THE ARGONAUTS
33. 1. alter … alter, 'one … the other.' Remember that this word is used to denote one of two given persons or things. We have in this passage an instance of the chiastic order, in which variety and emphasis are gained by reversing the position of the words in the second of two similar expressions. Here the two names are brought together by this device.
3. régní, objective genitive, i.e. a genitive used to denote the object of the feeling cupiditáte.
6. ex amícís. Quídam, like únus, commonly has ex or dé and the ablative, instead of the partitive genitive.
10. puerum mortuum esse, 'that the boy was dead,' literally 'the boy to be dead.' This is indirect for Puer mortuus est, 'The boy is dead.' Notice carefully what changes Latin makes in quoting such a statement indirectly, and what the changes are in English. We have already met two constructions of indirect discourse, the subjunctive in indirect questions, and the subjunctive in informal indirect discourse. By the latter is meant a subordinate clause which, though not forming part of a formal quotation, has the subjunctive to show that not the speaker or writer but some other person is responsible for the idea it expresses (see the notes on dedisset, 27, 25, and occídisset. 30, 3). In indirect discourse, then, a statement depending upon a verb of saying, thinking, knowing, perceiving, or the like has its verb in the infinitive with the subject in the accusative; a command or question has its verb in the subjunctive; and any clause modifying such a statement, command, or question has its verb in the subjunctive.
33. 13. intellegerent. See the note on 14, 20.
14. nesció quam fábulam, 'some story or other.' Notice that nesció with the interrogative pronoun is equivalent to an indefinite pronoun.
19. óráculum. Read again the description beginning at the bottom of page 11.
21. quis. See the note on 30, 3.
Post paucís annís, 'a few years later,' literally 'later by a few years.' Post is here an adverb, and paucís annís ablative of degree of difference. The expression is equivalent to post paucós annós.
22. accidit. See the note on 30, 1.
factúrus, 'intending to make.' The future participle with a form of sum is used to express an intended or future action. This is called the active periphrastic conjugation.
23. certam. See the note on 5, 13.
24. Dié cónstitútá, ablative of time.
26. á pueritiá. Compare á pueró, 9, 20.
34. 2. tránseundó flúmine. See the note on suí ulcíscendí, 30, 16.
nesció quó. See the note on 33. 14.
4. únó pede núdó, 'with one foot bare,' the ablative absolute. This construction consists of two parts, a noun, or pronoun corresponding to the subject of a clause, and a participle corresponding to the verb of a clause. A predicate noun or adjective may take the place of the participle. In the latter case the use of the participle 'being' will show the two parts in the relation of subject and predicate, 'one foot being bare.'
34.6. démónstrávisset, subjunctive because subordinate in indirect discourse. See the note on 33, 10. Pelias thought, Híc est homó quem óráculum démónstrávit.
9. vellus aureum. Phrixus and his sister Helle were about to be put to death, when they were rescued by a ram with fleece of gold, who carried them off through the air. Helle fell from the ram's back into the strait that separates Europe and Asia, called after her the Hellespont, 'Helle's sea,' and known to us as the Dardanelles. Phrixus came safely to Colchis, and here he sacrificed the ram and gave the fleece to Aeetes. Read Mr. D.O.S. Lowell's Jason's Quest.
11. ut … potírétur. See the note on 27, 6.
hóc vellere. Potior takes the same construction as véscor, for which see the note on 16, 19.
16. iter, accusative of extent.
20. úsuí, dative of purpose. We say 'of use' or 'useful.'
24. operí dative after the compound with prae. Notice that not all verbs compounded with prepositions govern the dative. Many compounds of ad, ante, com (for cum), in, inter, ob, post, prae, pró, sub, and super do have the dative, and some compounds of circum. You will find it profitable to keep a list of all such compound verbs governing the dative that you meet in your reading.
25. né … quidem, 'not … even.' The word emphasized must stand between né and quidem.
ad labórem. See the note on ad quiétem, 14, 1.
26. Ad multitúdinem tránsportandam, used like ad labórem. The gerundive in this use is very common.
27. quibus. The antecedent eae is not expressed. Notice that útor governs the same case as véscor and potior. Two other deponent verbs, not found in this book, take this construction, namely fruor, 'enjoy,' and fungor, 'perform.'
nostró marí, i.e. the Mediterranean.
cónsuévimus. See the note on cónsuéverat, 10, 9.
35. 8. citharoedum. It was said that Orpheus made such sweet music on his golden harp that wild beasts, trees, and rocks followed him as he moved. By his playing he even prevailed upon Pluto to give back his dead wife Eurydice.
Théseum, a mythical hero, whose exploits resemble and rival those of
Hercules. The most famous of them was the killing of the Minotaur.
Theseus was the national hero of Athens.
Castorem, the famous tamer of horses and brother of Pollux, the boxer.
Read Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome, The Battle of the Lake Regillus.
10. quós, the subject of esse. Its antecedent is eós, line 11. The relative frequently precedes in Latin, but the antecedent must be translated first.
16. Argonautae. Notice the composition of this word.
24. déicerentur, part of the result clause.
26. arbitrátí. See the note on 25, 27.
égredí. See the note on 22, 18.
27. púgnátum est. See the note on 20 4.
36. 5. Postrídié éius diéí, 'the next day,' more literally 'on the day following that day.' This idea may be expressed by postrídié alone, and the fuller expression is simply more formal.
9. in ancorís, 'at anchor.'
10. habérent. See the note on 34, 6.
11. ex Argonautís. See the note on 33, 6.
13. Quí, 'he.' See the note on quibus, 20, 1.
dum quaerit, 'while looking for.' The present indicative with dum is often to be translated by a present participle.
15. vídissent. We say 'saw,' but Latin makes it plain that the seeing (and falling in love) came before the attempt to persuade.
eí. Keep a list of all intransitive verbs which are used with the dative.
16. negáret. This verb is commonly used instead of dícó when a negative statement follows; when thus used, it should be translated by 'say' with the appropriate negative, here 'said that he would not.'
37. 1. praebuisset, subjunctive in a subordinate clause of indirect discourse.
2. supplicí. See the note on 7, 8.
6. accubuerat. The Romans reclined at table, supporting themselves on the left arm and taking the food with the right hand. They naturally represented others as eating in the same way.
appositum, 'that had been placed before him.' See the note on exanimátum, 14, 4.
7. Quó … morerétur, 'and so it came to pass that Phineus was nearly dying of starvation,' literally 'that not much was wanting but that Phineus would die.' Ut … abesset is a clause of result, the subject of factum est; quin … morerétur is a form of subordinate clause with subjunctive verb used after certain negative expressions; famé is ablative of cause. Notice that famés has a fifth-declension ablative, but is otherwise of the third declension.
9. Rés male sé habébat, 'the situation was desperate.' What is the literal meaning?
12. opíniónem virtútis, 'reputation for bravery.'
13. quín ferrent. Negative expressions of doubt are regularly followed by quín and the subjunctive.
16. quantó in perículó. See the note on 11, 25.
suae rés, 'his affairs.' See the note on rés, 13, 8.
17. repperissent. Phineus used the future perfect indicative.
22. nihil, used adverbially.
23. áera. See the note on 4, 11.
27. Hóc factó, 'when this had been accomplished.' See the note on 34, 4. The ablative absolute is often used instead of a subordinate clause of time, cause, condition, or the like.
38. 1. referret. See the note on 6, 16.
3. eó cónsilió. See the note on 28, 1.
4. né quis, 'that no one.' 'Negative clauses of purpose and negative clauses of result may be distinguished by the negative: né, né quís, etc., for purpose; ut nón, ut némó, etc., for result.
parvó interválló, 'a short distance apart,' ablative absolute. See the note on 34, 1.
5. in medium spatium, 'between them.'
7. quid faciendum esset, 'what was to be done.' The gerundive is used with sum to denote necessary action. This is called the passive periphrastic conjugation.
8. sublátís … solvit, 'weighed anchor and put to sea.' What is the literal translation? The ablative absolute is often best translated by a coördinate verb, and this requires a change of voice, for the lack of a perfect active participle in Latin is the reason for the use of the ablative absolute in such cases. If there were a perfect active participle, it would stand in the nominative, modifying the subject, as we have found the perfect participle of deponent verbs doing.
11. réctá … spatium, 'straight between them.'
12. caudá tantum ámissá, 'having lost only its tail-feathers.' Notice that we change the voice, as in line 8, and that the use of the ablative absolute is resorted to here for the same reason as in that passage. Make sure at this point that you know three ways in which the ablative absolute may be translated, as in this passage, as in line 8, and as suggested in the note on 37, 27.
14. concurrerent, 'could rush together.' See the note on possent, 27, 20.
intellegentés, equivalent to cum intellegerent.
17. dís, the usual form of the dative and ablative plural of deus, as dí of the nominative plural.
quórum, equivalent to cum eórum. A relative clause of cause, like a cum-clause of cause, has its verb in the subjunctive.
27. negábat. See the note on 36, 16.
39. 1. tráditúrum. In infinitives formed with participles esse is often omitted,
prius. See the note on 27, 25.
3. Prímum. See the note on 12, 16.
4. iungendí erant. See the note on 38, 7.
8. reí bene gerendae, 'of accomplishing his mission.' What is the literal meaning?
10. rem aegré ferébat, 'she was greatly distressed.' What is the literal meaning?
12. Quae … essent. See the note on 29, 23.
13. medicínae, objective genitive.
14. Mediá nocte. See the note on 9, 5.
ínsciente patre, 'without the knowledge of her father,' ablative absolute.
15. vénit. See the note on 3, 13.
17. quod … cónfírmáret, a relative clause of purpose.
19. essent, subjunctive in informal indirect discourse, or by attraction to oblineret.
20. hominibus. See the note on 34, 24.
21. mágnitúdine et víribus, ablative of specification.
40. 2. nihil valére, 'prevailed not.'
5. quá in ré. See the note on 11, 25.
6. cónfécerit. See the note on 19, 22.
8. quós. See the note on quíbus, 20, 1.
9. autem. See the note on 5, 8.
10. essent, subjunctive by attraction.
11. quódam, 'some.'
16. gígnerentur, 'should be born.' With dum, 'until,' the subjunctive is used of action anticipated, as with antequam (see the note on possent, 27, 20).
19. omnibus agrí partibus. See the note on 18, 6.
20. mírum in modum = míró modó.
25. nesció cúr, 'for some reason.' See the note on 33, 14.
28. núlló negótió, 'with no trouble,' 'without difficulty.'
41. 3. quín tulisset. See the note on 37, 13.
15. quam prímum, 'as soon as possible.' See the note on 23, 2.
16. ávectúrum. See the note on tráditúrum, 39, 1.
17. Postrídié éius diéí. See the note on 36, 5.
19. locó. The antecedent is frequently thus repeated in the relative clause.
21. quí … essent, 'to guard the ship.' See the note on 13, 16.
22. ipse. See the note on 21, 19.
27. quídam. This word may sometimes be rendered by the indefinite article.
28. démónstrávimus. See the note on nárrávimus, 14, 17.
42. 5. dormit. See the note on fugit, 4, 25.
12. aliquí. Learn from the vocabulary the difference between aliquís and aliquí.
mátúrandum sibi, 'they ought to hasten,' more literally 'haste ought to be made by them'; mátúrandum (esse) is the impersonal passive, and sibi the so-called dative of the agent. With the gerundive the person who has the thing to do is regularly expressed in the dative.
16. mírátí. See the note on 25, 27.
20. dís. See the note on 38, 17.
21. événisset. See the note on accépissent, 26, 21.
23. vigiliá. The Romans divided the day from sunrise to sunset into twelve hours (hórae), the night from sunset to sunrise into four watches (vigiliae).
24. neque enim. See the note on 7, 12.
25. inimícó animó, ablative of description.
43. 2. hóc dolóre, 'this anger,' i.e. 'anger at this.'
Návem longam, 'war-galley,' 'man-of-war.' The adjective contrasts the shape of the man-of-war with that of the merchantman.
4. fugientís, used as a noun, 'the fugitives.'
6. quá, ablative of means.
7. quá, 'as,' but in the same construction as eádem celeritáte.
8. Quo … caperentur. See the note on 37, 7.
9. neque … posset, 'for the distance between them was not greater than a javelin could be thrown.' What is the literal translation? The clause quó … posset denotes result; the distance was not so great that a javelin could not be thrown from one ship to the other.
11. vídisset. See the note on 36, 15.
15. fugiéns, 'when she fled.' See the note on fessus, 23, 15.
18. fílí. See the note on 7, 8.
19. Neque … fefellit, 'and Medea was not mistaken.' What is the literal meaning?
20. ubi prímum, 'as soon as,' literally 'when first.'
24. prius, not to be rendered until quam is reached. The two words together mean 'before,' more literally 'earlier than,' 'sooner than,' They are sometimes written together (priusquam).
25. nihil … esse, 'that it would be of no advantage to him.'
44. 5. pollicitus erat. Verbs of promising do not usually take in Latin the simple present infinitive, as in English, but the construction of indirect discourse.
10. mihi. The dative of reference is often used in Latin where we should use a possessive in English. Translate here as if the word were meus, modifying diés.
11. Liceat mihi, 'permit me,' literally 'let it be permitted to me.' Commands and entreaties in the third person are regularly expressed in the subjunctive.
dum vívam, 'so long as I live.' The verb with dum 'so long as' is not restricted to the present, as with dum 'while,' but any tense of the indicative may be used. We have here the future indicative, or the present subjunctive by attraction.
12. tú. The nominative of the personal pronouns is commonly expressed only when emphatic. Here the use of the pronoun makes the promise more positive.
15. rem aegré tulit, 'was vexed.' Compare 39, 10.
20. Vultisne, the verb vultis and the enclitic -ne, which is used to introduce a question, and is incapable of translation. Num (line 21) introduces a question to which a negative answer is expected, and is likewise not to be translated, except in so far as its effect is reproduced by the form of the question or the tone of incredulity with which the words are spoken.
28. effervésceret. See the note on 40, 16.
45. 3. stupentés, 'in amazement.'
5. Vós. See the note on 44, 12. Vós and ego in the next sentence are contrasted.
7. Quod ubi. See the note on 28, 8.
10. necávérunt. See the note on interfécit, 13, 18.
13. quíbus. For the case see the note on quíbus, 34, 27.
15. ré vérá, 'really.'
18. aegré tulérunt, 'were indignant at.' Compare 39, 10, and 44, 15.
23. Creontí. See the note on cui erant, 13, 5.
25. núntium, 'a notice of divorce.'
26. dúceret. See the note on dúxit, 6, 18.
28. ultúram. See the note on 39, 1.
46. 1. Vestem. Compare the story of the death of Hercules, pp. 30, 31.
3. quis. See the note on 30, 3.
induisset, subjunctive by attraction.
5. nihil malí. See the note on 22, 26.
16. itaque, not the adverb itaque, but the adverb ita and the enclitic conjunction -que.
áera. See the note on 4, 11.
21. in eam partem, 'to that side.'