EOC Preparation Reading 3: Ascanius, The Homeless Prince

According to legend Rome was founded by the descendants of the Trojan prince Aeneas. After the Greeks and the Trojans had fought a ten-year war, the Greeks used the Trojan Horse to sneak into the city at night and began to burn it down. When Aeneas saw that the city was lost, he went to his home to try to save his family. His father Anchises did not want to leave his native city, but he changed his mind when he saw a flame above the head of his little grandson Ascanius. The flame burned brightly but did no harm to Ascanius, and Anchises believed it was a sign from the gods. Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius escaped from the burning city of Troy. They sailed around the Mediterranean Sea for several years, and Anchises died on the journey. Aeneas and his young son Ascanius crossed the sea to Italy, and they built a city there.

In Asiā Minōre oppidum Trōia erat. Anchīsēs et fïlius Aenēās et familia et amīcī habitābant in oppidō Trōiā. Multī Graecī Trōiam nāvigābant. Graecī cum Trōiānīs pugnābant, et Graecī Trōiam vastābant. Anchīsēs spectābat flammam sacram super caput (head) Ascāniī (of Ascanius), parvī filiī Aenēae (of Aeneas). “Signum ex deīs est,” clāmābat. “Nāvigābimus.” Anchīsēs et Aenēās et Ascānius et multī amīcī ex patriā Asiā Minōre ad multās terrās nāvigābant. In Āfricā, in Siciliā, et in Ītaliā Ascānius auxilium patrī (to his father) Aenēae dabat. In Ītaliā, patriā novā, Aenēās et Ascānius oppidum aedificābant. Post multōs annōs Ascānius novum oppidum, Albam Longam, aedificābat.

Vocabulary:

Aenē·ās –ae m Aeneas

amīc·us –ī m friend

ann·us -ī m year

auxil·ium –(i)ī n help

famili·a -ae f family

flamm·a –ae f flame

fīl·ius - (i)ī m son

Graec·us -ī m a Greek

Ītali·a -ae f Italy

oppid·um, -ī n town

patri·a -ae f native land, country

sign·um -ī n sign, omen

terr·a -ae f land

Trōi·a -ae f the town of Troy

Trōiān·us –ī m a Trojan

mult·us –a -um much; (pl) many

nov·us –a –um new

parv·us -a –um little, small

sa·cer –cra –crum sacred, holy

aedificō, aedificāre, aedificāvī, aedificātus to build

clāmō clāmāre clāmāvī clāmātus to shout

dō dare dedī datus to give

erat he (she, it) was

est he (she, it ) is

habitō habitāre habitāvī habitātus to live

iuvō iuvāre iūvī iūtus to help

nāvigō nāvigāre nāvigāvī nāvigātus to sail

pugnō pugnāre pugnāvī pugnātus to fight

spectō spectāre spectāvī spectātus to observe

vastō vastāre vastāvī vastātus to destroy

ad prep (+ acc) to, toward, near

cum prep (+ abl) with

et conj and

ex, ē prep (+ abl) out of, from

in prep (+ abl) in, on

post prep (+ acc) after

super prep (+ acc) above