21.10.25: Level 2; Reading (review): [25](a) Beaten winners

We already know that simple Romans were often hostile to Greeks. This is what an important Roman politician of the 2nd century BC thought about the Greeks

Mārcus Porcius Catō, vir sevērus et asper, Graecōs cūnctīs Rōmānīs perniciōsōs putābat.

“Graecia expugnāta”, inquit, “Rōmam expugnābit, nisi cavēbimus. Litterae Rōmam importātae, philosophī ē Graeciā hūc arcessītī puerīs nostrīs nocēbunt. Iam disciplīna antīqua ā cūnctīs populīs laudāta interdum labat; mox fīliī vestrī nōn iam parātī erunt prō patriā pugnāre. Tum adversāriī ā nōbīs saepe superātī exsultābunt, arma capessent, Rōmam et Capitōlium numquam expugnātum, numquam dēlētum petent. Ā quō tum adiuvābimur? Ubi erunt cōpiae Rōmānae vix umquam superātae? Ubi (erunt) virī nē summīs quidem perīculīs perturbātī? Cavēte, Rōmānī! Nōs semper disciplīnā, cōnstantiā, modestiā clārī fuimus, nōn litterīs et ēloquentiā!”

[1] Ā quō tum adiuvābimur? │ By whom will we then be helped?

[2] “Graecia … Rōmam expugnābit, ¦ nisi cavēbimus. │ Greece will take Rome by storm ¦ unless we are careful [literally: unless we will be careful] / …if we are not careful [literally: if we will not be …]

[3] Nōs semper disciplīnā, cōnstantiā, modestiā clārī fuimus, nōn litterīs et ēloquentiā! The nouns in the ablative case are examples of the ablative of respect / specification; it is used to indicate in what respect something is or is done:  

Nōs semper disciplīnā, cōnstantiā, modestiā clārī fuimus, ¦ nōn litterīs et ēloquentiā! │ We have always been famous [in what respect? / in terms of what?] in terms of discipline …. ¦ not in (terms of) literature …

[4] Image: this text reviews the perfect passive participle, the fourth principal part of the verb and the equivalent of English “the letter was written”, “the battle has been won”. Also, as in English, the perfect passive pariticiple can be be used either [i] as an adjective agreeing in case, gender and number with the noun (as most are here in this text) or [ii] with forms of esse to create the perfect, pluperfect and future perfect passive

Graecia expugnāta … │ literally: a captured Greece = a Greece that has been captured / taken by assault …

disciplīna antīqua ¦ ā cūnctīs populīs ¦ laudāta … │ the ancient discipline praised ¦ by all the people / nations …

… Capitōlium numquam expugnātum, numquam dēlētum petent │ … they will attack a Capitol that has never been taken (and) never [been] destroyed

philosophī ē Graeciā hūc arcessītī … │ philosophers [who have been] summoned here from Greece

mox fīliī vestrī nōn iam parātī erunt … │ soon your sons will no longer be [have been] prepared

Ubi (erunt) virī nē ¦ summīs quidem perīculīs ¦  perturbātī? │ Where will the men be who not have been troubled even ¦ by the utmost dangers?

adversāriī ¦ ā nōbīs ¦ saepe superātī … │ enemies often [who have been] conquered ¦ by us …

litterae Rōmam importātae … │ literature [which has been] imported to Rome

Ubi erunt cōpiae Rōmānae vix umquam superātae? │ Where will the Roman troops be [who have] scarcely ever have been conquered?