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Pugio Bruti - A Crime Story in Easy Latin
When Terentia's father dies, he leaves her the only thing he has left - a dagger and the words "It will lead you to ...". Alone in Rome, Terentia goes out to find the secret behind her father's dagger. But she is not the only one, and soon she is fighting for the dagger, its secrets, and her own future.
When we read a novel in our own language we expect to be kept turning the page from start to finish. For Latin students such books are hard to come by. This book aims to fill this gap, offering students an exciting full-length story (ca. 70 pages) in classical Latin using only 350 unique words.
Thanks to the relatively small number of unique words, the illustrations and full vocabulary, Pugio Bruti may be read by a wide range of learners.
It is intended to be a stepping stone for students at the outset of their journey towards the ultimate goal of reading Latin from the classical period and beyond.
When we read a novel in our own language we expect to be kept turning the page from start to finish. For Latin students such books are hard to come by. This book aims to fill this gap, offering students an exciting full-length story (ca. 70 pages) in classical Latin using only 350 unique words.
Thanks to the relatively small number of unique words, the illustrations and full vocabulary, Pugio Bruti may be read by a wide range of learners.
It is intended to be a stepping stone for students at the outset of their journey towards the ultimate goal of reading Latin from the classical period and beyond.
95 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2018
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106 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 16, 2019
Perhaps you already know the legendary tale of Dr Seuss and the origin of Green Eggs and Ham. His editor, so the story goes, challenged Theodor Seuss Geisel to write a children’s book with no more than 50 words. Dr Seuss rose to that challenge and created a classic.
In Pugio Bruti Daniel Pettersson and Amelie Rosengren set themselves the challenge of writing a far more complex tale with only 7 times that vocabulary. With 350 unique words, Pugio Bruti (The Dagger of Brutus : https://www.latinitium.com/books/pugi...) is a satisfying noir tale set at the height of Augustan Rome. The book’s heroine, Terentia, begins the story chasing the shadow of a young man down a dark street. She is soon met by a small cast of interesting characters who both help and hinder her in her endeavours.
For the new reader of Latin, this is a marvellous book. By limiting vocabulary to 350 words, the authors have removed the need to be constantly reaching for a dictionary - although it is wonderful that a dictionary has been supplied! Moreover, once you have finished this book - and believe me, you will! - these words will be forever within your reach.
There are other tricks that have been skilfully utilised; characters have physical descriptors - such as small hands, a large stomach or black hair - that are used whenever they return to the story. This, along with the fun illustrations at the front, make it easy to keep track of who is who. Likewise, rooms have colours that enable the reader to note where various events are taking place.
So, what if you are an advanced Latin reader? Well, Daniel and Amelie follow the philosophy of sheltering vocabulary, but not grammar. So while you won’t be reaching for a dictionary, you will be enjoying a wide range of authentic Latin grammatical constructions. The work is also peppered with easter eggs from other Latin works, so the well-read and observant reader will enjoy spotting these as they appear.
Of course, all of this would be for naught if Pugio Bruti didn’t also offer a compelling tale - but it does. I’ll confess that I picked this up primarily out of interest for its technique, but soon lost track of this as I became engaged with the story. This is a book that I whole-heartedly recommend for both beginners and seasoned Latin readers. Each will take something different away from Pugio Bruti, but each - mea sententia - will be happy that they read it.
In Pugio Bruti Daniel Pettersson and Amelie Rosengren set themselves the challenge of writing a far more complex tale with only 7 times that vocabulary. With 350 unique words, Pugio Bruti (The Dagger of Brutus : https://www.latinitium.com/books/pugi...) is a satisfying noir tale set at the height of Augustan Rome. The book’s heroine, Terentia, begins the story chasing the shadow of a young man down a dark street. She is soon met by a small cast of interesting characters who both help and hinder her in her endeavours.
For the new reader of Latin, this is a marvellous book. By limiting vocabulary to 350 words, the authors have removed the need to be constantly reaching for a dictionary - although it is wonderful that a dictionary has been supplied! Moreover, once you have finished this book - and believe me, you will! - these words will be forever within your reach.
There are other tricks that have been skilfully utilised; characters have physical descriptors - such as small hands, a large stomach or black hair - that are used whenever they return to the story. This, along with the fun illustrations at the front, make it easy to keep track of who is who. Likewise, rooms have colours that enable the reader to note where various events are taking place.
So, what if you are an advanced Latin reader? Well, Daniel and Amelie follow the philosophy of sheltering vocabulary, but not grammar. So while you won’t be reaching for a dictionary, you will be enjoying a wide range of authentic Latin grammatical constructions. The work is also peppered with easter eggs from other Latin works, so the well-read and observant reader will enjoy spotting these as they appear.
Of course, all of this would be for naught if Pugio Bruti didn’t also offer a compelling tale - but it does. I’ll confess that I picked this up primarily out of interest for its technique, but soon lost track of this as I became engaged with the story. This is a book that I whole-heartedly recommend for both beginners and seasoned Latin readers. Each will take something different away from Pugio Bruti, but each - mea sententia - will be happy that they read it.
August 3, 2024
It is good, of course, to have more simple, easy, accurate Latin to read, and on that score this delivers. It's a lot better than many easy Latin novellas of recent years, and it's good practice for those wanting to move forward. It's useful in the post-textbook stage. The authors know their Latin, and Pettersson reads the audiobook superbly, which in itself is valuable for learners.
But... The plot is really awful, remarkably thin. The characters are even thinner. The early part of the book is full of significant details that sounds as if they are relevant to the unfolding mystery, but just aren't. It's all padded out by low farce in which clothes are carelessly stained. Nothing of the setup - the heroine's dying father, and how he got the eponymous dagger - is really explained, unless I fell asleep for that bit.
It's still worth reading once or twice for practice, but isn't captivating as fiction
But... The plot is really awful, remarkably thin. The characters are even thinner. The early part of the book is full of significant details that sounds as if they are relevant to the unfolding mystery, but just aren't. It's all padded out by low farce in which clothes are carelessly stained. Nothing of the setup - the heroine's dying father, and how he got the eponymous dagger - is really explained, unless I fell asleep for that bit.
It's still worth reading once or twice for practice, but isn't captivating as fiction
January 14, 2022
Aside from having an engaging story, this book is written to give repeated practice with a few tougher Latin grammar concepts. By the end I had been given ample experience with all perfect verb forms and idiomatic sentence structures, which I needed addition practice with after finishing Familia Romana. This is the first non-beginner novella I've read and I plan on re-reading it a few times to internalize the material.
May 3, 2025
Fabula facilis latine celeriterque narrans subito fine est, ut alii iam censuerunt. Totam legi latine sine ullo auxilio alia lingua. Si Caesarem aut Cornelium Nepotem cum labore non nimis parvo legere potes, fabulam istam vere facilem tibi fore, et, omnibus adspectis, cum facetia levis et amoena esset, puto non me nec te paenituram.
June 3, 2022
I listened to the audiobook (and read passages that I did not understand), and it felt like a really nice way to practice Latin. I found it extremely satisfying to actually understand a text in Latin with ease - for once.
July 13, 2019
Pulchre!
March 4, 2022
Story is mostly interesting. Readability very good. Ending a bit abrupt.
April 29, 2022
Iucundum et facile est hoc librum - volo insequens legere!
January 21, 2023
Reading this book was a good way to reinforce beginner/intermediate Latin paradigms. I enjoyed it.
January 22, 2023
A great book to test your Latin grammar comprehension before you move on to something more complicated. Definitely recommend reading right after LLPSI!
January 31, 2025
Vereor dictionarium Latinum Latinitii, sed liber hic spem meum fefellit. Argumenti me taedet et cursum bonum non habuit. Modo argumentum fuit nimis celere, modo argumentum fuit nimis pigrum. Et volui maleficia pluria!!! Et odivi Terentiam. Fortasse voluistis ut Terentia sit similis Holden Caulfield sed nescio. Amo hos iocos de vino; volui Dorippa interficere Terentiam cum illa bene pota esset. Hahahae… Nihilominus, fabulas multas in Latina lingua non habemus, ergo gratias vobis ago.
November 25, 2023
Satisfying ending to the story.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews