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Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus
Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus

Chapter XXXVI

Chapter 36 of Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Richard Short • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'
'Yes,' replied Chios, 'I have, and my heart is nearly dead.
Can anything be done to save her?'
'I think not.
The Roman State cannot interfere in such matters.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus

Chapter XXXVI

Chapter 36 of Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'
Line 2
'Yes,' replied Chios, 'I have, and my heart is nearly dead.
Line 3
Can anything be done to save her?'
/kæn ˈeniθɪŋ biː dʌn tuː seɪv hɜːr/
Line 4
'I think not.
/aɪ θɪŋk nɑːt/
Line 5
The Roman State cannot interfere in such matters.

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.

Diana noun US /daɪˈænə/

English aristocrat who was the first wife of Prince Charles; her death in an automobile accident in Paris produced intense national mourning (1961-1997)

From this reading “VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goddess noun US /ˈɡɑːdəs/

a female deity

From this reading “VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hast auxiliary verb US /hæst/

an old form of “have”, used with “thou”

From this reading “VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
interfere verb US /ˌɪntərˈfɪr/

come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle

From this reading “The Roman State cannot interfere in such matters.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Proconsul noun US /proʊˈkɑːnsəl/

an official in a modern colony who has considerable administrative power

From this reading “VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reigned verb US /reɪnd/

past form of “reign” — have sovereign power

From this reading “VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Roman adjective US /ˈroʊmən/

relating to or characteristic of people of Rome

From this reading “The Roman State cannot interfere in such matters.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
supreme adjective US /səˈpriːm/

final or last in your life or progress

From this reading “VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

reigned supreme verb + adjective counted as “reign supreme”

In this reading “VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'”

779 times in 426,211 chapters
nearly dead adverb + adjective

In this reading “'Yes,' replied Chios, 'I have, and my heart is nearly dead.”

664 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 53

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 VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
abjured

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

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Pending verification
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Can anything be done to save her?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Can anything be done to save her?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Can anything be done to save her?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cannot

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

From this reading The Roman State cannot interfere in such matters.

Pending verification
Chiosnoun

an island in the Aegean Sea off the west coast of Turkey; belongs to Greece

From this reading 'Yes,' replied Chios, 'I have, and my heart is nearly dead.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading 'Yes,' replied Chios, 'I have, and my heart is nearly dead.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DiananounUS /daɪˈænə/

English aristocrat who was the first wife of Prince Charles; her death in an automobile accident in Paris produced intense national mourning (1961-1997)

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading Can anything be done to save her?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faithnounUS /feɪθ/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goddessnounUS /ˈɡɑːdəs/

a female deity

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hastauxiliary verbUS /hæst/

an old form of “have”, used with “thou”

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading 'Yes,' replied Chios, 'I have, and my heart is nearly dead.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading 'Yes,' replied Chios, 'I have, and my heart is nearly dead.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading 'Yes,' replied Chios, 'I have, and my heart is nearly dead.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
interfereverbUS /ˌɪntərˈfɪr/

come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle

From this reading The Roman State cannot interfere in such matters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mattersnounUS /ˈmætərz/

plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern

From this reading The Roman State cannot interfere in such matters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading 'Yes,' replied Chios, 'I have, and my heart is nearly dead.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading 'Yes,' replied Chios, 'I have, and my heart is nearly dead.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading 'I think not.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
prisonernounUS /ˈprɪzənər/

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ProconsulnounUS /proʊˈkɑːnsəl/

an official in a modern colony who has considerable administrative power

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reignedverbUS /reɪnd/

past form of “reign” — have sovereign power

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading 'Yes,' replied Chios, 'I have, and my heart is nearly dead.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RomanadjectiveUS /ˈroʊmən/

relating to or characteristic of people of Rome

From this reading The Roman State cannot interfere in such matters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Saronia

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

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Pending verification
saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading Can anything be done to save her?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
StatenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading The Roman State cannot interfere in such matters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading The Roman State cannot interfere in such matters.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
supremeadjectiveUS /səˈpriːm/

final or last in your life or progress

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TemplenounUS /ˈtempəl/

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading 'I think not.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
VARROnoun

Roman scholar (116-27 BC)

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading VARRO 'Thou hast heard,' said the Proconsul, 'that Saronia has abjured her faith in the great Diana, and is a prisoner within the Temple where once she reigned supreme, second only to the goddess?'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading 'Yes,' replied Chios, 'I have, and my heart is nearly dead.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 36 of Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus by Richard Short holds 102 sentences, grouped into 21 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 36 of Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus contain?

Chapter 36 holds 102 sentences of Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 36 of Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus by Richard Short exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 102 sentences, grouped into 21 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 36 of Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 36 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #26700, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Vocabulary met early in Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus

Words and structures a reader meets early in Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Risen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Splendour
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Flooding
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mountains
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Saronia: A Romance of Ancient Ephesus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.