RITCHIE'S FABULAE FACILES RITCHIE'S SIMPLE STORIES: 34 RITCHIE’S FABULAE FACILES TRANSLATION - HERCULES 34

HERCULES 34 - THE BATTLE

THIS VASE PAINTING DEPICTS HERCULES FIGHTING WITH THE AMAZONS
a)Palús erat nón mágna inter duo exercitús; neutrí tamen initium tránseundí facere volébant. Tandem Herculés sígnum dedit, et ubi palúdem tránsiit,proelium commísit.
Amázonés impetum virórum fortissimé sustinuérunt, et contrá opíniónem omnium tantam virtútem praestitérunt ut multós eórum occíderint, multós etiam in fugam coniécerint. Virí enim novó genere púgnae perturbábantur nec mágnam virtútem praestábant. Herculés autem cum haec vidéret, dé suís fortúnís déspéráre coepit. Mílités igitur vehementer cohortátus est ut prístinae virtútis memoriam retinérent neu tantum dédecus admitterent, hostiumque impetum fortiter sustinérent; quibus verbís animós omnium ita éréxit ut multí etiam quí vulneribus cónfectí essent proelium sine morá redintegrárent.

b)

Some words have been chosen for special consideration and are listed below. For the words not included in this list please refer to the WORDLIST in PAGES TOP RIGHT SIDE BAR.

palus erat – remember that erat often means ‘there was’ especially when it comes near the beginning of a sentence or clause and est often means ‘there is’.

palus, -udis - third declension feminine noun meaning swamp, marsh.

non magna – feminine adjective agreeing with palus, the phrase might be translated as ‘but not a big one’.

inter – preposition ‘between’ takes accusative case.

neutri – ‘neither’, plural as refering to the two armies which are groups of people, neuter would refer to two individuals.

initium transeundi facere – literally: the beginning of the crossing to make. Transeundi is the genitive of the gerund of the verb transeo ‘to go across’.

fortissime – superlative adverb ‘very or most bravely’.

ut ... occíderint.- ‘that they killed’, the perfect subjunctive is sometimes used in result clauses after a past tense in the main clause which is contrary to the general principle of the sequence of tenses, which requires the imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive after a past tense, the present or perfect subjunctive after a present or future tense.

Viri – notice here that we use viri to represent this particular group of men, if we were talking about men in the general sense of representative of mankind we would use homines, from homo, -inis.

novo genere - ablative, ‘by this new kind’.

perturbantur – passive plural imperfect of perturbo, -turbare, -avi, -atus, meaning greatly disturb, disturb, agitate, throw into confusion.

cum haec videret – cum, ‘when’ introducing a clause in the past takes imperfect subjunctive, ‘when he saw’, with haec neuter plural ‘these things’ translated as this.

neu - 'and not'.

quibus verbis – ‘by which words’; the relative is frequently used in Latin to connect a new sentence with the one preceding. When so used, it is generally best rendered by 'and' or 'but' and a demonstrative or personal pronoun, ‘and by these words’.

ita ... ut reintegrarent – ita ut followed by imperfect subjunctive; as we have seen before, ita is a signal word for a following result clause which takes a subjunctive verb ‘so ... that ...etc.’.

essent – this is referred to as the subjunctive of attraction. By this is meant that the verb is attracted into the mood of the clause upon which it depends.

Note: This section is not translated into idiomatic English but is intended, together with the notes, to give you the gist of the meaning; you can then come up with your own improved translation.

Palus erat non magna inter duo exercitus;

There was a swamp, but not a big one, between the two armies;

neutri tamen initium transeundi facere volebant.

but neither wanted to begin crossing.

Tandem Hercules signum dedit,

At length Hercules gave the signal,

et ubi paludem transiit, proelium commisit.

and when he crossed the swamp, he joined battle

Amazones impetum virorum fortissime sustinuerunt,

The Amazons withstood the charge of the men very bravely,

et contra opinionem omnium

and contrary to the expectation of all

tantam virtutem praestiterunt

they displayed such great valour

ut multos eorum occiderint,

that they killed many of them,

multos etiam in fugam coniecerint.

many even were put to flight.

Viri enim novo genere pugnae perturbabantur

For the men were thrown into confusion by this new kind of fight

nec magnam virtutem praestabant.

and were not displaying great valour.

Hercules autem cum haec videret,

Now when Hercules saw this,

de suis fortunis desperare coepit.

began to despair of his success.

Milites igitur vehementer cohortatus est

so he vigorously encourged the soldiers

ut pristinae virtutis memoriam retinerent

to keep in mind the memory of their former valour

neu tantum dedecus admitterent,

that they not allow such great dishonour

hostiumque impetum fortiter sustinerent;

and bravely withstand the attack of the enemy;

quibus verbis animos omnium ita erexit

by which words he so raised the spirits of all

ut multi etiam qui vulneribus confecti essent

that many who were still worn out with wounds

proelium sine mora redintegrarent.

went again into battle without delay.

d) The following section is for you to copy and translate.