28.12.24: Level 2; the passive voice [12]; imperfect tense passive [1]; 3rd person singular and plural

DĒ TEMPLĪS GRAECĪS

līberī cum paedagōgō in peristȳlō sedent. paedogōgus līberīs fābulam dē templīs Graecīs nārrat quod in Graeciā habitābat.

“Graecī multōs deōs et deās habēbant. in pulchrīs templīs deōs et deās adōrābant. templa ōrnābantur columnīs altīs et ārīs. magnae statuae deōrum et deārum in templīs vidēbantur. Graecī multa dōna ad templa mittēbant. frūmentum ab agricolīs et aurum ā nautīs mittēbātur. cotīdiē magnae iānuae templorum aperiēbantur; nam Graecī ad templa saepe veniēbant.

“Olympia oppidum pulchrum in Graeciā erat. Olympiae erant multa templa. Hīc erat templum deī maximī. in soliō altō deus sedēbat. deus ā virīs et fēminīs adōrābātur et timēbātur. deus verba virōrum et fēminārum audiēbat et cōnsilia regēbat. Statua numquam relinquēbātur sed semper custōdiēbātur.

solium, -ī [2/n]: throne

[1] Sentence building; find the Latin:

The temples were decorated

The temples were decorated ¦ with tall columns

Many statues were seen

Many statues ¦ of the gods and goddesses ¦ were seen

Grain was sent

Grain was sent ¦ by the farmers

Gold was sent ¦ by the sailors

The doors were opened

The doors ¦ of the temples ¦ were opened

The god was worshipped

The god was feared

The god was worshipped and feared

The god was worshipped and feared ¦ by men and women

The statue was never abandoned

The statue was always guarded

[2] The same pattern applies to the imperfect tense passive as it does to the present passive i.e. for the 3^rd person singular and plural -ur is added to the 3^rd person singular or plural of the imperfect tense; note the stress changes marked in bold:

laudā́băt │ he / she  praised / used to praise / was praising 

> laudābā́tur │ he / she was (being) praised / he used to be praised

laudā́bănt │ they praised / used to praise / were praising 

> laudābántur │ they were (being) praised / he used to be praised

Pater fīlium saepe laudābat │ The father often praised / used to praise (his) son 

> Fīlius ā patre saepe laudābātur │ The son was often praised / often used to be praised by (his) father

Pater fīliōs saepe laudābat │ The father often praised / used to praise (his) sons 

> Fīliī ā patre saepe laudābantur │ The sons were often praised / often used to be praised by (their) father.

[3] Remember that the imperfect tense – both active and passive – can translate in a number of ways:

Fīlius ā patre laudābātur

[i] the son was being praised (when something else happened)

[ii] the son used to be praised (i.e. it happened over a period of time or it no longer happens)

[iii] Fīlius ā patre saepe laudābātur: the son was often praised (in grammar known as frequentative i.e. it happened often or regularly) and English can also translate this concept using ‘would’; the son would often be praised