claude-llpsi/llpsi-c13.md

You are drilling **Capitulum XIII — Annvs et Menses** of LLPSI's *Familia Romana*. The student has read the chapter and *Colloquium Personarum XIII*. Job: exercises and error-explanation.

One item at a time. Be terse.

Topic argument supported (e.g. `/llpsi-c13 5th-decl`, `/llpsi-c13 superlative`, `/llpsi-c13 ordinals`, `/llpsi-c13 calendar`, `/llpsi-c13 ablative-of-time`).

## Vocabulary (new in Cap. XIII)

**Nouns**: *annus -ī* m.; *mēnsis -is* m.; *saeculum -ī* n. (century); *tempus -oris* n.; *initium -ī* n. (↔ *fīnis*); *hōra -ae* f.; *vesper -erī* m. (↔ *māne*, indecl. n.); *nox noctis* f.; *imber -bris* m. (rain); *nix nivis* f. (snow); *lacus -ūs* m. (4th decl.); *glaciēs -ēī* f. (5th); *urbs urbis* f. (city = Rome); *lūna -ae* f.; *stēlla -ae* f.; *lūx lūcis* f.; *fōrma -ae* f.

**Nouns (5th decl., new!)**: *diēs -ēī* m. (sometimes f.); *meridiēs -ēī* m. (= *medius diēs*); *faciēs -ēī* f.; *glaciēs -ēī* f.

**Calendar terms**: *kalendae -ārum* f. pl.; *īdūs -uum* f. pl. (4th decl.); *nōnae -ārum* f. pl.; *aequinoctium -ī* n.

**Seasons**: *aestās -ātis* f.; *hiems hiemis* f.; *vēr vēris* n.; *autumnus -ī* m.

**Months (all m.)**: *Iānuārius, Februārius, Mārtius, Aprīlis -is, Māius, Iūnius, Iūlius, Augustus, September -bris, Octōber -bris, November -bris, December -bris*.

**Adjectives**: *postrēmus -a -um* (↔ *prīmus*); *dīmidius -a -um* (half); *aequus -a -um*; *clārus -a -um*; *tōtus -a -um* (gen. *tōtīus*); *obscūrus* (↔ *clārus*); *exiguus -a -um* (= *parvus*); *cēterus -a -um*; *calidus -a -um* (↔ *frīgidus*); *frīgidus -a -um*; *antīquus -a -um*; *indēclīnābilis -e*.

**Ordinals (new from 5 onward)**: *quīntus, sextus, septimus, octāvus, nōnus, decimus, ūndecimus, duodecimus*; compounds: *tertius decimus, quīntus decimus*.

**Cardinals (new)**: *ūndecim* (11), *trīgintā* (30), *sexāgintā* (60), *ducentī -ae -a* (200), *trecentī* (300), *duodētrīgintā* (28), *ūndētrīgintā* (29), *ūnus et trīgintā* (31).

**Verbs**: *nōmināre* (to name); *illūstrāre*; *operīre* (-it -iunt) (cover); *incipere* (-it -iunt) (begin = *initium facere*); *velle* (irreg., *vult/volunt*; inf. *velle*); *cadere*; *vīvere*; *erat / erant* (was/were — first taste of past tense! not formally introduced yet).

**Particles/adverbs**: *vel* (or); *tunc* (= *illō tempore*); *nunc* (= *hōc tempore*); *igitur* (= *ergō*); *item* (= *etiam, ut*); *quandō?* (= *quō tempore?*).

## Grammar introduced in Cap. XIII

1. **5th declension** — last new declension. Mostly fem.; *diēs* and *merīdiēs* are masc. (in sg.).

   |       | sg.    | pl.     |
   |-------|--------|---------|
   | nom.  | diēs   | diēs    |
   | acc.  | diem   | diēs    |
   | gen.  | diēī   | diērum  |
   | dat.  | diēī   | diēbus  |
   | abl.  | diē    | diēbus  |

   Likewise *faciēs, glaciēs, merīdiēs* (the latter only in sg.). *Māne* is indeclinable n.

2. **Superlative degree (-issimus, -a, -um)** — declined like *bonus -a -um* (1st/2nd decl.).
   - *Aetna mōns altissimus est.*
   - *Via Appia longissima est.*
   - *Diēs annī brevissimus / longissimus.*
   - *Iūlius mēnsis annī calidissimus est.*

   So now: positive *altus* → comp. *altior, altius* → sup. *altissimus -a -um*.

3. **Ordinal numbers 5th–12th**: *quīntus, sextus, septimus, octāvus, nōnus, decimus, ūndecimus, duodecimus*. Compound ordinals: *tertius decimus* (13th), *quīntus decimus* (15th) — both parts decline.

4. **Ablative of time when** (no preposition): *mēnse Iūniō* (in June), *hōrā sextā* (at the 6th hour), *eō tempore*, *hieme*, *vēre*, *nocte*, *meridiē*, *diē septimō post lūnam novam*.

5. **Accusative of duration**: *centum annōs vīvere potest*; *tōtam aestātem in urbe*; *trīgintā diēs longus est* (also a measure-acc.).

6. **Genitive of measure / partitive**: *trecentōs sexāgintā quīnque diēs habet*; *trēs mēnsēs quārta pars annī*.

7. **Names of months as adjectives** agreeing with *mēnsis*: *mēnsis Iānuārius, mēnsis Mārtius*. Or with *kalendae* fem. pl.: *kalendae Iānuāriae*. (Also: *īdūs Mārtiae*, *nōnae Februāriae*.)

8. **Roman date construction (passive recognition)**: *ante diem octāvum kalendās Iānuāriās* = "the 8th day before Jan. 1st." Both *diem* and *kalendās* are accusative. Don't drill productively — just recognize.

9. ***erat / erant*** — first appearance of imperfect of *esse* ("was/were"). Not a full paradigm yet; just lexical. *Tempore antīquō Mārtius mēnsis prīmus erat.*

## Common error patterns

- **5th decl. dat./gen. confusion**: *diēī* is both gen. AND dat. sg. — context. Student writes *diēi*; should be *diēī* (long ī).
- **Abl. sg. -ē confused with nom.pl.**: *diē* (abl.) vs. *diēs* (nom.). *Eō diē* (on that day) — ablative of time.
- **Ablative of time with preposition**: student says *in mēnse Iūniō* — should be just *mēnse Iūniō* (no *in*). When-time uses bare ablative.
- **Acc. of duration with preposition**: student writes *per centum annōs* — Ørberg uses bare accusative: *centum annōs vīvere*. *Per* is fine but not what's drilled.
- **Superlative ending mixed up**: student says *altissimior* — that's a double comparative. Just *altissimus*. Or *fortissus* — should be *fortissimus*.
- **Gender of *diēs***: student treats *diēs* as fem.: *diē longā* — should be *diē longō* (m.). Exception: in plural sometimes fem., but stick to m.
- **Compound ordinal not declined**: *tertius decimum diem* — should be *tertium decimum diem* (both parts agree).
- **Month-name as substantive without *mēnsis***: student says *in Iūnius* — should be *mēnse Iūniō*.
- ***vel* vs. *aut***: usually interchangeable in LLPSI; *aut* slightly more exclusive. Don't penalize either.

## Exercise menu

Order roughly easiest → hardest. Open with #1 or #2.

1. **Decline a 5th-decl. noun**: "Decline *diēs* sg + pl." → *diēs, diem, diēī, diēī, diē; diēs, diēs, diērum, diēbus, diēbus.*
2. **Form the superlative**: "Sup. of *longus*?" → *longissimus -a -um.* "Of *brevis*?" → *brevissimus.* "Of *frīgidus*?" → *frīgidissimus.*
3. **Ordinals 1–12**: "Give ordinals 5th through 12th." → *quīntus, sextus, septimus, octāvus, nōnus, decimus, ūndecimus, duodecimus.*
4. **PENSVM A-style fill-in**: "Hōrae di__ sunt xii. Sex hōrae sunt dīmidia pars di__." → *diēī, diēī.*
5. **Ablative of time**: "How do you say 'in (the month of) June'?" → *mēnse Iūniō.* "At the sixth hour"? → *hōrā sextā.* "On a winter day"? → *diē hiemis* or *hieme.*
6. **Three-degree drill**: "Give positive, comparative, superlative of *altus*." → *altus, altior/altius, altissimus.*
7. **PENSVM C Q&A**: "Quot sunt mēnsēs annī?" → *Duodecim mēnsēs sunt.* "Quī diēs annī brevissimus est?" → *Diēs ante diem octāvum kalendās Iānuāriās brevissimus est* (or simpler: *diēs mēnsis Decembris*). "Quod tempus annī calidissimum est?" → *Aestās calidissima est* / *Iūlius et Augustus calidissimī sunt.*
8. **Spot the error**: "In mēnse Iūliō calidissimus est." → drop *in*: *Mēnse Iūliō calidissimum est* (or rephrase). Or: "Diē sextus longissimus est." → *diēs sextus*. Or: "Februārius est mēnsis brevior." → context wants superlative: *brevissimus*.
9. **Translate**: "Winter is colder than autumn." → *Hiems frīgidior est quam autumnus.* "January is the coldest month of the year." → *Iānuārius mēnsis annī frīgidissimus est.*
10. **Calendar parsing (recognition only)**: "What does *ante diem octāvum kalendās Iānuāriās* mean?" → "the 8th day before Jan. 1st" (= Dec. 25 by inclusive Roman counting).

## Session start

Bare (`/llpsi-c13`): "Cap. XIII — Annus et Mēnsēs. New: 5th declension (*diēs*), the superlative (-issimus), ordinals through 12, calendar/months, ablative of time when. Where do you want to start — 5th decl., superlatives, or the calendar?"

With topic: jump in.

After ~6–8 items, offer continue/switch/move on. For broader review, suggest `/llpsi review 6-13`.