← Latinum Institute Latin Reading Course
Today we learn the first person personal pronoun "ego" (I, me) and its various case forms. This is a fundamental pronoun essential for expressing personal actions and statements.
11.1 Ego I librum book habeō have
11.2 Pater father mē me vocāt calls
11.3 Mihi to me epistulam letter dat gives
11.4 Meī of me memor mindful est is
11.5 Ego I in in hortō garden sum am
11.6 Magister teacher mē me docet teaches
11.7 Mihi to me placet pleases fābula story
11.8 Ego I Rōmam Rome videō see
11.9 Meī of me grātiā for the sake venit comes
11.10 Mēcum with me ambulat walks
11.11 Ego I nōn not timeō fear
11.12 Ad to mē me venit comes
11.13 Mihi to me crēdit believes
11.14 Ego I sōla alone labōrō work
11.15 Dē about mē me cōgitat thinks
11.1 I have a book. Ego librum habeō.
11.2 Father calls me. Pater mē vocāt.
11.3 He gives a letter to me. Mihi epistulam dat.
11.4 He is mindful of me. Meī memor est.
11.5 I am in the garden. Ego in hortō sum.
11.6 The teacher teaches me. Magister mē docet.
11.7 The story pleases me. Mihi placet fābula.
11.8 I see Rome. Ego Rōmam videō.
11.9 He comes for my sake. Meī grātiā venit.
11.10 He walks with me. Mēcum ambulat.
11.11 I do not fear. Ego nōn timeō.
11.12 He comes to me. Ad mē venit.
11.13 He believes me. Mihi crēdit.
11.14 I work alone. Ego sōla labōrō.
11.15 He thinks about me. Dē mē cōgitat.
11.1 Ego librum habeō.
11.2 Pater mē vocāt.
11.3 Mihi epistulam dat.
11.4 Meī memor est.
11.5 Ego in hortō sum.
11.6 Magister mē docet.
11.7 Mihi placet fābula.
11.8 Ego Rōmam videō.
11.9 Meī grātiā venit.
11.10 Mēcum ambulat.
11.11 Ego nōn timeō.
11.12 Ad mē venit.
11.13 Mihi crēdit.
11.14 Ego sōla labōrō.
11.15 Dē mē cōgitat.
For English speakers learning Latin, the pronoun "ego" is similar to English "I/me" but with important differences: -
Cases of ego: -
Nominative: ego (I) - subject -
Genitive: meī (of me, my) -
Dative: mihi (to/for me) -
Accusative: mē (me) - direct object -
Ablative: mē (by/with/from me) -
Usage Notes: -
Ego is often omitted unless emphasis is needed -
Mēcum = mē + cum ("with me") -
Meī grātiā = "for my sake" -
Mihi used with verbs of giving, showing, telling -
Important Differences from English: -
Latin changes form based on function -
Word order is flexible -
Prepositions affect case choice
For English speakers, understanding how Romans used personal pronouns provides insight into their culture: -
Social Status: -
Ego often implied authority or emphasis -
Used sparingly in polite conversation -
Important in legal and political speech -
Literary Usage: -
Poets used ego for personal expression -
Cicero's speeches employ ego strategically -
Letters show informal usage -
Modern Relevance: -
Similar to formal vs. casual English -
Helps understand Latin inscriptions -
Important for reading classical texts
Part F-A (Interleaved Text)
From Ovid's Metamorphoses (Book I): "Nec Neither mihi to me mors death gravis heavy est is posituro about to lay aside morte in death dolores" sorrows
"Nor is death heavy to me, who am about to lay aside my sorrows in death." "Nec mihi mors gravis est posituro morte dolores"
Ovid uses the dative mihi to express personal experience of death. The line comes from Apollo's lament, showing how personal pronouns can convey deep emotion.
-
Mihi: dative of reference -
Posituro: future participle dative -
Morte: ablative of means -
Word order emphasizes personal experience
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
11.16 Marcus Marcus Quīntō to Quintus suō his own salūtem greeting dīcit says
11.17 Ego I valēre to be well spērō hope tē you quoque also
11.18 Mihi to me māximae greatest cūrae concern es you are
11.19 Ego I Athēnīs in Athens litterīs with letters et and philosophiae philosophy studeō study
11.20 Mē me tua your absentia absence vehementer strongly commōvit has moved
11.21 Mihi to me dē about tuō your itinere journey scrībe write
11.22 Ego I tuās your litterās letters magnō with great gaudiō joy legō read
11.23 Meī of me memoriam memory retinēs you retain spērō I hope
11.24 Ego I philosophōrum of philosophers librōs books diligenter diligently legō read
11.25 Mēcum with me Plātōnem Plato studiōsē eagerly legit reads Apollōdōrus Apollodorus
11.26 Mihi to me grātissimum most pleasing erit will be tē you vidēre to see
11.27 Ego I ad to urbem city post after trēs three mēnsēs months redeō return
11.28 Mē me philosophia philosophy cotīdiē daily dēlectat delights
11.29 Meī of me amīcī friends tē you salūtant greet
11.30 Valē farewell mī my cārissime dearest frāter brother
11.16 Marcus sends greetings to his dear Quintus. Marcus Quīntō suō salūtem dīcit.
11.17 I hope that you also are well. Ego valēre spērō tē quoque.
11.18 You are of greatest concern to me. Mihi māximae cūrae es.
11.19 I am studying letters and philosophy in Athens. Ego Athēnīs litterīs et philosophiae studeō.
11.20 Your absence has strongly affected me. Mē tua absentia vehementer commōvit.
11.21 Write to me about your journey. Mihi dē tuō itinere scrībe.
11.22 I read your letters with great joy. Ego tuās litterās magnō gaudiō legō.
11.23 I hope you retain memory of me. Meī memoriam retinēs spērō.
11.24 I diligently read the books of philosophers. Ego philosophōrum librōs diligenter legō.
11.25 Apollodorus eagerly reads Plato with me. Mēcum Plātōnem studiōsē legit Apollōdōrus.
11.26 It will be most pleasing to me to see you. Mihi grātissimum erit tē vidēre.
11.27 I return to the city after three months. Ego ad urbem post trēs mēnsēs redeō.
11.28 Philosophy delights me daily. Mē philosophia cotīdiē dēlectat.
11.29 My friends send you greetings. Meī amīcī tē salūtant.
11.30 Farewell, my dearest brother. Valē mī cārissime frāter.
11.16 Marcus Quīntō suō salūtem dīcit.
11.17 Ego valēre spērō tē quoque.
11.18 Mihi māximae cūrae es.
11.19 Ego Athēnīs litterīs et philosophiae studeō.
11.20 Mē tua absentia vehementer commōvit.
11.21 Mihi dē tuō itinere scrībe.
11.22 Ego tuās litterās magnō gaudiō legō.
11.23 Meī memoriam retinēs spērō.
11.24 Ego philosophōrum librōs diligenter legō.
11.25 Mēcum Plātōnem studiōsē legit Apollōdōrus.
11.26 Mihi grātissimum erit tē vidēre.
11.27 Ego ad urbem post trēs mēnsēs redeō.
11.28 Mē philosophia cotīdiē dēlectat.
11.29 Meī amīcī tē salūtant.
11.30 Valē mī cārissime frāter.
This letter demonstrates key features of Roman epistolary style: -
Opening Formula: -
Name in nominative (sender) -
Name in dative (recipient) -
Salūtem dīcit ("sends greetings") -
Characteristic Phrases: -
Valē (farewell) -
Spērō + indirect statement -
Cūrae esse (to be of concern) -
Salūtant (they greet) -
Letter-Specific Grammar: -
Epistolary tenses (present for writer's current actions) -
Imperatives in requests (scrībe) -
Dative of possession (mihi cūrae es) -
Ablative of manner (magnō gaudiō) -
Personal Touch: -
Affectionate adjectives (cārissime) -
Future arrangements (redeō) -
References to shared interests (philosophy) -
Social context (friends, studies)
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