Tuesday, May 6, 2025

03.08.25: Level 3; Kings of Rome [1]; Birth and early years of Romulus and Remus

Rea Silvia, [1] Albāna sacerdōs, [2] geminōs puerōs ēdidit. Amūlius, rēx crūdēlis, Silviam in cūstōdiam dedit; [3] puerōs in prōfluentem aquam mittī iussit. forte eō tempore super rīpās Tiberis effūsus erat. itaque in proximā eluvie puerī sunt expositī. paulisper alveus, in quō [4] iacent, hūc illūc fluitat. tandem tenuis aqua eōs in siccō dēstituit. simul lupa sitiēns ex montibus, quī circā sunt, ad puerīlem vāgītum cursum flexit. mox eam linguā lambentem puerōs Faustulus, magister rēgiī pecoris, invēnit; [6] quī Lārentiae uxōrī eōs ēducandōs dedit. ita genitī nūtrītīque sunt Rōmulus et Remus. posteā, iam adultī, vēnandō saltūs peragrant. hinc rōbur [7] corporibus animīsque sūmunt. nec iam ferās tantum agitant; sed in latrōnēs praedā onustōs faciunt impetūs. [8] pāstōribus rapta dīvidunt, et cum hīs sēria ac iocōs peragunt.

Vocabulary

agitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1] (here): hunt, chase, pursue

alveus, -ī [2/m]: basket

dēstituō, -ere, dēstituī, dēstitūtus [3]: place, set; abandon

effundō, -ere, efffūdi, effūsus [3]: pour out

ēluviēs, -ēī [5/f]: flood

fera, -ae [1/f]: wild animal, beast

flectō, -ere, flexī, flexus [3]: bend, deviate, turn

fluitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: float

gignō, -ere, genuī, genitus [3]: bear, beget, give birth

iocus, -ī [2/m]: joke, pastime, sport

lambō, -ere, lambī, lambitus [3]: lick, lap

nūtriō, -īre, nūtrī(v)ī, nūtrītus [4]: feed, breastfeed, suckle, nurse

onustus, -a, -um: loaded [+ abl. with]

paulisper: for a little while / short time

pecus, pecoris [3/n]: herd, flock; a collective term that can refer to any (large) group of animals

peragō, -ere, perēgī, perāctus [3]: (here) accomplish, carry out

peragrō, -āre, -āvī, -agrātus [1]: wander / travel through

prōfluēns, -entis: flowing

raptum, -ī [2/m]: plunder, prey

rēgius, -a, -um: royal

saltus, -ūs [4/m]: (here) forest / mountain pasture; the noun can refer to a mountain / narrow pass

siccus, -a, -um: dry

tenuis, -e: (here) shallow, but often has the meaning of ‘thin’, ‘delicate’

vāgītus, -ūs [4/m]: crying, wailing

Notes

[1] Albana: 'belonging to Alba.' The full name of the city was Alba Longa, 'the Long White City.' It was long and narrow, owing to the steepness of the mountain-side on which it was built. Alba was the head of the league of Latin towns, till Rome conquered her own mother-city and took her place. The exact site of Alba is unknown.

[2] geminōs puerōs: according to the legend, Mars was the father of the twins

[3] (i) puerōs in prōfluentem aquam (ii) mittī [present passive infinitive] iussit │ he ordered [i] the boys [ii] to be thrown / flung / cast into the flowing water

[4] iacent; fluitat: historic presents; used to produce a more vivid picture, a greater sense of immediacy

[5] eam … Faustulus … invēnit; quī Lārentiae uxōrī eōs ēducandōs dedit

Two separate points:

[i] eam … Faustulus … invēnit; quī Lārentiae … dedit │ Faustulus found it; and he gave them to Larentia …

quī: connecting relative

Unlike English, quī, quae, quod (who, which) can begin a sentence referring to someone / something in the previous one, and is usually translated as and he, she …

[ii] quī Lārentiae uxōrī eōs ēducandōs dedit │ and he gave them to his wife Larentia to be brought up

ēducandus, -a, -um: a gerundive meaning to be brought up

English would most often use a passive infinitive to express this idea i.e. he gave them to Larentia ¦ to be brought up. Latin, however, uses the gerundive like an adjective agreeing with the noun / pronoun which is affected by the action:

quī Lārentiae uxōrī eōs [accusative plural] ēducandōs [accusative plural] dēdit

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/08/260924-level-2-ora-maritima-24-and-25-6.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/080625-level-3-gerundive-5-purpose.html

Examples:

deinde [i] eum … [ii] redūcendum Faleriōs puerīs trādidit

> literally: He handed [i] him ¦ [ii] (who was) to be taken back to Falerii ¦ to the boys

> he then handed [ii] him to the boys [ii] to be taken back to Falerii

Caesar pontem faciendum cūrat (Caesar) │ Caesar causes a bridge to be made

[6] vēnandō saltūs peragrant │ they wander through the forests hunting

vēnandum: an example of the gerund i.e. (the act of) hunting

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

venandō: ablative of manner

[7] rōbur corporibus animīsque sūmunt │ they draw (their) strength for (their) bodies and minds

corporibus animīsque: datives of advantage i.e. who or what benefits from an action

[8] pāstōribus: among the shepherds

puerōs in prōfluentem aquam mittī iussit


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