Cubitum Eamus Meaning

One reason Francis Abernathy, my favorite character in The Secret History, stands out is due to some statements he makes that make you question his background. For instance, when first meeting Richard he asks in Latin: “Do you want to go to bed with me?” Clearly this statement suggests that Richard may feel unsafe around Francis because of his class privilege that will become increasingly clear as the novel progresses.

This question is particularly interesting because of its use of the Latin supine of purpose construction, which only appears with verbs of motion. While this construction appears frequently in early latin (including such classic texts as Cicero and Caesar, which are required reading for undergraduate latin prose composition students), it does not commonly occur in later latin used by Richard and Francis; thus by employing it Francis is making clear he’s not asking Richard about any details of his sexual life but simply wondering whether or not Richard wishes to have bed with him.