06.11.24: Level 2; Practice in reading the perfect tense; a First Latin Reader (Vincent) [28]

A Sudden Attack

Dum Rōmānī frūmentum comparant atque nāvēs reparant, pars legiōnis in agrīs manēbat, pars in castrīs. Inde mīlitēs, quī erant in statiōne prō portīs castrōrum, quod impetum hostium timēbant, nūntiōs ad Caesarem mīsērunt. Cōpiae Britannōrum in silvīs sē occultāverant, atque subitō fēcērunt impetum contrā Rōmānōs incautōs, quī frūmentum comparābant; paucōs necāvērunt aut vulnerāvērunt; equitēs Britannōrum et esseda multōs perturbāvērunt.

Vocabulary

• incautus, -a, -um: unsuspecting i.e. the idea that the Romans were caught off guard
• pars … pars …: some … others …
• pars, partis [3/f]: part
• perturbō, -āre, -āvī [1]: alarm; confuse
• stātiō, statiōnis [3/f]: (often in a military sense) watch; station; position

Questions

1. What were the Romans doing at the beginning of the passage? [2]
2. Where were the soldiers stationed? [2]
3. Why did the soldiers send messengers to Caesar? [2]
4. Where were the Britons hiding? [1]
5. How is the attack described? [1]
6. How many were killed or wounded? [1]
7. What caused many Romans great alarm? [2]

Grammar review: identifying case and usage

This is an exercise that is given in the UK GCSE and A Level examination: [i] identify the case [nothing else; no need to provide gender or number] and [ii] explain why that case is being used. [iii] The A Level also suggests that a translation of the phrase can be provided to help clarify the meaning.

Which explanation goes with which phrase?

[1] pars legiōnis

[2] Cōpiae Britannōrum

[3] subitō fēcērunt impetum

[4] prō portīs castrōrum

[5] contrā Rōmānōs

[6] Dum Rōmānī frūmentum comparant

• ablative case with preposition [name the preposition; give its meaning]
• accusative case with preposition [name the preposition; give its meaning]
• accusative case; direct object i.e. the person / thing experiencing the action
• genitive case; genitive of possession e.g. something that belongs to somebody else = often translates as ‘of’ someone or something
• genitive case; partitive genitive e.g. a smaller part of something larger; think of “a bottle of wine”
• nominative case; subject of the sentence i.e. the person / thing performing the action

____________________

While the Romans were procuring grain and repairing the ships, some of the legion remained in the fields, and others in the camp. Then the soldiers, who were on watch (were stationed) before the gates of the camp, because they feared an enemy attack, sent messengers to Caesar. The troops of the Britons had hidden themselves in the woods, and suddenly made an attack against the unsuspecting Romans, who were gathering corn; they killed or wounded a few; the cavalry and chariots of the Britons and alarmed many (of them).