01.06.25; Level 2; Sonnenschein: Certāmina Varia [3]: listening [2]

Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

"Victōria Caesarī nōn multum prōfuit: nam Britannīs fugātīs īnstāre nōn poterat, quia nātūram locī ignōrābat. Praetereā praefectus castrōrum, [1] __________ Quintus Ātrius, magnum incommodum nuntiāverat: tempestās nāvigia in  [2] __________ afflictāverat. [3] __________ perīculōsum erat; nam Caesarī necesse erat ā  [4] __________ ad  [5] __________ maritimum properāre, et legiōnēs suās ab insectātiōne Britannōrum revocāre. Multa ex nāvigiīs in vadīs afflictāta erant; cētera novīs armīs ornanda erant. [6] __________ magnī labōris erat, et aliquantum  [7] __________postulābat. Sed nautārum atque mīlitum virtūs magnō  [8] __________ laudanda erat. Nōn solum per diurna sed etiam per nocturna  [9] __________ labōrāvērunt. Intereā Caesar nova nāvigia in Galliā aedificat: sine nāvigiīs nōn poterat cōpiās suās in Galliam reportāre; ūnō  [10] __________ necesse erat et nāvigia reparāre et contrā Britannōs bellāre."

[a] Fill in the blanks with the correct form of each 3^rd declension neuter noun. Choose from the nouns below; not all of them are used

flūmine; flūminī; flūminis; lītore; lītorī; lītus; nōmine; nōminī; nōminis; opere; operī; opus; tempora; tempore; temporis; tempus

[a] [Victōria Caesarī nōn multum prōfuit: nam Britannīs fugātīs īnstāre nōn poterat, quia nātūram locī ignōrābat.]

[i] How profitable was Caesar’s victory?

[ii] Why was he unable to pursue the Britons?

[b] [Praetereā praefectus castrōrum, nōmine Quintus Ātrius, magnum incommodum nuntiāverat: tempestās nāvigia in lītore afflictāverat. Tempus perīculōsum erat; nam Caesarī necesse erat ā flūmine ad lītus maritimum properāre, et legiōnēs suās ab insectātiōne Britannōrum revocāre. Multa ex nāvigiīs in vadīs afflictāta erant; cētera novīs armīs ornanda erant.]

[i] Who was Quintus Atrius?

[ii] What difficulty did the ships face?

[iii] What did Caesar need to do?

[iv] How did some ships need to be equipped?

[c] [Opus magnī labōris erat, et aliquantum temporis postulābat. Sed nautārum atque mīlitum virtūs magnō opere laudanda erat. Nōn solum per diurna sed etiam per nocturna tempora labōrāvērunt.]

[i] What two points are made about the work needing done?

[ii] How are the sailors and soldiers described and why?

[iii] How do we know that this work was time-consuming?

[d] [Intereā Caesar nova nāvigia in Galliā aedificat: sine nāvigiīs nōn poterat cōpiās suās in Galliam reportāre; ūnō tempore necesse erat et nāvigia reparāre et contrā Britannōs bellāre.]

[i] What was happening in Gaul at this time?

[ii] Why was this necessary?

[iii] What two actions were needed at the same time?

01.06.25; Level 2; Sonnenschein: Certāmina Varia [2]: listening [1]

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. Note: the speaker makes a slight error – he says *testitudine*; it should be “testūdine” 

"Britannī [1] __________ vītāvērunt, et in silvīs sē occultāvērunt, ubi locus erat prope [2] __________, ēgregiē et nātūrā et [3] __________ firmātus. Itaque 'oppidum' Britannicum erat. Dē [4] __________ [5] __________ nihil constat. Oppidum iam ante domesticī bellī causā praeparāverant, et crebrīs arboribus vallīsque firmāverant. Multa et varia [6] __________ fuērunt: Britannī ex silvīs cum equitibus essedīsque suīs contrā Rōmānōs prōvolābant; Rōmānīs perīculōsum erat intrā mūnītiōnēs Britannōrum intrāre. Sed post aliquantum [7] __________ mīlitēs septimae legiōnis aggere et testūdine locum oppugnāvērunt. Tandem Britannōs ex silvīs prōpulsāvērunt. Pauca erant [8] __________ Rōmānōrum: nam Rōmānī Britannōs [9] __________ armōrum et scientiā pugnandī multum superābant; magnitūdine et [10] __________ [11] __________ Britannī Rōmānōs superābant. Sed Romanī quoque hominēs rōbustō [12] __________ erant."

[a] Fill in the blanks with the correct form of each 3^rd declension neuter noun

[1] certāmina / certāminis / certāmen

[2] flūmine / flūmen / flūminis

[3] operī / operī / opere

[4] nōmine / nōminī/ nōmina

[5] flūmen / flūmine / flūminis

[6] certāmina / certāminis / certāmen

[7] temporī / temporibus / temporis

[8] vulneris / vulnera / vulnerī

[9] ponderī / pondere / pondera

[10] rōborī / rōbur / rōbore

[11] corporis / corporī / corpus

[12] corporis / corporibus / corpore

[b] Answer the questions with a single word or short phrase:

[Britannī certāmen vītāvērunt, et in silvīs sē occultāvērunt, ubi locus erat prope flūmen, ēgregiē et nātūrā et opere firmātus. Itaque 'oppidum' Britannicum erat. Dē nōmine flūminis nihil constat.]

[i] The Britons avoided fighting in __________ [1]

[ii] The place was __________ a river. [1]

[iii] The place was well fortified by __________ and __________ [2]

[iv] The name of the river is __________ [1]

[c] Choose the correct answer [A], [B] or [C]

[Oppidum iam ante domesticī bellī causā praeparāverant, et crebrīs arboribus vallīsque firmāverant. Multa et varia certāmina fuērunt: Britannī ex silvīs cum equitibus essedīsque suīs contrā Rōmānōs prōvolābant; Rōmānīs perīculōsum erat intrā mūnītiōnēs Britannōrum intrāre. Sed post aliquantum temporis mīlitēs septimae legiōnis aggere et testūdine locum oppugnāvērunt.]

[i] The “oppidum” was prepared [A] when the Romans invaded [B] owing to a civil war [C] so they could start a war

[ii] It was fortified by [A] sticks and ditches [B] ramparts and ditches [C] trees and ramparts

[iii] The Britons would rush forward [A] with cavalry and chariots [B] with chariots and infantry [C] with horses and chariots

[iv] The Britons’ defences were [A] dangerous [B] easily entered [C] well-armed

[v] The location was attacked [A] by the sixth legion [B] in a very short time [C] using Roman military tactics

[d] The following statements are incorrect. What does the passage actually say?

[Tandem Britannōs ex silvīs prōpulsāvērunt. Pauca erant vulnera Rōmānōrum: nam Rōmānī Britannōs pondere armōrum et scientiā pugnandī multum superābant; magnitūdine et rōbore corporis Britannī Rōmānōs superābant. Sed Romanī quoque hominēs rōbustō corpore erant.]

[i] The Britons drove the Romans out of the forests.

[ii] Many Romans were wounded.

[iii] The Romans were weighed down by their armour.

[iv] The Britons were better fighters than the Romans.

[v] The Britons were smaller than the Romans.

[vi] The Romans did not have as much bodily strength as the Britons.

01.06.25; Level 2; Sonnenschein: Certāmina Varia [1]: text, exercises and notes

"Britannī certāmen vītāvērunt, et in silvīs sē occultāvērunt, ubi locus erat prope flūmen, ēgregiē et nātūrā et opere firmātus. Itaque 'oppidum' Britannicum erat. Dē nōmine flūminis nihil constat. Oppidum iam ante domesticī bellī causā praeparāverant, et crebrīs arboribus vallīsque firmāverant. Multa et varia certāmina fuērunt: Britannī ex silvīs cum equitibus essedīsque suīs contrā Rōmānōs prōvolābant; Rōmānīs perīculōsum erat intrā mūnītiōnēs Britannōrum intrāre. Sed post aliquantum temporis mīlitēs septimae legiōnis aggere et testūdine locum oppugnāvērunt. Tandem Britannōs ex silvīs prōpulsāvērunt. Pauca erant vulnera Rōmānōrum: nam Rōmānī Britannōs pondere armōrum et scientiā pugnandī multum superābant; magnitūdine et rōbore corporis Britannī Rōmānōs superābant. Sed Romanī quoque hominēs rōbustō corpore erant."

"Victōria Caesarī nōn multum prōfuit: nam Britannīs fugātīs instāre nōn poterat, quia nātūram locī ignōrābat. Praetereā praefectus castrōrum, nōmine Quintus Ātrius, magnum incommodum nuntiāverat: tempestās nāvigia in lītore afflictāverat. Tempus perīculōsum erat; nam Caesarī necesse erat ā flūmine ad lītus maritimum properāre, et legiōnēs suās ab insectātiōne Britannōrum revocāre. Multa ex nāvigiīs in vadīs afflictāta erant; cētera novīs armīs ornanda erant. Opus magnī labōris erat, et aliquantum temporis postulābat. Sed nautārum atque mīlitum virtūs magnō opere laudanda erat. Nōn solum per diurna sed etiam per nocturna tempora labōrāvērunt. Intereā Caesar nova nāvigia in Galliā aedificat: sine nāvigiīs nōn poterat cōpiās suās in Galliam reportāre; ūnō tempore necesse erat et nāvigia reparāre et contrā Britannōs bellāre."

[1] Vocabulary review: Match the Latin and English

1. agger, -is [3/m]
2. aliquantum, -ī [2/n]
3. causā (+ genitive)
4. certāmen, certāminis [3/n]
5. crēber, -ra, -rum
6. ēgregius, -a, -um
7. essedum, -ī [2/n]
8. insectātiō, insectātiōnis [3/f]
9. occultō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
10. praefectus, -ī [2/m]
11. prōpulsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
12. prōvolō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]
13. rōbur, rōboris [3/n]
14. testūdō, testūdinis [3/f]
15. vadum, -ī [2/n]
16. vallum, -ī [2/n]

[i] contest / [ii] (here) combat, battle; [i] tortoise / [ii] Roman military tactic; a little / some; chariot; commander; dash forward; drive forward / repel; earthwork (for defence); excellent; for the sake of / on  account of; hardness / strength; hide; pursuit; rampart; (shallow) body of water; thick / dense

[2] Find the Latin; the phrases are chosen because of the case usage:

[a] Genitive

[i] after a little ¦ time (compare French: un peu de temps)

[ii] a lot of work was needed [ = there was need ¦ of great work]

[iii] on account ¦ of a war

[b] Dative

[iv] it was necessary ¦ for Caesar

[v] it was dangerous ¦ for the Romans

[c] Ablative

[vi] the place had been fortified ¦ [i] by nature [i.e. naturally] and [ii] by (defensive) work [i.e. man-made]

[vii] they had strengthened (it) ¦ by means of [i] thick trees and [ii] ramparts

[viii] the Britons surpassed the Romans ¦ in (terms of) [i] size and [ii] bodily strength [= the strength of the body]

[ix] the men had a strong body i.e. were strong (in) body

[x] the camp commander ¦ by the name of …

[xi] many ¦ of [ = out of] the vessels

[xii] at one / the same time

Notes

[1] verbs followed by the dative case

prōsum, prōdesse, prōfuī: be of use / benefit / profit

īnstō, -āre, īnstitī [1] (here) pursue

Victōria Caesarī nōn multum prōfuit │ Victory was not greatly profitable / of great use (benefit) to Caesar

Britannīs fugātīs īnstāre nōn poterat │ He was not able to pursue the Britons who had been put to flight

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

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/730075776270360/

[2] the gerund

Rōmānī Britannōs … scientiā pugnandī multum superābant │ The Romans greatly surpassed the Britons by (their) knowledge of fighting

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/270525-level-3-gerund-1.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/775441468400457/

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/270525-level-3-gerund-2-practice.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/775443715066899/

[3] the gerundive

cētera novīs armīs ornanda erant │ the rest were to be equipped with new weapons

nautārum atque mīlitum virtūs … laudanda erat │ the courage of the sailors and the soldiers was to be praised (praisworthy; worthy of being praised)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/11/120225-level-2-reading-schoolmasters.html

Essedum Britannicum

Image: from Trajan’s column; now it’s clear why this Roman military tactic was known as a testūdō: