The imperfect
passive translates as something was (being) / used to be / would be done to
somebody. The text deliberately uses adverbs e.g. diū (for a long time),
interdum (sometimes), saepe
(often), semper (always) and ōlim (at one time) to emphasise that
the action was repeated or continued over a period of time or
generally existed in the past.
In English we may
not specifically convey that by the verb, but the Latin does:
interdum diū in vinculīs tenēbantur:
[i] Sometimes,
they were held in chains for a long time.
[ii] Sometimes,
they used to be held in chains for a long time.
[iii] Sometimes,
they would be held in chains for a long time.
a few used to
be killed │ Paucī necābantur
slaves used to
be sent │servī mittēbantur
they would be ordered
to fight │ pugnāre iubēbantur
the slaves would
be encouraged by the commanders │ servī ā ducibus incitābantur
Compare this with
the perfect passive which refers to a single, completed action:
ūnus vir … repertus
est │ one man was found
servī quī in bellō
captī sunt │ slaves who were captured in war [i.e. each
slave was only captured once!]
Links: the
passive voice; imperfect tense
28.12.24: Level 2;
the passive voice [12]; imperfect tense passive [1]; 3rd person singular and
plural
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/261224-level-2-passive-voice-10.html
30.12.24: Level 2;
the passive voice [13]; imperfect tense passive [2]; all forms [1]
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/301224-level-2-passive-voice-12.html
01.01.25: Level 2;
the passive voice [14]; imperfect tense passive [3]; all forms [2]; translation
practice
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/010125-level-2-passive-voice-13.html
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