01.06.25; Level 2; Sonnenschein: Certāmina Varia [1]: text, exercises and notes

"Britannī certāmen vītāvērunt, et in silvīs sē occultāvērunt, ubi locus erat prope flūmen, ēgregiē et nātūrā et opere firmātus. Itaque 'oppidum' Britannicum erat. Dē nōmine flūminis nihil constat. Oppidum iam ante domesticī bellī causā praeparāverant, et crebrīs arboribus vallīsque firmāverant. Multa et varia certāmina fuērunt: Britannī ex silvīs cum equitibus essedīsque suīs contrā Rōmānōs prōvolābant; Rōmānīs perīculōsum erat intrā mūnītiōnēs Britannōrum intrāre. Sed post aliquantum temporis mīlitēs septimae legiōnis aggere et testūdine locum oppugnāvērunt. Tandem Britannōs ex silvīs prōpulsāvērunt. Pauca erant vulnera Rōmānōrum: nam Rōmānī Britannōs pondere armōrum et scientiā pugnandī multum superābant; magnitūdine et rōbore corporis Britannī Rōmānōs superābant. Sed Romanī quoque hominēs rōbustō corpore erant."

"Victōria Caesarī nōn multum prōfuit: nam Britannīs fugātīs instāre nōn poterat, quia nātūram locī ignōrābat. Praetereā praefectus castrōrum, nōmine Quintus Ātrius, magnum incommodum nuntiāverat: tempestās nāvigia in lītore afflictāverat. Tempus perīculōsum erat; nam Caesarī necesse erat ā flūmine ad lītus maritimum properāre, et legiōnēs suās ab insectātiōne Britannōrum revocāre. Multa ex nāvigiīs in vadīs afflictāta erant; cētera novīs armīs ornanda erant. Opus magnī labōris erat, et aliquantum temporis postulābat. Sed nautārum atque mīlitum virtūs magnō opere laudanda erat. Nōn solum per diurna sed etiam per nocturna tempora labōrāvērunt. Intereā Caesar nova nāvigia in Galliā aedificat: sine nāvigiīs nōn poterat cōpiās suās in Galliam reportāre; ūnō tempore necesse erat et nāvigia reparāre et contrā Britannōs bellāre."

[1] Vocabulary review: Match the Latin and English

1. agger, -is [3/m]
2. aliquantum, -ī [2/n]
3. causā (+ genitive)
4. certāmen, certāminis [3/n]
5. crēber, -ra, -rum
6. ēgregius, -a, -um
7. essedum, -ī [2/n]
8. insectātiō, insectātiōnis [3/f]
9. occultō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
10. praefectus, -ī [2/m]
11. prōpulsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
12. prōvolō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
13. rōbur, rōboris [3/n]
14. testūdō, testūdinis [3/f]
15. vadum, -ī [2/n]
16. vallum, -ī [2/n]

[i] contest / [ii] (here) combat, battle; [i] tortoise / [ii] Roman military tactic; a little / some; chariot; commander; dash forward; drive forward / repel; earthwork (for defence); excellent; for the sake of / on  account of; hardness / strength; hide; pursuit; rampart; (shallow) body of water; thick / dense

[2] Find the Latin; the phrases are chosen because of the case usage:

[a] Genitive

[i] after a little ¦ time (compare French: un peu de temps)

[ii] a lot of work was needed [ = there was need ¦ of great work]

[iii] on account ¦ of a war

[b] Dative

[iv] it was necessary ¦ for Caesar

[v] it was dangerous ¦ for the Romans

[c] Ablative

[vi] the place had been fortified ¦ [i] by nature [i.e. naturally] and [ii] by (defensive) work [i.e. man-made]

[vii] they had strengthened (it) ¦ by means of [i] thick trees and [ii] ramparts

[viii] the Britons surpassed the Romans ¦ in (terms of) [i] size and [ii] bodily strength [= the strength of the body]

[ix] the men had a strong body i.e. were strong (in) body

[x] the camp commander ¦ by the name of …

[xi] many ¦ of [ = out of] the vessels

[xii] at one / the same time

Notes

[1] verbs followed by the dative case

prōsum, prōdesse, prōfuī: be of use / benefit / profit

īnstō, -āre, īnstitī [1] (here) pursue

Victōria Caesarī nōn multum prōfuit │ Victory was not greatly profitable / of great use (benefit) to Caesar

Britannīs fugātīs īnstāre nōn poterat │ He was not able to pursue the Britons who had been put to flight

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/130425-level-3-verbs-with-dative-case-1.html

[2] the gerund

Rōmānī Britannōs … scientiā pugnandī multum superābant │ The Romans greatly surpassed the Britons by (their) knowledge of fighting

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/270525-level-3-gerund-1.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/270525-level-3-gerund-2-practice.html

[3] the gerundive

cētera novīs armīs ornanda erant │ the rest were to be equipped with new weapons

nautārum atque mīlitum virtūs … laudanda erat │ the courage of the sailors and the soldiers was to be praised (praisworthy; worthy of being praised)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/11/120225-level-2-reading-schoolmasters.html

Essedum Britannicum

Image: from Trajan’s column; now it’s clear why this Roman military tactic was known as a testūdō: