Video commentary at:
He gives quite a lengthy introduction; if you want to go straight to the text then start at 04:41
Ūtuntur Massagetae
et vestīmentō et vītae ratiōne similī Scythārum. Equīs pugnant; arcū et hastīs
ūtuntur. Ad omnia aurō ūtuntur aut aere. Ad hastās, ad sagittārum cuspidēs
āere ūtuntur; ad capītis ōrnātum, et ad lumbōrum cingula, aurō. Argentum et
ferrum in eōrum terrā nōn reperiuntur; sed aeris et aurī est immēnsa cōpia.
Senēs interficiunt propinquī, et pecudēs cum iīs; coctā carne deinde epulantur.
Terrā autem condunt morbō mortuōs. Sēmentem nūllam faciunt: cibus eōrum ex
pecoribus, piscibus, lacte, cōnstat. Deōrum ūnum Sōlem colunt: huic equōs
immolant.
Vocabulary
aes, aeris [3/n]: bronze; copper; brass
cingulum, -ī [2/n]: girdle (encircling the hips); sword-belt
condō, -ere, condidī, conditus [3]: (here) bury
cuspis, -is [3/f]: point, tip (of a pointed object); Engl. deriv. cusp
lumbus, -ī [2/m]: (usually in the plural) loin
propinquus, -a, -um: near / neighbouring; (here plural) propinquī: relatives;
relations; family members
ratiō, ratiōnis [3/f]: multiple meanings, but here: manner (way); method
Scytha, -ae [1/m]: Scythian
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Scythian
sēmentis, -is [3/f]: sowing; planting
Questions
[1] In what ways are the Massageteans similar to the Scythians? (2)
[2] How do they fight? (3)
[3] What specific uses are mentioned for:
[i] copper, and [ii] gold? (4)
[4] What information is given about iron and silver? (2)
[5] aeris et aurī est immēnsa cōpia
In what case are
the nouns in bold and why is that case being used? (2)
[6] Translate: Senēs
interficiunt propinquī, et pecudēs cum iīs; coctā carne deinde epulantur. Terrā
autem condunt morbō mortuōs.
[7] What
information is given about:
[i] their diet,
and [ii] their religious practices? (6)
Notes
[i] two words
which are not always easy to distinguish; in reality, various translations are
equally acceptable
[a] … et pecudēs
cum iīs
pecus, pecudis
[3/f]: a single herd animal e.g. a horse or a head of cattle; plural: livestock
e.g. sheep, goats
[b] cibus eōrum ex
pecoribus … cōnstat
pecus, pecoris
[3/n]: usually refers to a group of larger domestic animals such as cattle of
sheep i.e. those animals which can pull carts or ploughs
[ii] … morbō mortuōs
│ those who have died from a disease; this is an example of the ablative
of cause
[iii] Deponent verbs
Both of these verbs are followed by a noun in the ablative case
ūtor, ūtī, ūsus sum [3/dep]: use; make use of
Ad omnia aurō
ūtuntur aut aere. │ They use gold or copper for everything.
epulor, -ārī, epulātus sum [1/dep]: banquet; feast upon
Coctā carne … epulantur │ They feast upon … cooked meat
In context, this phrase can also be interpreted as an ablative absolute:
After the meat has been cooked … they have a feast
[iv] Massagetae or Massageteans: an ancient Iranian people who lived on
the steppes of Central Asia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massagetae
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0064:entry=massagetae-geo
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