How to Read and Scan Latin Poetry

 If the penult is short, the stress is on the antepenult. So for facere, FACere, not facERe
 If the penult is long, the accent on the penult. So for habētur, habEtur, not HABetur.
 The last line of a verse can be either long or short, called the syllaba anceps, and marked X.
Long vowels - Vowels can be long by diphthong, position, or nature
 Nature – it just is long
 Diphthong – Ae, oe, au, etc.
 Position – vowel + 2 consonants = long
◦ X = 2 consonants (k+s)
◦ qu, ph, th, and ch = 1
◦ (b,c,d,g,p, or t) + (l or r) = wild card, 2 OR 1
Elision: Things that elide if the next word begins with a vowel, or H+a vowel.
 Vowels (a, e, i, o, u)
 Vowel +m (-am, -em, -um)

Multas per gentes et multa per aequora vectus Catullus 101: To his dead brother
Inferiae = funeral rites
advenio has miseras, frater, ad inferias, Munus muneris n. = gift, offering
Cinis cineris = ashes, cremated remains
ut te postremo donarem munere mortis Quandoquidem = seeing as how
Ademptus = taken away, stolen
et mutam nequiquam alloquerer cinerem. Mos moris n. = custom
Priscus a um = first, earliest
quandoquidem fortuna mihi tete abstulit ipsum. Trado –ere = hand down
Manans manantis = dripping, soaked
heu miser indigne frater adempte mihi, Perpetuum = forever
Ave = hello, hi
nunc tamen interea haec, prisco quae more parentum

tradita sunt tristi munere ad inferias,

accipe fraterno multum manantia fletu,

atque in perpetuum, frater, ave atque vale.