Wednesday, July 17, 2024

23.08.24: Level 2; Practice in reading the perfect tense; A First Latin Reader (Vincent) [12]

Rēgulus et Mānlius, cōnsulēs Rōmānī, postquam classem Poenōrum vīcērunt, ad Āfricam nāvigāvērunt et oppida multa expugnāvērunt. Inde Rēgulus, imperātor Rōmānus, cum legiōnibus agrōs hostium vastābat. Sed posteā Xanthippus, imperātor Graecus, cum elephantīs multīs bellum contrā Rōmānōs gerēbat. Mīlitēs Rōmānī, quī erant in castrīs prope lacum, labōre et sitī erant fessī. Subitō Xanthippus legiōnēs Rōmānās oppugnat: numerum magnum Rōmānōrum capit aut necat: Rēgulus etiam est inter captīvōs. Inde Poenī Rēgulum Rōmam dē pāce mittunt. Sed Rēgulus Rōmānōs ad bellum incitat. ‘Ō Rōmānī,' inquit, ‘animum ad bellum firmāte; hostēs mox superābitis.’ Inde Rēgulus ad Āfricam nāvigāvit et Poenī imperātōrem Rōmānum crūdēliter necāvērunt.

sitis, -is [3/f]: thirst

Poenus, -ī [2/m]: Carthaginian; also: Carthāginiēnsis, -e [3]

Notes

[1] Sentence structure

[i] Rēgulus et Mānlius, consūlēs Rōmānī, ¦ [ii] postquam classem Poenōrum vīcērunt [subordinate clause of time], [i] ad Āfricam nāvigāvērunt et [iii] oppida multa expugnāvērunt.

[i] Mīlitēs Rōmānī, ¦ [ii] quī erant in castrīs prope lacum [relative / adjectival clause], ¦ [i] labōre et sitī erant fessī.

Watch out for three words which all mean the same in English but have different functions in Latin:

[a] post (preposition + accusative): after; post bellum │ after the war

[b] posteā (adverb): after(wards)

Sed posteā Xanthippus … bellum contrā Rōmānōs gerēbat. │But afterwards Xanthippus … began waging war against the Romans

[c] postquam (conjunction, introducing a subordinate clause of time): after

postquam classem Poenōrum vīcērunt … │ …after they conquered the Carthaginians’ fleet …

[2] case usage: ablative of cause

Mīlitēs Rōmānī … labōre et sitī erant fessī. │ The Roman soldiers … were tired from hunger and (from) thirst.

The ablative expresses the cause that prompts / results in the action or accounts for the present state.

Exsiluī gaudiō. (Cicero)I jumped for joy.

Lacrimō gaudiō. (Terence) │ I weep for joy.

… atque ibi morbō mortuus est. (Eutropius) │ …and there he died of / from / as a result of  a disease.

It can occur with a preposition:

ex vulnere aeger │ disabled by / from / as a result of a wound

ārdēre dolōre et īrā (Cicero) │ to be on fire with pain and (with) anger

[3] apposition

Rēgulus et Mānlius, consūlēs Rōmānī, …

Rēgulus, imperātor Rōmānus, …

Xanthippus, imperātor Graecus, …

Appposition refers to two or more words which are adjacent to one another and refer to the same person / thing:

I live in Paris.

I live in the capital of France.

I live in [i] Paris, [ii] the capital of France. In the sentence ‘Paris’ and ‘the capital of France’ are in apposition.

[i] Henry the Eighth, [ii] the King of England ¦ at that time, …

[i] My brother [ii] Joe is a great athlete.

When this occurs, both parts of the apposition are in the same case:

Xanthippus, imperātor Graecus … │ Xanthippus, the Greek commander

Xanthippus [nominative], imperātor Graecus [nominative] …. bellum contrā Rōmānōs gerēbat. │ Xanthippus, the Greek commander … began waging war against the Romans.

Rēgulus et Mānlius [nominative], consūlēs Rōmānī [nominative], … classem Poenōrum vīcērunt. │ Regulus and Manlius, the Roman consuls, … conquered the Carthaginians’ fleet.



____________________

Regulus and Manlius, the Roman consuls, after they defeated the Carthaginian fleet, sailed to Africa and sacked many towns. Then Regulus, the Roman commander, laid waste the fields of the enemy with his legions. But afterwards Xanthippus, the Greek emperor, waged war against the Romans with many elephants. The Roman soldiers, who were in a camp near the lake, were tired with toil and thirst. Suddenly Xanthippus attacks the Roman legions: he captures or kills a large number of the Romans: Regulus is also among the captives. Then the Carthaginians sent Rēgulus to Rome for [to make] peace. But Rēgulus incites the Romans to war. “O Romans,'' he said, “strengthen your mind mind for war; you will soon overcome your enemies.' Then Regulus sailed to Africa and the Carthaginians cruelly killed the Roman commander.

____________________

https://www.lookandlearn.com/blog/21734/the-honourable-consul-regulus-returned-to-die-in-carthage/

Marcus Atilius Regulus returning to Carthage. Illustration for Storia d'Italia by Paolo Giudici (Nerbini, 1929).

Polybius: Xanthippus of Sparta


No comments: