A Struggle for Rome, v. 3

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of A Struggle for Rome, v. 3 is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Felix Dahn • Curated US English Learning Edition

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WITICHIS.

Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.

A palisade of lances met their sight on all sides.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter I Reading 1/34

A Struggle for Rome, v. 3

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of A Struggle for Rome, v. 3 is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

WITICHIS.

Line 2

Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

Line 3

At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

Line 4

In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.

/ɪn ðə kɔːrts ʌv ðə ˈpæləs ɪn ðə striːts ənd kəˈnælz ʌv ðə ˈsɪti ənd ɪn ðə kæmp ðeɪ wɜːr sərˈaʊndɪd baɪ fɑːr suːˈpɪriər ˈnʌmbərz/

Line 5

A palisade of lances met their sight on all sides.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

canals noun US /kəˈnælz/

plural of “canal” — (astronomy) an indistinct surface feature of Mars once thought to be a system of channels; they are now believed to be an optical illusion

From this reading “In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.”

courts noun US /kɔːrts/

plural of “court” — an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading “In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.”

flag noun US /flæɡ/

emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

From this reading “At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.”

numbers noun US /ˈnʌmbərz/

the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt

From this reading “In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.”

overpowered verb US /ˌoʊvərˈpaʊərd/

past form of “overpower” — overcome by superior force

From this reading “At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.”

palisade noun US /ˌpælɪˈseɪd/

fortification consisting of a strong fence made of stakes driven into the ground

From this reading “A palisade of lances met their sight on all sides.”

precautions noun US /priˈkɔːʃənz/

plural of “precaution” — a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.

From this reading “Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.”

trick noun US /trɪk/

a cunning or deceitful action or device

From this reading “Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

superior numbers adjective + noun

In this reading “In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.”

taken prisoner adjective + noun

In this reading “At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.”

far superior adverb + adjective

In this reading “In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.”

in the streets preposition + article + noun counted as “in … street”

In this reading “In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.”

At the moment preposition + article + noun counted as “at … moment”

In this reading “At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.”

all sides adjective + noun counted as “all side”

In this reading “A palisade of lances met their sight on all sides.”

In the courts preposition + article + noun counted as “in … court”

In this reading “In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.”

All words in this reading · 48

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A palisade of lances met their sight on all sides.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading A palisade of lances met their sight on all sides.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

campnounUS /kæmp/

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.

canalsnounUS /kəˈnælz/

plural of “canal” — (astronomy) an indistinct surface feature of Mars once thought to be a system of channels; they are now believed to be an optical illusion

From this reading In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.

completelyadverbUS /kəmˈpliːtli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

courtsnounUS /kɔːrts/

plural of “court” — an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.

everywhereadverbUS /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

flagnounUS /flæɡ/

emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

Goths

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

lances

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A palisade of lances met their sight on all sides.

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading A palisade of lances met their sight on all sides.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

numbersnounUS /ˈnʌmbərz/

the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt

From this reading In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A palisade of lances met their sight on all sides.

overpoweredverbUS /ˌoʊvərˈpaʊərd/

past form of “overpower” — overcome by superior force

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

palacenounUS /ˈpæləs/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.

palisadenounUS /ˌpælɪˈseɪd/

fortification consisting of a strong fence made of stakes driven into the ground

From this reading A palisade of lances met their sight on all sides.

precautionsnounUS /priˈkɔːʃənz/

plural of “precaution” — a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.

From this reading Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

prisonernounUS /ˈprɪzənər/

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

Procopius

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

sidesnounUS /saɪdz/

plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading A palisade of lances met their sight on all sides.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading A palisade of lances met their sight on all sides.

streetsnounUS /striːts/

plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.

succeededverbUS /səkˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

superioradjectiveUS /suːˈpɪriər/

of high or superior quality or performance

From this reading In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.

surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

surroundedadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪd/

confined on all sides

From this reading In the courts of the palace, in the streets and canals of the city and in the camp, they were surrounded by far superior numbers.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

ThanksnounUS /θæŋks/

an acknowledgment of appreciation

From this reading Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

tricknounUS /trɪk/

a cunning or deceitful action or device

From this reading Thanks to the precautions taken by Procopius, the trick had succeeded completely.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading At the moment in which the flag of the Goths fell and their King was taken prisoner, they were everywhere surprised and overpowered.

WITICHIS

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading WITICHIS.

Chapter 1 of A Struggle for Rome, v. 3 by Felix Dahn holds 171 sentences, grouped into 35 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of A Struggle for Rome, v. 3 contain?

Chapter 1 holds 171 sentences of A Struggle for Rome, v. 3, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A Struggle for Rome, v. 3 by Felix Dahn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 171 sentences, grouped into 35 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of A Struggle for Rome, v. 3?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A Struggle for Rome, v. 3

Common questions about reading A Struggle for Rome, v. 3 by Felix Dahn on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Struggle for Rome, v. 3?

Yes. All 6462 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32377 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #32377, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 538 minutes of reading across 1293 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Struggle for Rome, v. 3

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Struggle for Rome, v. 3, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Witichis: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Struggle for Rome, v. 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thanks: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Struggle for Rome, v. 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Precautions: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Struggle for Rome, v. 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Taken: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Struggle for Rome, v. 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I · Chapter 1

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Vocabulary met early in A Struggle for Rome, v. 3