14.04.24: reading the 4th declension

Read the text for understanding; don’t be concerned by any word or phrase you don’t know. We’ll look at the text a second time in the next post.

The first purpose of this text is to see 4th declension nouns in context.

Look at the cases of the nouns in bold and see how they are being used. Then try the exercise that follows the text.

DĒ EXERCITIBUS RŌMĀNĪS I

[Chesnutt: Road to Latin]

equitātus, -ūs [4/m]: cavalry

exercitus, -ūs [4/m]: army

impetus, -ūs [4/m]: attack

ūsus, -ūs [4/m]: use; service

cornū, -ūs [4/n]: (here) wing (of an army)

Exercitus Rōmānus, quem Caesar in Galliam dūcēbat, in trēs partēs dīvīsus est. Ūna pars exercitūs equitātus erat, altera pars auxilia, tertia pars peditēs, quī mīlitēs legiōnāriī appellābantur.

Potentissima pars exercitūs Rōmānī erant legiōnēs, nam habēbant mīlitēs legiōnāriōs, virōs maximae virtūtis, quī pīlīs gladiīsque pugnābant. Ubi Caesar signum dedit [gave], mīlitēs prīmī in hostēs appropinquantēs pīla mittēbant; tum gladiīs in eōs impetum faciēbant. Post proelium equitātus, quī in cornū dextrō et in cornū sinistrō cōnstiterat [had halted], in hostēs fugientēs impetum faciēbat et eōs caedēbat. Ante proelium quoque equitātus Caesarī et exercituī magnō auxiliō erat, nam equitātus cum equitātū hostium proelium saepe committēbant. Auxilia, vel peditēs levis armātūrae, proeliīs nōn saepe pugnābant. Eae cōpiae tamen magnō ūsuī erant, quod ad exercitum frūmentum ā fīnitimīs gentibus coāctum portābant. Ab exercitū Caesaris multae gentēs victae sunt; nam mīlitēs Rōmānī virtūte vīribusque omnēs aliōs superāvērunt [overcame].

Exercitūs Rōmānī ad multās terrās sociīs praesidiō mittēbantur. Mīlitēs eōrum exercituum terrā marīque pugnābant. Nūllī exercitūs exercitibus Rōmānīs parēs erant virtūte. Omnēs nātiōnēs orbis terrārum igitur potentēs exercitūs Rōmānōs timēbant. Diū cum Rōmānīs bellum gerēbant, sed frūstrā pugnābant, nam omnēs nātiōnēs ab exercitibus Rōmānīs victae sunt.

Below are English translations of phrases from the text: find the sentences and phrases and note in particular the 4th declension nouns and how they are working. They aren’t in order; they’re listed according to cases.

1. The Roman army [nominative] … was divided into three parts

2. Roman armies [nominative plural] were often sent to many lands

3. The most powerful part ¦ of the Roman army [genitive] ¦ were the legions

4. The soldiers ¦ of their armies [genitive plural] ¦ would fight on land and at sea

5. One part ¦ of the army [genitive] ¦ was ¦ the cavalry [nominative]

6. Before the battle the cavalry was of great assistance to Caesar and to the army [dative]

7. These troops were ¦ of great use [dative; a note on this will be given in the next post]

8. No armies [nominative plural] were ¦ equal to the Roman armies [dative plural] ¦ in courage

9. Then they would make an attack [accusative] on them with swords

10. They carried grain ¦ to the army [accusative with preposition]

11. They feared the powerful Roman armies [accusative plural]

12. on the right wing [ablative]

13. on the left wing [ablative]

14. Many nations were conquered ¦ by Caesar’s army [ablative]

15. All the nations were conquered ¦ by the Roman armies [ablative plural]

16. for ¦ the cavalry [nominative] ¦ would often commence battle ¦ with the cavalry [ablative] ¦ of the enemy