THE LIVING VOICE OF GREEK AND LATIN LITERATURE THE PRONUNCIATION AND READING OF CLASSICAL LATIN: A Practical Guide by STEPHEN G. DAITZ Professor of Classical Languages The City College and The Graduate School, CUNY DEMONSTRATION TEXTS AND PRACTICE EXERCISES Jeffrey Norton Publishers, Inc. Guilford, CT London, England ©Stephen G.Daltz, 1984 TO W. SIDNEY ALLEN THE PRONUNCIATION AND READING OF CLASSICAL LATIN: A Practical Quldo Copyright ©1984 by Stephen Q. Daltz. All rights reserved. Printed In the United States of America. No part ol this publication may be reproduced, stored In a retrieval system, or transmitted, In any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN: 0-88432-126-8 Published by Audio-Forum, a division of Jeffrey Norton Publishers, Inc., On-theGroen, Guilford, Connecticut 06437 London Sales Office: 31 Kensington Church Street, London W8 4LL, U.K. PREFACE This booklet: contains In printed form the Latin texts that are used in the recording for demonstration purposes, as well as the suggested practice exercises. One obvious advantage of a recording in language study is that the user can stop or repeat the recording at any time in order to verify or to reinforce his or her aural impres sions. It is my hope that students using this recording will make full use of the possibilities of stopping or replaying so that each student can advance at his or her own Individual pace. Having the texts and the exercises before the eyes will provide visual reinforcement to the process of aural sensitization and comprehension. After all, most of us have been conditioned to absorb literature through the eyes rather than through the ears. To savor the full beauty of Latin literature, however, some form of recondi tioning is necessary .so that our ears can become active participants in the literary process. The principal aim of this recording is to encourage and to facilitate this reconditioning. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the help of my colleagues Professors Heller, Moreland, and Sonkowsky, each of whom offered some excellent suggestions towards the improvement of this recording. The recording is gratefully dedicated to W, Sidney Allen whose fundamental works on the pronunciation of classical Latin have provided a solid linguistic basis for the present endeavor. New York, April 1984 S.G.D. - 7 Text of Vergil, AKNEID, Book I, lines 1-7 JRMA virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris ltaliam, fiUo profugus, Laviniaquc vcnit litora, inullum ille et tcrrls iactfttus ct alio vi supcium sacvae mcmorem Iundnis ob Irani; multa quoqtic et bello passus, dutn conderel uibcm, infcrrctquc dcos Latio, genus undc Latinuin, Albanlque patrcs, atque altae moenia Romac. Features of traditional pronunciation 1. Letter r not trilled. 2. Final m nasalized with lips together. 3. Double consonants pronounced as if single, 4. Automatic and unnatural accentuation of first long syllable of each measure. Features of restored pronunciation 1. Letter r trilled 2. Final m nasalized with lips apart. 3. Double consonants lengthened. 4. Natural word accents given. - 8 - _ 9 - The Latin Alphabet and Its Pronunciation (Only the small, non-capital forms of th h hi are given.) Short i (i) 111 Long i (i) li'.l International Latin Letter* Phonetic Symbol Consonantal i HI Short a (a) /a/ k hi Long a (a) /a:/ 1 III The diphthong ae /al/ m M The diphthong au /aU/ Final m (see p. 10) {~l (nasalization) b /b/ n /n/ b before t or 8 hi n before c, g, *« , qu hi c hi Short o (o) hi The combination ch /kV Long o (o) /o:/ d /d/ The diphthong oe hll Short e (e) Itl P hi Long e (e) /e:/ The combination ph h 'l The diphthong ei /el/ r It/ (trilled) The diphthong eu /fcU/ s hi f m t Itl 8 I&I The combination th /tV The combination m /ijn/ Short u (u) /u7 Long u (it) h il *In the following list, the symbol v over a vowel Consonantal u hi indicates a vowel of short quantity, the symbol *~ indicates a vowel of long quantity. These symbols The diphthong ui /ui/ are also traditionally used to indicate respectively Jc /ks/ short and long syllables. (See below, Rules of Syllabic Quantity and Scansion.) Long e and long o y hi are pronounced relatively closed , i.e. with the lips 7, hi relatively together. Short e and short o are pronounced relatively open, i.e. with the lips relatively apart. 10 - 11 - Pronunciation Practice of Selected Vowels/Consonants 4. If the penult is a short syllable, it is the c: ca ca ce ce ci ci co co cu cu antepenult which receives the accent. g: ga ga ge ge gi gi go go gu gu Examples of long penult (accent on penult)j r: ra ra re re ri rl ro ro ru ru fortuna, antTquus, conservo, puella (This exercise should be practiced both horizonally Examples of short penult (accent on antepenult): and vertically.) cogito, video, patrla, igitur* /s> ^/ s~* r>J Final ra: am em im urn * a e i u Rules to de termlne syllabic quantity (The combination om has been omitted since final om 1. A syllable may be classified long either by does not exist in classical Latin. It is important nature or by position. to remember that the vowel Immediately preceding 2. A syllable is classified long by nature if it the final m is itself nasalized and becomes a long contains any one of the long vowels or any diphthong. vowel.) This syllable is said to be long by the nature of Classical Latin Accentuation its vowel or diphthong. 1. Terminology *The symbols *** and w , which were previously In a word of three or more syllables, the last used to designate vowel length, are here used to syllable is generally referred to as the ultima, designate syllabic quantity, i.e. to indicate whether a syllable is long or short. As we shall the next to the last as the penult, and the syllable see from the rules of syllabic quantity, a short immediately preceding the penult as the antepenult. vowel does not necessarily mean a short syllable. Some scholars prefer the designation "heavy" and Thus in the word cogito, the syllable -to is the "light" to that of "long" and "short" syllables. ultima, the syllable ~gi~ is the penult, the syllable Although the use of the terras "heavy" and "light" does avoid ambiguity by distinguishing between co™ the antepenult. vowel length and syllabic quantity, the words "heavy" 2. If a Latin word has only two syllables, the accent and "light" nevertheless have for users of American English connotations of stress and lack of stress is always on the penult. that could cause confusion in the oral rendition of Latin poetry. And so with considerable regret, the 3. In a Latin word of three or more syllables, If the traditional terms of "long" and "short" syllables penult is a l£n£ syllable, ^It receives the accent. have been retained for reasons of greater effective ness in teaching the reading of Latin poetry aloud. 13 - 12 Pronunciation Practice of twenty-four words 3. A syllable la classified long by position if it Particular attention should be paid to the pronounci- ation of all underlined letters in the following contains any one of the short vowels that is then exercise. followed by at least two successive consonants. 1. anchor ajicora This syllable is said to be long by the position 2. I sing cano of its vowel in front of two or more consonants. 3. alas heu N.B. The letters x and z count as double consonants, 4. faith fides qu as a single consonant, while h is not here * 5. gift donum regarded as a consonant. 6. conserve conservo 4. If a syllable does not qualify as long either t — 7. I see video" by nature or position, it is classified short. 8. great maj>nus 9. girl puella Exceptions to the general rules of syllabic quantity 10. people populus A combination of plosive consonant (p,b,c,g,t,d) 11. Roman Romanus plus a liquid consonant (l,r) may or may not "make 12. to whom cui position," i.e. the syllable preceding such a 13. who combination may be theoretically classified either 14. immediately statim as long or short. (Such a syllable is indicated 15. to bear ferre by the symbol ~ .) Thus we may read the word • 1.6. never numquam patris either as pat-ris (long penult) or as pa-trls 17. obtain obt ineo (short penult). Note that in pat-ris the penult is 18. repeatedly identidera a closed syllable (closed by the t), in pa-tris the 19. tyrant tyrannus penult is an open syllable with the t initiating the 20. fortune fortuna following syllable.* Latin poetry has examples of the 21. son fflius same syllable classified both long and short in the 22. battle p roe Hum very same verse: Vergil, Aen.11.663 pa-tris, pat-rem; 23. to hear audJHre Ovid, Met.XIII.617 volu-cri, voluc-ris. • 24. then deinde *A closed syllable ends with a consonant, an open syllable ends with a vowel. - 15 - - 14 - Reading Vergil, AENEID 1.1-7 (dactylic hexameter) Text of Cicero, In Catlllnam 1.1 Stage 1. Rhythm without words (chanted on la la...) Stage 2. Rhythm with words (chanted) Quo usque tandem abatCre, CatMna, patientia nostra? r u «l — v v/| - -I, — «-f • V <j\ mm »• Arma virumque cano Troiae qui primus ab oris Quam did etiam furor iste tuus nos glddet? Quern ad flnem sese — \J u|— —I — v/ u| — —I — w w| — M effrenata iactabit audacia? Nihilne t5 noeturnum praesidium PalatI, nihil urbis vigiiiae, nihil tirnor popull, nihil concursus bon5- Italiam fato profugus Laviniaque venit 6 rum omnium, nihil hie munTtissimus habendl senatas locus, nihil horum 6ra vultOsque mdvgrunt? Patgre tua consiiia non sentls, lltora multum llle et terris iactatus et alto constrictam iam h5rum omnium scicntia tengrl coniflratiSnem tuam - J Hi " —I — u u| ~ —I— M wl — — nan vidgs? Quid proxima, quid superiOre noctc ggerls, ubi fuerls, vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram ~u ^1 — — J — —I *• — I - « ul — — qu6s convocaverls, quid cOnsill ceperTs, quern nostrum igndrare multa quoque et bello passus dum conderet urbem 10 arbitrflris? — —I — u vj|— " v|— II wl — U w| — — inferretque deos Latio genus unde Latinum — „| — vj w»l ~- _| mmm — I — « «| — — Albanique patres atque altae moenia Romae. Scansion and reading of the dactylic hexameter 1. A dactyl «• one long syllable + two short Stage 3. Rhythm + words + accents (chanted) r /. / syllables • "" w w — u V —' U U— mm mm — — O U Arma virumque cano Troiae qui primus ab oris 2. A spondee • two long syllables - — V — v- f." I tUaliam fato profugus Laviniaque venit 3. A trochee « one long syllable + one short syllable « — w litora multum ille et terris iactatus et alto — u o — <j£ — •i XI —• > n M tl 4. A dactylic hexameter with the maximum number vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram of dactyls •» 5 dactyls + 1 spondee or 1 trochee • - r U U ^ v/ —• multa quoque et bello passus dum conderet urbem (Measures) 1 m- mm — M \> — \> O — \j \j -~ \J W — mm mm V \^ V VI inferretque deos Latio genus unde Latinum — — J ^ UW mm m* ~£ mm mm\ VO 1- mm~ 5. The full metrical scheme of the dactylic hexameter, * Albaniquc patre3 atque altae moenia Romae. including spondee substitution for dactyls, is Stage 4. Rhythm + words + accents (spoken tones) (Measures) 1 2 3 4 Stage 5. •* Stage 4 + phrasing and interpretation u U „ N.B. In the recording, for the sake of simplicity, Examples of elision of long vowels and final m all elided syllables are omitted at stages 2, 3, and 4. promlsl ultorem > promTsjultorem; Juno aeternutn > Junwaeternum; multum ille > mul.tw1.lle - 17 16 - Catullus 101 (elegiac couplet), read at stage 5 Reading Catullus 1 (hendecasyllablc meter) Metrical scheme of the elegiac couplet: Hendecasyllablc metrical scheme: iiv> V. V \> o S A ME v/ w S A ME Stage 1. Rhythm without words (chanted on la la,.,) N.B. Symbol \\ - word end Stage 2. Rhythm with words (chanted) The elegiac couplet may be described as a dactylic Stage 3. Rhythm + words + accents (chanted) •Ml MM* V \J / hexameter followed by a dactylic pentameter. Cui dono lepidum nouum libellum „ \> — • u -Cv — w —. —• u arida modo pumice expolitum? MVLTAS per gentes ct multa per aecjuora uectus ~ i _. v «> -5 yi — v— — adueniqjias miseras,j|frater, td Tnfifrias, Cornell, tibi; namque tu solebas ut te poitremo donarcm muncre mortis V v £. w ^ et mutam nequiquam alloquerer cinerem. meas esse allquid putare nugas quandoquidem fqrtuna mihl tete abstulit ipsum, j — .MM — v » u - C ^ —• w — — heu miser indigne frater ademptc mihl, nunc tamen interea haec, prisco quae more parentum iam turn, cum ausus es unus Italorum tradita sunt tristi muncre ad inferias, accipe fraterno multum manantia flctu, omne aeuum trlbus explicare cartis atque in perpetuum, frater, aue atque uale. IO doctis,6 Iuppi/t er et laborlosis. quare habe tibi quidquid hoc libelli qualecumque; quod, o patrona virgo, - _^_ „'* / plus uno maneat peur e—n ne saeclo. Stage 4. Rhythm + words + accents (spoken tones) Stage 5. ra Stage 4 + phrasing and interpretation N.B. In the recording, for the sake of simplicity, all elided syllables are omitted at stages 2, 3, and 4. - 19 - - 18 ~ Horace, ODES, Bk.II,...no. 14 (alkaic strophe), stage 5 Horace, ODES Bk.II, no.10 (sapphlc strophe), stage 5 Metrical scheme of alkaic strophe: Metrical scheme of sapphlc strophe; II II II - - ll - - EIIEV fugacc"s, |Po*sti}me, Postume, IKbBntiH- nnritjnec ptetas moram RECTIVS vivcs,|L!cmi, neque^iUum rugjs et TnslantT sencctae sifmper urgendo|ne,que, dutri procellas adferet fiidornitaeqtie morfT: caTitfis hmjescTs,|nTmnim premehdo non si trecenis quotquot eunt dies, 5 litus intquum. amice, places illacrimabilcm Plutona tauris, qui Icr amplum aurcixm quisquis mediocritntem Geryonen Tityonque tristi diligit, tutus caret obsolcti compescit undo, scilicet omnibus, sordibus tecti, caret invidenda quicumque terrae muncrc vescimur, to sobrius aula, cnaviganda, sive reges saepius ventis agitatur ingens sive inopes erimus coloni. pinus et celsae graviore ca$u to frustra cruento Marte carebimus deciddnt tunes feriuntque summos fractisque'rauci fluctibus Hadriae, fulgura montis. frustra per autumnos nocentem t$ sperat infestis, metuit sccundis corporibus metucmus Austrum: alteram sortem bene praeparatum visendus atcr flumine languido pectus, informis hiemes reducit »J Cocytos crrans et Danai genus Iuppiter, idem infame damnatusque long! aummovet. non, si male nunc, et olim Sisyphus Aeolides laboris : so sic erit: quondam cilhara tacentem linquenda tellus et domus et placcns suscitat Musam neque semper arcum uxor, neque harum quos colis arborum tendit Apollo, 30 te praeter invlsas cupressos rebus angustis animosus atquc ulla brevem dominum scqucturs fort is appare; saplenter idem absumet iieres Caecuba dignior . as contrahes vento nimium secundo servata centum clavibus et mero turgida vela. tinget pavimentum superbo, pontificum potiore cents.