Concept Overview

• "Stage 11-candidātī" is the eleventh unit in the Cambridge Latin Course Book 1.
• It focuses on the political environment in Pompeii before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
• The main elements in this unit are political practices, the electoral procedure, and particular emphasis on candidātī (candidates for public office).

Key Vocabulary

• Candidatus - A man who is running for office
• Patronus - A wealthy or influential supporter of a cause
• Clientela - The social relationship between a patronus and his freedmen or clients
• Fauces - The entrance passage in a Roman house
• Candidus - The Latin word for "white". In this context, it refers to the toga candida, the whitened toga worn by candidates for public office as a sign of purity and probity.

Key Characters

• Caius Caelius - A character who decides to run for the office in this story
• Metellus - Another candidate for public office who is a rival to Caelius
• Herculaneum - A friend of Caelius who agrees to become his patronus

Main Themes

• Politics in Pompeii: Understand how politics worked in Pompeii, like the role of the candidates, their patrons and clients, the system of clientela, and how elections were conducted.
• Roman Houses: Learn about the different parts of a Roman house like the fauces, and understand their cultural importance.

Grammar

• This stage brings up the accusative plural endings. Watch out for nouns ending in -os, -as, and -a in their accusative plural form.
• You will also start to encounter more complex sentence structures.

Cultural Context

• Understand the importance of political and social status in Pompeii's society.
• Rich clothing and large households were significant symbols of wealth and power.
• The story also gives some context to the cultural practices of Romans, like the process of whitening togas (toga candida) before standing for an election.

Question Styles

• Be ready for translation questions that involve vocabulary and grammar topics from Stage 11.
• You should also prepare to answer comprehension questions on the main themes mentioned. Be ready to discuss the cultural context, importance of household settings, the nature of political life, and the concept of Candidātī as per this Stage.