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Latin Stories: An Anthology

Octavia and the Vestal Virgin

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Part A (Interleaved Text)

14.1 Octāvia Octavia puella girl nōbilis noble Rōmāna Roman erat was quae who cum with familiā family prope near templum temple Vestae of Vesta habitābat lived

14.2 Saepe often virginēs virgins Vestālēs Vestal sacra sacred rites facientēs performing observābat she used to watch et andabout vītā life eārum their sōlitāriā solitary cōgitābat used to think

14.3 Ūnā on one nocte night dum while per through viās streets urbis of city ambulābat was walking flammam flame sacram sacred in in templō temple paene almost exstinctam extinguished vīdit saw

14.4 Virgo virgin Vestālis Vestal Iūlia Julia quae who ignem fire custōdīre to guard dēbēbat ought graviter seriously aegrōtābat was sick et and in in lectō bed iacēbat was lying

14.5 Octāvia Octavia perīculum danger intellēxit understood nam forif ignis fire sacer sacred exstinctus extinguished esset would be grave serious supplicium punishment virgō virgin Vestālis Vestal subirēt would undergo

14.6 Audācter boldly templum temple intrāvit entered et and ad to āram altar sacram sacred appropinquāvit approached ubi where flamma flame aeternum eternal ardēre to burn dēbēbat ought

14.7 Ligna wood nova new in into focum hearth sacrum sacred caute carefully imposuit placed et and flammam flame morientem dying lēniter gently fovēre to nurture coepit began

14.8 Paulātim gradually ignis fire revīxit revived et and flamma flame splendida bright iterum again in in ārā altar fulgēbat was shining sīcut just as antea before

14.9 Dum while Octāvia Octavia adhūc still labōrābat was working pontifex pontiff maximus greatest subitō suddenly templum temple intrāvit entered et and puellam girl stupēns amazed cōnspexit caught sight of

14.10 Octāvia Octavia tremēns trembling rem matter tōtam whole pontificī to pontiff narrāvit told et and veniam pardon propter on account of audāciam boldness suam her petīvit sought

14.11 Pontifex pontiff autem however nōn not īrātus angry erat was sed but pietātem piety et and prūdentiam wisdom puellae of girl laudāvit praised quae who rem thing dīvīnam divine tam so dīligenter diligently cūrāvisset had tended

14.12 Postrīdiē next day virginēs virgins Vestālēs Vestal conventum meeting habēbant were having ut so thatabout factō deed Octāviae of Octavia cōnsultārent might consult

14.13 Post after multam much dēlīberātiōnem deliberation virginēs virgins Vestālēs Vestal Octāviam Octavia vocāvērunt called et andto her honōrem honor maximum greatest obtulērunt offered

14.14 Nōn not sōlum only praemium reward aureum golden magnifīcum magnificent puellae to girl dedērunt they gave sed but etiam also eam her invītāvērunt invited ut that ipsa herself virgō virgin Vestālis Vestal fieret might become

14.15 Octāvia Octavia maximō with greatest cum with gaudiō joy honōrem honor accēpit accepted et and mox soon inter among virginēs virgins Vestālēs Vestal solemniter solemnly recepta received est was

14.16 Multōs many annōs years Octāvia Octavia officium duty sacrum sacred summa with highest cum with dīligentiā diligence exercēbat performed et and exemplum example pietātis of piety cēterīs to others praebēbat was showing

14.17 Fāma fame huius of this puellae girl per throughout tōtam all urbem city pervāgāta spread est is et and multae many aliae other puellae girls nōbilēs noble exemplum example eius her sequī to follow volēbant wished

14.18 Parentēs parents Octāviae of Octavia magnopere greatly gaudiō with joy affectī affected sunt were quod because fīlia daughter eōrum their tantum so great honōrem honor adepta having attained erat was

14.19 Post after multōs many annōs years Octāvia Octavia virgo virgin Vestālis Vestal maxima greatest facta made est was et and templum temple Vestae of Vesta sapienter wisely administrābat administered

14.20 Memoria memory huius of this puellae girl fortis brave et and piae pious diū long in in mentibus minds Rōmānōrum of Romans manēbat remained et and nōmen name eius her in in annālibus in annals sacrīs sacred īnscrīptum inscribed est was

Part B (Complete Latin Text)

14.1 Octāvia puella nōbilis Rōmāna erat quae cum familiā prope templum Vestae habitābat.

14.2 Saepe virginēs Vestālēs sacra facientēs observābat et dē vītā eārum sōlitāriā cōgitābat.

14.3 Ūnā nocte dum per viās urbis ambulābat flammam sacram in templō paene exstinctam vīdit.

14.4 Virgo Vestālis Iūlia quae ignem custōdīre dēbēbat graviter aegrōtābat et in lectō iacēbat.

14.5 Octāvia perīculum intellēxit nam sī ignis sacer exstinctus esset grave supplicium virgō Vestālis subirēt.

14.6 Audācter templum intrāvit et ad āram sacram appropinquāvit ubi flamma aeternum ardēre dēbēbat.

14.7 Ligna nova in focum sacrum caute imposuit et flammam morientem lēniter fovēre coepit.

14.8 Paulātim ignis revīxit et flamma splendida iterum in ārā fulgēbat sīcut antea.

14.9 Dum Octāvia adhūc labōrābat pontifex maximus subitō templum intrāvit et puellam stupēns cōnspexit.

14.10 Octāvia tremēns rem tōtam pontificī narrāvit et veniam propter audāciam suam petīvit.

14.11 Pontifex autem nōn īrātus erat sed pietātem et prūdentiam puellae laudāvit quae rem dīvīnam tam dīligenter cūrāvisset.

14.12 Postrīdiē virginēs Vestālēs conventum habēbant ut dē factō Octāviae cōnsultārent.

14.13 Post multam dēlīberātiōnem virginēs Vestālēs Octāviam vocāvērunt et eī honōrem maximum obtulērunt.

14.14 Nōn sōlum praemium aureum magnifīcum puellae dedērunt sed etiam eam invītāvērunt ut ipsa virgō Vestālis fieret.

14.15 Octāvia maximō cum gaudiō honōrem accēpit et mox inter virginēs Vestālēs solemniter recepta est.

14.16 Multōs annōs Octāvia officium sacrum summa cum dīligentiā exercēbat et exemplum pietātis cēterīs praebēbat.

14.17 Fāma huius puellae per tōtam urbem pervāgāta est et multae aliae puellae nōbilēs exemplum eius sequī volēbant.

14.18 Parentēs Octāviae magnopere gaudiō affectī sunt quod fīlia eōrum tantum honōrem adepta erat.

14.19 Post multōs annōs Octāvia virgo Vestālis maxima facta est et templum Vestae sapienter administrābat.

14.20 Memoria huius puellae fortis et piae diū in mentibus Rōmānōrum manēbat et nōmen eius in annālibus sacrīs īnscrīptum est.

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