a)
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.
c)
nullum alium introitum – nullum and alium (no other) in agreement with the accusative of introitus, -us , fourth declension masc noun, ‘entrance’.
cum ... posset – cum meaning ‘since’ is followed by subjunctive, here the imperfect third person imperfect subjunctive of posse – since he was unable (to find).
conatus est – perfect tense of the deponent verb conor, conari, try, ‘he tried’.
magnitudem – accusative of the third declension feminine noun magnitudo, -tudinis, ‘greatness, size’ as it is governed by propter, ‘on account of’, which takes the accusative case.
eius – genitive of is, ea, id ‘of it’ referring to the rock.
res erat difficuillima – res, the thing feminine noun of the fifth declension, followed by erat ‘was’, followed by the superlative adjective difficillima ‘most difficult’.
neque quicquam – variant of neque quisquam, 'and not any one, and no one.' Quisquam is used chiefly in negative sentences.
quicquam – indefinite neuter pronoun, anything, anything whatsoever.
effició, -ficere, -fécí, -fectus [ex + fació], make or work out, accomplish, effect.
magno conatu – ablative case, ‘with a great effort’.
patefecit – third person singular perfect tense of the verb patefacio, -facere, -feci, -factus, ‘he threw open, he made open, he opened’.
more suo – ablative expression of the third declension feminine noun mos, moris meaning way, manner, habit, custom with the personal possessive adjective suus, -a, -um meaning his or hers, together meaning ‘according to his custom’.
inusitata specie – feminine ablative of adjective unusitatus –a -um, ‘unusual, extraordinary’, agreeing with ablative of feminine fifth declension noun specie, together meaning something like ‘by the extraordinary sight’, or, ‘by the unusual spectacle’.
turbatus - - 'was confused’, the participle is frequently best rendered by a finite verb.
in speluncam – remember that where we have motion into somewhere in is followed by the accusative case. Although inrupit means 'burst into,' the preposition is nevertheless required with the noun to express the place into which he burst.
nulla falcultas respirandi – no chance/opportunity followed by the genitive of the gerund (remember the gerund is a verbal noun, here meaning ‘the act of breathing’); together the phrase means therefore ‘no chance of breathing’.
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.
Hercules cum nullum alium introitum
Hercules, since no other entrance
reperire posset,
could find,
hoc saxum amovere conatus est,
he tried to move this stone away,
sed propter eius magnitudinem
but on account of its size
res erat difficillima.
the matter was most difficult.
Diu frustra laborabat
For a long time he worked in vain,
neque quicquam efficere poterat;
but he could accomplish nothing at all.
tandem tamen magno conatu
at length however with a great effort
saxum amovit et speluncam patefecit.
he moved the rock away and opened up the cave.
Ibi amissos boves
where the lost cattle
magno cum gaudio conspexit;
he saw with great joy
sed Cacum ipsum vix cernere potuit,
but Cacus himself he could scarcely perceive
quod spelunca repleta erat fumo
because the cave was filled with smoke
quem ille more suo evomebat.
that he was spewing as was his custom
Hercules inusitata specie turbatus
Hercules disturbed by the unusual spectacle
breve tempus haesitabat;
hesitated for a brief while
mox tamen in speluncam inrupit
but soon he burst into the cave
et collum monstri bracchiis complexus est.
and with his arms squeezed the monster’s neck
Ille etsi multum repugnavit,
He, although he struggled a lot
nullo modo se liberare potuit,
in no way could free himself
et cum nulla facultas respirandi daretur,
and since no chance of breathing was given to him
mox exanimatus est.
soon he died
d) The following section is for you to copy and translate.
Hercules cum nullum alium introitum
reperire posset,
hoc saxum amovere conatus est,
sed propter eius magnitudinem
res erat difficillima.
Diu frustra laborabat
neque quicquam efficere poterat;
tandem tamen magno conatu
saxum amovit et speluncam patefecit.
Ibi amissos boves
magno cum gaudio conspexit;
sed Cacum ipsum vix cernere potuit,
quod spelunca repleta erat fumo
quem ille more suo evomebat.
Hercules inusitata specie turbatus
breve tempus haesitabat;
mox tamen in speluncam inrupit et
collum monstri bracchiis complexus est.
Ille etsi multum repugnavit,
nullo modo se liberare potuit,
et cum nulla facultas respirandi daretur,
mox exanimatus est.
Herculés cum núllum alium introitum reperíre posset, hóc saxum ámovére cónátus est, sed propter éius mágnitúdinem rés erat difficillima. Diú frústrá labórábat neque quicquam efficere poterat; tandem tamen mágnó cónátú saxum ámóvit et spéluncam patefécit. Ibi ámissós bovés mágnó cum gaudió cónspéxit; sed Cácum ipsum vix cernere potuit, quod spélunca repléta erat fúmó quem ille móre suó évomébat. Herculés inúsitátá specié turbátus breve tempus haesitábat; mox tamen in spéluncam inrúpit et collum mónstrí bracchiís complexus est. Ille etsí multum repúgnávit, núlló modó sé líberáre potuit, et cum núlla facultás respírandí darétur, mox exanimátus est.
THIS IS A PICTURE OF HERCULES KILLING CACUS WHILE ONE OF THE OXEN LOOKS ON FROM THE ENTRANCE OF THE CAVE
Beham, (Hans) Sebald (1500-1550): Hercules killing Cacus at his cave, from The Labours of Hercules (1542-1548). Engraving, 1545. (Wikimedia Commons)
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