Helps to Latin Translation at Sight Part 83

(primus + capio) { prince.

vGEN-, vGNA- = beget, become, produce.

gi-gn-o = _to beget_. indigenous.

(= gi-gen-o) gen-i-tor = _a father_. (pro)genitor.

gen-s = _clan_, _house_, _race_. gentile.

in-gens = _vast_.

gen-us = _birth_, _race_. genus (Fr. genre).

in-gen-ium = _innate quality_, _character_.

in-gen-uus = _native_, _free-born_, ingenuous.

_frank_.

in-gen-iosus = _of good natural } ingenious.

abilities_. } pro-gen-ies = _descent_, _descendants_. progenitor.

gen-er = _son-in-law_.

gen-ius = _the innate superior } genius.

nature_, _tutelary } (protecting) deity_. } indi-gen-a = _nature_. indigenous.

gen-erosus = _of n.o.ble birth_, generous.

_n.o.ble-minded_ gen-ero = _to beget_, _produce_. generate.

gen-etivus = _of or belonging to } genitive.

birth_, _genitive_. } na-scor = _to be born_. native.

= gna-scor na-tura = _nature_. nature.

na-tio = _birth_, _a race_. nation.

APPENDIX V

HOW TO THINK IN LATIN

_Flaminius atones for his rashness._[44]

[Footnote 44: Cf. p. 126.] [[Selection C19]]

Tres ferme horas pugnatum est et ubique atrociter; circa consulem tamen acrior infestiorque pugna est.

Eum et robora virorum sequebantur, et ipse, quacunque in parte premi ac laborare senserat suos, impigre ferebat opem; insignemque armis et hostes summa vi petebant {5} et tuebantur cives, donec Insuber eques (Ducario nomen erat) facie quoque noscitans consulem, 'En' inquit 'hic est' popularibus suis, 'qui legiones nostras cecidit agrosque et urbem est depopulatus. Iam ego hanc victimam manibus peremptorum foede civium dabo.' Subditisque calcaribus {10} equo per confertissimam hostium turbam impetum facit, obtruncatoque prius armigero, qui se infesto venienti obviam obiecerat, consulem lancea transfixit; spoliare cupientem triarii obiectis scutis arcuere.

LIVY, xxii. 6.

The heading and the author will at once suggest the stirring incident in the Battle of Lake Trasimene, when Flaminius atoned for his rashness by his gallant example and death.

You have seen how a.n.a.lysis helps you to arrive at the main thought of the sentence, and you are familiar with the principles that govern the order of words in Latin, and the important part played by the emphatic position of words. So you may now try to +think in Latin+; that is, to take the thought in the Latin order, without reference to a.n.a.lysis or the English order. You will do well to follow closely this advice of experienced teachers:--'Read every word as if it were the last on the page, and you had to turn over without being able to turn back. If, however, you are obliged to turn back, begin again at the beginning of the sentence and proceed as before. Let each word of the Latin suggest some conception gradually adding to and completing the meaning of the writer. If the form of the word gives several possibilities, hold them all in your mind, so far as may be, till something occurs in the progress of the sentence to settle the doubt.'

1. +Tres ferme horas+ = _for nearly three hours_. This construction (Acc. of extent of time) will be familiar to you. Notice the emphatic position of the phrase.

+pugnatum est+ = _the battle was fought_. This use of the so-called impersonal pa.s.sive is very frequent, and is generally best translated by taking the root-idea of the verb as a subject.

+et ubique atrociter+ = _and everywhere fiercely_.

2. +circa consulem tamen+ = _around the consul however_.

+acrior infestiorque pugna est+ = _the battle is more keen and more vehement_. This presents no difficulty; +acrior+ and +infestior+ must qualify +pugna+, which follows immediately.

3. +eum+ = _him_, plainly _consulem_ (i.e. Flaminius), for no one else has been mentioned. Notice the emphatic position of +eum+.

+et robora virorum sequebantur+ = _both the strongest of his troops followed_. You may know that +robur+ (lit. _hard wood_) is often used of _the toughest troops_, _the flower of an army_.

+et ipse+ = _and himself_, i.e. the consul (Flaminius).

3-4. +quacunque in parte+ = _in whatever part_.

4. +premi ac laborare senserat suos+ = _he had seen his men hard pressed and in distress_. No other meaning is possible, nor does the order present any difficulty, but notice the emphatic position of +suos+.

4-5. +impigre ferebat opem+ = _actively he bore help_.

5. +insignemque armis+ = _and distinguished by his arms_, clearly referring to +consulem+ (l. 2). Cf. +eum+ (l. 3).

+et hostes summa vi petebant+ = _both the enemy with all their might attacked_. +et+ might, of course, = _also_ (cf. +et+, l. 2), but the second +et+ which immediately follows determines the meaning _both_.

6. +et tuebantur cives+ = _and his fellow-citizens_ (Romans) _defended_ (him).

+donec Insuber eques+ = _until an Insubrian trooper_. +donec+ may mean _while_, but the context shows that _until_ or _at last_ is the right meaning here.

6-7. +Ducario nomen erat+ = (his) _name was Ducarius_, i.e. _ei nomen erat Ducario_, where +Ducario+ is possess. dat. in appos. to _ei_ understood. It is, however, possible that the trooper's name was Ducario, but cf. page 126, l. 2. [[Selection C19, line 645]]

7. +facie quoque noscitans consulem+ = _by his face also_ (i.e. as well as by his armour) _recognising the consul_.

7-8. +'En' inquit 'his est' popularibus suis+ = _See, said he, to his fellow-countrymen_ (comrades), _this is the man_.

8. +qui legiones nostras cecidit+ = _who slaughtered our legions_. There is a slight difficulty here, but a moment's thought will remove it. It must be +cecidit+, perf. of _caedo_, and not _cecidit_, perf. of _cado_, which is intransitive.

8-9. +agrosque et urbem est depopulatus+ = _and laid waste our fields and our city_.

9-10. +Iam ego hanc victimam manibus peremptorum foede civium dabo+ = _now I will give this victim to the shades of our countrymen foully slain_. +Manibus+ cannot = _hands_ (_manibus_), for +peremptorum civium+, which immediately follows, fixes the right meaning.

10-11. +subditisque calcaribus equo+ = _and putting spurs to his horse_.

You will not attempt to translate this Abl. Absol. literally.

11-12. +per confertissimam hostium turbam impetum facit+ = _through the closely packed crowd of the enemy he makes his charge_.

12. +obtruncatoque prius armigero+ = _and first cut down the armour-bearer_ (i.e. of Flaminius).

12-13. +qui se infesto venienti obviam obiecerat+ = _who had thrown himself in the way of him advancing at the charge_.

+infesto venienti+ is clearly dative with +obviam+.

13. +consulem lancea transfixit+ = _ran the Consul through with his lance_.