Sunday, September 8, 2024

14.10.24: Level 2; Practice in reading the perfect tense; a First Latin Reader (Vincent) [26]

Inde Rōmānī et Britannī ācriter pugnābant. Sed Rōmānī hostem fugāre nōn poterant, quod ōrdinēs nōn servābant atque altitūdō maris impediēbat. V ada Britannis erant nōta, equōs suōs contrā Rōmānōs incitābant, multī Britannī cum Rōmānīs paucīs pugnābant. Tandem mīlitēs Rōmānī, ubi in ōram āridam pervēnērunt, impetum magnum fēcērunt et hostēs fugāvērunt. Victōria nōn erat magna, quod equitēs cursum tenēre atque īnsulam capere* nōn potuērunt.

*capere: (here) reach rather than capture

Vocabulary

cursus, -ūs [4/m]: course; cursum tenēre: maintain a direct course

impetus, -ūs [4/m]: attack

ōrdō, ōrdinis [3/m]: (here) rank or line of soldiers; ōrdinēs nōn servābant: They didn’t maintain / keep in their ranks

Questions

  1. How is the fighting described between the Britons and the Romans? [1]
  2. For what two reasons were the Romans unable to make the Britons flee? [3]
  3. What did the Britons know about? [1]
  4. What did the Britons do with their horses? [2]
  5. What sentence tells you that there were more Britons than Romans in the battle? [1]
  6. When were the Romans able to make an attack? [1]
  7. “Victōria nōn erat magna”: what two reasons are given for this statement? [3]

Grammar review

Give the first person singular present tense of these verbs from the text:

  • capere
  • erant
  • fēcērunt
  • fugāre
  • impediēbat
  • pervēnērunt
  • poterant
  • tenēre

____________________

Then the Romans and the Britons fought fiercely. But the Romans could not put the enemy to flight, because they did not keep order [= keep in ranks], and the depth of the sea hindered them. The shallow waters were known to the Britons, and they spurred on their horses against the Romans, and many Britons fought with a few Romans. At last the Romans, when they reached a dry place, made a great attack and put the enemy to flight. The victory was not great, because the horsemen were unable to maintain a direct course and reach the island.

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