NARRATIO XIV: The White Stag

The Latin Story In Latin

LECTIO

In Latiō antīquō cervus albus erat ōmen bonae fortūnae. Ita sine timōre cervus albus per silvās regiōnis errāre poterat. Venātōrēs album cervum numquam necāre audēbant.

In Latiō habitābat agricola Tyrrhus. Ōlim in silvā fīliī Tyrrhī album cervum vulnerātum invēnērunt. Sine morā cervum ad casam portāvērunt. Mox herbīs cervum cūrāre poterant. Frātrēs sorōrī Silviae cervum dedērunt.

Aenēas Trōjānus, ubi in Latium pervēnit, castra prope flūmen Tiberim posuit. Mox mūrōs parvae urbis aedificābat. Ascanius, fīlius Aenēae, cum sociīs in silvīs errābat. Sagittīs parvīs animālia necāre temptābant.

Subitō puerī cervum album in rīpīs flūminis vīdērunt. Ascanius, quod sibi magnam glōriam dēsīderābat, necāre cervum temptāvit. Sagitta cervum vulnerāvit sed nōn interfēcit. Cervus vulnerātus ad casam Tyrrhī fūgit.

Tyrrhus, ubi sagittam vīdit, clāmāvit, “Illa est sagitta Trōjāna! Perfidi Trōjānī! Vōs cervum album sagittīs vulnerāvistis; sagittīs nostrīs igitur Trōjānōs vulnerābimus!”

Statim Tyrrhus cum fīliīs et amīcīs eōrum castra Trōjāna vehementer oppugnāvit; haec erat causa bellī!

The Latin Story In English

In ancient Latium a white stag was an omen of good fortune. Therefore, without fear the white stag was able to wander through the forests of the region. Hunters never dared to kill the white stag.

In Latium there lived a farmer named Tyrrhus. Once in the forest the sons of Tyrrhus found a wounded white stag. Without delay they carried the stag to their cottage. Soon they were able to care for the stag with herbs. The brothers gave the stag to their sister Silvia.

Aeneas the Trojan, when he arrived in Latium, set up camp near the river Tiber. Soon he was building the walls of a small city. Ascanius, the son of Aeneas, was wandering in the forests with his companions. They were trying to kill animals with small arrows.

Suddenly the boys saw the white stag on the banks of the river. Ascanius, because he desired great glory for himself, tried to kill the stag. The arrow wounded the stag but did not kill it. The wounded stag fled to the cottage of Tyrrhus.

When Tyrrhus saw the arrow, he shouted, “That is a Trojan arrow! Treacherous Trojans! You have wounded the white stag with your arrows; therefore we will wound the Trojans with our arrows!”

Immediately Tyrrhus with his sons and their friends fiercely attacked the Trojan camp; this was the cause of the war!

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📖 Short Story Summary (1–2 sentences)

A white stag, an omen of good fortune, is wounded by Ascanius but survives. Tyrrhus sees the Trojan arrow and attacks the Trojans, sparking a war.

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📝 Key Grammar Concepts from the Passage

1⃣ Perfect Tense (Completed Action)

Used for narration:

• vīdit – he/she saw

• clāmāvit – he/she shouted

• vulnerāvērunt – they wounded

• fūgit – it fled

Tip: Perfect tense often tells the main story in Latin.

2⃣ Pluperfect Tense (Action before Another Past Action)

• excesserat – had died / had departed

• cūrāre poterant – they were able to care (imperfect with infinitive)

Tip: Indicates “something had already happened” before another past event.

3⃣ Ablative Absolute

• cervō visō – when/after the stag was seen

• hōc nūntiō audītō – when this message was heard

• illō animālī repertō – after that animal was found

• venātōribus convocātīs – after the hunters were called together

Structure: ablative noun + ablative participle
Translation clue: often “when, after, since, with…”

4⃣ Dative of Indirect Object / Imperare + Dative

• Tyrrhō – to Tyrrhus

• Aenēae imperavit – a god commanded Aeneas

Tip: “imperare” always takes dative, not accusative.

5⃣ Accusative of Direct Object

• cervum – the stag

• verum – the truth

• Aenēam – Aeneas

6⃣ Passive Verbs

• necāri temptābant – they were trying to be killed / they were trying to kill (active meaning)

• vulnerātus est – he/it was wounded

Tip: Passive endings: -tur, -batur, -tus est

7⃣ Relative Clauses

• quod sibi magnam glōriam dēsīderābat – because he desired great glory for himself

Tip: Introduced by qui, quae, quod; agrees in gender/number with antecedent.

8⃣ Double Negatives

• Neque Aeneam spectāvit neque respondit – neither looked at Aeneas nor replied

9⃣ Subjunctive / Purpose Clauses (if present)

• ut ... cūrārent – so that they could care

• Translation clue: often “in order that / so that…”

🔟 Participles

• vulnerātum – wounded (PPP, agreeing with cervum)

• repertō – found (PPP)

Tip: Participles often appear in ablative absolutes or to describe nouns.

1⃣1⃣ Ablative of Means / Instrument

• sagittīs – by arrows

• herbīs – with herbs

Tip: No preposition needed; shows “by/with what”.

1⃣2⃣ Enclitic -que

• frātrēs sorōrīque – the brothers and to their sister

1⃣3⃣ Interrogative -ne

• Nuntiusne verum nuntiavit? – Did the messenger announce the truth?

Tip: -ne attaches to first word → yes/no question.

1⃣4⃣ Deponent Verbs

• Verbs that look passive but are active:

  • errāre – to wander

  • loquitur – he/she speaks

1⃣5⃣ Ablative of Separation

• ex silvā – from the forest

• ab hostibus – from the enemies

✅ Test-Tip Highlights

• Ablative absolutes → watch for noun + participle in ablative

• Perfect tense → tells the main story

• Pluperfect → “had done” something before another action

• Dative + imperare → “to” someone

• PPP → must agree in gender/number/case with noun

• Passive verbs & deponents → check active meaning

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📝 Key Grammar Concepts from the Passage 1⃣ Perfect Tense (Completed Action)

Used for narration:

• vīdit – he/she saw

• clāmāvit – he/she shouted

• vulnerāvērunt – they wounded

• fūgit – it fled

Tip: Perfect tense often tells the main story in Latin.

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2⃣ Pluperfect Tense (Action before Another Past Action)

• excesserat – had died / had departed

• cūrāre poterant – they were able to care (imperfect with infinitive)

Tip: Indicates “something had already happened” before another past event.

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3⃣ Ablative Absolute

• cervō visō – when/after the stag was seen

• hōc nūntiō audītō – when this message was heard

• illō animālī repertō – after that animal was found

• venātōribus convocātīs – after the hunters were called together

Structure: ablative noun + ablative participle
Translation clue: often “when, after, since, with…”

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4⃣ Dative of Indirect Object / Imperare + Dative

• Tyrrhō – to Tyrrhus

• Aenēae imperavit – a god commanded Aeneas

Tip: “imperare” always takes dative, not accusative.

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5⃣ Accusative of Direct Object

• cervum – the stag

• verum – the truth

• Aenēam – Aeneas

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6⃣ Passive Verbs

• necāri temptābant – they were trying to be killed / they were trying to kill (active meaning)

• vulnerātus est – he/it was wounded

Tip: Passive endings: -tur, -batur, -tus est

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7⃣ Relative Clauses

• quod sibi magnam glōriam dēsīderābat – because he desired great glory for himself

Tip: Introduced by qui, quae, quod; agrees in gender/number with antecedent.

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8⃣ Double Negatives

• Neque Aeneam spectāvit neque respondit – neither looked at Aeneas nor replied

---

9⃣ Subjunctive / Purpose Clauses (if present)

• ut ... cūrārent – so that they could care

• Translation clue: often “in order that / so that…”

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🔟 Participles

• vulnerātum – wounded (PPP, agreeing with cervum)

• repertō – found (PPP)

Tip: Participles often appear in ablative absolutes or to describe nouns.

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1⃣1⃣ Ablative of Means / Instrument

• sagittīs – by arrows

• herbīs – with herbs

Tip: No preposition needed; shows “by/with what”.

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1⃣2⃣ Enclitic -que

• frātrēs sorōrīque – the brothers and to their sister

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1⃣3⃣ Interrogative -ne

• Nuntiusne verum nuntiavit? – Did the messenger announce the truth?

Tip: -ne attaches to first word → yes/no question.

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1⃣4⃣ Deponent Verbs

• Verbs that look passive but are active:

  • errāre – to wander

  • loquitur – he/she speaks

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1⃣5⃣ Ablative of Separation

• ex silvā – from the forest

• ab hostibus – from the enemies

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✅ Test-Tip Highlights

• Ablative absolutes → watch for noun + participle in ablative

• Perfect tense → tells the main story

• Pluperfect → “had done” something before another action

• Dative + imperare → “to” someone

• PPP → must agree in gender/number/case with noun

• Passive verbs & deponents → check active meaning