[1]
"Ego cum duōbus amīcīs contrā hostēs in angustō locō
pugnābō. Ita omnēs prō ārīs templīsque Rōmānīs, prō uxōribus līberīsque, prō
sacrīs virginibus pugnābimus. Ita urbem Rōmam cōnservābimus. Quis mēcum in
extrēmō ponte stābit et contrā Etrūscōs pugnābit?"
Tum Lartius, "Ego," inquit, "ā dextrā stābō,
et pontem tēcum cōnservābō"; et magnā vōce Herminius, "Ego,"
inquit, "ā sinistrā stābō et pontem tēcum cōnservābō."
[A] Vocabulary and notes
[i] 1st / 2nd declension adjectives in -er
sacer, sacra, sacrum: sacred; holy
dexter, dextra, dextrum: right
sinister, sinistra, sinistrum: left
[ii] prepositions with the accusative:
contrā: against; contrā Etrūscōs │against the
Etruscans
[iii] uses of the ablative case
prepositions
in angustō locō │in a narrow
position
in … ponte │on the bridge
cum … amīcīs │with…friends
mēcum: with me; tēcum: with you, i.e. written
as one word with the preposition attached to the pronoun
prō: [i] in front of; before [ii] for; on behalf of:
We will fight …
prō ārīs templīsque Rōmānīs… │for the
Roman altars and temples (or standing in front of / before the
altars and temples; either way, they intend to protect them)
prō uxōribus līberīsque │for (our) wives and
children
ā / ab: (away) from, but here:
ā dextrā │on the right
ā sinistrā │on the left
But we have the same idea in “The enemy attacked from the
right.”
Other uses of the ablative case have been discussed as the
group has gone on. Here is an example from the text.
magnā vōce │ (he said) in a
loud voice; the ablative expresses the way in which he said it
[B] Find the Latin from the text.
1. I shall fight
2. I shall preserve.
3. I shall stand.
4. Who will fight?
5. Who will stand?
6. We will fight.
7. We will preserve.
Much of what you read in Latin will be in different
tenses at the same time. Here are some “gentle” examples.
[2]
"Ō cīvēs," inquit, "nūllās fēminās habēmus,
sed Sabīnī cīvitātem fīnitimam habitant. Sabīnī fēminās multās et fōrmōsās
habent. Sabīnōs igitur cum fēminīs ad lūdōs invītābimus, et virginēs
raptābimus."
cīvitās, cīvitātis [3/f]: multiple meanings e.g. state; city
and surrounding territory; kingdom; tribe
fīnitimus, -a, -um: neighbouring
[3]
Vōs quoque fortasse ad Ītaliam Graeciamque ōlim ipsī
nāvigābitis, et illa loca oculīs vestrīs vidēbitis, ubi poētae habitābant.
From [2] and [3]:
Find the Latin
[i] Present tense
The Sabines … have many beautiful women
The Sabines … live
We have…
[ii] Imperfect
The poets used to live
[iii] Future
You [pl.] will sail
You [pl.] will see
We will abduct
We will invite
___________________
[1] I will fight with two friends against the enemies in a
narrow place. Thus we will all fight for the Roman altars and temples, for our
wives and children, for the sacred (Vestal) virgins. Thus we will preserve the
city of Rome. Who will stand with me at the end of the bridge and fight against
the Etruscans?"
Then Lartius said "I will stand on the right, and
maintain the bridge with you." and Herminius with a loud voice said
"I will stand on the left and guard the bridge with you.”
[2] "Oh citizens," he said, "we have no
women, but the Sabines live in a neighbouring state. The Sabines have many
beautiful women. Therefore we will invite the Sabines with the women to the
games, and we will abduct the young women."
[3] Perhaps you yourselves will also sail to Italy and
Greece one day, and will see with your own eyes those places where the poets
used to live.
