12.02.25: Barbarians [2] [v]: notes [3]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv2rBVkfsDY

[9] In Germāniam nōn pervēnī quī honōribus tuīs essem subsidiō, barbare. │ I didn’t come to Germania / I haven’t reached Germania to support your advancement, Barbarian.

• perveniō, -venīre, -vēnī [4]: come, arrive, reach
• subsidium, -ī [2/n]: help, support, aid
• honor, honōris [3/m]: honour, but it is also the term used amongst the Romans to refer to a hierarchy of political offices (cursus honōrum) that an aspiring citizen could hold and which, if he played his cards right, could lead to the ultimate position of a consul of Rome; this is why “advancement” is a very good translation of the word

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursus_honorum

In Germāniam nōn pervēnī [i] quī honōribus tuīs essem [ii] subsidiō, barbare.

[i] In Germāniam nōn pervēnī …quī … essem …subsidiō

As in the previous notes: the imperfect subjunctive of esse but it has a different function here.

He sent [i] the soldiers to the camp ¦ [ii] to kill the enemy; ‘to kill the enemy’ expresses purpose and we already know that the soldiers are to do that.

In Latin this is not expressed by an infinitive as in English but with a construction using ‘who’ (quī / quae) + the subjunctive; a literal translation: He sent the soldiers to the camp ¦ who were to kill / who would (might) kill the enemy i.e. that’s what they would do but, at the point at which the statement is made, they hadn’t done it yet.

I didn’t come to Germania ¦ (very literally) who might / would be / act as a means of support … = I didn’t come to Germania to support (your advancement)

[ii] quī essem honōribus tuīs subsidiō: this is an example of what is known in grammar as a predicative dative; there is something similar in English although it doesn’t match the Latin dative:

• How can I be ¦ of assistance to you?
• I don’t think that’s ¦ of much use.
• I did it ¦ as a favour to him.
• I use these glasses as ¦ a means of protection.
• That is ¦ (a cause) of great concern to me.
• That’s ¦ (a source) of benefit

Latin uses the dative case, very often with the verb esse, to express the purpose of the noun or the result which is achieved by the noun; translations may include ‘as a’, ‘a cause of’, ‘a source of’ or ‘a means of’ although English may omit it:

• Puella mihi est cūrae │The girl is a concern / (a source / cause) of concern to me i.e. the noun serves the purpose of causing concern

This construction most often appears not only with the noun that expresses the purpose but also the person / thing for whom / which the purpose is intended: both are in the dative case; in grammar this is known as the double dative

https://www.classicstuition.com/latin/a-level-latin/as-latin-accidence-and-syntax/as-latin-predicative-dative/

• bellum est [i] exitiō (dative) ¦ [ii] incolīs (dative)│ war brings destruction to the inhabitants = Literally: war is [i] a source / cause of destruction ¦ [ii] to the inhabitants
• Illa fēmina, quae līberōs interfēcit [i] odiō (dative) [ii] omnibus (dative) est. │ That woman who killed her own children is hated by everyone = Literally … is [i] a source of hatred [ii] for everybody
• Caesar omnem ex castrīs equitātum [ii] suīs (dative) [i] auxiliō (dative) mīsit. (Caesar) │ Caesar sent all the cavalry in the camp [i] as a relief (for the purpose of relief) [ii] to his men.

This is exactly what is being used in the extract:

• In Germāniam nōn pervēnī quī honōribus tuīs essem subsidiō, …. │ I didn’t come to Germania as (a means of) support ¦ for your advancement …

More information at this stage can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA-LqaKZy-4

[10] Veniam ā tē petō, lēgāte, sed virī meī cōnsimilēs tibi opus erunt. │ Forgive me, governor, but you will need men like me.

cōnsimilis, -e: alike; very similar; this adjective can either be followed by the dative or, here, the genitive: meī [genitive] cōnsimilēs │ similar to me

• petō, -ere, -ī(v)ī [3]: ask (for); beg; seek
• venia, -ae [1/f]: forgiveness; veniam ā tē petō │ I seek forgiveness from you
• opus erunt: this construction with opus was discussed here (the first excerpt from Barbarians):

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/620459540565318/

https://adckl2.blogspot.com/2025/02/level-3-barbarians-1.html

12.02.25: Barbarians [2] [iv]: notes [2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv2rBVkfsDY

[4] Dūc mē ad Folkwinī pāgum, barbare.

[5] Sī mentītus es tē iubēbō in cruce fīgī.

[6] Gentēs sunt inter sē discordēs.

[7] Tamen apud eōs ego magnum mōmentum habēre possum in rem Rōmae optimam.

[8] Sī ego rēx gentis meae essem …

[4] Dūc mē ad Folkwinī pāgum, barbare. │ Take me to Folkwin’s district (small point but among early Germanic tribes, it is more likely to refer to a territory larger than a village)

• dūc (singular) / dūcite (plural); dūc is an irregular imperative (command form of the verb) < dūco, -ere [3]: lead; other irregular command forms (in the singular only) are: [i] dīc (mihi): tell me; dīc (sg.) / dicite (pl.) < dīcō, -ere [3]: say; tell [ii] fac (sg.) / facite (pl.) < faciō, -ere [3-iō]: do; make
• pāgus, -ī [2/m]: “In ancient Rome, the Latin word pāgus (plural pāgī) was an administrative term designating a rural subdivision of a tribal territory, which included individual farms, villages (vīcī), and strongholds (oppida) serving as refuges” (Wikipedia)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagus

[5] Sī mentītus es tē iubēbō in cruce fīgī. │If you’ve lied, ¦ I’ll have you crucified. [Literally: I’ll order you to be fastened on a cross.]

• fīgī: to be fastened, passive infinitive of figō, -ere [3]: fix, fasten
• iubeō, -ēre, iussī [2]: command; order
• mentior, mentīrī, mentitus sum [4/deponent]: lie; tell lies, cheat, deceive
• crux, crucis [3/f]: not necessarily a cross (although generally interpreted as such) but any wooden frame used for execution; the most horrific and tortuous form of execution

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/597984456146160/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/414449861166288/

[6] Gentēs sunt inter sē discordēs. │ The tribes are divided. [Literally: the tribes are in disagreement / disagreeing amongst themselves.]

• discors, discordis: inharmonious; disagreeing
• gēns, gentis [3/f]: various meanings including ‘nation’, ‘country’, Roman family ‘clan’ or, here, ‘tribe’
• sē: reflexive pronoun as in English himself, herself, itself or, here, themselves

[7] Tamen apud eōs ego magnum mōmentum habēre possum in rem Rōmae optimam. │ However, I can have great influence among them in the best interests of Rome.

• mōmentum, -ī [2/n]: (here) ‘weight’ in the sense of ‘influence’
• rēs, -eī [5/f]: not always straightforward to translate; has multiple meanings including ‘thing’, ‘matter’, ‘affair’; the plural translation is good i.e. “in the best interests of Rome”

[8] Sī ego rēx gentis meae essem …│ If I were the ‘reik’ (ruler) of my tribe …

• The choice of the word ‘reik’ in the translation is from Gothic 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 (reiks) meaning ruler / lord
• Sī ego rēx … essem … │ If I were the ruler …; essem: imperfect subjunctive of ‘esse’ and there is a 100% equivalent in English: If I were = Gmn: wenn ich wäre [imperfect subjunctive in German too] i.e. it is a hypothetical / unreal statement

12.02.25: Barbarians [2] [iii]: notes [1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv2rBVkfsDY

[1] Ego salūtem tibi dīcō, Rōmae lēgāte.

[2] Eius sonus omnīnō mihi intolerandu’st.

[3] Tamquam moechae cuiusdam ēdentulae quae poētārī cōnētur.

[1] Ego salūtem tibi dīcō, Rōmae lēgāte. │ Greetings / I greet you [literally: I say a greeting to you], Roman governor [literally: governor of Rome]

• salus, salūtis [3/f]: [i] safety; [ii] greeting; Fr. deriv. salut

[2] Eius sonus omnīnō mihi intolerandu’st. │ I can’t stand / bear his accent [literally: his accent is utterly intolerable to me]

• intolerandus, -a, -um: unbearable / intolerable; intolerandu’st: contraction (discussed in the previous post on these video excerpts)
• omnīnō (adverb): utterly, completely
• sonus, -ī [2/m]: sound, tone, speech (i.e. style of speaking)

[3] Tamquam moechae cuiusdam ēdentulae quae poētārī cōnētur. │ Just like some toothless whore [literally: just like (the accent) of some toothless whore] who’s trying / who would try to be a poet.

cōnor, cōnārī, cōnātus sum [1/deponent]*: try; attempt; he uses the subjunctive here: … quae poētārī cōnētur; Latin uses this not to convey somebody who is doing something but the sort of person who might / would do that sort of thing

• ēdentulus, -a, -um: toothless
• moecha, -ae [1/f]: adulteress or promiscuous woman; I quite like “toothless harlot” – as a translation, I mean, rather than as a form of entertainment!; non moechaberis (Vulgate: Exodus 20:14): Thou shalt not commit adultery
• poētor, poētārī [1/deponent]*: (infrequent) to be poet
• tamquam: just as; as if
• quīdam [m], quaedam [f], quoddam [n]: some (person / thing); discussed in more detail here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/597986606145945/

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/09/301124-comenius-in-17th-century-school_29.html

*Deponent verbs:

https://www.thelatinlibrary.com/101/Deponent.pdf

12.02.25: Barbarians [2] [ii]: comprehension

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv2rBVkfsDY

[1] Listen to the recording without looking at the transcript; fill in the blanks with the missing words listed below:

_____ salūtem _____ dīcō, Rōmae lēgāte.

_____  sonus omnīnō _____ intolerandu’st.

Tamquam moechae cuiusdam ēdentulae _____ poētārī cōnētur.

[Gmn: Bitte, sprich deine Sprache]

Dūc _____ ad Folkwinī pāgum, barbare.

_____ mentītus es _____ iubēbō in cruce fīgī.

Gentēs sunt inter _____ discordēs.

Tamen apud _____ _____ magnum mōmentum habēre possum in rem Rōmae optimam.

_____ _____ rēx gentis meae essem …

In Germāniam nōn pervēnī _____ honōribus _____ essem subsidiō, barbare.

Veniam ā _____ petō, lēgāte, sed virī _____ cōnsimilēs _____ opus erunt.

ego; ego; ego; eius; eōs; mē; meī; mihi; quae; quī; sē; sī; sī; tē; tē; tibi; tibi; tuīs

[2] Again, either listen to the text without looking at the transcript or follow the transcript and try the comprehension questions

Image #1: Segestes

Image #2: Varus

Segestes: Ego salūtem tibi dīcō, Rōmae lēgāte.

Varus: Eius sonus omnīnō mihi intolerandu’st. Tamquam moechae cuiusdam ēdentulae quae poētārī cōnētur.

[Gmn: Bitte, sprich deine Sprache]

Varus: Dūc mē ad Folkwinī pāgum, barbare. Sī mentītus es tē iubēbō in cruce fīgī.

Segestes: Gentēs sunt inter sē discordēs. Tamen apud eōs ego magnum mōmentum habēre possum in rem Rōmae optimam. Sī ego rēx gentis meae essem …

Varus: In Germāniam nōn pervēnī quī honōribus tuīs essem subsidiō, barbare.

Segestes: Veniam ā tē petō, lēgāte, sed virī meī cōnsimilēs tibi opus erunt.

1. What does Varus think of the way Segestes speaks Latin? To what does he compare it? (3)
2. Where does Varus want to go? (1)
3. What threat does he make to Segestes? (2)
4. What does Segestes say about the tribes? (1)
5. How does he think he can be of assistance? (2)
6. What condition does he make? (1)
7. How does Varus react to this suggestion? (1)
8. Why is Segestes’ last remark a little ominous? (1)

12.02.25: Barbarians [2] [i]: introduction; transcription; translation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv2rBVkfsDY

The moment you step into “real” Latin, everything – everything – will be thrown at you and so, although mentioned many times before, be wary of diving in at the deep end because Barbarians wasn’t produced for Latin learners, but for a Netflix audience. While Barbarians is a tremendous example of how Latin may well have been spoken at this period, the dialogue contains a whole range of features some of which are straightforward, and some of which, if you want to explore the language in greater depth, involve considerable study. Therefore, I’ve broken it up:

Post #1: transcription and translation (with literal translations added in brackets so you can get a grip on what the Latin actually says)

Post#2:  reading / listening comprehension to get the “gist” of the dialogue and to focus on some key words in Latin

Posts #3 - #5: vocabulary and brief notes on sections of the dialogue together with links which refer to higher level points of language not yet covered in the group

transcription; translation

[1] Segestes: Ego salūtem tibi dīcō, Rōmae lēgāte.

[2] Varus: Eius sonus omnīnō mihi intolerandu’st.

[3] Tamquam moechae cuiusdam ēdentulae quae poētārī cōnētur.

[Gmn: Bitte, sprich deine Sprache]

[4] Varus: Dūc mē ad Folkwinī pāgum, barbare.

[5] Sī mentītus es tē iubēbō in cruce fīgī.

[6] Segestes: Gentēs sunt inter sē discordēs.

[7] Tamen apud eōs ego magnum mōmentum habēre possum in rem Rōmae optimam.

[8] Sī ego rēx gentis meae essem …

[9] Varus: In Germāniam nōn pervēnī quī honōribus tuīs essem subsidiō, barbare.

[10] Segestes: Veniam ā tē petō, lēgāte, sed virī meī cōnsimilēs tibi opus erunt.

__________

[1] Greetings / I greet you [literally: I say a greeting to you], Roman governor [literally: governor of Rome]

[2] I can’t stand / bear his accent [literally: his accent is utterly intolerable to me]

[3] Just like some toothless whore [literally: just like (the accent) of some toothless whore] who’s trying / who would try to be a poet.

[4] Take me to Folkwin’s district (small point but among early Germanic tribes, it is more likely to refer to a territory larger than a village)

[5] If you’ve lied, ¦ I’ll have you crucified. [Literally: I’ll order you to be fastened on a cross.]

[6] The tribes are divided. [Literally: the tribes are in disagreement / disagreeing amongst themselves.]

[7] However, I can have great influence among them in the best interests of Rome.

[8] If I were the ‘reik’* (ruler) of my tribe … [*reik: Gothic reiks]

[9] I didn’t come to Germania / I haven’t reached Germania ¦ to support your advancement, Barbarian. [Literally: (that) I might be (a means) of support to your honours]

[10] Forgive me, [Literally: I seek forgiveness from you] governor, but you will need men like me.