THIS VASE PAINTING DEPICTS PHINEUS AND THE HARPIES
a) Post haec Argonautae ad Thráciam cursum tenuérunt, et postquam ad oppidum Salmydéssum návem appulérunt, in terram égressí sunt. Ibi cum ab incolís quaesíssent quis régnum éius regiónis obtinéret, certiórés factí sunt Phíneum quendam tum régem esse. Cógnóvérunt etiam hunc caecum esse et díró quódam supplició adficí, quod ólim sé crúdélissimum in fíliós suós praebuisset. Cúius supplicí hóc erat genus. Missa erant á Iove mónstra quaedam specié horribilí, quae capita virginum, corpora volucrum habébant. Hae volucrés, quae Harpýiae appellábantur, Phíneó summam molestiam adferébant; quotiéns enim ille accubuerat, veniébant et cibum appositum statim auferébant. Quó factum est ut haud multum abesset quín Phíneus famé morerétur.
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)
Argonautae – feminine plural as Argonauta is a feminine noun of the first declension, as is nauta, ‘sailor’.
ad Thraciam – ad before accusative to indicate motion towards.
ad Salmydessum – ad with the accusative here indicates place where, ‘at Salmydessus’.
egressi sunt – third person plural perfect of the deponent verb egredior, -gredí, -gressus go out or forth, go ashore, disembark, meaning therefore ‘they disembarked’.
cum ... quaesissent – ‘when they had asked’, as usual cum introducing a clause in the past takes the subjunctive, here the third person plural pluperfect subjunctive of quaero, quaerere, quaesivi, quaesitus, seek; ask, inquire.
quis ... obtineret – quis is a signal word here indicating that they is probably an indicect question coming, ‘who was ... etc’ and so the verb which follows in in the subjunctive, here third person imperfect subjunctive of obtinere, ‘who might possess/own; with regnum meaning 'rule, be ruler of.’
certiores facti – ‘they were informed’, from the phrase certiorem facere ‘to inform’; this is a very commonly used phrase.
regnum, i – second declension neuter noun, ‘royal power, rule, throne; kingdom, realm.’
obtineret – subjunctive as this is indirect discourse after ‘they had asked’.
adficit – present third person singular of the verb adficio, -ficere, -feci, -fectus, ‘do to, move, affect; visit, afflict’.
in filios suos .. praebuisset,- towards his (own) sons ... had behaved; third person singular pluperfect subjunctive of praebeo, -ere, -ui, -itus , hold forth, supply, furnish, give; show, present, exhibit. We have the subjunctive here as it is in a subordinate clause of indirect discourse. You need to turn this section around to make good English but the sense should be clear to you from the Gist Translation.
adferebant – literally ‘they were bringing’, from adfero, adferre, attuli, adlatus, bear to, bring.
summam molestiam – summam feminine accusative form of the adjective summus, summa, summum meaning ‘highest, greatest, top of etc.’ agreeing with the feimine accusative singular of molestia, -ae, feminine noun of the first declension meaning ‘annoyance’
supplici – genitive singular of the neuter noun supplicium, -í meaning ‘punishment, torture’. In the Latin writings of Nepos, Caesar, Cicero, and Vergil, the genitive singular of second-declension nouns ending in -ius and -ium ends in i, not ii; but the nominative plural ends in ii, and the dative and ablative plural in iis.
accubuerat.- he had reclined to dine. The Romans reclined at table, supporting themselves on the left arm and taking the food with the right hand. They naturally represented others as eating in the same way.
appositum - 'which had been placed before him.' The participle is often equivalent to
a relative clause.
Quo ... moreretur - 'and so it came to pass that Phineus was nearly dying of starvation,' literally 'that not much was wanting but that Phineus would die.'
quo factum est – and so it was, or more idiomatically ‘and so it came to pass.’
Ut haud multum abesset – this is a clause of result, the subject of factum est, literally (and so.it happened) ‘that he was not far from’ in other words 'he almost died from hunger.'
haud ...quin ... moreretur - subjunctive verb is used after certain negative expressions such as haud ... quin ‘not ... but that’.
fame - ablative of cause, ‘by/from.hunger’. Notice that fames has a fifth declension ablative, but is otherwise declined as a noun of the third declension.
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.
Post haec Argonautae ad Thraciam
After this the Argonauts towards Thracia
cursum tenuerunt, et postquam
held their course, and after
ad oppidum Salmydessum navem appulerunt,
at the town of Salmydessus, they put the ship in,
in terram egressi sunt.
they disembarked on to land.
Ibi cum ab incolis quaesissent
Here when they had asked the inhabitants
quis regnum eius regionis obtineret,
who was ruler of this region,
certiores facti sunt Phineum quendam
they were informed a certain Phineus
tum regem esse. Cognoverunt etiam hunc
was then king. They found out also he
caecum esse et diro quodam supplicio adfici,
was blind and afflicted with a certain harsh torment,
quod olim se crudelissimum
because at one time he extremely cruel
in filios suos praebuisset.
towards his sons had behaved.
Cuius supplici hoc erat genus.
His torment was of this kind.
Missa erant a Iove monstra quaedam
Certain monsters were sent by Jupiter
specie horribili, quae capita virginum,
of horrible appearance, who the heads of girls,
corpora volucrum habebant.
and the bodies of birds had.
Hae volucres, quae Harpyiae appellabantur,
These birds, which were called Harpies
Phineo summam molestiam adferebant;
brought Phineus the utmost bother,
quotiens enim ille accubuerat, veniebant
for whenever he reclined to dine, they used to come
et cibum appositum statim auferebant.
and steal the food as soon as it had been placed before him
Quo factum est ut
And the result of this was
haud multum abesset quin Phineus
that Pheneus was not far from
fame moreretur.
dying of hunger.
d) The following section is for you to copy and translate.
Post haec Argonautae ad Thraciam
cursum tenuerunt, et postquam
ad oppidum Salmydessum navem appulerunt,
in terram egressi sunt.
Ibi cum ab incolis quaesissent
quis regnum eius regionis obtineret,
certiores facti sunt Phineum quendam
tum regem esse. Cognoverunt etiam hunc
caecum esse et diro quodam supplicio adfici,
quod olim se crudelissimum
in filios suos praebuisset.
Cuius supplici hoc erat genus.
Missa erant a Iove monstra quaedam
specie horribili, quae capita virginum,
corpora volucrum habebant.
Hae volucres, quae Harpyiae appellabantur,
Phineo summam molestiam adferebant;
quotiens enim ille accubuerat,
veniebant et cibum appositum statim auferebant.
Quo factum est ut haud multum abesset
quin Phineus fame moreretur.
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