Another episode of Odysseus’ journey home:
Ulixēs, postquam
magnā cum audāciā diū per undās nāvigāvit, īnsulam Circae intrāvit. Ibi ille
vir callidus nōnnūllōs sociōs in vīllam Circae mīsit. Quibus illa dea
vīnum venēnō mixtum praebuit; venēnō domitōs in suēs mūtāvit. Ūnus ex iīs, quī
venēnum negāverat, ēvāsit docuitque Ulixem. Quem Mercurius quoque dē
dolīs Circae docuerat remediumque praebuerat et eī suāserat: “Hōc remediō ā mē
datō perīculum dolōsque deae vītābis!” Quibus verbīs monitus Ulixēs illō
remediō tūtus vīllam Circae intrāvit, Circam ipsam gladiō ursit, dolōs
perniciōsōs eius arcuit. Iussit eam illōs sociōs iam in suēs mūtātōs rūrsus in
virōs mūtāre. Sīc ūnā cum sociīs vīvus ex illā īnsulā ēvāsit.
Circa, -ae [1/f]:
(alternative to Circē) name of a witch in Greek mythology
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circe
venēnum, -ī [2/n]:
(here) magic potion; poison
sūs, suis [3 m/f]:
pig
[1] The
connecting relative
[i] The following
is incorrect in standard written English:
I bought a book.
*Which I gave* to my brother.
English cannot
begin a sentence with a relative pronoun that refers to something / someone in
the previous sentence. The idea would be expressed in the following ways:
I bought a book
which I gave to my brother [i.e. as one sentence, which
introducing a subordinate clause]
I bought a book.
I gave it to my brother. [i.e. two sentences; English would most
commonly avoid repeating the noun by using a pronoun]
I bought a book and I gave it to
my brother [i.e. as one sentence with a coordinating conjunction]
[ii] Latin,
however, can begin a sentence with the relatives quī, quae, quod
referring to something / someone in the previous sentence, known in grammar as
the antecedent:
Ibi ille vir
callidus nōnnūllōs sociōs [antecedent] in vīllam Circae mīsit. Quibus
[connecting relative] illa dea vīnum venēnō mixtum praebuit; …
Such sentences can
be translated in different ways, the choice determined by style and context:
(a)
as
separate sentences with the inclusion of a pronoun referring to the antecedent
There, that clever
man sent some of his companions into her house. The goddess offered them
wine mixed with poison; …
(b)
combining
those sentences with ‘and’; that neatly conveys the “connecting” nature of quī,
quae, quod
… and the
goddess offered them …
(c)
a
relative clause
… docuitque Ulixem
[antecedent]. Quem [connecting relative] Mercurius quoque dē dolīs
Circae docuerat …
… and informed Ulysses
whom Mercury had also informed about Circe’s tricks, …
[iii] Translations
are not interchangeable; a common example is when the connecting relative
refers to an entire preceding statement where a relative clause would
sound clumsy:
“Hōc remediō ā mē
datō perīculum dolōsque deae vītābis!” Quibus verbīs monitus
Ulixēs …
“With this remedy given by me, you will avoid
the danger and the tricks of the goddess.” Having been warned by these words,
Ulysses … [or: …, and having been warned …]
https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/connecting%20relative
[2] Taking care
when translating:
Latin word order
is far more flexible than English and so, when translating, be conscious of
what is and is not acceptable in standard English translation:
Quibus illa dea
vīnum venēnō mixtum praebuit; venēnō domitōs in suēs mūtāvit.
The goddess
offered them wine mixed with poison; *having been subdued by the potion*,
she changed them into pigs.
Although “having
been subdued by the potion” is the correct translation, its position in
the English sentence above would indicate that she had been subdued by
the potion, which is incorrect. Rewording is needed to be clear who that phrase
is referring to:
“… once / after
/ when they had been subdued by the potion, she changed them …”
____________________
Ulysses, after he
had sailed for a long time over the waves with great boldness, entered the
island of Circe. There that clever man sent some companions into Circe’s house.
The goddess offered them wine mixed with a (magic) potion; after they had been
subdued by the potion, she changed them into pigs.
One of them, who
had refused the potion, escaped and informed Ulysses. Mercury also had warned
him about the tricks of Circe, had provided a remedy, and had advised him:
“With this remedy given by me, you will avoid the danger and the tricks of the
goddess.”
(Having been) warned by these words, Ulysses, safe because of that remedy [ = protected by that remedy], entered Circe’s house, threatened Circe herself with his sword, and drove away / warded off her deadly tricks. He ordered her to change those companions, who had already been turned into pigs, back into men. Thus he escaped alive from that island together with his companions.
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