parrots, pet stores, parties and prepositions /  by Anthony Gibbins

When someone asks me what a Preposition is I’m far more likely to respond with a list; oh, you know, those words like to and from and with and about and after. There is a Preposition on today’s page within the Prepositional Phrase propter psittacum on account of or by reason of or because of the parrot. Today we will look at Prepositions, so let’s begin with a definition. Here is the Cambridge English Dictionary. It is, of course, discussing Prepositions in English, but what it says holds true for Latin also;

a word that is used before a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun, connecting it to another word. In the sentences "We jumped in the lake", and "She drove slowly down the track", "in" and "down" are prepositions.

What is interesting about Latin Prepositions, is that each one of them must be followed by a Noun, a Noun phrase, or a Pronoun in its favourite Case. Take propter psittacum for example. The Nominative of parrot is psittacus, but the Preposition propter demands to be followed by the Accusative Case; hence propter psittacum on account of the parrot. The Preposition cum with, on the other hand, demands to be followed by the Ablative Case, hence cum psittaco with the parrot. Each Preposition demands to be followed by either the Accusative Case or the Ablative Case. There are, however, just a small handful of Super-Prepositions (not a real term) that can be followed by either, with useful consequence.

What follows are some Prepositional Phrases. Each Phrase contains a Preposition followed by psittacus or zoopolium or convivium. psittacum and zoopolium and convivium are in the Accusative Case, psittaco and zoopolio and convivio are in the Ablative.

Prepositions Followed by the Accusative Case: ad zoopolium to the pet store adversus zoopolium opposite the pet store adversus psittacum against the parrot ante zoopolium in front of the pet store ante convivium before the party apud zoopolium close by the pet store apud psittacum at the home of the parrot or in the writings of the parrot circum zoopolium around the pet store cis zoopolium on this side of the pet store contra zoopolium opposite the pet store contra psittacum against the parrot extra zoopolium outside of the pet store inter psittacos between the parrots infra zoopolium below the pet store  intra zoopolium within the pet store iuxta zoopolium next to the pet store ob zoopolium before the pet store ob psittacum because of the parrot penes psittacum in the power of the parrot per zoopolium through the pet store per psittacos throughout the parrots per psittacum by means of a parrot post zoopolium behind the pet store post convivium after the party praeter zoopolium beyond the pet store prope psittacum near the parrot propter zoopolium close to the pet store propter convivium on account of the party secundum convivium immediately following the party secundum viam following the street supra zoopolium above the pet store trans zoopolium on the far side of the pet store ultra zoopolium beyond the pet store

Prepositions Followed by the Ablative Case: a zoopolio* from the pet store cum psittaco with the parrot coram psittico in the presence of the parrot de zoopolio down from the pet store de convivio concerning the party e zoopolio* out of the pet store prae psittaco in front of the parrot pro zoopolio in front of the pet store pro psittaco in place of a parrot sine psittaco without a parrot : Note: a is ab and e is ex before a vowel; ab aqua from the water ex aqua out of the water

Super-Prepositions (not a real term) that can be followed by the Accusative or Ablative Case: in zoopolium into the pet store or onto the pet store in zoopolio in the pet store or on the pet store sub zoopolium up to the pet store sub convivium just before the party sub zoopolio under the pet store

Miranda, because of the parrot, is now certain that she has found the woman whom she is looking for. ‘It is now time,’ she says to Jessica and Marcellus, ‘to tell me everything.’

Legonium X - The Story So Far - LOTS of Spoilers! /  by Anthony Gibbins

prima

Marcellus is a painter who lives in the attic room above a French restaurant. He loves nothing more than painting. There is a cat called Pico hanging out on his roof. We cut to the roof of the bank, where a ninja-like woman dressed in black is looking down through the skylight.

secunda

Augustus is the manager of the bank. Miranda lives in the room under Marcellus - she is asleep at 3 in the afternoon. Why? Because she works all night. She awakes and meets her amica, Claudia, in the Montanus, a tavern or pool hall. Claudia talks about her love of ancient monuments. They get lunch at the French restaurant, and Miranda goes home to prepare for work. She is a police officer! We cut back to Augustus, as he reads a memo reporting that Marcellus owes the bank a lot of money and needs $100, stat. He has a painting hanging in the Montanus, which he hopes to sell for that exact amount.

tertia

Pico the cat has a nice life. He hangs out in the laundromat attached to the bank building, stands for a while in the sun, then goes into the French restaurant where the cook gives him some food. Pico then walks out to the back and chases a mouse around the dumpster. Marcellus turns up at the restaurant’s back door, and the cook gives him a pizza. Pico climbs onto the roof and sees the woman in black surveying a small room. There are two people in the room - a woman and a man - who do not know they are being watched. Pico imagines that he is a dragon.

quarta

A sailor arrrives in town carrying a suitcase. Claudia - the woman with the interest in ancient monuments - is on her way to the barber for a haircut. Alan - the barber - is cutting an old man’s hair. The sailor wanders in and recites a rude verse. Claudia gets a haircut, which she admires while Alan is sweeping her hair into a sack which he dumps it in the dumpster. Claudia pops into the Montanus where she finds the sailor admiring Marcellus’ painting. He gives her $100 which she takes straight to the artist. The sailor heads up to the roof and the small room the woman in black was watching. He gives the two people there a suitcase in return for a precious diamond. They go to open the case, but it is the end of the episode.

quinta

Marcellus wakes up, relieved that he has $100 in an envelope. He plans to get a haircut then visit the bank. Alan’s son Scipio turns up during the haircut and asks for money to see a film. Marcellus walks to the bank, heads upstairs, finds Augustus’ office, reaches into his pocket and… the money is gone! He rushes back to the barber shop. Alan has not seen his envelope, but it’s possible that he may have swept it up with the hair and thrown it (within a sack) into the dumpster. Marcellus rushes to the dumpster and dives in. He feels something and tugs on it. It’s a suitcase. He opens it! Its full of money! I bet you are wondering how it got into the dumpster, the narrator says. Come back for episode six.

sexta

This episode begins with Claudia and Miranda having breakfast at the French restaurant. You can see Marcellus walking by, still holding his envelope full of money, to get his haircut. Claudia says that she is off to Pompeii to visit ancient monuments, and that she will send Miranda a letter. Meanwhile, the woman in black, who is finally identified as Jessica, sneaks into the room on the roof and steals the suitcase. Throwing a rope over the edge of the building, she begins climbing to the street beneath. But she is spotted by Miranda - the police officer - who yells up at her. She falls, but is fine. Miranda asks about the suitcase, but Jessica just wants to get out of there. I am not your enemy! she says. The two from the roof run around the corner, pursuing Jessica but distracting Miranda. Jessica runs. She sees a drainpipe, but can’t climb it carrying the suitcase, so she hides the suitcase in the dumpster and climbs. Miranda gives chase but she has disappeared! Meanwhile, cut to Jessica resting on the roof. She returns to get the suitcase but arrives to see Marcellus has already found the money.

septima

Miranda is sitting in her apartment, worried by the previous day’s events. There is a knock on the door. The postman brings her a letter from Claudia. Miranda reads about Claudia’s exploration of the ancient city of Pompeii. She falls asleep in her chair.

octava

This episode introduces Monas Brickvir (Ace Brickman), the Private Detective. Ravena (one of the couple from the roof room) asks him to find her missing suitcase. He takes the case. Meanwhile, Alan the barber is taking his son Scipio to the pictures to celebrate his birthday. They see The Empire Strikes Back. After the movie, Alan leads his son to the pet store and gives him a small rescue dog. There they meet a talkative parrot, who repeats snippets of whatever he hears around him. Cut back to Monas, who is sitting on the balcony of the French restaurant figuring out how he will find the suitcase. He reasons he needs to find someone with more money than they had previously. Genius! Marcellus leaves his attic room in a new and expensive outfit.

nona

A quick flashback to Alan and Scipio leaving the pet store. The shopkeeper waves goodbye, says goodnight to the parrot and locks up the store. The parrot repeats much of it. The shopkeeper heads home (she has an apartment overlooking the Forum, although the entrance is in the back) and cooks herself dinner. Finally, she changes into a hidden outfit, revealing her true identify - she is Jessica, the woman in black! She heads off to find Marcellus and the suitcase, but sees Monas Brickvir watching him and determines him to be in trouble. She leaves a note, that he finds and brings to the pet store. Miranda, meanwhile, is having a sleepless night, worried about the woman who fled from her. The next morning, she returns to investigate the area the woman escaped from. Finding two feathers - one green and one red - she heads to the pet store!  Arriving at the pet store, she interrupts Marcellus and Jessica - but they fall silent before she can hear anything. The parrot, however, blurts out something about the suitcase. Episode Ends.

Be well reader. How do you have yourself today? We are already approaching the end of the story about the suitcase. But, as I think, the best part of the story has not yet been told.

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.