29.08.24: Level 2; Practice in reading the perfect tense; A First Latin Reader (Vincent) [15]

Hannibal, postquam in Ītaliam vēnit, cōpiās trāns fluvium Tīcīnum dūxit, ubi castra habēbat. Inde ubi mīlitēs convocāvit, praemia certa nūntiāvit. ‘Agrōs,' inquit, ‘in Ītaliā, Āfricā, Hispāniā mīlitibus dabō, aut pecūniam: lībertātem servīs dabō.’ Inde Hannibal cōpiās Rōmānās prope fluviōs, Tīcīnum et Trebiam, superāvit. Proximō annō ubi Nepōs, quī erat imperātor Rōmānus, cōpiās per saltum dūcēbat, Hannibal īnsidiās parāvit et subitō oppugnāvit. Poenī imperātōrem Rōmānum et mīlitēs multōs necāvērunt et cēterōs fugāvērunt.

saltus, -ūs [4/m]: (narrow) pass e.g. a mountain pass

Sentence structure

Note the two meanings of ubi as ‘where’ and ‘when’:

[i] Hannibal, ¦ [ii] postquam in Ītaliam vēnit, ¦ [i] cōpiās trāns fluvium Tīcīnum dūxit, [iii] ubi castra habēbat.

[i] Hannibal, ¦ [ii] after he came into Italy, ¦ [i] led the troops across the Ticinus river, [iii] where he had a camp.

[i] Inde ¦ [ii] ubi mīlitēs convocāvit, ¦ [i] praemia certa nūntiāvit.

[i] Then, ¦ [ii] when he called his soldiers together, ¦ [i] he announced certain rewards.

Image #1

Latin has very varied sentence structure and, at times, it seems that the sentence is never going to end! The sentences that are appearing in these texts are slowly introducing you to more complex sentence structure. In this example there are clauses (colour coded) that surround other clauses. Look for the “markers” that introduce the clauses e.g. ubi, quī and et.

[i] Proximō annō ¦ [ii] ubi Nepōs, ¦ [iii] quī erat imperātor Rōmānus, ¦ [ii] cōpiās per saltum dūcēbat, [i] Hannibal īnsidiās parāvit ¦ et [i] subitō oppugnāvit.

[i] The next year, ¦ [ii] when Nepos, ¦ [iii] who was the Roman commander [relative / adjectival clause], ¦ [ii] was leading troops through the pass [subordinate clause of time*], [i] Hannibal prepared an ambush [principal clause #1] ¦ and [i] suddenly attacked [principal clause #2].

*also known as a temporal clause 

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Hannibal, after he had come into Italy, led his troops across the Ticinus river, where he had a camp. Then, when he summoned the soldiers, he announced certain rewards. “I shall give,” he said “fields in Italy, Africa (and) Spain to the soldiers, or money: I shall give freedom to the slaves.” Then Hannibal overcame the Roman forces near the Ticinus and Trebia rivers. In the next year, when Nepos, who was the Roman commander, was leading his troops through the pass, Hannibal prepared an ambush and attacked him suddenly. The Carthaginians killed the Roman commander and they killed soldiers and forced the rest to flee.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ticinus

18th century depiction of the Battle of Ticinus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Trebia

Matthäus Merian the Elder, "Battle of Trebbia" (1625)