Most of the sentences in this exercise contain two perfect passive participles, for example:
[1] Oppidum [i] captum ¦ [ii] dēlētum est.
The sentence shows [i] a perfect passive participle
describing the noun and [ii] a passive verb with ‘esse’
[i] The ‘having been captured’ ¦ town ¦ [ii] was destroyed.
Very often that literal translation needs to be reworked.
There are various possibilities, but the examples below maintain the concept
that something had happened to the town before the next action.
- The town, [i] after it had been captured, [ii] was destroyed.
- [i] When the town was captured [ii] it was destroyed.
- [i] The town was captured [ii] and destroyed.
- [i] Having been captured, [ii] the town was destroyed.
[2] Oppidum ¦ [i] ab hostibus captum ¦ [ii] dēlētum est.
- The town, captured by the enemy, was destroyed.
- After the town had been captured by the enemy it was destroyed.
- The town was captured by the enemy and (it was) destroyed.
Look out for tense sequences when translating
Dux barbarus ā Caesare captus Rōmam missus est.
The barbarian commander, captured by Caesar, was sent
to Rome.
= The barbarian commander, who had been / was captured by
Caesar, was sent to Rome.
Barbarī ā Rōmānīs captī Rōmam semper mittuntur.
Barbarians, captured by the Romans, are always sent
to Rome.
= Barbarians who are / have been captured by the
Romans, are always sent to Rome.
- Cīvis vehementer perterritus in carcere clausus est.
- Equus ligneus, ā Graecīs aedificātus, in urbem ductus est.
- Gladiātor graviter vulnerātus ā medicō cūrātur.
- Helena, ā Paride vīsa, ad urbem Trōiam ducta est.
- Hostēs, captī ā mīlitibus Rōmānīs, Rōmam mittuntur.
- Nāvēs tempestāte frāctae reficī nōn poterant.
- Oppidum diū obsessum tandem incēnsum est.
- Puer miser, ā cane rabiōsō morsus, cūrārī nōn poterat.
- Rēx gladiō interfectus postrīdiē sepultus est.
- Servī, ā dominīs laudātī, interdum līberābantur.
- Terrae, ā Rōmānīs captae, bene regēbantur.
- Urbs oppugnāta ab Horātiō dēfēnsa est.
One area that will be discussed at Level 3 is the style of
the Roman authors, and there are certain features to look out for. As a
“taster” here is an extract from the Jugurthine War by Sallust.
Cēterum oppidum incēnsum, Numidae pūberēs interfectī, aliī
omnēs vēnumdatī, praeda mīlitibus dīvīsa.
Firstly, the statements are given in groups of three words
(the “rule of three”) and note also the repetition of certain sounds
[i] Cēterum [ii] oppidum [iii] incēnsum
[i] Numidae [ii] pūberēs [iii] interfectī
[i] aliī [ii] omnēs [iii] vēnumdatī
[i] praeda [ii] mīlitibus [iii] dīvīsa
Moreover, the author omits the use of “esse” to form these passive
constructions, thus allowing a greater and almost poetic momentum with emphasis
on the final participle of each statement:
Cēterum oppidum incēnsum, │ Moreover, the town was burned
Numidae pūberēs interfectī, │ the adult Numidians (were)
killed
aliī omnēs vēnumdatī, │ all the others (were) sold
praeda mīlitibus dīvīsa. │ (and) the spoil (was) divided
among the soldiers
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