Part [2]
[i] Translate the following parts of the story into
English.
This passage describes how Cleopatra visited Rome.
Cleopatra Caesarī fīlium suum ostendere magnopere volēbat;
Rōmam igitur celeriter nāvigāvit. cum Caesare ac parvō puerō in urbe habitāre
cōnstituit. Caesar eōs in suam domum libenter accēpit. brevī tempore tamen
senātōrēs, quī imperium eius timēbant, Caesarem occīdērunt. Cleopatra in
Aegyptum redīre coācta est. ibi trēs annōs rēgnāvit.
Words
senātor, senātōris m: senator
rēgnō, rēgnāre, rēgnāvī: I reign
[ii] Note: this passage contains a grammatical point that
has not yet been covered. I will refer to it briefly at the end.
Now continue with your translation.
In this passage, Cleopatra meets Mark Antony.
Cleopatra, quamquam erat optima rēgīna, invidiam virōrum
nōbilium timēbat. auxilium Rōmānōrum igitur vehementer cupiēbat. forte Mārcus
Antōnius, imperātor Rōmānus, quī comes fidēlis Caesaris fuerat, prope Aegyptum
cum quattuor legiōnibus iter faciēbat. Cleopatra prōgressa est ut eum
salūtāret; quī, simulatque eam cōnspexit, gaudēbat; nam fēminam pulchriōrem
illa numquam vīderat. tantus erat amor Antōniī ut sine eā vīvere nōllet.
Names
Mārcus Antōnius, Marcī Antōniī m: Mark Antony
Words
rēgīna, rēgīnae f: queen
invidia, invidiae f: jealousy
nōbilis, nōbilis, nōbile: noble
auxilium, auxiliī n: help
gaudeō, gaudēre, gāvīsus sum: I am happy
Note:
Two examples in this text of the subjunctive, a
feature of the language that has been referred to but not yet covered in any
detail:
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/070225-speaking-latin-on-campus_49.html
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/070225-speaking-latin-on-campus_26.html
However, this won’t prevent you from understanding the
phrases:
[1] Cleopatra prōgressa est ¦ ut eum salūtāret
[2] tantus erat amor Antōniī ¦ ut sine eā vīvere nōllet
The conjunction ut can translate as [1] in order to
(do something); so that (he might do something) i.e. it can express purpose,
and [2] “so that” in the sense of “with the result that ..” i.e. it
expresses the outcome of the action
[1] the subjunctive of purpose
John went to the store and bought a cake [action concluded].
│ John went to the store to buy a cake [action unconcluded];
the second sentence indicates purpose but it does not indicate
that the action was fulfilled. Maybe in the end he did buy a cake but, at
the moment the sentence is stated, the action remained unfulfilled.
In ‘older’ English: John went to the store so
that / in order that he might buy a
cake. English speakers would rarely use that now, but it does exist:
People were bringing little children to him in order
that / so that he might touch them (Vulgate transl.)
Cleopatra prōgressa est ¦ ut eum salūtāret │ Cleopatra went forward ¦
literally: in order that she might greet him = in order to
greet him
[2] the subjunctive of result
ut here is used to express the outcome of the action
in the main clause; it is often signalled by words such as tantus, -a,
-um (so great) or tam + adjective e.g. tam fortis (so
brave) or tot (so many):
Erant tot aedificia ¦ ut omnia vidēre nōn
possem. │ There were so
many buildings ¦ that I could not see them all.
tantus erat amor Antōniī ¦ ut sine eā vīvere nōllet
│ Antony’s love was so
great ¦ that he did not wish to live without her
For reference only since the subjunctive is an
extensive topic:
The imperfect subjunctive is being used in the
sentences. It is easy to form:
infinitive + personal endings added to the infinitive with
no other changes apart from certain vowel lengths; this applies to all verbs
both regular and irregular
[1]
[i] infinitive: salūtāre (greet)
[ii] add personal endings; note vowel lengths in italics
salūtārem
salūtārēs
salūtāret
salūtārēmus
salūtārētis
salūtārent
Cleopatra prōgressa est ¦ ut eum salūtāret
[2]
[i] infinitive: nōlle (to be unwilling)
[ii] add personal endings; note vowel lengths in italics
nōllem
nōllēs
nōllet
nōllēmus
nōllētis
nōllent
tantus erat amor Antōniī ¦ ut sine eā vīvere nōllet
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