A SCARY STORY

This story is adapted from the Satyricon written by Petronius, who lived during the reigns of the emperors Claudius (41-54 CE ) and Nero (54-68 CE). The Satyricon is a rollicking novel that relates the wanderings and escapades of a disreputable trio of adventurers. The longest episode in the surviving portions of the Satyricon is the “Cena Trimalchionis”, or “Banquet of Trimalchio”. This is a description of a dinner party given by Trimalchio, an immensely rich freedman (former slave), to a group of friends and hangers-on. During the banquet one of the guests tells this story.

Words and phrases in bold are glossed for you below.

Fabulam novam, sed veram narrabo. Amavi filiam pulchram agricolae. Optavi feminae amatae donum dare, itaque cum meo servo petivi villam agricolae. Via aspera et longa fuit et diu ambulavimus. Nunc caelum nigrum fuit, sed videre potuimus quia luna luxit. Venimus inter monumenta. Fessus fui, itaque sedi et monumenta numeravi, sed meus servus vestimenta in via posuit et nudus stetit. Tum vestimenta circumminxit et subito vir fuit lupus! Falsa non dico. Lupus ululavit et in silvam cuccurrit. Ubi vestimenta mei servi legi (?), lapidea fuerunt! Mea anima fuit in naso et pili inhorrescuerunt. Timui, sed gladium strinxi et in via umbras cecidi. Ubi ad villam amicae meae veni, amica dixit,  “Cur tam albus es? Hic magnum periculum est! Lupus in agrum cucurrit et tauros et equos caedit! Poterisne iuvare?” Dixi, “Iuvabo!” Cucurri in agrum et meum gladium strinxi. Collum lupi traieci, sed lupus vulneratus ex agro cucurrit. Postridie meam villam repetivi. In via vidi locum ubi lapidea vestimenta fuerunt, sed nihil fuit nisi cruenta terra. Postquam ad meam villam veni, meum miserum servum in lecto vidi. Habuit collum vulneratum. Nunc verum intellego. Meus servus est versipellis!

Vocabulary in order of appearance in the text above:

fabula, fabulae f.: ‘story’

verus, -a, -um: ‘true’

narro, narrare, narravi, narratum: ‘tell’, ‘narrate’

opto, optare, optavi, optatum: ‘wish’, ‘desire’

itaque: ‘and so’ (conjunction)

cum meo servo: ‘with my slave’

via, viae f.: ‘road’, ‘path’

longus, -a, -um: ‘long’

diu: ‘for a long time’ (adverb)

ambulo, ambulare, ambulavi: ‘walk’

caelum, caeli n.: ‘sky’

luna, lunae f.: ‘moon’

luceo, lucēre, luxi: ‘shine’

venimus: 1st person plural perfect active indicative from veneo, venire, veni, ventum: ‘come’

inter monumenta: ‘from among tombstones’ (monumentum, monumenti n.: ‘tombstone’)

sedeo, sedēre, sedi, sessum: ‘sit’

numero, numerare, numeravi, numeratum: ‘count’

vestimentum, vestimenti n.: ‘clothing’, ‘garments’

in via: ‘on the road’

tum: ‘then’ (adverb)

circummingo, -ere, circumminxi, circumminctum: ‘urinate around’

subito: ‘suddenly’ (adverb)

lupus, lupi m.: ‘wolf’

ululo, ululare, ululavi: ‘howl’

in silvam: ‘into the forest’

lapideus, -a, -um: ‘made of stone’

anima, animae f: spirit, ‘soul’

in naso: ‘in (my) nose’ – we would use the expression “my heart was in my throat or mouth”

pili inhorrescuerunt: ‘my hair stood on end’

timeo, timere, timui: ‘fear’, ‘be afraid’

stringo, stringere, strinxi, strinctum: ‘unsheathe’, ‘draw (a weapon)’

umbra, umbrae f.: ‘shadow’

ad villam: ‘to the villa’

veni: 1st person singular perfect active indicative from veneo, venire, veni, ventum: ‘come’

tam: ‘so’ (adverb)

in agrum: ‘into the field’

collum. colli, n.: ‘neck’

traicio, traicere, traieci, traiectum: ‘pierce’

vulnero, vulnerare, vulneravi, vulneratum: ‘wound’

ex agro: ‘from the field’

postridie: ‘the next day’ (adverb)

locus, loci m.: ‘place’

nihil: ‘nothing’ (nominative case)

nisi: ‘except’ (conjunction)

cruentus, -a, -um: ‘bloody’

postquam: ‘after’ (conjunction)

ad meam villam: ‘to my villa’

lectus, lecti m.: ‘bed’

versipellis -is m.: ‘skin changer’, ‘werewolf’ (nominative case – this is a third declension noun)