THIS IS A STATUE OF AN AMAZONIAN WARRIOR
a)
Hís virís Herculés persuásit, postquam causam itineris exposuit, ut sécum iter facerent. Tum cum iís quibus persuáserat návem cónscendit, et cum ventus idóneus esset, post paucós diés ad óstium flúminis Thermódontis appulit. Postquam in fínís Amázonum vénit, núntium ad Hippolytam mísit, quí causam veniendí docéret et balteum pósceret. Ipsa Hippolyté balteum trádere volébat, quod dé Herculis virtúte fámam accéperat; reliquae tamen Amázonés eí persuásérunt ut negáret. At Herculés, cum haec núntiáta essent, bellí fortúnam temptáre cónstituit.
Proximó igitur dié cum cópiás édúxisset, locum idóneum délégit et hostísad púgnam évocávit. Amázonés quoque cópiás suás ex castrís édúxérunt et nón mágnó interválló ab Hercule aciem ínstrúxérunt.
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.
his – dative plural of is, ea, id (See GRAMMAR NOTES top right of sidebar under PAGES) meaning ‘these’. The dative case is used here as persuadere governs the dative case, as does imperare and mandare as we have previously seen.
causam itineris – genitive after causam, ‘itineris’ literally ‘of the journey’ better translated perhaps as ‘the reason for the journey’.
secum – the pronoun se is joined to the preposition cum to mean ‘with him’ when referring to the same subject as the subject of the main verb.
ut facerent – the subjunctive after ut is used in clauses of indirect command. These clauses come after verbs meaning warn (monere), order (imperare), persuade (as here) – Hercules persuaded them to make the journey ....
cum iis quibus – cum here is the preposition ‘with’ which we know takes the ablative, followed by ablative plural of is, ea, id meaning ‘those’ agreeing with the relative pronoun from qui, quae, quod - so it must mean ‘with those whom’ he had persuaded etc.’
cum ventus idoneus esset – cum here means since and introduces a result clause, ‘since the wind was favourable’; cum in instances like these offers an explanation, for what comes after, here it explains why it is after a few dayscomes after
causam veniendi – genitive after causam again but this time genitive of the gerund of venire, literally ‘the cause of coming’.
ei persuaserunt – ‘persuaded her’, persuadere again followed by the dative case of ea (see is, ea, id in GRAMMAR NOTES top right of sidebar under PAGES).
ut negaret – imperfect subjunctive after persuadere, meaning ‘persuaded her that she refuse’,yet another example of indirect command, better translated as ‘her to refuse’.
haec - ‘these things’ better translated as ‘this’.
doceret – a purpose clause , as we know, required the verb to be in the subjuctive mood, H sent the messenger ‘who was to make known...’etc.
magno intervallo – this is ablative of degree of difference, ‘at a large distance’.
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.
Hís virís Herculés persuásit,
Hercules persuaded these men
postquam causam itineris exposuit,
after he explained the reason for the journey
ut sécum iter facerent.
to make the fourney with him.
Tum cum iís quibus persuáserat návem cónscendit,
then with those he had persuaded he boarded the ship
et cum ventus idóneus esset,
and since the wind was favourable,
post paucós diés ad óstium flúminis Thermódontis appulit.
after a few days at the mouth of the river of Thermodon he put the ship in
Postquam in fínís Amázonum vénit,
After he came to the territory of the Amazons
he sent a messenger to Hippolyte,
núntium ad Hippolytam mísit,
quí causam veniendí docéret et balteum pósceret.
who made known the reason for his coming and demanded the belt
Ipsa Hippolyté balteum trádere volébat,
Hippolyte herself was willing to hand over the belt
quod dé Herculis virtúte fámam accéperat;
because she had learned of the courage of Hercules
reliquae tamen Amázonés eí persuásérunt ut negáret.
the rest of the Amazons however persuaded her to refuse.
At Herculés, cum haec núntiáta essent,
But Hercules, when this was announced to him,
bellí fortúnam temptáre cónstituit.
resolved to try his fortune by war
Proximó igitur dié cum cópiás édúxisset,
the following day therefore he went out with his troops
locum idóneum délégit et hostís ad púgnam évocávit.
chose a suitable place and called the enemy to battle.
Amázonés quoque cópiás suás ex castrís édúxérunt
The Amazons too led out their forces from the camp
et nón mágnó interválló ab Hercule aciem ínstrúxérunt.
and at not a far distance from Hercules drew up their battle line.
d) The following section is for you to copy and translate.
His viris Hercules persuasit,
postquam causam itineris exposuit,
ut secumiter facerent.
Tum cum iis quibus persuaserat
navem conscendit, et cum
ventus idoneus esset,
post paucos dies
ad ostium fluminis Thermodontis
appulit.
Postquam in finis Amazonum venit,
nuntium ad Hippolytam misit,
qui causam veniendi doceret
et balteum posceret.
Ipsa Hippolyte balteum tradere volebat,
quod de Herculis virtute famam acceperat;
reliquae tamen Amazones ei persuaserunt
ut negaret. At Hercules, cum haec nuntiata essent,
belli fortunam temptare constituit.
Proximo igitur die cum copias eduxisset,
locum idoneum delegit
et hostis ad pugnam evocavit.
Amazones quoque copias suas
ex castris eduxerunt
et non magno intervallo
ab Hercule aciem instruxerunt.
