Quick Start Guide

Commentarius

Classical commentary, modern workflow. Transform raw notes into publication-ready scholarship with AI-powered tools designed for classicists.

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The Workflow

From Raw Notes to Published Commentary

A streamlined five-step process that transforms your scholarly notes into professionally formatted commentary.

1

Paste Source

Add your Latin or Greek source text. The system handles line numbering automatically.

2

Generate Vocab

AI extracts vocabulary with dictionary definitions from Lewis & Short or LSJ.

3

Create Notes

ServiusAI fills gaps in your commentary with contextual grammatical and historical notes.

4

Refine Style

Commentary Editor polishes your notes into clear, consistent scholarly prose.

5

Export Book

Download as HTML, LaTeX, or PDF ready for publication or web hosting.

The Toolkit

Powerful Tools for Classical Scholars

Each tool is designed to handle a specific part of the commentary workflow.

Vocab Builder

Generate vocabulary lists with dictionary definitions

Example
Input: "Gallia est omnis divisa"
| divido | -ere, -visi, -visum | divide |
Try Vocab Builder

ServiusAI

AI-powered commentary gap filler

Example
Missing note for "quarum"
**quarum:** gen. pl. connecting relative
Try ServiusAI

Commentary Editor

Refine notes to scholarly standards

Example
divisa: perf. pass. participle
**divisa:** perf. pass. part. (AG 158)
Try Commentary Editor

Grammar Wizard

Add Allen & Greenough references

Example
subjunctive in result clause
result clause ([AG 537](link))
Try Grammar Wizard

Format Notes

Convert raw notes to proper markdown

Example
esset - subjunctive (Harkness)
**esset:** subjunctive (Harkness)
Try Format Notes

Detritus Cleaner

Remove duplicate and redundant notes

Example
3 duplicates, 2 near-duplicates
Cleaned: 5 notes merged
Try Detritus Cleaner
Pro Tips

Get the Most Out of Commentarius

Expert techniques to streamline your commentary workflow.

1
Use Auto-Numbering for Line References

When building vocabulary lists, enable "Auto-Number Text" to automatically add chapter and line markers. This ensures your vocabulary is grouped by line number in the output.

The system recognizes:

  • [1] - Chapter markers
  • (1), (2), (3) - Line numbers

Poetry mode numbers each line; prose mode numbers each sentence.

2
Source Text Grouping Workflow

For best results, structure your source text with chapter markers before running tools:

  • Start each chapter/book with [1], [2], etc.
  • Keep paragraph breaks between logical sections
  • Use the project system to save your numbered text

This allows you to select specific chapters when generating vocabulary or running ServiusAI.

3
Core Vocabulary Filtering

The Vocab Builder offers three modes for handling DCC Core Vocabulary:

  • All Vocab: Every word, with core words marked [Core]
  • Only Core: Just the DCC core vocabulary words
  • Core Excluded: Only uncommon words (recommended for intermediate students)

Choose based on your audience's level and the text's difficulty.

4
Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up your workflow with these shortcuts:

  • Ctrl + Enter - Submit form
  • Ctrl + C - Copy result to clipboard
  • Ctrl + S - Save to project (when available)
5
Project Organization Best Practices

Organize your commentary work effectively:

  • Create one project per text (e.g., "Caesar BG Book 1")
  • Save your source text first, then vocabulary, then notes
  • Use the Merger tool to combine files when ready for export
  • Export regularly to backup your work

Ready to Begin?

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