Lesson #5 – Gesta Romanorum
Goals: In this class, the students will see how not only animals, but the monstrous races too
were given a moral interpretation in the Middle Ages. They will review result and purpose
clauses as well.
Materials: Purpose/Result clause worksheets, text & worksheet for Gesta Romanorum
Activities:
1. Have students share their bestiary entries they wrote for homework. Use for possible
bulletin board.
2. When the students have finished sharing how they would use the monster/animal they
chose in a sermon to teach a lesson, ask them what they would think of monstrous
races? What would a Medieval preacher/writer see as their moral significance?
3. Tell them they’ll be reading a passage that discusses this: what each monstrous race
symbolizes for a Christian.
4. First, result/purpose clause review: ask students what is the difference between the two,
(give examples of each) how do you recognize them, translate them?
5. Have them work in pairs on practice worksheet, then go over as a class.
6. Have the students begin working in pairs or groups on reading the passage and filling
out the chart for each monstrous race’s characteristics and interpretation.
7. Assign group projects on monsters.
Homework: Finish reading the Gesta Romanorum passage, find and translate a purpose
clause and a result clause. Begin work on group projects.
Gesta Romanorum
The Gesta Romanorum is a Latin collection of poems and tales, written at the end of the 13th or
beginning of the 14th century. Although we don’t know who wrote it or even where it was written
(England, France, or Germany seem to be the most likely candidates), it was one of the most
popular books of its time. It was intended to be a manual for preachers and provide material for
their sermons, so the tales it contained all had a moral purpose.
Keep track of each monstrous race and what allegorical interpretation is given to it. Not all of
them are named in the passage: try a search online to find their real names!
Race
Where they live
Characteristics
Moral interpretation
Gesta Romanorum
Chapter 175
Plinius narrat, quod aliqui homines sunt canina capita
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habentes, qui cum latratu loquuntur et vestiuntur pellibus
Plinius: the same Pliny that Isidore used as a source
canīnus, -a, -um, dog-like
latratus, -ūs, m., barking;
animalium. Tales significant predicatores, qui omnes animalium
pellibus debent vestiri i.e., aspera penitentia propter bonum
exemplum aliis dandum indui. Item, in Indiā sunt quidam
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homines, qui tantum unum oculum super nasum habent in fronte
praedicator, -oris, m., preacher
i.e.: we still use this abbreviation for “id est,” go right to verb
indui in line 5. induō, -ere, -uī, -ūtus, to put on
penitentia, -ae, f., penitence, punishment. CL “paenitentia”
dandum: gerundive with exemplum
et carnes animalium comedunt. Isti designant homines, qui
tantum habent oculum rationis, scilicet quo in fronte utuntur et non
voluntate. In Lybiā sunt alique femine sine capite, os et oculos
habentes in pectore. Tales designant homines, qui volunt
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quo: take with utuntur
alique: CL aliquae, you’ll find this spelling change throughout
the passage
humiliter obedire ex corde, non habentes pectora levia, et
quicquid extrinsecus faciendum est in opere, prius bene deliberant
in corde. In Sichiā sunt homines habentes tam magnas aures, ut
Sichia: Pliny said these guys lived in Scythia (region to the
north of the Black Sea)
tegant per illas totum corpus. Hii designant illos, qui libenter
audiunt verbum dei, per quod possunt animam et corpus ā
extrinsecus: on the outside, outwardly
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peccatis custodire. In Ethiopiā sunt homines, tantum unum
pedem habentes, tante tamen velocitatis sunt, ut bestias currendo
insequantur. Hii sunt illi, qui habent tantum unum pedem caritatis.
Tales sunt veloces versus regis celeste. In Indiā eciam sunt aliqui
homines sex manūs habentes….. [qui] designant studiosos,
qui laborant, ut vitam eternam obtineant.
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tante: what is this form in CL?
caritas, -ātis, f., charity
versus, towards
celeste: two spelling changes in this Medieval form!
eciam: CL etiam.
eternam: what form in CL?
Purpose & Result Clause Review
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Purpose and result clauses both start with ut
Purpose and result clauses both have subjunctive verbs
How can we tell them apart?
- In a purpose clause, ut means “in order to”
- In a result clause, ut means “so that as a result”
- Result clauses often have indicator words like tam, tot, tantus, talis, ita, sīc, or
adeo
Classify each of these as a result (R) or purpose (P) clause.
1. ____ I went to the store to buy bread.
2. ____ It rained so much that our house floated away.
3. ____ I studied hard so that I would pass.
4. ____ I studied so hard that I passed.
5. ____ We traveled to Italy in order to visit the Roman ruins.
6. ____ We had such a mean teacher that she gave us homework every night.
7. ____ The chipmunk had stored enough food so that it lasted all winter.
8. ____ I read all the books in the library to learn as much as I could.
9. ____ I left early to not be late.
10. _____ The book was so expensive I didn’t buy it.
Purpose clauses : Primary Sequence  Present subjunctive
I am going to Rome to visit my mother.
Romam eō ut matrem visam.
to see the Forum
______________________
to eat pizza
______________________
Purpose clauses : Secondary Sequence  Imperfect subjunctive
I went to Rome to visit my mother.
Romam īvī ut matrem viserem.
to read Latin
_____________________
to meet an Italian guy/girl
_____________________
Result clauses : Primary Sequence  Present subjunctive
It is so cold that I can’t move.
 tempestas tam frigida est ut movere non possim.
It is so hot that __________________________________________.
 tempestas tam calida est ut _______________________________.
It will rain so much that I shall drown.
 tantum pluet ut submergar.
It will snow so much that __________________________________.
 tantum ninget ut ______________________________________.
Result clauses: Secondary Sequence  Imperfect subjunctive
I heard so many boring speeches that I fell asleep.
 tot orationes taedias audivi ut obdormiscerem.
I drank so many cups of coffee that __________________________.
 tot pocillos caffeae bibi ut _______________________________.
They used to brawl so often that bartender no longer let them in.
 totiens rixabantur ut ministrator eos non diutius admitteret.
We used to come late so many times that _______________________.
 totiens sero veniebamus ut ______________________________.
Purpose & Result Clause Review - Answers
Classify each of these as a result (R) or purpose (P) clause.
1. P: I went to the store to buy bread.
2. R: It rained so much that our house floated away.
3. P: I studied hard so that I would pass.
4. R: I studied so hard that I passed.
5. P: We traveled to Italy in order to visit the Roman ruins.
6. R: We had such a mean teacher that she gave us homework every night.
7. R: The chipmunk had stored enough food so that it lasted all winter.
8. P: I read all the books in the library to learn as much as I could.
9. P: I left early to not be late.
10. R: The book was so expensive I didn’t buy it.
Purpose clauses : Primary Sequence  Present subjunctive
I am going to Rome to visit my mother.
Romam eō ut matrem visam.
to see the Forum
ut Forem videam.
to eat pizza
ut pizzam edam.
Purpose clauses : Secondary Sequence  Imperfect subjunctive
I went to Rome to visit my mother.
Romam īvī ut matrem viserem.
to read Latin
ut Latinam legerem.
to meet an Italian guy/girl
ut Italianum cognoscerem.
Result clauses : Primary Sequence  Present subjunctive
It is so hot that I am miserable.
 tempestas tam calida est ut miseram sim.
It will snow so much that I won’t go to school.
 tantum ninget ut ad ludum non eam.
Result clauses: Secondary Sequence  Imperfect subjunctive
I drank so many cups of coffee that I couldn’t sleep.
 tot pocillos caffeae bibi ut dormire non possem.
We used to come late so many times that the professor scolded us.
 totiens sero veniebamus ut professor nos obiurgaret.