57 The Locative
“In Latin several words like domus and many city names that are singular like Rōma have a case called the Locative that looks like the Genitive Singular. It is translated ‘at’ or ‘in’.”
“TODAY, WRITE THE MARKED UP AND SMOOTHED OUT VERSIONS OF EACH SENTENCE.”
By my decision I have remained here in Rome. I am not in the fields. (1)
To me it seems (good) to go home, not to the council. (2) “Remember that ‘go to the council’ implies motion, so use ad plus accusative for the second ‘to’ here.”
Once I did so, Latinitas explained why the carriage we were following was of interest:
“There’s a young woman being carried inside it named Sulpicia. Her grandfather, Servius Sulpicius Rufus, was the man who wrote the letter of consolation to Cicero you read yesterday. His son – Sulpicia’s father – passed away a year or two ago. So she was sent with her mother to the house of her uncle Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, an important senator and ally of Octavian, as well as a poet and patron of the arts.”
“Sulpicia is turning 19 today. She is a poet of considerable skill and talent, and writes in a form called elegiac couplets, which is rather trendy these days. Her uncle Messalla recommended that she write about safe, conventional themes – hymns to the gods, poems about the months of the year. Because her poems will be circulated, he wanted to protect her fāma, her reputation. While observing the letter of his request, Sulpicia managed to produce something a little racier and erotic. One that she finished recently about March, mēnsis Martius, the month of Mars, is actually an ode to Venus, the goddess of love. It starts like this:”
‘Sulpicia is dressed up for you, great Mars, on your Kalends day:
you’ll come from the sky to watch her in person, if you have any taste. Venus will forgive you: but you, god of violence, watch out:
while you admire her, you may drop your weapons – what a disgrace!’
“Mars is Venus’ lover. Kind of cheeky to steal Venus’ man, no?”
For a moment we lost sight of the carriage as it went behind a bend in the road. Once we turned the corner, we saw it pulled over at a taberna, a tavern. Sulpicia stepped out and went inside, accompanied by an old nurse and a younger attendent.
“All of her life Sulpicia has had problems with her health – chronic fatigue, problems with her digestion, mysterious pains. A week ago Messalla called the doctor for her. The doctor recommended that now, during the Dog Days of summer, which are particularly unhealthy, she should leave the city and spend time in the countryside. Taking this advice, Messalla directed that Sulpicia be sent to his country estate in Arretium; that’s where she is headed. Spending time in a villa is not exactly a hardship. Still, she is a city girl and finds the country isolating and boring.”
“And there’s more to the story. Sulpicia, you see, is in madly love with a client of Messalla’s, a man she calls ‘Cerinthus’. Since today is her birthday, and she expected to see Cerinthus this evening at her party, you can imagine her disappointment. But we have news from Messalla,
right here,” Latinitas said, holding up a set of wax tablets, “which we are going to deliver to her when she comes out of the tavern.”
After tying up our animals, we sat down in the shade of a lovely little flower garden behind the inn. A sign by the door indicated the name of the proprietor: Syrisca. It was a nickname, meaning she was from Syria.