Cicero: dē inventiōne
Here, Cicero is discussing a law:
QUĪ IN ADVERSĀ TEMPESTĀTE NĀVEM RELĪQUERINT, OMNIA ĀMITTUNTŌ;
EŌRUM NĀVIS ET ONERA SUNTŌ, QUĪ IN NĀVE REMĀNSERINT.
Whoever in a severe tempest desert their ship shall forfeit
all of their property; the ship and the cargo shall belong to those men
who remain on the ship.
āmittuntō and suntō are examples of
future active imperatives:
In a sense, the term ‘future active imperative’ is
a misnomer since, by its very nature, a command has not yet happened and,
therefore, must happen in the future. However, the idea behind this imperative
is reference to an action to be done distinctly in the future as opposed to,
for example, dā mihi pecūniam │ give me
the money, where the command is referring to now. Equally, the future
active imperative can refer to something in general that should always be done.
The key point is that neither action is immediately fulfilled. English has no
equivalent of these imperatives, but it can convey a difference: “Send him that
message” (now), as opposed to “Make sure you get that message sent” (at some
point).
This imperative form is appropriate here since Cicero is
referring to a law which is not ordering anyone to lose his property now;
rather, it prescribes what is to happen whenever the stated condition is
fulfilled.
3.10.25: Level 3; Artayctēs [3]; [i] syncopated verbs forms;
[ii] the future active imperative
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/07/131025-level-3-artayctes-3-i-syncopated.html
Cicero discusses the way in which that law can be interpreted
by different interested parties:
Duo quīdam, cum iam in altō nāvigārent, et cum eōrum
alterīus nāvis, alterīus onus esset, naufragum quendam natantem
et manūs ad sē tendentem animum advertērunt; misericordiā commōtī nāvem ad eum adplicārunt,
hominem ad sē sustulērunt. posteā aliquantō ipsōs quoque tempestās vehementius
iactāre coepit, usque adeō, ut dominus nāvis, cum īdem gubernātor
esset, in scapham cōnfugeret et inde fūniculō, quī ā puppī religātus
scapham adnexam trahēbat, nāvī, quod posset, moderārētur, ille
autem, cuius mercēs erant, in gladium in nāvī ibīdem incumberet. hīc
ille naufragus ad gubernāculum accessit et nāvī, quod potuit, est
opitulātus. Sēdātis autem flūctibus et tempestāte iam commūtātā
nāvis in portum pervehitur. ille autem, quī in gladium incubuerat,
leviter saucius facile ex vulnere est recreātus. nāvem cum onere hōrum trium
suam quisque esse dīcit.
altum, -ī [2/n]: the open sea
dominus, -ī [2/m]: owner; master
flūctus, -ūs [4/m]: wave
fūniculus, -ī [2/m]: rope; cord
gubernāculum, -ī [2/n]: steering-oar; rudder
gubernātor, -ōris [3/m]: pilot; helmsman
merx, mercis [3/f]: merchandise; goods; cargo
naufragus, -ī [2/m]: shipwrecked man
nāvis, -is [3/f]: ship
onus, oneris [3/n]: load; cargo
portus, -ūs [4/m]: harbour; port
scapha, -ae [1/f]: small boat; skiff
tempestās, -ātis [3/f]: storm
(an-) adnectō, -ere, adnexuī, adnexus [3] bind / tie to
(ap-) adplicō, -āre, adplicāvī / adplicuī, adplicātus /
applicitus: (here) bring nearer
natō, -āre [1]: swim
iactō, -āre [1]: toss about
religō, -āre [1]: tie; fasten
moderor, -ārī [1/dep]: guide; steer
opitulor, -ārī [1/dep]: assist; help
Exercise
Three men are referred to in this scenario:
A: the owner of the ship
B: the owner of the cargo
C: a shipwrecked man
To which of these men do the following statements refer? Tick
A, B or C. Some may refer to more than one man.
(1) A; (2) C; (3) A, B, C; (4) C; (5) A, B; (6) B; (7) B; (8) A; (9) C; (10) A; (11) B; (12) C