Petronius - A Spooky Story

Question 1

cum adhuc servirem, amare coepi Melissam,

Answer 1

When I was still a slave, I began to love Melissa

Question 2

uxorem Terentii cauponis, pulcherrimum bacciballum.

Answer 2

the wife of the innkeeper Terentius, the most beautiful little peach.

Question 3

huius contubernalis ad villam supremum diem obiit.

Answer 3

Her partner met his last day at the country house.

Question 4

itaque per scutum per ocream egi aginavi quemadmodum ad illam pervenirem:

Answer 4

And so I acted by shield or by greave and I plotted how I might reach her:

Question 5

nam in angustiis amici apparent.

Answer 5

for it is in emergencies that friends are revealed.

Question 6

forte dominus Capuam exierat ad negotium expediendum.

Answer 6

By chance my master had gone to Capua to sort out [some] business

Question 7

ego occasionem nactus persuadeo hospiti nostro ut mecum ad quintum miliarium veniat.

Answer 7

I, having seized the opportunity, persuaded our guest to come with me to the fifth mile.

Question 8

erat autem miles, fortis tamquam Orcus.

Answer 8

Moreover he was a soldier, brave as hell.

Question 9

apoculamus nos circa gallicinia; luna lucebat tamquam meridie.

Answer 9

We set off around the cock-crow; the moon was shining like it was midday.

Question 10

venimus inter monimenta: homo meus coepit ad stelas facere; sedeo ego cantabundus et stelas numero.

Answer 10

We came among the monuments, my man began to go towards the tombstones; I sat singing and counted the tombstones.

Question 11

deinde ut respexi ad comitem,

Answer 11

Then, when I looked back at my companion,

Question 12

ille exuit se et omnia vestimenta secundum viam posuit.

Answer 12

he stripped off and placed all his clothes beside the road.

Question 13

mihi anima in naso esse; stabam tamquam mortuus.

Answer 13

My soul was in my nose; I was standing as though dead.

Question 14

at ille circumminxit vestimenta sua, et subito lupus factus est.

Answer 14

But he piddled around his clothes and suddenly he was turned into a werewolf.

Question 15

nolite me iocari putare; ululare coepit et in silvas fugit.

Answer 15

Don’t think I’m joking; he began to howl and fled into the woods.

Question 16

ego primo nesciebam ubi essem; deinde accessi ut vestimenta eius tollerem:

Answer 16

At first I didn’t know where I was; then I approached in order to pick up his clothes:

Question 17

illa autem lapidea facta sunt.

Answer 17

but they were made of stone.

Question 18

paene timore mortuus sum.

Answer 18

I almost died with fear.

Question 19

gladium tamen strinxi et in tota via umbras cecidi,

Answer 19

However I drew my sword and I slashed the shadows through the whole street,

Question 20

donec ad villam amicae meae pervenirem.

Answer 20

until I reached my friend’s house.

Question 21

ut larva intravi, paene animam ebullivi, sudor mihi per crura fluebat, oculi mortui;

Answer 21

I entered like a ghost, I almost poured out my soul, sweat was pouring down my legs, my eyes were dead

Question 22

vix umquam refectus sum.

Answer 22

I barely ever recovered.

Question 23

Melissa mea mirari coepit quod tam sero ambularem.

Answer 23

My Melissa began to show suprise because I was out walking so late.

Question 24

‘si ante’ inquit ‘venisses, saltem nos adiuvisses;

Answer 24

She said ‘If you had come earlier, you could at least have helped us;

Question 25

lupus enim villam intravit et omnia pecora oppugnavit;

Answer 25

for a wolf entered the country house and attacked all the sheep;

Question 26

tamquam lanius sanguinem illis misit.

Answer 26

he let out their blood like a butcher.

Question 27

nec tamen derisit, etiam si fugit;

Answer 27

However he didn’t have the last laugh, even if he did escape;

Question 28

servus enim noster lancea collum eius traiecit.’

Answer 28

for one of our slaves pierced his neck with a spear.’

Question 29

haec ut audivi, operire oculos amplius non potui, sed clara luce domum fugi;

Answer 29

When I heard this, I couldn’t shut my eyes any longer, but I rushed home in broad daylight;

Question 30

et postquam veni in illum locum in quo lapidea vestimenta erant facta,

Answer 30

and when I came to the place where the clothes had turned to stone,

Question 31

nihil inveni nisi sanguinem.

Answer 31

I found nothing except some blood.

Question 32

ut vero domum veni, iacebat miles meus in lecto tamquam bos, et collum eius medicus curabat.

Answer 32

When I actually got home, my soldier friend was lying in bed like an ox, and a doctor was attending to his neck.

Question 33

intellexi illum versipellem esse, nec postea cum illo panem gustare potui,

Answer 33

Then I understood that he was a werewolf, and after that I was never able to eat bread with him,

Question 34

non si me occidisses.

Answer 34

not if you had killed me.