09.01.26: Level 3; language review; Labours of Hercules [6] The Stymphalian birds; [7] The Cretan Bull

[6] The Stymphalian Birds

Vīvēbant ōlim in lacū ad Stymphālum in Arcadiā avēs pedibus et rōstrīs et pennīs aēneīs: ūtēbantur autem pennīs suīs prō sagittīs, et carne hominum vescēbantur. Avēs adortus Herculēs, sīstrō aēneō exterruit, tum fūgēre cōnantēs sagittīs interfēcit.

sīstrum, -ī [2/n]: sistrum; a kind of rattle used by the ancient Egyptians in the mystical worship of Isis (see image)

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0062:entry=sistrum-harpers

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0063:entry=sistrum-cn

[7] The Cretan bull

Bovem mīrae magnitūdinis et eximiae fōrmae ē marī ēmīsit Poseidōn. Hunc sacrificāre Mīnōs, Crētae rēx, iussus erat; captus autem bovis speciē, alium eius vice sacrificāvit. Poseidōn vērō īrātus, bovem in furōrem ēgit. Tum bōs per tōtam īnsulam magnam hominum strāgem ēdēbat, et opera agrestia corrumpēbat. Hunc tandem captum Herculēs ad Eurysthēum portāvit.

strāgēs, -is [3/f]: overthrow; confusion; slaughter

vice [+ genitive]: in place (of); alium eius vice sacrificāvit │ he sacrificed another in its place │ in place of it; Engl. deriv. Vice President

Notes

[i] ēdēbat [with long /ē/] < ēdō, -ere, ēdidī, ēditus [3]: produce, cause, inflict i.e. not edō, -ere, ēdī, ēsus [3]: eat

[ii] Bovem mīrae magnitūdinis et eximiae fōrmae ē marī ēmīsit Poseidōn │ Poseidon sent out from the sea a bull of wonderful size and (0f) remarkable beauty; genitive of description

17.11.25: Level 3; [i] Anaxagoras [ii] Lysander at Sardis; ablative of respect / specification; genitive / ablative of description

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/08/171125-level-3-i-anaxagoras-ii-lysander.html

The genitive and ablative of description can be interchangeable although, as a rule of thumb, the ablative tends to be used more with specific physical descriptions e.g. from Plautus:

Quā faciē voster Saurea est? │ What does your Saurea look like? [ = of what appearance …]

Macilentīs malīs, rūfulus aliquantum, ventriōsus, truculentīs oculīs, commodā statūrā, trīstī fronte.

Thin jaws — reddish hair — pot-bellied— savage eyes — average height — and a scowl (sad countenance).

[1] From text [6]:

Explain briefly why the ablative is being used in the following phrases; give translations to illustrate your answer

[i]  avēs pedibus et rōstrīs et pennīs aēneīs

[ii]

[a] carne hominum vēscēbantur 

[b]  ūtēbantur autem pennīs suīs …

[iii]  … prō sagittīs

[iv] sīstrō aēneō exterruit, tum fūgēre cōnantēs sagittīs interfēcit 

[2] From either text: find an example of

[i] Present active participle

[ii] Perfect passive participle

[iii] Perfect active participle of a deponent verb

[iv] Pluperfect passive

____________________

[1]

[i]  avēs pedibus et rōstrīs et pennīs aēneīs │ birds with bronze feet, beaks, and feathers; ablative of description

[ii]

[a] carne hominum vēscēbantur  │ they fed on the flesh of humans

[b]  ūtēbantur autem pennīs suīs … │ moreover, they used (made use of) their feathers ...

Certain deponent verbs are regularly followed by the ablative case:

vescor, -ī [3/dep]: to feed (upon)

ūtor, -ī [3/dep]: use (make use of)

17.06.25: Level 3; summary of of the uses of the ablative case [17]: the ablative as object of deponent verbs

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/170625-level-3-summary-of-of-uses-of_30.html

[iii]  … prō sagittīs │… as arrows; preposition prō (as; for) + the ablative case

[iv] sīstrō aēneō exterruit, tum fūgēre cōnantēs sagittīs interfēcit  │ He frightened them with (by means of)  a bronze rattle, then killed those trying to flee with arrows; ablative of means / instrument

[2]

[i] Present active participle │ cōnantēs

[ii] Perfect passive participle │ captus; captum

[iii] Perfect active participle of a deponent verb

avēs adortus Herculēs │ Hercules, having attacked the birds; adorior, -īrī, adortus sum [4/dep]: attack

Poseidōn … īrātus │ Poseidon, having grown angry; īrāscor, -ī, īrātus sum [3/dep]: get angry

[iv] Pluperfect passive │ iussus erat

[6] Formerly there lived in a lake near Stymphalus, in Arcadia, birds with feet, beak, and feathers of brass: now, they used their feathers for arrows, and lived on the flesh of human beings. Hercules, having attacked the birds, frightened them thoroughly with a brazen rattle, (and) then slew them with arrows (while) trying to escape.

[7] Poseidon sent out from the sea a bull of wonderful size and remarkable beauty. Minos, king of Crete, had been ordered to sacrifice it; but, being charmed by the beauty of the bull, he sacrificed another in its place. But Poseidon, being angry / having grown angry, drove the bull to madness. Then the bull began to cause  a great slaughter / massacre of men throughout the whole island, and to destroy agricultural works. Hercules at length caught (it and) brought it to Eurystheus.

Flemish tapestry; from the Series The Labours of Hercules; Hercules and the Stymphalian birds; Willem Dermoyen, Brussels; ca 1528

detail of the Mosaic with the Labors of Hercules (Seventh Labour: Cretan Bull), 3rd century AD, found in Llíria (Valencia), National Archaeological Museum of Spain, Madrid