberat.’
Dēlia: ‘Domina Aemilia mē verberat. Iūlius ...’ Dēlia tacet.
Dāvus Mēdum vocat: ‘Mēde!’ Mēdus audit et venit. Dāvus Mēdum salūtat.
Mēdus: ‘Quid est, Dāve?’
Dāvus: ‘St! Tace, amīce! Tacē et audī! Sacculus Iūliī hīc in mensā est, sed Iūlius nōn adest. Aemilia quoque abest. Sacculus plēnus est. Iūlius multōs nummōs habet. Sūme pecūniam Iūliī et discēdē! Accūsā mē et discēdē!’ Dāvus rīdet. Mēdus baculum in mensā videt. Servus nullum verbum respondet sed multōs nummōs sūmit et in sacculō suō pōnit.
Satis est. See you tomorrow.