Teacher’s prayer before Catechism is read: Lord our God, in your wisdom and love you surround us with the mysteries of the universe. Send your Spirit upon these students and fill them with your wisdom and blessings. Grant that they may devote themselves to their studies and draw ever closer to you, the source of all knowledge. We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/. Amen.
Let us pray: Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator, true source of light and fountain of wisdom! Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect, dissipate the darkness which covers me, that of sin and of ignorance. Grant me a penetrating mind to understand, a retentive memory, method and ease in learning, the lucidity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing myself. Guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress, and bring it to successful completion. This I ask through Jesus Christ, true God and true man, living and reigning with You and the Father, forever and ever. Amen. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Dear Jesus, help me to spread your fragrance everywhere I go; Flood my soul with your spirit and life; Penetrate and possess my whole being so completely That all my life may be only a radiance of yours; Shine through me and be so in me That everyone with whom I come into contact May feel your presence within me. Let them look up and see no longer me—but only Jesus. Amen. (Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman)
Why do we study Latin?
It exercises our whole brain, connects us with the ancient thinkers, and helps us to understand our native language better.
Latin and English Grammar
What is a noun?
It is a word that names a person, place, thing, idea, state, or quality.
What is a Latin case?
A case shows the function of nouns and adjectives in a sentence.
What are the six Latin cases?
Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative, Ablative, and Vocative
What are the eight parts of speech?
Noun, Pronoun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Preposition, Conjunction, and Interjection
What is a verb?
A verb is a word used to describe an action, state of being, or occurrence
What are the four principle parts of a verb?
Present tense, Infinitive, Perfect tense, Supine
What are the six verb tenses in Latin?
Imperfect, Present, Future, Pluperfect, Perfect, Future Perfect
What is a declension?
A declension is a family of nouns. There are five declensions in Latin.
What is a conjugation?
A conjugation is a family of verbs. There are four conjugations in Latin.
What are the cardinal numbers?
ūnus, duo, trēs, quattuor, quīnque, sex, septem, octō, novem, decem
What are the ordinal numbers?
prīmus, secundus, tertius, quārtus, quīntus, sextus, septimus, octāvius, nōnus, decimus
What are the first declension noun endings?
| Case | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | -a | -ae |
| Genitive | -ae | -ārum |
| Dative | -ae | -īs |
| Accusative | -am | -ās |
| Ablative | -ā | -īs |
What are the second declension noun masculine endings?
| Masculine | ||
| Case | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | -us | -ī |
| Genitive | -ī | -ōrum |
| Dative | -ō | -īs |
| Accusative | -um | -ōs |
| Ablative | -ō | -īs |
What are the second declension noun neuter endings?
| Neuter | ||
| Case | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | -um | -a |
| Genitive | -ī | -ōrum |
| Dative | -ō | -īs |
| Accusative | -um | -a |
| Ablative | -ō | -īs |
What are the third declension noun endings?
| Masculine and Feminine | ||
| Case | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | X | -ēs |
| Genitive | -is | -um |
| Dative | -ī | -ibus |
| Accusative | -em | -ēs |
| Ablative | -e | -ibus |
What are the fourth declension noun masculine endings?
| Masculine and Feminine | ||
| Case | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | -us | -ūs |
| Genitive | -ūs | -uum |
| Dative | -uī | -ibus |
| Accusative | -um | -ūs |
| Ablative | -ū | -ibus |
What are the fourth declension noun neuter endings?
| Neuter | ||
| Case | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | -ū | -ua |
| Genitive | -ūs | -uum |
| Dative | -ū | -ibus |
| Accusative | -ū | -ua |
| Ablative | -ū | -ibus |
What are the fifth declension noun endings?
| Feminine | ||
| Case | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | -ēs | -ēs |
| Genitive | -ēī, (eī) | -ērum |
| Dative | -ēī, (eī) | -ēbus |
| Accusative | -em | -ēs |
| Ablative | -ē | -ēbus |
Verbs:
What is the present tense conjugation of “sum”, the “to be” verb?
| Person | Singular | Plural |
| 1st Person | sum | sumus |
| 2nd Person | es | estis |
| 3rd Person | est | sunt |
What is the imperfect tense or past tense of sum?
| Person | Singular | Plural |
| 1st Person | eram | erāmus |
| 2nd Person | erās | erātis |
| 3rd Person | erat | erant |
What is the future tense of sum?
| Person | Singular | Plural |
| 1st Person | erō | erimus |
| 2nd Person | eris | eritis |
| 3rd Person | erit | erint |
What are the present tense verb endings?
| Person | Singular | Plural |
| 1st Person | -ō | -mus |
| 2nd Person | -s | -tis |
| 3rd Person | -t | -nt |
What are the imperfect tense or past tense verb endings?
| Person | Singular | Plural |
| 1st Person | -bam | -bāmus |
| 2nd Person | -bās | -bātis |
| 3rd Person | -bat | -bant |
What are the future tense verb endings?
| Person | Singular | Plural |
| 1st Person | -bō | -bimus |
| 2nd Person | -bis | -bitis |
| 3rd Person | -bit | -bunt |
Roman Geography
What are the main regions of the Roman Empire?
Italia, Gallia, Hispania, Britannia, Graecia, Germania, Illyrium, Asia, Aegyptus, Africa
What are the major seas?
Mare Nostrum, Black Sea, Atlantic Ocean
What are the major mountain ranges?
Apennines, Alps, Pyrenees
What are the two great volcanoes of Italy?
Vesuvius, Aetna
What are the two major ports of Italy?
Ostia, Brundisium
What are the major roads of Italy?
Via Appia, Via Flaminia, Via Aurelia, Via Sacra
What are the seven hills of Rome?
Palatine, Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, and Aventine
What are the cities of ancient Italy from North to South?
Ariminum, Pisa, Roma, Ostia, Capua, Brundisium
What was the Roman Pantheon?
The Roman Pantheon was the domed temple dedicated to all the gods.
What was the Colosseum?
The Colosseum was an arena for sports such as gladiator contests.
What was the Circus Maxima?
The Circus Maxima was the race track for chariot racing.
What was Campus Martius?
Campus Martius was the open field near the Tiber river and north of the Severan Wall used for military drilling and training.
What was the Forum?
The Forum was the center of government and business activity and contained the Curia.
What was the Curia?
The Curia was the Senate House. It is where Senate or council meetings took place.
What was the Cloaca Maxima?
The Cloaca Maxima was Rome’s huge sewer system.
Roman Mythology
Who was the ruler of the gods?
Jupiter, in Greek called Zeus. He was associated with the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, oak, and scepter.
Who was the father of Jupiter?
Saturn, in Greek called Cronus.
Who was the goddess of women and marriage?
Juno, in Greek called Hera. She was the wife of Jupiter. She is associated with the Peacock and the cow.
Who was the god of the sea and water?
Neptune, in Greek called Poseidon. He was associated with horses and carried a Trident.
For ancient Romans, what explained the seasons?
The kidnapping of Proserpina to the underworld by the god of the underworld.
Who was the god of the underworld?
Pluto, in Greek called Hades. He was associated with wealth.
What was the multi-headed dog that guarded the underworld?
Cerberus.
Who was the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility?
Venus, in Greek called Aphrodite. She is associated with doves, sparrows, and myrtle trees.
Who was the son of Venus?
Cupid, in Greek called Eros. He is associated with a bow and arrows.
Who was the goddess of wisdom, defensive war, and weaving?
Minerva, in Greek called Athena. She is associated with the Owl.
Who was the god of music, medicine, and the sun?
Apollo, in Greek called Apollo. He often had a lyre.
Who was the goddess of the hunt, moon, and childbirth?
Diana, in Greek called Artemis. She was Apollo’s twin sister. She was associated with bows and arrows and deers.
Who was the god of war?
Mars, in Greek called Ares. He was associated with armor.
Who was the messenger god?
Mercury, in Greek called Hermes. He was often pictured with winged sandals and a winged hat.
Who was the god of fire and metalworking?
Vulcan, in Greek called Hephaestus. He forged weapons for the gods. His wife was Venus.
Who was the goddess of hearth and home?
Vesta, in Greek called Hestia. She was associated with the kettle.
Who was the goddess of the harvest and seasons?
Ceres, in Greek called Demeter. She is associated with grain and poppy.
Who was the god of wine?
Bacchus, in Greek called Dionysus. He is associated with bulls, serpents, ivy and figs.
Who was the god of gates and doors?
Janus. He is depicted as having two heads, one facing forward and the other backward.
Who was the goddess of springtime?
Proserpina, in Greek called Persephone. She is the wife of Hades and the daughter of Demeter.
Who was the paragon of strength and bravery?
Hercules, in Greek called Heracles
Who was the goddess of charm and beauty?
The Three Graces
Who was the white winged horse sired by Poseidon and carried Bellerophon?
Pegasus
Who flew the chariots of the sun god too close to the sun?
Phaethon. He was the son of the sun god.
Which group of figures presided over poetry, history, comedy, astronomy, and dance?
The Nine Muses.
Who challenged Athena to a weaving contest?
Arachne. She was then turned into a spider by Athena.
Who was Romulus and Remus?
They were the founders of Rome. Their father and mother were told to be Mars and Rhea Silvia. They were nurtured by a she-wolf.
Roman History
When was Rome founded?
Rome was founded on April 21, 753 B.C.
When was the Roman Monarchy?
From 753 B.C. to 510 B.C. During this time there were seven kings.
Who were the seven kings of Rome?
Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Marcius, Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius, Tarquinius Superbus
When was the Roman Republic?
From 510 B.C. to 27 A.D. During this time there were two consuls.
When was the Roman Empire?
From 27 B.C. to 476 A.D.
What was the Pax Romana?
It was a period of peace and prosperity from 27 B.C. to 180 A.D.
End of Class
The Lord’s Prayer in Latin
Pater noster quī es in cælīs, sanctificētur nōmen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fīat voluntās tua, sīcut in cælō et in terrā. Pānem nostrum cotīdiānum dā nōbīs hodiē. Et dīmitte nōbīs dēbita nostra, sīcut et nōs dīmittimus dēbitōribus nostrīs. Et nē nōs indūcās in tentātiōnem, sed līberā nōs ā malō. Āmēn.
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. (The Lord’s Prayer)