06.08.26; Level 3+; Subjunctive [82] dependent uses [10] antequam / priusquam (2) practice

Complete the Latin quotations with the verbs listed below:

[1] indicative

[i] And before I speak about the hardships of Sicily …

Atque antequam dē incommodīs Siciliae __________ … (Cicero)

[ii] Before I came into Sicily …

antequam ego in Siciliam __________… (Cicero)

[iii] But before we speak about the principles of oratory …

Sed antequam dē praeceptīs ōrātōriīs __________… (Cicero)

[iv] Before he has put forward sufficiently suitable arguments …

antequam satis idōneās argūmentātiōnēs __________… (Cicero)

[v] All that time which was before he entered upon public office and political life …

Omne illud tempus quod fuit antequam iste ad magistrātūs remque pūblicam __________… (Cicero)

[vi] He does not dare to submit his accounts to the treasury before Dolabella has been condemned.

Ratiōnēs ad aerārium, antequam Dolābella __________, nōn audet referre (Cicero)

[vii] and all the enemy turned their backs and did not stop fleeing before they reached the Rhine River

atque omnēs hostēs terga vertērunt nec prius fugere dēstitērunt quam ad flūmen Rhēnum … __________ (Caesar)

[viii] They don’t go way before they have written something

nōn prius abeunt quam aliquid __________ (Apuleius)

[ix] Shortly before he died, he had handed over everything to Heraclius

Hērāclīō, aliquantō ante quam __________, omnia trādiderat (Cicero)

[2] Subjunctive

[i] Carpinatius, before he had come into such close intimacy with that man, had on several occasions sent letters to the allies about that man’s injustices.

Carpinātius, antequam in istīus familiāritātem tantam __________, aliquotiēns ad sociōs litterās dē istīus iniūriīs mīserat (Cicero)

[ii] Sextus Pompeius sent a letter to his brother, … lest Caesar should capture Corduba before he himself had arrived there.

Sex. Pompēius litterās frātrī mīsit … nē prius Caesar Cordubam caperet quam ipse illō __________ (Bellum Hispāniēnse)

[iii] …before they could either assemble or flee, he forced them … to give hostages to him.

… priusquam illī aut convenīre aut profugere __________ … obsidēs sibi dare coēgit (Caesar)

[iv] The next day, Caesar, before the enemy could recover from their terror and flight, led his army into the territory of the Suessiones.

Postrīdiē eius diēī Caesar, priusquam sē hostēs ex terrōre ac fugā __________, in fīnēs Suessiōnum… exercitum dūxit (Caesar)

[v] He decided that, before more states could unite in conspiracy, his army must be divided and deployed more widely. 

priusquam plūrēs cīvitātēs __________, partiendum sibi ac lātius distribuendum exercitum putāvit (Caesar)

[vi] Therefore,  before he attempted anything, he ordered Diviciacus to be summoned to him.

Itaque priusquam quicquam __________, Dīviciācum ad sē vocārī iubet [historical present] (Caesar)

[vii] They drove them in such panic that they did not stop fleeing before they had come into view of our column. 

Ita perterritōs ēgerunt ut nōn prius fugā dēsisterent quam in cōnspectum agminis nostrī __________ (Caesar)

[viii] It was two hundred years before they captured the city of Rome that the Gauls crossed into Italy.

Ducentīs annīs ante quam urbem Rōmam __________, in Italiam Gallī trānscendērunt (Livy)

[ix] He quickly put a fortification round the hill before it could be noticed by the enemy

(collem) celeriter, priusquam ab adversāriīs __________, commūnit [historical present] (Caesar)

accessit; attulerit; caperent; cōnārētur; condemnātus est; cōnspīrārent; dīcimus; dīcō; est mortuus; pervēnērunt; pervēnisset; possent; reciperent; scrīpserint; sentiātur; vēnī; vēnissent; vēnisset

____________________

[1]

[i] dīcō

[ii] vēnī

[iii] dīcimus

[iv] attulerit

[v] accessit

[vi] condemnātus est

[vii] pervēnērunt

[viii] scrīpserint

[ix] est mortuus

[2]

[i] pervēnisset

[ii] vēnisset

[iii] possent

[iv] reciperent

[v] cōnspīrārent

[vi] cōnārētur

[vii] vēnissent

[viii] caperent

[ix] sentiātur

06.08.26; Level 3+; Subjunctive [81] dependent uses [10] antequam / priusquam (1)

antequam; priusquam

[1] Both are conjunctions meaning ‘before’ and introduce a subordinate clause of time.

[2] Both consist of two parts:

ante (before) + quam (than)

prius (sooner) + quam (than)

[3] Both can be written as:

• one word: antequam / priusquam
• two words: ante quam / prius quam
• two words separated by other words: ante … quam / prius … quam

[4] Both can be followed by a verb  in either [A] the indicative or [B] the subjunctive.

Compare these two sentences in English:

[A] Before the train arrived, I had breakfast.

• The arrival of the train is presented as a past fact; “I had breakfast and then the train arrived.”

[B] I decided to have breakfast before the train arrived; “I had breakfast, but the train had not yet arrived.”

• The arrival of the train was still expected.

English does not necessarily change its verb form to convey the two different ideas. However, look at the second pair of examples:

[A] Before he spoke, he thought about his answer carefully;

• Implication: he thought and then he spoke (factual).

[B] I gave him the answer before he could (even) speak.

• Implication: the action is not simply expected, but rather it did not happen at all. This is emphsised by the use of ‘could’.

Latin uses:

[A] the indicative when a point in time in the past is presented as factual

[B] the subjunctive when the point in time in the past had not yet taken place. In grammar, this can be described as prospective, for example the speaker intended to do something, or expected something to happen – but it had not yet happened, and may, in fact, never have happened.

[A] Antequam tuās lēgī [indicative] litterās, hominem īre cupiēbam (Cicero)

• Before I read your letter, I wanted the man to go.

i.e. Cicero refers to a factual point in time in the past.

Priusquam tuās lēgī hās proximās litterās, quaesīvī dē meā Tulliā (Cicero)

• Before I read this letter of yours, I asked about my Tullia

Antequam ā tē proximē discessī, numquam mihi venit in mentem … (Cicero)

• It never occurred to me before I left you the other day …

Caesar priusquam eōdem est profectus, lūna hōrā circiter sextā vīsa est (Bellum Hispāniēnse)

• Before Caesar set out for the same place, the moon was seen at about the sixth hour.

[B]

Subitō cōnsilium cēpī, ut, antequam lūcēret [subjunctive], exīrem (Cicero)

• I suddenly decided to leave town before it got light.

Quam priusquam aperuissem, dīxī eī tē ad mē dē eō scrīpsisse anteā (Cicero)

• Before I opened it, I told him that you had written to me about him before.

In this example, the point in time is not expected, but simply did not happen; note the translator’s use of ‘could’ to make that clear:

Priusquam tū suum sibi vēnderēs, ipse possēdit (Cicero)

• Before you could sell him his own property, he himself took possession of it.

Note this example from Caesar:

… priusquam id efficī posset, adesse Rōmānōs nūntiātur [present] (Caesar)

• … before this could be accomplished, it was announced that the Romans were present. 

i.e. Caesar uses a present tense in the main clause – known as the historical present – to make the action appear more immediate. However, the entire event was in the past and so the imperfect subjunctive verb with priusquam still indicates that the action was still not completed at the time.

[3] When antequam and priusquam are referring to future actions, the indicative is generally used:

Litterās dēs, antequam discēdimus (Cicero)

• You should give (me) a letter before I [Cicero: “we”] leave.

Priusquam dē cēterīs rēbus respondeō, dē amīcitiā pauca dīcam (Cicero)

• Before I reply concerning the rest of the matters, I shall say a few things about friendship.

Antequam aliquō locō cōnsēderō, neque longās ā mē neque semper meā manū litterās exspectābis

• Nor will you expect long letters from me nor always letters in my own handwriting, before I have settled [literally: shall have settled] down somewhere.

[4] Examples of antequam and priusquam written as two words and separated by other words:

Neque prius fugere dēstitērunt quam ad flūmen pervēnērunt (Caesar)

• And they did not stop running before they reached the river.

Ante pūgnārī coeptum est quam satis īnstruerētur aciēs (Livy)

• The fight was begun before the line could be properly formed.

prius ad hostium castra pervēnit quam quid agerētur Germānī sentīre possent (Caesar) 

• he arrived at the enemy's camp before the Germans could perceive what was happening. 

06.08.26: Level 3+; Comenius (1658) CXLIII; the besieging of a city [8] vocabulary and notes [vii]: from the authors

[i] turrēs contabulantur, pinnae lōrīcaeque ex crātibus attexuntur (Caesar)

• towers are constructed, the battlements and protective walls are constructed out of wicker

Note: attexuntur < attexō, -ere [3]: attach by weaving 

[ii] et lōrīcam vallumque per fīnīs suōs Trevīrī strūxēre (Tacitus)

• and the Treveri had constructed a breastwork and rampart across their territory

[iii] aggere et fossīs et mūrō circumdat urbem (Livy)

• He surrounds the City with a rampart, trenches, and a wall

[iv] Ēruptiōnibus [...] aggerī ignem īnferēbant (Caesar)

• By sorties they set fire to the ramparts

ēruptiō, -ōnis [3/f]: [i] eruption; [ii] (Military) sortie; sally, a sudden attack from troops who are besieged

[v] Ante haec tāleae pedem longae ferreīs hāmīs īnfīxīs tōtae in terram īnfodiēbantur mediocribusque intermissīs spatiīs omnibus locīs disserēbantur; quōs stimulōs nōminābant (Caesar)

• Stakes a foot long, with iron hooks attached to them, were entirely sunk in the ground before these (defences), and were planted in every place at small intervals; these they called spurs (some translations retain the Latin stimuli)

hāmus, -ī [2/m]: hook; fishhook

tālea, -ae [1/f] (wooden) stake

[vi] Post eās aggerem ac vāllum duodecim pedum exstrūxit. Huic lōrīcam pinnāsque adiēcit grandibus cervīs ēminentibus ad commissūrās pluteōrum atque aggeris, quī ascēnsum hostium tardārent, et turrēs tōtō opere circumdedit, quae pedēs LXXX inter sē distārent (Caesar)

• Behind these he raised a rampart and wall twelve feet high; to this he added a parapet and battlements, with large stakes cut like stags' horns, projecting outwards at the joints of the mantlets and the rampart, that would delay the enemy’s ascent, and he surrounded the entire work with turrets, which were eighty feet distant from one another.

opus, operis [3/n]: [i] (in general) work; labour, [ii] (here) a military work, either a defensive work, fortification, or a work of besiegers, a siege-engine, machine, etc

[vii] reliqua pars scrobis ad occultandās īnsidiās vīminibus ac virgultīs integēbātur. Huius generis octōnī ōrdinēs ductī ternōs inter sē pedēs distābant. Id ex similitūdine flōris līlium appellābant (Caesar)

• The rest of the pit was covered with wickerwork and brushwood to conceal the trap. Eight rows of this kind were laid out, each three feet apart from the next. They called this “the lily,” from its resemblance to the flower.

īnsidiae, īnsidiārum [1/f pl.]: ambush, trap

virgultum, -ī [2/n]: brushwood, thicket

scrobis, -is [3/f]: pit, trench

vīmen, vīminis [3/n]: wicker, pliant twig

____________________

Image #1: the līlia at Rough Castle, near Falkirk, Scotland

“These pits formed part of the forward (northern) defences of the Roman fort at Rough Castle, on the Antonine Wall. They were originally about 3 feet deep and probably held upright sharpened stakes; these pits were then concealed with brushwood. The defences here consisted of about ten rows of twenty pits each. These pits were opened up by excavation in 1903, and have been kept open since then.”

Image #2: series of wooden defensive spikes strategically placed in ditches encircling the fort (1st century CE Roman fort in Bad Ems, Germany)

06.08.26: Level 3+; Comenius (1658) CXLIII; the besieging of a city [7] vocabulary and notes [vi]: the Roman fieldworks at Alesia

main defensive line, a palisade, a wall of wooden stakes, used as a barrier constructed along an earthwork, together with a tower (1) – (3) and (6)

trenches and obstacles / anti-cavalry devices

The image details a series of ditches (5, 7), forked stakes and spikes (4, 8, 10) and hidden pits (9) designed to impede enemy advances

(1) lōrīca, -ae [1/f]:  [i] (soldier’s armour) coat of mail; cuirass [ii] (here) any form of defence e.g. parapet; breastwork i.e. a military fortification consisting of a low wall, often with wooden or wicker defenses

(2) pinnae, -ārum [1/f/pl]: battlements i.e the raised parts behind which defenders could shelter

(3)

agger, -is [3/m]: earthwork, especially defensive ramparts, dykes, dams, causeways, and piers

vallum, -ī [2/n]: wall; rampart; entrenchment

(4) cervus, -ī [2/m]: [i] deer; stag [ii] (from resemblance to the horns of a stag) cervī: forked stakes

(5), (7) fossa, -ae [1/f]: ditch; trench; moat

(6) turris, -is [3/f]: tower

(8) cippus, -ī [2/m]: sharpened stake

(9) līlium, -ī [2/n]: a form of defence, consisting of several rows of pits, in which stakes were planted, rising only four inches above the surface of the ground

(10) stimulus, -ī [2/m]: a sharp, barbed hook concealed beneath the surface of the ground, to repel hostile troops

05.08.26: Level 2 (review); Carolus et Maria [31] [3]

Part Three

Trāns flūmen aliī mīlitēs castra sub monte ulteriōre, locō idōneō, pōnēbant. Imperātor illīus legiōnis nōn erat īdem. Ille imperātor erat hostis. Prīmus imperātor ipse mīlitēs dē perīculō monēbat. Deinde legiōnem ad hostēs dūxit. Proelium erat dūrum et inīquum quod magna erat legiō prīmī imperātōris. Undique erat nix alta quod erat hiems. Per nivem altam iter facere nōn est facile. Hostēs legiōnem parvam habēbant. Ex duōbus mīlibus mīlitum circiter mīlle mīlitēs necātī sunt. Magna erat praeda. Reliquī hostēs, quī nōn vulnerātī sunt, per silvās collēsque properābant. Fuga eōrum erat grāta legiōnī magnae. In proeliō hostēs victī sunt. Post proelium imperātor magnae legiōnis, “Ō mīlitēs,” inquit, “auxiliō ipsōrum deōrum et virtūte vestrā vīcimus. Eādem virtūte gentem nostram per omnēs terrās nōtam faciēmus. Haec et aliās rēs imperātor dīxit et mīlitēs laetitiam sēnsērunt.

Diū Cassius spectābat. Iterum eāsdem pictūrās vīdit. Subitō erant nūllae pictūrae, et ubīque in aedificiō lūx erat clāra. Puer undique circumspectābat et ecce! nēmō vidēbātur, nam sōlus erat Cassius. Paene timidus erat. Ex aedificiō cucurrit. Iter puerī erat longum sed pater eum in viā exspectābat.

[1] “Trāns flūmen … imperātōris.”

[i] Where exactly was a camp being placed? (3)

[ii] “Imperātor illīus legiōnis nōn erat īdem.”

Which commander is being referred to? (1)

[iii] What did the first commander do? (2)

[iv] How is the battle described and why? (3)

[2] “Undique … victī sunt.” In which order are the following first referred to?

total number of soldiers _____

soldiers not wounded _____

small legion _____

number of soldiers killed _____

loot (i.e. spoils of war) _____

fleeing _____

enemies defeated _____

difficuly in travelling _____

deep snow _____

[3] “mīlitēs laetitiam sēnsērunt”

What did the commander say after the battle to make the soldiers feel that way? Give your answer in note form. (5)

[4] Translate: “Diū Cassius … in viā exspectābat.” (12)

____________________

[1]

[i] across the river (1); at the foot of the more distant mountain (1); in a suitable location (1)

[ii] enemy commander (1)

[iii] warned his soldiers about the danger (1); led the legion against the enemy (1)

[iv] hard (1); unfair / unequal / uneven (1); first commander’s legion was large (1)

[2]

total number of soldiers (4)

soldiers not wounded (7)

small legion (3)

number of soldiers killed (5)

loot (i.e. spoils of war) (6)

fleeing (8)

enemies defeated (9)

difficuly in travelling (2)

deep snow (1)

[3]

they had won by the help of the gods (1) and by their (the soldiers’) courage (1)

they will make their people famous (1)

throughout all lands (1)

by the same courage (1)

[4]

Diū Cassius spectābat. │ Cassius was looking for a long time (1)

Iterum eāsdem pictūrās vīdit. │ Again he saw the same pictures (1)

Subitō erant nūllae pictūrae, │ Suddenly there were no pictures (1)

et ubīque in aedificiō │ and everywhere in the building (1)

lūx erat clāra. │ the light was bright (1)

Puer undique circumspectābat The boy looked around in all directions, (1)

et ecce! nēmō vidēbātur │ and look! No one could be seen, (1)

nam sōlus erat Cassius. │ for Cassius was alone. (1)

Paene timidus erat. │ He was almost frightened. (1)

Ex aedificiō cucurrit. │ He ran out of the building. (1)

Iter puerī erat longum │ The boy’s journey was long, (1)

sed pater eum in viā exspectābat. │ but his father was waiting for him on the road. (1)

04.08.26: Level 1 (review); vocabulary [3]: jobs and workplaces

[1] Which of the following refers to …

(a) a person’s job?

(b) a work place?

āctrīx

amphitheātrum

basilica

bibliopōla

carcer

coquus

culīna

cūstōs

forum piscātōrium

gladiātor

hortulānus

hortus

iūdex

magister

medicus

nauta

nāvis

piscātor

sacerdōs

schola

taberna lībrāria

templum

theātrum

valētūdinārium

[2] Label the images:

āctrīx, -cis [3/f]

amphitheātrum, -ī [2/n]

basilica, -ae [1/f]

bibliopōla, -ae [1/m]

carcer, -is [3/m]

coquus, -ī [2/m]

culīna, -ae [1/f]

cūstōs, cūstōdis [3/m]

forum, -ī [2/n] piscātōrium

gladiātor, gladiātōris [3/m]

hortulānus, -ī [2/m]

hortus, -ī [2/m]

iūdex, iūdicis [3/m]

magister, -rī [2/m]

medicus, -ī [2/m]

nauta, -ae [1/m]

nāvis, -is [3/f]

piscātor, -ōris [3/m]

sacerdōs, sacerdōtis [3 m/f]

schola, -ae [1/f]

taberna, -ae [1/f] lībrāria

templum, -ī [2/n]

theātrum, -ī [2/n]

valētūdinārium, -ī [2/n]

[3] Complete the sentences

1. Āctrīx in __________ labōrat.
2. Bibliopōla in __________ labōrat.
3. Coquus in __________ labōrat.
4. Cūstōs in __________ labōrat.
5. Gladiātor in __________ labōrat.
6. Hortulānus in __________ labōrat.
7. Iūdex in __________ labōrat.
8. Magister in __________ labōrat.
9. Medicus in __________ labōrat.
10. Nauta in __________ labōrat.
11. Piscātor in __________ labōrat.
12. Sacerdōs in __________ labōrat.

amphitheātrō; basilicā; carcere; culīnā; forō piscātōriō; hortō; nāve; scholā; tabernā lībrāriā; templō; theātrō; valētūdināriō

[4] Answer the questions:

1. Quis in amphitheātrō labōrat?
2. Quis in basilicā labōrat?
3. Quis in carcere labōrat?
4. Quis in culīnā labōrat?
5. Quis in forō piscātōriō labōrat?
6. Quis in hortō labōrat?
7. Quis in nāve labōrat?
8. Quis in scholā labōrat?
9. Quis in tabernā lībrāriā labōrat?
10. Quis in templō labōrat?
11. Quis in theātrō labōrat?
12. Quis in valētūdināriō labōrat?

____________

[1]

(a) āctrīx, bibliopōla, coquus, cūstōs, gladiātor, hortulānus, iūdex, magister, medicus, nauta, piscātor, sacerdōs

(b) amphitheātrum, basilica, carcer, culīna, forum piscātōrium, hortus, schola, taberna lībrāria, templum, theātrum, valētūdinārium, nāvis

[2]

[3]

1. Āctrīx in theātrō labōrat.
2. Bibliopōla in tabernā lībrāriā labōrat.
3. Coquus in culīnā labōrat.
4. Custōs in carcere labōrat.
5. Gladiātor in amphitheātrō labōrat.
6. Hortulānus in hortō labōrat.
7. Iūdex in basilicā labōrat.
8. Magister in scholā labōrat.
9. Medicus in valētūdināriō labōrat.
10. Nauta in nāve labōrat.
11. Piscātor in forō piscātōriō labōrat.
12. Sacerdōs in templō labōrat.

[4]

1. gladiātor
2. iūdex
3. cūstōs
4. coquus
5. piscātor
6. hortulānus
7. nauta
8. magister
9. bibliopōla
10. sacerdōs
11. āctrīx
12. medicus