Listen to the audio feed from TSTT Mission Control as you read, operatives.
epistula dē Marcō
"Marcus Maecēnās Salviō suō:
tū habēs bonam fortūnam, mī amīce. cūr Recentiī sunt in Britanniā? quid quaerunt? ego ā Pompēiīs eōs abēgeram sed nōn ā Lapide abēgī. nunc fortasse volunt nōs in Britanniā, quae est longē dē Rōmā, adiuvāre. sed quōmodo dēbēmus Recentiōs ā Septimō Aemiliānō agere? sine Sextō, quī erat dūx, Mīlitēs Lapidis sunt dēbiliōrēs et Societās Potentium est potentior. Recentiīne fortasse volunt potentiam habēre? ita vērō, quis nōn vult potentiam habēre?
tū dēbēs Recentiōs in tablīnum dūcere et dēmōnstrāre potentiam vēram. Tiberius Caecilius quoque potest nōbīs servīre sī cupit. mitte custōdēs optimōs ad Septimum et apprehende eum. Septimus, quī est dūx novus, epistulam ad Tertium mīsit. Tertius sē in Alexandrīā cēlāvit. ego Tertium Aemiliānum quaerō quod volō Mīlitēs Lapidis perdere.
valē."
Operatives, now would be an opportune time to review all of the forms of "sum" (sum, esse, fuī - to be). You will recall that sum is an irregular verb with forms that do not follow all of the normal verb rules. Fortunately the personal endings do conform to your expectations.
Present Tense
| singular | plural | |
| 1st Person (ego) | sum | sumus |
| 2nd Person (tū) | es | estis |
| 3rd Person | est | sunt |
Imperfect Tense
| singular | plural | |
|
1st Person (ego) |
eram | erāmus |
| 2nd Person (tū) | erās | erātis |
| 3rd Person | erat | erant |
In the perfect and the pluperfect, even though the stem is substantially different, sum retains all of the standard endings. Consider the following:
Perfect Tense
| singular | plural | |||
| 1st Person (ego) | fuī | I was | fuimus | we were |
| 2nd Person (tū) | fuistī | you were | fuistis | you (pl) were |
| 3rd Person | fuit | he/she was | fuērunt | they were |
Pluperfect Tense
| singular | plural | |||
| 1st Person (ego) | fueram | I had been | fuerāmus | we had been |
| 2nd Person (tū) | fuerās | you had been | fuerātis | you (pl) had been |
| 3rd Person | fuerat | he/she had been | fuerant | they had been |
For a full overview of the verb "to be", operatives are advised to view this video briefing from latintutorial.com.
| cōnsistō, cōnsistere, cōnstitī | to stop, stand still | verb |
| cor, cordis; n | heart | noun |
| fortūna, fortūnae; f | fortune, luck, fate | noun |
| imperātor, imperātōris; m | general, emperor | noun |
| imperium, imperiī; n | authority, power | noun |
| indūcō, indūcere, indūxī | to induct, lead in, bring it | verb |
| mānis, mānis; m | departed ghost, shade | noun |
| potentia, potentiae; f | power, force, might | noun |
| pūblicus, -a, -um | done for the people, state, public | adjective |
| sānus, -a, -um | sound, whole, sane | adjective |
Operatives, the Demiurge recommends that the LAPIS team brief on the situation in Egypt in the first century CE. This information may give you insights into the power structure that Salvius and the Societās Potentium follows if we are indeed correct in the early analysis.
10.3.a
Directions: State whether the verb form given is in the present, imperfect, perfect, or pluperfect
1. dederam
2. dātis
3. dedistis
4. dābant
5. habuerāmus
6. habuimus
7.dīxerant
8. dīcēbās
9. dīxērunt
10. dīcunt
CULTURALIA Comprehension Questions
Directions: Using the CULTURALIA for 10.3, answer the following questions.
1. When was Egypt established as a province? What territory did it encompass?
2. How did the governing structure of Egypt differ from a traditional province? Why do you think this might be the case? (Hint: consider the economic impact Egypt had.)
3. What was the relationship between the overall wealth of Egypt and the resources required to defend it? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
4. How did Rome view the Greeks who had lived in Alexandria (and the rest of Egypt)? Why might have this been the case?
5. How did Rome handle the complex religious situation in Egypt? What did it do for the various religious communities?
KEY-TEXT Comprehension Questions
Directions: Read the key-text for 10.3 and answer the following questions.
1. As the letter opens, what does Marcus want to know?
2. What does Marcus say he managed to do to the Recentiī?
3. What is the third question Marcus asks?
4. What, according to Marcus, will happen once that person is dealt with?
5. What, according to Marcus, does everyone want?
6. What does Marcus suggest Salvius should do with the Recentiī?
7. What should Salvius do to Septimus? Why?
8. Where is Tertius right now?