Saturday, March 1, 2025

26.05.25; Level 2; Sonnenschein: Expedītiō Prīma C. Iūliī Caesaris [2](1)

“Alia quoque causa bellī fuerat avāritia et exspectātiō praedae. Cupidī erant Rōmānī insulam nostram ignōtam et remōtam vīsitandī et explōrandī [i]; nam, ut Tacitus affirmat, ignōtum prō magnificō est [ii]. Itaque annō quintō et quinquāgēsimō ante Christum nātum C. Iūlius Caesar expedītiōnem suam prīmam contrā Britannōs comparāvit, et victōriam reportāvit, ut narrāvī; nam post ūnum proelium Britannī veniam ā victōribus implorāvērunt. Sed expedītiō nōn magna fuerat; neque Rōmānī ullam praedam ex Britanniā reportāverant, nisi paucōs servōs et captīvōs. Annō igitur proximō imperātor Rōmānus secundam et multō maiōrem expeditiōnem in Britanniam parāvit [iii]. Nam sescenta nāvigia onerāria in Galliā aedificāvit, et quinque legiōnēs Rōmānās ūnā cum magnā multitūdine auxiliōrum Gallicōrum in ōram Belgicam congregāvit.”

Vocabulary review: Match the Latin and English

  1. avāritia, -ae [1/f]
  2. comparō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
  3. cupidus, -a, -um
  4. ignōtus, -a, -um
  5. legiō, legiōnis [3/f]
  6. multitūdō, multitūdinis [3/f]
  7. nisi
  8. onerārius, -a, -um
  9. paucī, -ae, -a
  10. praeda, -ae [1/f]
  11. proximus, -a, -um
  12. reportō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
  13. sēscentī, -ae, -a
  14. ūllus, -a, -um
  15. venia, -ae [1/f]
  16. victor, victōris [3/m]

600; a few; a large number; adjective: transport / cargo; any; bring back; conquerer; desirous; except; forgiveness; get together; greed; legion; next; plunder; property taken in war; unknown

[i] Cupidī erant Rōmānī insulam nostram ignōtam et remōtam vīsitandī et explōrandī │ The Romans were desirous of visiting and (of) exploring our island.

visītandum and explōrandum are examples of gerunds, which were first discussed here:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/121224-level-1-topic-school-4-arts.html

All the information on the gerund is here:

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

In English grammar they are sometimes known as verbal nouns because they describe the performing of the action which the verb describes.

[ii] ignōtum prō magnificō est │ the unknown always passes for the marvellous; a phrase used by Tacitus (Dē Vītā Iūliī Agricolae)

[iii] the ablative of degree of difference

Discussed here: 

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/09/201124-level-2-degrees-of-comparison-9.html

Latin tutorial: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a2lb9pTnEo

multō maiōrem expeditiōnem … parāvit │ he prepared a much bigger expedition

multō (ablative case) maiōrem: the ablative of degree of difference which is used in comparisons and equates to English expressions such as “much bigger” “much more quickly” i.e. “much” indicates the extent of the comparison and Latin conveys this idea with by multus in the ablative case + the comparative of the adjective or the adverb

patria mihi multō cārior est quam vīta mea │ my country is much dearer to me than my life

multō celeriusmuch more quickly

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