25.06.25: Level 3; the Labours of Hercules; [II] Hercules conquers the Minyæ; he commits a crime and goes to the Delphian oracle to seek expiation

[II] HERCULES CONQUERS THE MINYÆ

Herculēs ā puerō corpus suum gravissimīs et difficillimīs labōribus exercēbat et hoc modo vīrēs suās cōnfirmāvit. Iam adulēscēns Thēbīs habitābat. Ibi Creōn quīdam erat rēx. Minyae, gēns validissima, erant fīnitimī Thēbānīs, et, quia ōlim Thēbānōs vīcerant, quotannīs lēgātōs mittēbant et vectīgal postulābant. Herculēs autem cōnstituit cīvīs suōs hoc vectīgālī līberāre et dīxit rēgī, "Dā mihi exercitum tuum et ego hōs superbōs hostīs superābō." Hanc condiciōnem rēx nōn recūsāvit, et Herculēs nūntiōs in omnīs partīs dīmīsit et cōpiās coēgit. Tum tempore opportūnissimō proelium cum Minyīs commīsit. Diū pugnātum est, sed dēnique illī impetum Thēbānōrum sustinēre nōn potuērunt et terga vertērunt fugamque cēpērunt.

[1] ā puerō: from boyhood

[2] hōc modō vīrēs suās cōnfirmāvit │ in this way he asserted his strength

vīs, vīs [3/f] can be misread, especially in the plural; the word means ‘force’, ‘power’, ‘strength’, ‘violence’, but it is often used in the plural: vīrēs (strength; physical force) and looks similar to virī (men) but they are completely different words [image]

Image: vīs is also an example of a defective noun which refers to a noun where not all the case endings are attested in Classical Latin; the English verb “can” is defective since there is no infinitive “to can”, “to be able” being used instead of the original Anglo-Saxon infinitive cunnan (Modern German: können)

[3] Thēbīs: locative case < Thēbae (Thebes); plural noun

[4] vectīgal, vectīgālis [3/n]: tax, tribute

[5] pugnātum est: impersonal passive; literally: it has been fought = there was fighting

HE COMMITS A CRIME AND GOES TO THE DELPHIAN ORACLE TO SEEK EXPIATION

Post hoc proelium Creōn rēx, tantā victōriā laetus, fīliam suam Herculī in matrimōnium dedit. Thēbis Herculēs cum uxōre suā diū vivēbat et ab omnibus magnopere amābātur; sed post multōs annōs subitō in furōrem incidit et ipse suā manū līberōs suōs interfēcit. Post breve tempus ad sānitātem reductus tantum scelus expiāre cupiēbat et cōnstituit ad ōrāculum Delphicum iter facere. Hoc autem ōrāculum erat omnium clārissimum. Ibi sedēbat fēmina quaedam quae Pȳthia appellābātur. Ea cōnsilium dabat iīs quī ad ōrāculum veniēbant.

[1] in furōrem incidit: went mad

[2] ad sānitātem reductus │ literally: led back to sanity = came back to his senses 

[3] iīs = eīs

[4] Ibi sedēbat fēmina quaedam │ a certain woman was sitting there

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/09/301124-comenius-in-17th-century-school_29.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/597986606145945/