RITCHIE'S FABULAE FACILES RITCHIE'S SIMPLE STORIES: 59 RITCHIE’S FABULAE FACILES TRANSLATION – THE ARGONAUTS 59

59. THE GOLDEN FLEECE

PELIAS SENDING FORTH JASON FROM WIKI COMMONS

a)Iásón igitur cum calceum ámissum núlló modó recipere posset, únó pede núdó in régiam pervénit. Quem cum Peliás vídisset, subitó timóre adfectus est; intelléxit enim hunc esse hominem quem óráculum démónstrávisset. Hóc igitur cónsilium iniit. Réx erat quídam Aeétés, quí régnum Colchidis illó tempore obtinébat. Huic commissum erat vellus illud aureum quod Phrixus ólim ibi relíquerat. Cónstituit igitur Peliás Iásoní negótium dare ut hóc vellere potírétur; cum enim rés esset mágní perículí, eum in itinere peritúrum esse spérábat. Iásonem igitur ad sé arcessívit, et eum cohortátus quid fierí vellet docuit. Ille etsí intellegébat rem esse difficillimam, negótium libenter suscépit.

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.

cum ... non posset – cum meaning ‘since’ introducing a clause in the past tense requires the verb to be in the subjunctive.

regia, ae f. – first declension feminine noun, ‘palace’.

uno pede nudo – ‘with one foot bare’, this is an example of the ablative absolute which consists of two parts, a noun or pronoun, and a participle.

ineo, inire, inii, initus – a compound of the preposition in with the verb eo meaning logically ‘to go into, enter’ and also ‘adopt’.

intellexit hunc esse – the accusative infinitive construction comes after verbs of thinking, understanding etc. as here ‘he understood ... him to be’, but we would probably say ‘he thought he was’.

demonstravisset – third person singular pluperfect subjunctive of the first conjugation verb demonstro, demonstrare, demonstravi, demonstratus, ‘point out, show; make known’. The subjunctive is used here because this is an example of indirect discourse; it relates what Pelias thought which was ‘This is the man the oracle made known (to me).

quidam – indefinite, ‘a certain’.

Colchis, -idis, f. – third declension feminine noun, Colchis, a kingdom of ancient Greece.

commissum erat – ‘had been entrusted’ pluperfect passive of the verb committo, -mittere, -misi, -missus, ‘send together; commit, entrust’

huic – dative of hic (see hic haec hoc) meaning ‘to him’.

vellus aureum. – the story goes that Phrixus and his sister Helle were about to be put to death, when they were rescued by a ram with fleece of gold, who carried them off through the air. Helle fell from the ram's back into the strait that separates Europe and Asia, called after her the Hellespont, 'Helle's sea,' and known to us as the Dardanelles. Phrixus came safely to Colchis, and here he sacrificed the ram and gave the fleece to Aeetes.

igitur – this is the third time we have come across igitur in this passage and each time is has been second in its clause, it is never found first in its clause; we call this ‘post positive’

hoc vellere – ‘this fleece’ , ablative of the neuter adjective hoc, this and ablative of vellus, velleris, n., fleece as potior (to take possession of) governs the ablative.

eum periturum esse – after sperabat ‘he hoped’ we have the accusative infinitive construction

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.

Iason igitur cum calceum amissum

Jason therefore since the lost shoe

nullo modo recipere posset,

in no way could he get back,

uno pede nudo in regiam pervenit.

arrived in the royal palace with one bare foot.

Quem cum Pelias vidisset,

When Pelias saw this,

subito timore adfectus est;

suddenly he was moved by fear;

intellexit enim hunc esse

for he understood him to be

hominem quem oraculum demonstravisset.

the man whom the oracle had mentioned.

Hoc igitur consilium iniit.

Therefore he adopted this plan.

Rex erat quidam Aeetes,

There was a certain king Aeetes,

qui regnum Colchidis illo tempore obtinebat.

who was ruling the kingdom of Colchidis at that time

Huic commissum erat vellus illud aureum

to him had been entrusted that golden fleece

quod Phrixus olim ibi reliquerat.

which Phrixus at one time had left there.

Constituit igitur Pelias Iasoni negotium dare

Pelias resolved therefore to give the job to Jason

ut hoc vellere potiretur;

to get possession of this

cum enim res esset magni periculi,

for since the task was of great danger,

eum in itinere periturum esse sperabat.

he hoped Jason would perish on the journey.

Iasonem igitur ad se arcessivit,

He summoned Jason therefore and

et eum cohortatus quid fieri vellet docuit.

and encouraged him and informed him what he wanted done

Ille etsi intellegebat rem esse difficillimam,

He, though he knew the task was very difficult

negotium libenter suscepit.

undertook the business willingly.

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