10.11.24: Level 2; Practice in reading the perfect tense; a First Latin Reader (Vincent) [29]

Britannī genus ex essedīs pugnae habent. Prīmō per partēs multās perequitant et tēla coniciunt atque terrōre equōrum et clāmōre rotārum ōrdinēs hostium perturbant. Inde ex essedīs dēsiliunt et pedibus pugnant. Interim aurīgae ex pugnā discēdunt, sed, ubi hostēs suōs premunt, auxilium subministrant. Novum genus pugnae legiōnēs Rōmānās perturbat: sed, ubi Caesar pervenit, Rōmānī timōrem āmittunt atque Caesar legiōnēs ad castra redūcit.

Vocabulary and notes

āmittō, -ere, āmīsī [3]: lose

coniciō, -ere, coniēcī [3-iō]: throw; hurl

essedum, -ī [2/n]: chariot

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0062:entry=essedum-harpers

ōrdō, ōrdinis [3/m]: line of soldiers

perequitō, -āre, -āvī [1]: ride around / through

premō, -ere, pressī [3]: (here) overwhelm; overcome i.e. the sense that the Britons are getting the upper hand on the Romans

subministrō, -āre, -āvī [1]: supply

Note: ablative uses

pedibus pugnant │ they fight on foot [literally: on (their) feet]

terrōre equōrum et clāmōre rotārum ōrdinēs hostium perturbant.

They confuse / alarm the enemy ranks. How do they do that? They do it because of the fear of the horses [= by frightening the horses; because the horses are afraid] and by the sound of the wheels i.e. the ablative is expressing the means by which the action is carried out

Questions

In which order are the following statements first made?

• arrival of Caesar
• charioteers withdrawing
• fighting from chariots
• fighting on foot
• frightening horses
• hurling weapons
• jumping from the chariots
• losing their fear
• noisy wheels
• providing assistance
• returning to camp
• riding in different directions

____________________

The Britons have a type of fighting from chariots. At first they ride in many directions and throw weapons, and through the terror of the horses and the noise of the wheels they confuse the ranks of the enemy. Then they jump out of the chariots and fight on their feet. In the meantime, the charioteers withdraw from the battle, but when the enemy are overwhelming their own men, they provide assistance. The new kind of battle disturbs the Roman legions: but when Caesar arrives, the Romans lose their fear, and Caesar brings the legions back to camp.