Gesta Romanorum 44 de invidia

Tiberius regnavit, qui ante sumptum imperium erat prudens ingenio, clarus eloquio,

fortunatus in bello, sed post resolutus militiae artibus nulla bella gerens populum Romanum

graviter afflixit, filios proprios pluresque patricios et consules interfecit.

Huic quidam artifex vitrum ductile se posse fabricare obtulit, quod Tiberius ad parietem

proiciens non fractum sustulit, sed curvatum, et artifex malleum proferens et velut cuprum

vitrum fabricans mox correxit.

Interrogante autem Tiberio ab eo, quomodo hoc posset fieri, ille dixit neminem hanc

artem scire super terram. Quem Tiberius mox decollari iussit dicens: “Si haec ars venerit in

consuetudinem, pro nihilo aurum et argentum reputabitur.”

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afflīgō, ere, flīxī, flīctum – to afflictartifex, ficis – m – builder, artisancorrigō, ere, rexī, rectum – to make straightcūprum, ī – n – coppercurvō (1) – to benddēcollō (1) – to beheadductilis, e – adj – easily led, easily hammered outēloquium, ī – n – diction, eloquencefabricō (1) – to make, fashion, forgefortūnātus, a, um – adj – luckygraviter – adv – heavily, seriouslymalleus, ī – m – hammer

mīlitia, ae – f – military servicepariēs, etis – f – wall (of a house)pātricius, ī – m – noble, patricianproferō, ferre, tulī, lātum – to bring outproiciō, ere, iēci, īectum – to throw out, throw downprudēns, entis – adj – prudentrēgnō (1) – to rulereputō (1) – to calculateresolvō, ere, lvī, lūtum – adj – to releaseRōmānus, a, um – adj – RomanTiberius, ī – m – Tiberius, 2nd Roman emperorvitrum, ī – n – glass

This selection features the present active participle which we've not yet covered. It can take a direct object like a verb and has case, number and gender like any proper adjective.1. ante sumptum imperium – supply ā Tiberiōingeniō… ēloquiō – ablative of respect (X in respect to

ABL)2. artibus – goes with resolūtus, ablative of separation (X

separated from ABL)gerēns – waging, pick up nūlla bella as the direct object and

parse as nom/sing/mascpopulum Rōmānum – not the direct object of gerēns4–6. Huic…correxit – This paragraph is tricky. Watch out

for conjugated verbs, infintives, past passive participles and present active participles (all noted). Keep straight which participles modify what nouns.

4. obtulit – look up offerōquod – relative pronoun for vitrum ductile

5. proiciēns – throwing, supply id as the direct object and parse as nom/sing/masc

fractum… curvātum – modify quodsustulit – look up tollōproferēns – bringing out, pick up malleum as the direct

object and parse as nom/sing/masc6. fabricāns – fashioning, pick up vitrum as the direct object

and parse as nom/sing/masc7. Interrogante Tiberiō ab eō – “Tiberius asking from him”,

introduces indirect question. The construction is ablative absolute, which you've not learned yet.

8. quem – treat as illum if quem makes no sensedīcēns – saying, what Tiberius says is in quotes and not as

indirect speechvēnerit – the elusive future perfect tense9. nihilō – ablative of nihilreputābitur – plural subject? singular noun? Yes, it's odd, but

not impossible to understand.