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The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told
The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told is here in full — 76 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told
Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC.
DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.
And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.
In the garden a miracle had been wrought.
It had become alive.
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.

The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told is here in full — 76 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC.
Line 2
DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.
Line 3
And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.
/ənd æz ðə ˈstɔːri ɡruː ðə ʃɔːrt koʊld deɪz ʌv ˈwɪntər pæst ənd ðə lɔːŋ wɔːrm deɪz ʌv ˈsʌmər wɜːr hiːr/
Line 4
In the garden a miracle had been wrought.
/ɪn ðə ˈɡɑːrdən ə ˈmɪrəkəl hæd bɪn rɔːt/
Line 5
It had become alive.
/ɪt hæd bɪˈkʌm əˈlaɪv/

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.

alive adjective US /əˈlaɪv/

possessing life

From this reading “It had become alive.”

author noun US /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading “AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC.”

france noun US /fræns/

a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading “AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC.”

miracle noun US /ˈmɪrəkəl/

any amazing or wonderful occurrence

From this reading “In the garden a miracle had been wrought.”

Rome noun US /roʊm/

capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire

From this reading “DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.”

warm adjective US /wɔːrm/

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading “And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.”

winter noun US /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading “And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.”

wrought adjective US /rɔːt/

shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)

From this reading “In the garden a miracle had been wrought.”

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.

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

In this reading “In the garden a miracle had been wrought.”

All words in this reading · 41

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 In the garden a miracle had been wrought.

aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/

possessing life

From this reading It had become alive.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading It had become alive.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.

DEARadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

ETC

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC.

FRANCEnounUS /fræns/

a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

grewverbUS /ɡruː/

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading In the garden a miracle had been wrought.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.

IAN

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

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It had become alive.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.

miraclenounUS /ˈmɪrəkəl/

any amazing or wonderful occurrence

From this reading In the garden a miracle had been wrought.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

RomenounUS /roʊm/

capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.

STORYnounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC.

summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC.

warmadjectiveUS /wɔːrm/

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.

WILLIE

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

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

winternounUS /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

wroughtadjectiveUS /rɔːt/

shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)

From this reading In the garden a miracle had been wrought.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

Chapter 1 of The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told by Mary Macgregor holds 76 sentences, grouped into 16 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 The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus contain?

Chapter 1 holds 76 sentences of The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told by Mary Macgregor exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 76 sentences, grouped into 16 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 The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told

Common questions about reading The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told by Mary Macgregor on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told?

Yes. All 5774 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66147 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #66147, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told take to read?

About 481 minutes of reading across 1155 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told section by sec

How to work through The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
France
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Willie
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.