RITCHIE'S FABULAE FACILES RITCHIE'S SIMPLE STORIES: 85 RITCHIE’S FABULAE FACILES TRANSLATION

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RITCHIE’S FABULAE FACILES TRANSLATION – 85 - THE GIANT'S SUPPER

This picture shows the Cyclops returning to his cave only to find Ulysses and his men there.

Cyclópés autem pástórés erant quídam quí ínsulam Siciliam et praecipué montem Aetnam incolébant; ibi enim Volcánus, praeses fabrórum et ígnis repertor, cúius serví Cyclópés erant, officínam suam habébat.

Graecí igitur simul ac mónstrum vídérunt, terróre paene exanimátí in interiórem partem spéluncae refúgérunt et sé ibi abdere cónábantur. Polyphémus autem (síc enim Cyclóps appellábátur) pecus suum in spéluncam compulit; deinde, cum saxó ingentí portam obstrúxisset, ígnem in mediá spéluncá fécit. Hóc factó, oculó omnia perlústrábat, et cum sénsisset hominés in interióre parte spéluncae esse abditós, mágná vóce exclámávit: "Quí hominés estis? Mercátórés an latrónés?" Tum Ulixés respondit sé neque mercátórés esse neque praedandí causá vénisse; sed á Tróiá redeuntís ví tempestátum á réctó cursú dépulsós esse. Órávit etiam ut sibi sine iniúriá abíre licéret. Tum Polyphémus quaesívit ubi esset návis quá vectí essent; sed Ulixés cum sibi máximé praecavendum esse bene intellegeret, respondit návem suam in rúpís coniectam omnínó fráctam esse. Polyphémus autem núlló respónsó dató duo é sociís manú corripuit, et membrís eórum dívulsís carnem dévoráre coepit.

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.

Cyclopes – the Cyclops were a race of one-eyed giants of whom Polyphemus is the most famous.

Volcanus – Vulcan, the god of fire and volcanoes who was reputed to live under the volcano Etna in Sicily.

praeses fabrorum – nominative of praeses, praesidis, protector or patron, followed by genitive of the second declension masculine noun faber, fabri, together meaning something like ‘patron of craftsmen’.

quidam – quidam is masculine plural of the indefinite pronoun and adjective (quidam, quaedam, quoddam), meaning ‘a certain’.

insulam Siciliam – notice that in Latin we say ‘the island Sicily’ not the island of Sicily as in English, which is quite logical as the island does not belong to Sicily.

incolebant – masculine plural imperfect tense of , indicating a continued, or repeated action in the past, ‘they used to inhabit/live’.

cuius – genitive of qui (who), meaning therefore ‘of whom’.

terrore paene exanimati – terrore, ablative of terror ‘with fear’, follwed by the adverb paene ‘almost’, then exanimati, ‘past participle plural used as adjective literally meaning ‘deprived of life’, we might say ‘almost scared out of their wits’ or ‘greatly alarmed’.

in interiorem partem – notice that in can be followed by the ablative or the accusative; ablative when referring to place where and accusative, as here, when indicating motion into; we have in speluncam ‘into the cave’ later in the passage.

se - 'they,' refers to Ulysses and his companions.

appellabatur – third person singular imperfect passive, ‘he was called’.

pecus – accusative of the fourth declension noun pecus pecus, ‘flock’.

cum saxo ingenti – cum ‘with’ is followed by the ablative, literally ‘with a rock huge’.

obstruxisset – ‘he blocked up’, third person singular pluperfect subjunctive active (of the verb obstruo, obstruere, obstruxi, obstructus, blockade, block up, barricade; the subjunctive is often used in a clause in the past tense after cum.

in media spelunca – in followed by ablative to indicate place where, ‘in the middle of the cave’.

hoc facto – ablative phrase, ‘when he had done this’.

oculo omnia perlustrabat – oculo – ablative ‘with his eye’, followed by omnia, accusative plural noun ‘all things’, followed by ‘perlustrabat, third person singular imperfect tense of the first conjugation verb perlustro, ‘to cast one’s eyes over, to scrutinize; so altogether it means something like ‘with his eye he looked closely all around at everything’.

cum sensisset – subjunctive again in a past tense clause after cum, here third person singular pluperfect subjunctive of sentio, sentire, sensi, sensus, perceive, think, feel etc. meaning something like ‘since he sensed’.

Ulixes respondit – notice that after respondit we have the Accusative Infinitive construction – ‘he answered that they were not merchants nor had they come to plunder/rob him. Respondit se neque ... esse etc’. His actual words would have been ‘Neque mercatores sumus neque praedandi causa venimus’ e

/an accusative in

praedandi causa - 'to steal, in order to steal.' Purpose is often expressed by causa with the genitive of the gerund or gerundive.

a Troia - The preposition a is sometimes used with names of towns, with the meaning 'from, from the direction of Troy’.

vi tempestatum – vi is ablative of vis, ‘by the force of the storm’.

a recto cursu – ablative after a, in this instance to express ‘from the right course’.

depulsi sumus – plural masculine nominative of the past participle of the verb depello, depellere, depulsi, depulsus, ‘push/force away’, so meaning something like ‘we were forced off course’.

ubi esse nave – Accusative Infinitive after he enquired; literally, ‘he asked where to be the ship etc’ but we would probably say he asked where was the ship or he asked where the ship was; his actual words were probably ‘Ubi est navis etc?’.

sibi ... praecavendum esse – This is the impersonal passive and means something like ‘they ought to be on their guard’ ; sibi is dative of agent which is commonly found with the gerundive in this type of expression.

in rupis – in can mean in or on, as here with the sense ‘on to the rocks’.

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.

Cyclopes autem pastores erant quidam

Now the Cyclops were certain shepherds

qui insulam Siciliam

who on the island of Sicily

et praecipue montem Aetnam incolebant;

and especially the mountain Etna inhabited;

ibi enim Volcanus, praeses fabrorum et ignis repertor,

for there Vulcan, patron of craftsmen and inventor of fire

cuius servi Cyclopes erant, officinam suam habebat.

whose servants the Cyclops were, had his workshop.

Graeci igitur simul ac monstrum viderunt,

The Greeks therefore as soon as they saw the monster

terrore paene exanimati

from fear having almost passed out

in interiorem partem speluncae refugerunt

fled into the interior part of a cave

et se ibi abdere conabantur.

and they tried to hide themselves there.

Polyphemus autem (sic enim Cyclops appellabatur)

but Polyphemus (for so the Cyclops was called)

pecus suum in speluncam compulit;

drove his flock into the cave;

deinde, cum saxo ingenti portam obstruxisset,

then, with a huge rock blocked the entrance,

ignem in media spelunca fecit.

(and) made a fire in the middle of the cave.

Hoc facto, oculo omnia perlustrabat,

Having done this he looked around at everything with his eye

et cum sensisset homines

and since he sensed men

in interiore parte speluncae esse abditos,

in the interior part of the cave to be hidden

magna voce exclamavit:

in a loud voice he called out:

"Qui homines estis?

What (kind of) men are you?

Mercatores an latrones?"

Merchants or robbers?

Tum Ulixes respondit se neque mercatores esse

Then Ulysses answered that they were not merchants

neque praedandi causa venisse;

nor for the purpose of plundering to have come;

sed a Troia redeuntis vi tempestatum

but returning from Troy, by the force of the storm

a recto cursu depulsos esse.

to have been pushed off the right course.

Oravit etiam ut sibi sine iniuria abire liceret.

He asked furthermore that he permit them to leave without harm

Tum Polyphemus quaesivit ubi esset navis

Then Polyphemus enquired where the ship was

qua vecti essent; sed Ulixes cum

by which they had been transported ; but Ulysses, since

sibi maxime praecavendum esse bene intellegeret,

he well knew they ought to be very much on their guard

respondit navem suam in rupis coniectam

answered that his ship, thrown on the rocks

omnino fractam esse.

was completely broken up.

Polyphemus autem nullo responso dato

Polyphemus however having given no reply

duo e sociis manu corripuit,

grasped two of the allies with his hand

et membris eorum divulsis

and having torn away their limbs

carnem devorare coepit.

began to devour the flesh.

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