86 RITCHIE’S FABULAE FACILES TRANSLATION – 86 - A DESPERATE SITUATION

86 - A DESPERATE SITUATION  

 This picture shows Ulysses giving wine to Polyphemus to make him drunk. 

a)

Dum haec geruntur, Graecórum animós tantus terror occupávit ut né vócem quidem édere possent, sed omní spé salútis dépositá mortem praesentem exspectárent. Polyphémus, postquam famés hác tam horribilí céná dépulsa est, humí próstrátus somnó sé dedit. Quod cum vídisset Ulixés, tantam occásiónem reí gerendae nón omittendam arbitrátus, in eó erat ut pectus mónstrí gladió tránsfígeret. Cum tamen nihil temeré agendum exístimáret, cónstituit explóráre, antequam hóc faceret, quá ratióne ex spéluncá évádere possent. At cum saxum animadvertisset quó introitus obstrúctus erat, nihil sibi prófutúrum intelléxit sí Polyphémum interfécisset. Tanta enim erat éius saxí mágnitúdó ut né á decem quidem hominibus ámovérí posset. Quae cum ita essent, Ulixés hóc cónátú déstitit et ad sociós rediit; quí cum intelléxissent quó in locó rés essent, núllá spé salútis oblátá dé fortúnís suís déspéráre coepérunt. Ille tamen né animós démitterent vehementer hortátus est; démónstrávit sé iam anteá é multís et mágnís perículís évásisse, neque dubium esse quín in tantó discrímine dí auxilium látúrí essent.

 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.

dum haec geruntur – dum following by present tense in Latin, meaning literally while these things are being carried out, probably better expressed by ‘while this was going on.’

ne ... quidem - ne ...quidem, 'not ... even.' The word which ‘even’ modifies must stand between ne and quidem.

ut ....possent – possent is third person imperfect subjunctive (they were able) in a result clause after tantus, ‘so great that ... result/or consequence etc’. Tantus as we have seen before, can be a signal word for a following result clause.

humi - locative case meaning 'on the ground.'

prostratus – this is the perfect passive participle of prosterno, prosternere, prostavi, prostatus, meaning ‘knock over, prostrate’ but it doesn’t mean ‘having been knocked down’ as this is an example of what is sometimes referred to as the reflexive use of the passive, in which the subject is represented as acting upon itself, so it means something like ‘thrown himself down, throwing himself down’.

somno se dedit – ablative of the masculine second declension noun somnus, ‘to sleep’ followed by reflexive se, followed by third person singular perfect of dare, altogether meaning ‘gave himself up to sleep’.

tantam occásiónem  - -we should be on the look out for a subjunctive verb in result clause after tantam ...’such a great opportunity .... that ...result/consequence’.

rei gerendae  -  (opportunity) ‘of/for doing something, for action.'

nón omittendam arbitrátus – omittendam is the gerundive or future participle of omitto meaning something like, ‘deserving to be missed’ or here the opposite with non, followed by arbitratus, past participle of the first conjugation deponent verb arbitor and as we know the past participle of deponent verbs are active in meaning so altogether it means, ‘should not be missed, he believed/thought’..

in eo ... transfigeret – in eo , which is here followed by the subjunctive, means to be on the point of doing something, or being just about to do something, so in eo ... transfigeret means he was on the point of piercing ...etc. Transfigeret is third person singular imperfect subjunctive of transfigo.

nihil temere agendum-  nothing, followed by temere, adverb rashly, followed by agendum, gerundive or future passive participle, which has the idea of ‘should be, or ought to be, must be, or worthy of being etc’ so together meaning something like, ‘nothing should be done rashly’.

nihil sibi profuturum – nihil proesse, means to be of no benefit, or advantage and sibi is dative of advantage or disadvantage, so together it means nothing to him advantage or as we would more likely express this, 'it would be of no advantage to him, or it would be of no benefit to him.'

Tanta ... erat   magnitudo.- again, look out for a result clause after tanta with following subjunctive, ‘so great was the size .... that ... result/consequence’.

ne a decem quidem – ne... quidem again, not even by ten etc.

hoc conatu destitit. – hoc conatu is ablative of separation as it accompanies destitit, third person perfect singular of the third conjugation verb, desisto, desistere, destitit, destitus, meaning to stop, cease, refrain from doing something.

Quae cum ita essent - literally, ‘which things since so they were’, probably better expressed as ‘And as things stood thus or as this was the case etc.’.

quo in loco res essent – similar to the above, literally translated, in which place things were, but we would probably say something like ‘how things stood’.

nulla spe oblata -  'since no hope of safety presented itself.'

e multis et magnis periculis - -e, from, followed by ablative, multis et magnis. We often find two adjectives with the same noun joined by et, as here with multis et magnis, whereas in English we would simply say ‘many great dangers’.

di ...laturi essent – literally, ‘the gods going to bring help were’, probably better expressed as ‘the gods would bring help’. As there is no future subjunctive in Latin we have this construction which is the future participle and imperfect subjunctive.

 

c)

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. Sentences marked with *need particular attention to turn them into correct English.

Dum haec geruntur,

while this is going on

Graecorum animos tantus terror occupavit

such a great fear occupied the minds of the greeks

ut ne vocem quidem edere possent,

that they could not even utter a sound

sed omni spe salutis deposita

but all hope of safety having been laid aside

mortem praesentem exspectarent.

they expected imminent death.

Polyphemus, postquam

Polyphemus, after

fames hac tam horribili cena depulsa est,

his hunger, with such a horrible meal, having driven off*

humi prostratus somno se dedit.

lying down on the ground he gave himself up to sleep

Quod cum vidisset Ulixes,

When Ulysses saw this,

tantam occasionem rei gerendae

such an opportunity of doing something

non omittendam arbitratus,

not to be missed, he considered

in eo erat ut pectus

he was on the point that the breast*

monstri gladio transfigeret.

of the monster with a sword he would pierce.*

Cum tamen nihil temere

Since however nothing rashly

agendum existimaret,

to be done, he considered,

constituit explorare,

he decided to explore,

antequam hoc faceret,

before doing this,

qua ratione ex spelunca evadere possent.

by what method they might escape from the cave.

At cum saxum animadvertisset

But when he had noticed the rock

quo introitus obstructus erat,

by which the entrance was blocked

nihil sibi profuturum intellexit

nothing would be of benefit to him he realized

si Polyphemum interfecisset.

if he killed Polyphemus.

Tanta enim erat eius saxi magnitudo

for  such was the size of this rock

ut ne a decem quidem hominibus

that not even by ten men

amoveri posset.

could it be moved.

Quae cum ita essent,

And as things stood thus

Ulixes hoc conatu destitit

Ulysses gave up this attempt

et ad socios rediit;

and returned to the allies;

qui cum intellexissent

who when they had realised

quo in loco res essent,

in which place things were,*

nulla spe salutis oblata

no hope of safety having presented itself/arisen

de fortunis suis desperare coeperunt.

they began to despair of their fortune

Ille tamen ne animos demitterent

He however (told them) not to lose heart

vehementer hortatus est;

fiercely having encouraged (them);

demonstravit se iam antea

he pointed out that they had already before

e multis et magnis periculis evasisse,

from many great dangers to have escaped,*

neque dubium esse quin

and there was no doubt but that

in tanto discrimine

in such a crisis

di auxilium laturi essent.

the gods would bring help.

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

Dum haec geruntur,

Graecorum animos tantus terror occupavit

ut ne vocem quidem edere possent,

sed omni spe salutis deposita

mortem praesentem exspectarent.

Polyphemus, postquam

fames hac tam horribili cena depulsa est,

humi prostratus somno se dedit.

Quod cum vidisset Ulixes,

tantam occasionem rei gerendae

non omittendam arbitratus,

in eo erat ut pectus

monstri gladio transfigeret.

Cum tamen nihil temere

agendum existimaret,

constituit explorare,

antequam hoc faceret,

qua ratione ex spelunca evadere possent.

At cum saxum animadvertisset

quo introitus obstructus erat,

nihil sibi profuturum intellexit

si Polyphemum interfecisset.

Tanta enim erat eius saxi magnitudo

ut ne a decem quidem

hominibus amoveri posset.

Quae cum ita essent,

Ulixes hoc conatu destitit

et ad socios rediit;

qui cum intellexissent quo in loco res essent,

nulla spe salutis oblata

de fortunis suis desperare coeperunt.

Ille tamen ne animos demitterent

vehementer hortatus est;

demonstravit se iam antea

e multis et magnis periculis evasisse,

neque dubium esse quin

in tanto discrimine di auxilium laturi essent.