RITCHIE'S FABULAE FACILES RITCHIE'S SIMPLE STORIES: 53 RITCHIE’S FABULAE FACILES TRANSLATION - HERCULES 53

HERCULES 53 - THE LAST LABOUR IS ACCOMPLISHED

THIS IS A STATUE OF PLUTO (HADES) AND CERBERUS (PICTURE FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS.

Postquam flúmen Stygem hóc modó tránsiit, Herculés in sédem ipsíus Plútónis vénit; et postquam causam veniendí docuit, ab eó petívit ut Cerberum auferre sibi licéret. Plútó, quí dé Hercule fámam accéperat, eum benígné excépit, et facultátem quam ille petébat libenter dedit. Postulávit tamen ut Herculés ipse, cum imperáta Eurystheí fécisset, Cerberum in Orcum rúrsus redúceret. Herculés hóc pollicitus est, et Cerberum, quem nón sine mágnó perículó manibus prehenderat, summó cum labóre ex Orcó in lúcem et ad urbem Eurystheí tráxit.

Eó cum vénisset, tantus timor animum Eurystheí occupávit ut ex átrió statim refúgerit; cum autem paulum sé ex timóre recépisset, multís cum lacrimís obsecrávit Herculem ut mónstrum sine morá in Orcum redúceret. Síc contrá omnium opíniónem duodecim illí labórés quós Pýthia praecéperat intrá duodecim annós cónfectí sunt; quae cum ita essent, Herculés servitúte tandem líberátus mágnó cum gaudió Thébás rediit.

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.

in sedem – accusative case after in when motion into is involved; sedes can mean seat, or dwelling, abode, home, as here.

ipsius Plutonis – genitive case to show possession, ‘of Pluto himself.’

Pluto - In ancient Greek mythology Pluto was the ruler of the underworld. He was also known as Hades, a name for the underworld itself. After the defeat of Saturn, he received the rule of the underworld in a three-way split of sovereignty with his brothers; Zeus (Roman Jupiter) and Poseidon (Roman Neptune). He abducted Persephone to be his wife and queen of the Underworld.

causam veniendi – gerund after causam ‘the reason of his coming’.

docuit – third person singular perfect indicative active of docere, to teach, show, explain ‘he explained’.

ab eo petivit – a, ab before a vowel, literally ‘from’ followed by the ablative of ‘is’ meaning, ‘from him’ meaning literally therefore, ‘from him he asked’ but we would more naturally say ‘he asked him’.

Cerberum auferre sibi liceret – literally ‘Cerberus to carry off to him it might be allowed’ = ‘that he might be allowed to carry off Cerberus.’

acceperat – he had heard; this is the third person singular pluperfect of the third conjugation verb accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptus , which means take to oneself, receive, accept and also, as here, hear.

facultas – , -atis, third declension feminine noun, meaning, possibility, opportunity, chance, means.

cum imperata .. fecisset, Cerberum ... reduceret – this is an example of indirect discourse, or reported speech, introduced by ‘postulavit’ he demanded, ... that when he (i.e. Hercules) had carried out the orders, he should bring back Cerberus etc. Pluto would have said: ‘when you have carried out the orders etc. bring back Cerberus’.

pollicitus est – third person singular perfect tense of the deponent verb polliceor, polliceri, pollicitus, promise, meaning therefore ‘he promised’ or ‘he has promised.’

sine magno periculo – sine preposition meaning ‘without’ is followed by the ablative, ‘without great danger’.

prehenderat – third person singular pluperfect of prehendo, -hendere, -hendi, -hensus, seize meaning therefore ‘he had seized’.

summo cum labore – notice the preposition is sandwiched between the adjective and noun, ‘with great difficulty.

in lucem – accusative after in meaning motion into, ‘into the light’ or ‘into the daylight’.

eo cum venisset – eo here is the adverb meaning ‘to this/that place’ followed by cum and the third person pluperfect subjunctive of venire meaning ‘he had come’ together meaning ‘when he had come to that place’.

obsecravit – third person singular perfect of obsecro, -secrare, -secravi, -secratus,meaning therefore ‘he beseeched, he entreated, he begged.’

tantus – tantus timor ... ut; tantus is a signal word for a result clause, ‘such a great ... that + result clause, which, as we know, requires the verb to be in the subjunctive , ‘that he fled’ regugerit (see below).

refugerit - ‘he fled’. This is the third person singular perfect subjunctive of refugere. 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 and the present or perfect subjunctive after a present or future tense.

cum se recipisset – cum meaning ‘when’ introducing a clause in the past tense requires the verb to be in the past tense ‘when he had recovered’.

cum multis lacrimis – cum here is the preposition ‘with’ and takes the ablative ‘multis lacrimis’ together meaning ‘with many tears’.

ut monstrum .. reduceret – indirect discourse again, following ‘he beseeched’ ‘that Hercules take Cerberus back etc.

praeciperat – ‘had instructed’ third person singular pluperfect of the verb praecipio, -cipere, -cepi, -ceptus, can mean anticipate, or as here, order, charge, instruct.

confecti sunt – third person plural perfect passive of conficio, conficere, -feci, -fectus, meaning therefore ‘they were carried out, they were finished, accomplished’. etc

quae cum ita essent – literally ‘which things since so were’, meaning, 'and this being the case.'

Pythia – the priestess of the Oracle at Delphi.

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.

Postquam flumen Stygem hoc modo transiit,

After he crossed the river Styx in this way,

Hercules in sedem ipsius Plutonis venit;

Hercules came to the home of Pluto himself;

et postquam causam veniendi docuit,

and after he explained the reason for his coming,

ab eo petivit ut Cerberum auferre sibi liceret.

he asked to be allowed to carry off Cerberus.

Pluto, qui de Hercule famam acceperat,

Pluto, who had heard of Hercules’ renown,

eum benigne excepit,

welcomed him kindly,

et facultatem quam ille petebat

and the opportunity which he was asking for

libenter dedit.

he willingly gave.

Postulavit tamen

He demanded however

ut Hercules ipse, cum imperata Eurysthei fecisset,

that Hercules himself, when he had carried out the orders of Eurystheus,

Cerberum in Orcum rursus reduceret.

should bring Cerberus back again to Orcus.

Hercules hoc pollicitus est,

Hercules promised this,

et Cerberum, quem non sine magno periculo

and Cerberus, who not without great danger

manibus prehenderat,

he had seized with his hands,

summo cum labore ex Orco in lucem

with the greatest difficulty out of Orcus and into the daylight

et ad urbem Eurysthei traxit.

and to the city of Eurystheus he dragged.

Eo cum venisset,

When he had come to that place,

tantus timor animum Eurysthei occupavit

such a great fear took hold of Eurystheus’s mind

ut ex atrio statim refugerit;

that he fled at once from his hall;

cum autem paulum se ex timore recepisset,

when however he had recovered a little from the fright,

multis cum lacrimis obsecravit Herculem

with many tears he beseeched Hercules

ut monstrum sine mora in Orcum reduceret.

to take the monster back to Orcus without delay.

Sic contra omnium opinionem

And so, contrary to the opinion of all

duodecim illi labores quos Pythia praeceperat

those twelve labours which Pythia had ordered

intra duodecim annos confecti sunt;

within twelve years were carried out,

quae cum ita essent,

which things being so,

Hercules servitute tandem liberatus

Hercules from servitude at last liberated

magno cum gaudio Thebas rediit.

with great joy returned to Thebes.

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