23.01.25: Level 2; the passive voice [25]: the perfect passive [6]; the perfect passive: translation practice [4]

DĒ AENĒĀ PIŌ

quod Troia ā Graecīs incēnsa erat, Troiānī in partēs dīversās pulsī sunt. Multī interfectī sunt, sed Aenēās et sociī ad Italiam fūgērunt. in Āfricā ā rēgīnā Karthāginis adiūtī sunt. Aenēās rēgīnae dīxerat: “sī nōs Troiānī in urbem tuam bene acceptī erimus, et sī auxilium ad sociōs meōs missum erit, nōmen tuum semper laudābitur.” Itaque Troiānī ā rēgīnā adiutī erant et nōmen rēginae diū laudābātur. tandem nāvēs Troiānae comparātae sunt quod Aenēās ā Mercuriō admonitus erat. sed cōnsilia Aenēae ā rēgīnā audīta erant et Dīdō misera erat. Aenēās graviter accūsātus est; rēgīnam tamen relīquit. iterum Troiānī ā Fātīs in mare pulsī sunt. Misera Dīdō sē interfēcit quod relicta erat. sed Aenēās et sociī laetī ad Italiam nāvigāvērunt.

The challenge in dealing with these forms of the passive is not so much how they are constructed, but what their perfect passive participles are because, very often, they cannot be predicted. Despite that they are fairly easy to spot:

[i] they consist of two parts: the perfect passive participle + the verb esse

[ii] in most instances the perfect passive participle will end in –tus (-ta, etc.) or –sus (-sa, etc.)

[iii] in most instances the perfect passive participle will resemble the other principal parts i.e. if your aim is simply to read the language, then enough information is given in the perfect passive participle to recognise its meaning based upon other forms you have already seen

Look at the verbs highlighted; find the Latin:

[1] Perfect passive

1. Aeneas was violently reproached (accused)
2. Many were killed
3. The Trojans were driven out (into different regions)
4. The were driven (into the sea)
5. They were helped by the queen
6. Trojan ships were prepared

[2] Pluperfect passive

1. Troy had been set on fire
2. The Trojans had been helped
3. Aeneas had been advised
4. Aeneas’ plans had been heard
5. Dido had been left behind

[3] Future perfect passive

“If the reservation is / has been made before 6pm, we’ll get a table in the restaurant.” The English sentence is referring to something that will have been done in the future. English uses a present or past passive, the latter emphasising the completion of the action, but Latin uses the future perfect passive.

Find the Latin in the text and compare the Latin and the literal English translation:

1. If we are well received = literally: If we will have been well received = Latin future perfect passive
2. If help is sent = literally: if help will have been sent = Latin future perfect passive