16.02.26: Level 2; Vincent (Latin Reader); XL / XLI; [1] A Sudden Attack by the British; [2] British Methods of Fighting (ii) grammar review

[1] A Sudden Attack by the British

Equitēs Britannōrum et essedāriī cum equitibus Rōmānīs in itinere ācriter proeliō cōnflīxērunt. Rōmānī omnibus in partibus erant superiōrēs atque hostēs in silvās et collēs compulērunt. Dum Rōmānī sunt incautī atque castra mūniunt, subitō hostēs ex omnibus partibus contrā mīlitēs, quī prō castrīs erant in statiōne, impetum fēcērunt. Caesar duās cohortēs et partem legiōnis mīsit. Rōmānī hostēs fugāvērunt atque numerum magnum necāvērunt.

[2] British Methods of Fighting

Hōc in genere pugnae nostrī propter arma gravia nec hostibus īnstāre poterant nec ab signīs discēdere audēbant. Nostrī equitēs magnō cum perīculō pugnābant, quod hostēs cōnsultō saepe cēdēbant atque, ubi nostrōs ā legiōnibus remōverant, ex essedīs dēsiliēbant et pedibus contendēbant. Hostēs rārī semper pugnābant et statiōnēs intervāllīs magnīs habēbant atque integrī fessīs succēdēbant. Hīs causīs mīlitēs  Rōmānī magnā cum difficultāte contendēbant.

The questions refer to either of the two texts

[i] Give the nominative singular of the following nouns

cohortēs

difficultāte

equitēs

genere

itinere

pedibus

[ii] Identify the case of the two words in bold and explain why that case is being used:

nec hostibus īnstāre poterant

integrī fessīs succēdēbant

[iii] Translate the following phrases all of which use the ablative case

(1)

prō castrīs

(2)

in itinere

in statiōne

hōc in genere pugnae

omnibus in partibus

(3)

ex essedīs

ex omnibus partibus

(4)

nec ab signīs discēdere audēbant

nostrōs ā legiōnibus remōverant

(5)

cum equitibus Rōmānīs

magnā cum difficultāte

magnō cum perīculō

(6)

hīs causīs

intervāllīs magnīs

pedibus contendēbant

____________________

[i]

cohortēs < cohors

difficultāte < difficultās

equitēs < eques

genere < genus

itinere < iter

pedibus < pēs

[ii] Both are compound verbs followed by the dative case

īnstō, -āre [1]: press on

succēdō, -ere (sub + cēdō) [3]: relieve

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/130425-level-3-verbs-with-dative-case-1.html

[iii]

(1)

prō castrīs │ in front of / before the camp

(2)

in itinere │ on the journey (march)

in statiōne │ at (one’s) post / on guard

hōc in genere pugnae │ in this type (of battle)

omnibus in partibus │ (here) in all respects / every respect

(3)

ex essedīs │ out of the chariots (here: the idea of ‘down from’)

ex omnibus partibus │ from every direction

(4)

nec ab signīs discēdere audēbant │ and they did not dare to go away from / leave their standards

nostrōs ā legiōnibus remōverant │ they had drawn our mean away from the legions

(5)

cum equitibus Rōmānīs │ with the Roman cavalry

magnā cum difficultāte  │ with great difficulty

magnō cum perīculō │ with great danger

(6)

hīs causīs │ for these reasons

intervāllīs magnīs │ lit: at large intervals = with great spaces (between them)

pedibus contendēbant │ they fought on foot