Tuesday, June 3, 2025

06.09.25: Level 3; Sonnenschein; Prō Patriā [9]; Anglī et Saxonēs [2]

“Sed dē Hengistō et Horsā” inquit “nōn [1] cōgitābam cum [2] interrogāvī. Quis alius vir clārus hīc praecipuō honōre [3] habētur?” Aqua iterum [4] haesit: nōs nihil [5] respondimus. Sed ille “Abhinc annōs duōs saecula tredecim [6] fuerant, ex quō Sānctus Augustīnus, nūntius verbī dīvīnī, cum parvā manū ministrōrum fīdōrum hūc cursum [7] tenuit. Nam annō quīngentēsimō nōnāgēsimō septimō post Chrīstum nātum Gregōrius Prīmus, pontifex Rōmānus, Augustīnum nōtitiam Deī vērī in Angliā [8] docēre [9] iusserat. Itaque Augustīnus ex Galliā in Britanniam [10] nāvigāvit, et nāvem suam ad īnsulam Tanatim [11] applicāvit. Eō tempore Aedilberctus rēx Cantiī [12] erat, quī uxōrem Chrīstiānam, nōmine Berctam, [13] habēbat, fīliam rēgis Francōrum. Itaque rēx Chrīstiānīs benignus [14] fuit, atque Durovernī, in capite rēgnī suī, eīs domum [15] praebuit.”

Exercise

Find the Latin; focus on the verbs but also look at the words and phrases in italics, and note that, at this level, some of the translations are less literal:

  1. (he) maintained a direct course (to) here
  2. Æthelberht was the king at that time
  3. again we were at a loss
  4. He brought his ship to land
  5. he offered his palace to them
  6. He sailed to Britain
  7. I was not thinking about
  8. is considered particularly honourable
  9. it had been two centuries since
  10. the king was kind to the Christians
  11. the Pontiff of Rome had ordered Augustine ¦ to teach …
  12. we said nothing in reply [literally: we replied nothing]
  13. when I asked
  14. who had a wife by the name of

Background

[1] Gregory I, Bishop of Rome; also known as Gregory the Great (Sanctus Gregorius Magnus) was responsible for the first documented large-scale mission to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Gregory_I

[2] Augustine of Canterbury, 6th century monk and later the first Archbishop of Canterbury; he was chosen by Pope Gregory to lead the mission referred to in [1] above

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Canterbury

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Augustine-of-Canterbury

[3] Aethelberht, the first English King to be converted to Christianity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aethelberht_of_Kent 

Miniature of Gregory the Great writing, in a 12th-century copy of his Dialogues

19th century stained glass image of Saint Augustine in Canterbury Cathedral

Sculpture of Aethelbert at Canterbury Cathedral

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