Cambridge Latin Course Book 1 Stage 10 Statuae Translation May 2026

Latin:
Clemens postea Syphacem vocat et narrat: “Servus, quem in cella tenueras, nuper effugit. Is statuam puellae imitatus erat. Senator, stultus, non intellexerat rem veram. Nunc Salvius, servus liberatus, in Graeciam navigavit.” Syphax iratissimus clamat: “Me deceptum esse!” Sed serum est. Salvius iam longe abest.

Translation:
Later, Clemens calls Syphax and tells him: “The slave whom you had been keeping in the cellar recently escaped. He had imitated the statue of a girl. The senator, foolish, had not understood the true matter. Now Salvius, the freed slave, has sailed away to Greece.”
Syphax, very angry, shouts: “I have been deceived!” But it is too late. Salvius is already far away.

Latin:
Post tres dies senator cum amicis redit. Syphax statuam mirabilem monstrat. Puella videtur in somno iacere. Sed senator oculos non credit. “Haec statua,” inquit senator, “mihi non placet. Habet oculos moventes. Habet manus calidas!” Subito statua surgit et clamat: “Libertatem volo!” Amici senatoris terrentur et e villa currunt. Senator ipse stat multis horis sine voce.

Translation:
After three days the senator returns with his friends. Syphax shows a wonderful statue. The girl seems to be lying in sleep. But the senator does not believe his eyes.
“This statue,” said the senator, “does not please me. It has moving eyes. It has warm hands!”
Suddenly the statue rises up and shouts: “I want freedom!” The senator’s friends are terrified and run out of the house. The senator himself stands for many hours without a voice. cambridge latin course book 1 stage 10 statuae translation

If you are studying for a Latin exam (such as the GCSE, National Latin Exam, or a high school final), Stage 10 is frequently tested because:

When you translate, do not just memorize an English version. Understand why each Latin word takes its form. For example, in “servum, quem in cella tenueras” – tenueras is 2nd person singular pluperfect active, referring to “you (Syphax) had kept.” This shows direct address from Clemens to Syphax.

Latin:
Syphax statuam dei Bacchi ex silice facit. Caecilius, vir dives, statuam magnam emit. servus Caecilio statuam ad atrium portat. ubi statuam videt, Caecilius iratus est. "di te perdant, Syphax!" clamat. "cur statuam dei cum naso fracto facis?" Syphax perturbatus est. "nasus fractus?" inquit. "nullus nasus fractus est. ecce! nasus egregius est!" Latin: Clemens postea Syphacem vocat et narrat: “Servus,

Translation:
Syphax makes a statue of the god Bacchus out of flint. Caecilius, a rich man, buys the large statue. A slave carries the statue to Caecilius in the atrium. When he sees the statue, Caecilius is angry. "Damn you, Syphax!" he shouts. "Why do you make a statue of the god with a broken nose?" Syphax is upset. "Broken nose?" he says. "There is no broken nose. Look! The nose is excellent!"

"My friend, who lives in Rome, gave me a statue in our city. The statue is tall and beautiful. On the statue is the figure of a man which is like me. My friend also wrote an inscription on the base of the statue. I read the inscription and am delighted."

Latin:
Syphax tacet et in cellam descendit. In cella invenit servum, qui statuam tenet. Servus est Salvius, quem Syphax in vinculis tenet.
Servus clamat: “Me miserum! Diu in hac cella laboro. Nunc statuam tenere iubeor. Cur me non liberas?”
Syphax ridet: “Quod statuam puellae pulchrae facere volo. Tu es optimus servus. Diu me adiuvabis.” When you translate, do not just memorize an English version

Translation:
Syphax is silent and goes down into the cellar. In the cellar he finds a slave who is holding a statue. The slave is Salvius, whom Syphax is keeping in chains.
The slave shouts: “Wretched me! I have been working for a long time in this cellar. Now I am ordered to hold a statue. Why don’t you free me?”
Syphax laughs: “Because I want to make a statue of a beautiful girl. You are the best slave. You will help me for a long time.”

Key constructions in this story: