19.10.25: Level 3; Spartan boys: the contempt of pain

Puerī Spartānī nōn gemunt flagellīs lacerātī. Adolēscentēs Spartae dēcertant manibus, pedibus, unguibus, dentibus, dēnique, māluntque interficī quam vincī. Puer etiam Spartānus dīcitur in sinū vestis vulpem cēlāsse, et bēstiae dentibus necātus esse, nec gemitum ēdidisse: praeclārum enim apud Spartānōs habēbātur aliquid clam abstrahere; dēprehendī vērō, turpissimum.

abstrahō, -ere, abstrāxī, abstractus [3]: drag / draw / pull away; carry off; (here) steal

clam: secretly

dēcertō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: fight (to the finish); contend; dispute

ēdō, ēdere, ēdidī, ēditus [3]: bring forth; produce; not edō [with short /e/], edere (or ēsse), ēdī, ēsus [3]: eat 

flagellum, -ī [2/n]: whip

gemitus, -ūs [4]: groan; sigh; sorrow

gemō, -ere, -uī [3]: groan

lacerō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [2]: tear to pieces

sinus, -ūs [4/m]: fold; bosom

Notes:

[i]

The verb mālō, mālle (prefer) is often used in comparison between two verbs expressed as infinitives i.e. I prefer to do / doing X (rather) than to do / doing (Y):

māluntque (1) interficī quam (2) vincī │and they prefer (1) to be killed (rather) than (2) to be conquered

[ii]

Puer etiam Spartānus dīcitur … (i) cēlāsse, et … (ii) necātus esse, nec … (iii) ēdidisse

A Spartan boy is even said … (i) to have hidden, and (ii) to have been killed … and not (iii) to have uttered…

Two types of infinitive being used here:

[1] necātus esse; perfect passive infinitive [perfect passive participle + esse] =  to have been killed

[2] cēlasse; ēdidisse: perfect active infinitive = to have done something; look out for –(i)sse

3^rd principal part: ēdid¦ī > ēdid¦isse; perfect active infinitive: to have uttered

3^rd principal part: cēlāv¦ī > cēlāv¦isse; perfect active infinitive: to have hidden

In the text cēlāsse is an example of a syncopated verb form i.e. where certain sounds are omitted (which is common in the literature) and this often applies to past tense forms with -vi-; therefore: cēlā(vi)sse

In paenīnsulā Cimbricā rēvērā habitāvisse (or habitāsse) affirmantur │ They are claimed in fact to have lived on the Cimbrian peninsula.

The link gives further information on point [2] here:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/05/020925-level-3-sonnenschein-pro-patria.html

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Spartan boys do not groan when / having been torn with whips. At Sparta youths fight with their fists, feet, nails, even with their teeth, and prefer being killed to being conquered. A Spartan boy is even said to have hidden a fox in the fold / bosom of his garment, and to have been killed by the teeth of the beast, without uttering [literally: and not to have uttered] a murmur: for to steal anything without being caught [literally: carry off secretly] was held / considered to be glorious among the Spartans; but to be caught (was considered) most disgraceful.