28.03.24: the imperfect tense [9] imperfect tense of [i] possum, posse [ii] volō, velle [iii] eo, īre; the “domino effect”

Britannia antiqua (excerpts) [4]; translation in the comments

“Multī mortuōs cremābant, sīcut Graecī et Rōmānī: exstant in Cantiō sepulchra cum urnīs pulchrē ornātīs. Exstant etiam nummī Britannicī, aureī, argenteī, aēneī. Esseda quoque fabricābant: nōn plānē inhūmānī erant, sī rotās ferrātās essedōrum et nummōs aureōs aēneōsque fabricāre poterant. Britannīs antīquīs magnus numerus gallōrum gallīnārumque erat; animī, nōn escae, causā curābant, ut Gāius Iūlius affirmat. Sed incolae mediterrāneōrum et Calēdoniī ferī et barbarī erant. Mortuōs humābant. Agrī cultūrae operam nōn dabant; nōn frūmentō sed ferīnā victitābant. Deōrum fāna in lūcīs sacrīs et silvīs ātrīs erant. Sacra cūrābant Druidae. Sacra erant saeva: virōs, fēminās, līberōs prō victimīs sacrificābant. Inter sē saepe pugnābant; captīvōs miserōs vēnumdābant, vel cruciābant et trucīdābant: nōnnumquam simulācra magna, plēna victimīs hūmanīs, cremābant. Populōrum inter sē discordiae victōriam Rōmānōrum parābant.”

Vocabulary

cruciō, cruciāre [1]: crucify

ēsca: food

fabricō, fabricāre [1]: manufacture

fānum: shrine

ferīna: game; flesh of wild animals

ferrātus, -a, -um: fitted with iron

gallīna: hen

gallus: rooster

humō, humāre [1]: bury

inhūmānus, -a, -um: uncivilised

lūcus: grove

mediterrānea: Midlands (not Mediterranean)

onrnātus, a-, -um: decorated

pulchrē: beautifully; adverb < pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum: beautiful

rota: wheel

sacer, sacra, sacrum: sacred; sacra (plural): sacred rites

sacrificō, sacrificāre [1]: sacrifice

sepulcrum: tomb

simulācrum: image; likeness; statue; effigy

sī: if

trucīdō, trucīdāre [1]: slaughter

vēnumdō, vēnumdāre [1]: sell

victima: sacrificial victim

victitō, victitāre [1]: feed (on)

Notes

[1] animī, nōn ēscae, causā curābant

They looked after (these animals) not for the sake of food but for amusement

animus: many different meanings e.g. soul; life force; intellect; mind; spirit

[2] nōn frūmentō [ablative] sed ferīnā[ablative] victitābant: they would not feed on grain but on game

[3] virōs, fēminās, līberōs prō victimīs sacrificābant

prō + ablative: this preposition has many different meanings e.g. [i] for [ii] for the sake of; on behalf of [iii] before; in front of. As is often the case in Latin, you need to see the word in context to get to its meaning. Here, they sacrificed men, women and children as sacrificial victims.

[4] (sī) rotās ferrātās … fabricāre poterant: (if) they were able to manufacture iron-clad wheels..

In a previous post, mention was made of the “domino” effect i.e. once you knock one down, the rest follow, which is a reason why the small number of irregular verbs in Latin really pose little challenge. Once you know the first part, the rest follows:

eram: I was

You have the first part; just add the personal endings

erās: You (sg.) were

erat: he / she / it was

erāmus: we were

erātis: you (pl.) were

erant: they were

And the same applies to other irregular verbs:

• possum, posse: be able

This is the same verb as above with a contraction of potis(able) as a prefix:

pot¦eram: I was able; I could

pot¦erās: you (sg.) were able; you could

pot¦erat: he / she / it could

pot¦erāmus: we could

pot¦erātis: you (pl.) could

pot¦erant: they could

And the domino effect continues:

• volō, velle: want

volēbam: I was wanting

volēbās: you (sg.) were wanting

volēbat: he / she / it was wanting

etc.

• eō, īre: go

ībam: I was going / I used to go

ībās: You (sg.) were going / used to go

ībat: he / she / it used to go

etc.

____________________

Many cremated the dead, as in Greece and Rome: there are tombs in Kent with beautifully decorated urns. There also exist British coins of gold, silver, and bronze. They also manufactured chariots: they were not completely uncivilised if they could manufacture iron-clad chariot wheels and gold and bronze coins. The ancient Britons had a great number of cockerels and hens; as Gaius Julius maintains, they took care of them not for the purpose of food but for amusement. But the inhabitants of the Midlands and Caledonia were wild and barbarous. They buried the dead. They paid no attention to the cultivation of the land. They did not feed on grain but on game. The shrines of the gods were in sacred groves and in dark forests. The Druids took care of religious rites. Their rites were savage: they sacrificed men, women, and children for their victims. They often fought with each other. They would sell the miserable captives, or crucified and slaughtered them. Sometimes they cremated a large effigy, full of human victims. The disagreements among themselves prepared the way for the victory of the Romans.