Want to live like the rich and famous? Petronius satirises the high life in opulent Rome

Hic nescio quid boni debet esse.

This must be something good, I don’t know what.

Hic (this) is a demonstrative pronoun.

Debet (must be or ought to be) is the third person singular present indicative form of "debere."

Nescio quid (something) from "nescio" (I do not know), and "quid" (what).

Boni (good) is the genitive singular form of "bonus," used to describe the quality of "quid".

Esse (to be) used with "debet" to complete the expression "must be."

Ever felt someone is trying to dupe you? Laocoon knew but it would not save him or his countrymen.

quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentis.

Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when bringing gifts.

Quidquid (whatever) a pronoun

Id (that or it)

Est (it is)

Timeo (I fear or I dread) is in the first person singular present indicative form.

Danaos (Greeks or Danaans) is the accusative plural form of "Danaus," used here to refer to the Greek soldiers in the Trojan War.

Et (and)

Dona (gifts) is the accusative plural form of "donum."

Ferentis (bringing) is the present active participle of "ferre," modifying "dona."

Seneca faces up to that most valuable of things, time and how to spend our precious moments, when facing into his own mortality.

Quid agam? mors me sequitur, fugit vita.

What should I do? Death follows me, while life flees.

Quid (what) is an interrogative pronoun.

Agam (should I do) is the first person singular present subjunctive form of "agere," used here in an indirect question to express the speaker’s uncertainty about their actions.

Mors (death) is a feminine noun with a declension consonant stem following the third declension. It is in the nominative singular form.

Me (me) is the first person pronoun used as the object of "sequitur."

Sequitur (follows) is a deponent verb in the third person singular present indicative form of "sequi." Note sequere is the gerund.

Vita (life) is in the nominative singular form.

Fugit (flees) is the third person singular present indicative form of "fugere."

Something trivial getting under your skin? Persius knows this!

O curas hominum! O quantum est in rebus inane!

Oh, the cares of humans! Oh, how much is vain in their affairs!

O is an exclamation or interjection.

Curas (cares or anxiety) is an a declension feminine noun in the accusative plural form of "cura."

Hominum (of humans or of men) is an i stem masculine noun in the genitive plural form of "homo."

Quantum (how much) is an a/o declension neuter adjective in the nominative singular form.

Est (is)

In (in or within)

Rebus (affairs or concerns) is an e declension feminine noun in the ablative plural form of "res." Here used to specify where the inane exists.

Inane (empty or vain) is a mixed declension neuter adjective in the nominative singular form, agreeing with quantum. It functions as a predicate adjective, providing more information about the subject, which is "quantum" in this context.

Looming death can focus the mind. Here Boethius turns his attention on fame and glory.

Gloria vero quam fallax saepe, quam turpis est!

Indeed, how often is glory deceitful, how base it is!

Gloria (glory) is an a decension feminine noun meaning glory or fame and is in the nominative singular form.

Vero (indeed or truly) is used to emphasize or affirm the statement that follows.

Quam (how)

Fallax (deceitful or treacherous) is a mixed declension in the nominative singular form.

Saepe (often or frequently) is an adverb modifying "fallax.

Turpis (base or shameful) is a mixed declension in the nominative singular form.

Est (is).

The law courts did things differently 2000 years ago. Apuleius defends his modest possessions in a charge of witchcraft.

Peram et baculam tu philosophis exprobrares.

You would reproach philosophers with a satchel and a staff.

Peram (satchel or bag ) is the a declension feminine noun in the accusative singular form.

Et (and)

Baculum (Staff or stick) is the o declension neuter noun in the accusative singular form.

Tu (you).

Exprobrares (would reproach) is the second person singular imperfect active subjunctive of "exprobrare."

Philosophis (philosophers) is the dative plural form of "philosopha," being the indirect object of the action.

NB the dative case is the recipient of the action, in this instance a criticism against the philosophers. The satchel and staff are the objects used to criticise. So the philosophers are being criticized in connection with the satchel and staff, not that the satchel and staff are being criticised with or for the philosophers.

Orpheus pleads with Pluto to return Eurydice from the dead. In doing this, he points out the inevitability of where all must go.

Tendimus huc omnes, haec est domus ultima.

We all make our way here; this is the final home.

Tendimus (we head or we make our way) is the first person plural present active indicative of "tendere."

Huc (here)

Omnes (all or everyone) is the mixed stem neuter superlative in the nominative plural form of "omnis."

Haec (this) is the nominative singular feminine form of "hic."

Domus (home or house) is the u declension feminine in the nominative singular form.

Ultima (final or last) is an a/o declension superlative in the feminine nominative singular feminine form of "ultimus."

Ever regretted an outburst in anger? Seneca offers a solution.

Maximum remedium irae mora est.

The greatest remedy for anger is delay.

Remedium (remedy or cure) is an o declension neuter noun in the nominative singular form.

Maximum (greatest) is an a/o declension superlative adjective in the nominative singular form agreeing with "remedium."

Irae (of anger) an a declension feminine noun is the genitive singular form of "ira."

Mora (delay) is an a declension feminine noun in the nominative singular form.

Est (is).

Looking for hidden meaning in seemingly unrelated events? Portents of doom always make for a good story, says Statius

Quis fluere occultis rerum neget omina causis?

Who can deny that omens flow from hidden causes?

Quis (who) is an interrogative pronoun in the nominative singular form.

Neget (denies) is the third person singular present active subjunctive of "negare" meaning "to deny" or "to refuse."

Fluere (to flow) is in the present active infinitive.

Omina (omens) is the nominative plural form of "omen."

Causis (causes) is the ablative plural form of "causa."

Occultis (hidden) is the ablative plural form of "occultus," agreeing with causis.

Rerum (of things) is the genitive plural form of "res."

How did the ancients excuse poor behaviour? Blame it on the gods of course!

Deus ultor in iras apportat coeptisque favet.

An avenging god brings them to our wrath and favours the work begun.

Deus (god) is in the nominative singular form.

Ultor (avenging) is in the nominative singular form and can also be used as an adjective or as a noun (the avenger)

In (into or onto) is a preposition.

Iras (anger, wrath or rage) is the accusative plural form of "ira."

Apportat (brings to or carries) is the third person singular present active indicative of "apportare," meaning "to bring" or "to carry."

Coeptisque (undertaking or enterprise or work begun) is in the dative plural form of "coeptum." The suffix "-que" means "and."

Favet (supports or favours) is the third person singular present active indicative of "favere," meaning "to support" or "to favour."