RITCHIE'S FABULAE FACILES RITCHIE'S SIMPLE STORIES: 72 RITCHIE’S FABULAE FACILES TRANSLATION – THE ARGONAUTS 72

THE ARGONAUTS 72 – THE SEIZURE OF THE FLEECE

THIS PICTURE IS FROM A VASE PAINTING. IT SHOWS JASON HOLDING THE GOLDEN FLEECE WHICH HE HAS JUST TAKEN FROM THE TREE; YOU CAN SEE MEDEA ADMINISTERING THE SLEEPING POTION TO THE DRAGON ON THE LEFT OF THIS SECTION OF THE PAINTING.

Postrídié éius diéí Iásón cum sociís suís ortá lúce návem dédúxit, et tempestátem idóneam nactí ad eum locum rémís contendérunt, quó in locó Médéa vellus célátum esse démónstrábat. Cum eó vénissent, Iásón in terram égressus est, et sociís ad mare relictís, quí praesidió náví essent, ipse cum Médéá in silvás sé contulit. Pauca mília passuum per silvam prógressus vellus quod quaerébat ex arbore suspénsum vídit. Id tamen auferre erat summae difficultátis; nón modo enim locus ipse égregié et nátúrá et arte erat múnítus, sed etiam dracó quídam specié terribilí arborem custódiébat. Tum Médéa, quae, ut suprá démónstrávimus, medicínae summam scientiam habuit, rámum quem dé arbore proximá déripuerat venénó ínfécit. Hóc factó ad locum appropinquávit, et dracónem, quí faucibus apertís éius adventum exspectábat, venénó sparsit; deinde, dum dracó somnó oppressus dormit, Iásón vellus aureum dé arbore déripuit et cum Médéá quam celerrimé pedem rettulit.

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. If you need help with points of grammar raised in today's excerpt, consult ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR NOTES also top right side bar.

Postridie eius diei – The literal translation is: on the day after/on the following day, of this day, but a more idiomatic expression is probably ‘the following day.’

cum sociis suis – cum ‘with’ takes ablative; 'with his allies'.

orta luce – ablative expression of time when, ‘at the rise of the light’ meaning ‘at sunrise’.

deduxit – third person singular perfect active indicative of deducere, ‘to lead away’ but as we are here talking about a ship, we have put 'sailed away.'

Tempestas, atis – third declension feminine noun meaning ‘storm’ or as here, simply ‘weather.’

remis – ablative plural of second declension masculine noun remus –i, being in this case instrumental ablative meaning therefore ‘by using, or by the use of, the oars’.

quo in loco – notice the monosyllabic preposition bewteen the adjective and the noun, ‘in which place’ being ablative of place where.

demonstrabat – third person singular imperfect tense active indictive of demonstro, -are, -aví, -atus, 'point out, show; make known' which is followed by the accusative and infinitive construction of indirect discourse ‘vellus (neuter acc, the fleece) celatum (neut adj agreeing with vellus) + infinitive esse (to be).

cum eo venissent – cum followed by past tense subjunctive venissent (they had come); eo ablative meaning ‘to that place’.

ad mare – prepositional phrase means ‘on the shore’ or ‘at the seaside’.

sociis .. relictis – ablative absolute, noun and past participle, both ablative, meaning ‘the allies having been left’ or ‘when he had left the allies’.

praesidio navi – this is an interesting construction, it is called the double dative and here we have dative singular of the second declension neuter noun praesidium (guard) and dative of the third declension feminine noun navis (ship) meaning literally ‘to the guarding to the ship’ but we would of course most likely say ‘to guard the ship.’ You might find it easier to remember if you see it as 'for the guarding' (i.e. dative of purpose) with 'with reference to the ship' (i.e. dative of reference).

se contulit – third person singular perfect tense indicative active of se conferre, ‘to make one’s way.’

pauca milia passuum – literally a few thousands of miles’; notice that passuum is genitive after milia.

egregie et naturae et arte – egregie is an adverb meaning ‘oustandingly, to an extreme degree’ and et followed by another et in close proximity means ‘both’, so taken altogether this means something like ‘both by nature and by human skill, extremely well (fortified)’.

supra demonstravimus – ‘we showed above’ means in this context, ‘in an earlier passage’ for we know that Medea has already shown her knowledge of herbs and potions (see Episode 69).

Hoc facto – ablative absolute phrase meaning ‘when this had been done’ or ‘having done this’.

appropinquavit – third person singular of the first conjugation verb appropinquo, -are, -aví, -atus, 'approach.'

faucibus apertis – ablative absolute, ‘with its/his jaws open’.

dum ... dormit – dum meaning ‘while’ is followed by a present tense ‘while he sleeps’ but can be translated with a past tense, as we have here.

quam celerrime – quam with a superlative means ‘as ... as possible’ here ‘as quickly as possible.’

pedem retulit – is third person singular perfect of pedem referre which means to retrace ones steps, to retreat or go back.

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.

Postridie eius diei Iason cum sociis suis

On the day after this, Jason with his allies

orta luce navem deduxit,

at sunrise sailed the ship away,

et tempestatem idoneam nacti

and the weather having become suitable

ad eum locum remis contenderunt,

using the oars, to the place they hastened

quo in loco Medea

in which place Medea

vellus celatum esse demonstrabat.

indicated the fleece to be hidden.

Cum eo venissent,

When they had come to that place,

Iason in terram egressus est,

Jason went out into the land

et sociis ad mare relictis,

and left his allies on the shore,

qui praesidio navi essent,

who were to guard the ship,

ipse cum Medea in silvas se contulit.

He with Medea made his way into the woods.

Pauca milia passuum

A few miles

per silvam progressus

through the woods having advanced

vellus quod quaerebat

the fleece which he was looking for

ex arbore suspensum vidit.

he saw hanging from a tree.

Id tamen auferre

To take it away however

erat summae difficultatis;

was extremely difficult;

non modo enim locus ipse

not only because the place itself

egregie et natura et arte erat munitus,

was by nature and by human skill extremely well fortified,

sed etiam draco quidam

but also because a certain dragon

specie terribili arborem custodiebat.

of terrible appearance was guarding the tree.

Tum Medea, quae,

then Medea, who,

ut supra demonstravimus,

as we showed above,

medicinae summam scientiam habuit,

had a great deal of knowledge of medicine,

ramum quem de arbore proxima

a branch, which from the nearest tree

deripuerat veneno infecit.

she had torn down, made a poison.

Hoc facto ad locum appropinquavit,

When she had done this she hurried to the place,

et draconem, qui faucibus apertis

and the dragon, which with open jaws,

eius adventum exspectabat,

was awaiting her arrival,

veneno sparsit; deinde,

she sprinkled with the poison; then

dum draco somno oppressus dormit,

while the dragon overcome with drowsiness slept

Iason vellus aureum

Jason the golden fleece

de arbore deripuit

tore down from the tree

et cum Medea quam celerrime

and with Medea as quickly as possible

pedem rettulit.

retraced his steps.

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