This vase painting depicts an angry centaur holding a stone with which to attack Hercules.
a)
Simul atque amphora aperta est, odor iúcundissimus undique diffúsus est; vínum enim suávissimum erat. Centaurí nótum odórem sénsérunt et omnés ad locum convénérunt.
Ubi ad spéluncam pervénérunt, mágnopere írátí erant quod Herculem bibentem vídérunt. Tum arma rapuérunt et Pholum interficere volébant. Herculés tamen in aditú spéluncae cónstitit et impetum eórum fortissimé sustinébat. Facés árdentís in eós coniécit; multós etiam sagittís suís vulnerávit. Hae autem sagittae eaedem erant quae sanguine Hydrae ólim imbútae erant. Omnés igitur quós ille sagittís vulneráverat venénó statim absúmptí sunt; reliquí autem ubi hóc vídérunt, terga vertérunt et fugá salútem petiérunt.
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.
Aperta est – passive feminine sing., 'was opened'.
Iucundissimus – superlative of iucundus, meaning 'most or very pleasant'.
Diffusus est – perfect passive, was wafted, was spread about.
Suavissimum – superlative of suavis, meaning very or most sweet, agreeing with vinum.
Notus, a, um – well-known, famous
odorem senserunt – Senserunt, literally ‘they perceived the smell’, from sentio, sentire, sensi, sensus, ‘perceive, feel’, in the sense of ‘recognised the smell’.
Convenerunt – third person plural perfect tense from the verb con-venio, -venire, -veni, -ventus, ‘come together, assemble’.
Pervenerunt – third person plural perfect tense from the verb per-venio, -venire, -veni, -ventus, ‘come through, come, arrive, reach’.
Bibentem – present participle accusative agreeing with Herculem, direct object of ‘they saw’ meaning ‘they saw Hercules drinking’.
Tum arma – we have translated arma as ‘their weapons’ here but Latin seldom used possessive adjectives when it is obvious whose weapons they are.
In aditu – ablative of aditus ‘entrance’ after in, for place where.
con-sisto, -sistere, -stiti, -stitus, station oneself, take one's stand; consist.
Fortissime – superlative adverb, very bravely.
In eos – in with the accusative means against.
Sagittis suis – ablative of means with no preposition meaning ‘with his arrows’.
Eaedem – feminine plural of ídem, (see idem, eadem, idem GRAMMAR NOTES) demonstrative pronoun meaning the same; can sometimes be translated as likewise, also.
Quae – feminine plural nominative indefinite pronoun ‘which’, because the antecedent is
feminine plural sagittae (arrows).
Ille sagittis – literally ‘that man by his arrows’, ablative of instrument again without a preposition.
Asumpti sunt – perfect passive plural masculine, they were carried off, swept away, we chose to translate with ‘finished off.’
c)
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.
Simul atque amphora aperta est,
As soon as the wine amphora was opened,
odor iúcundissimus undique diffúsus est;
a pleasant smell wafted everywhere;
vínum enim suávissimum erat.
For the wine was very sweet.
Centaurí nótum odórem sénsérunt
The centaurs perceived the well-known smell,
et omnés ad locum convénérunt.
And they all made their way to the place.
Ubi ad spéluncam pervénérunt,
When they had reached the cave
mágnopere írátí erant
they were greatly annoyed
quod Herculem bibentem vídérunt.
Because they saw Hercules drinking.
Tum arma rapuérunt
Then they grasped their weapons
et Pholum interficere volébant.
And wanted to kill Pholus.
Herculés tamen in aditú spéluncae cónstitit
But Hercules stood in the entrance of the cave
et impetum eórum fortissimé sustinébat.
And very bravely withstood their attack.
Facés árdentís in eós coniécit;
He threw burning sticks at them;
multós etiam sagittís suís vulnerávit.
And wounded many with his arrows.
Hae autem sagittae eaedem erant
For these arrows were those same ones
quae sanguine Hydrae ólim imbútae erant.
Which had been once dipped in the blood of the Hydra.
Omnés igitur quós ille sagittís vulneráverat
All those therefore whom he wounded with his arrows
venénó statim absúmptí sunt;
were immediately finished off by the poison
reliquí autem ubi hóc vídérunt,
the rest however, when they saw this,
terga vertérunt et fugá salútem petiérunt.
Turned their backs and sought safety through flight.
d) The following section is for you to copy and translate.
Simul atque amphora aperta est,
odor iucundissimus undique diffusus est;
vinum enim suavissimum erat.
Centauri notum odorem senserunt
et omnes ad locum convenerunt.
Ubi ad speluncam pervenerunt,
magnopere irati erant
quod Herculem bibentem viderunt.
Tum arma rapuerunt et Pholum interficere volebant.
Hercules tamen in aditu speluncae constitit
et impetum eorum fortissime sustinebat.
Faces ardentis in eos coniecit;
multos etiam sagittis suis vulneravit.
Hae autem sagittae eaedem erant
quae sanguine Hydrae olim imbutae erant.
Omnes igitur quos ille sagittis vulneraverat
veneno statim absumpti sunt;
reliqui autem ubi hoc viderunt,
terga verterunt et fuga salutem petierunt.
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