THIS IS A VASE PAINTING SHOWING HERCULES AND CERBERUS.
a)
Ut autem mánés Stygem hóc modó tránsierant, ad alterum veniébant flúmen, quod Léthé appellábátur. Ex hóc flúmine aquam bibere cógébantur; quod cum fécissent, rés omnís in vítá gestás é memoriá dépónébant. Dénique ad sédem ipsíus Plútónis veniébant, cúius introitus á cane Cerberó custódiébátur. Ibi Plútó nigró vestítú indútus cum uxóre Próserpiná in solió sedébat. Stábant etiam nón procul ab eó locó tria alia solia, in quibus sedébant Mínós, Rhadamanthus, Aeacusque, iúdicés apud ínferós. Hí mortuís iús dícébant et praemia poenásque cónstituébant. Boní enim in Campós Élysiós, sédem beátórum, veniébant; improbí autem in Tartarum mittébantur ac multís et variís suppliciís ibi excruciábantur.
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)
Ut – in this context ut means ‘when’.
transierant – third person plural pluperfect active of transire, go across ‘they had gone across’.
ex hoc flumeni – ablative after e or ex (before vowel or h).
cogebantur – third person plural imperfect passive of cogo, cogere ‘they were forced’.
quod cum fecissent – quod here is the relative quod (not a conjunction meaning because) and is often used in Latin to connect a new sentence with the one preceding. When so used, it is generally best rendered by 'and' or 'but' and a demonstrative or personal pronoun, 'and when they had done this.'
deponebant – literally ‘they were put aside’ but we have translated ‘erased’ for memories.
sedem – accusative of sedes, seat or as here ‘dwelling, abode’.
ipsius Plutonis – genitive of ipse with Pluto, ‘of pluto himself’.
cuius introitus – genitive of quo cuius meaning ‘of which’ with introitus ‘the entrance’.
a cane – a meaning ‘by’ to express the agent, is followed by the ablative, here the ablative of cane, canis third declension noun, ‘by a dog’.
custodiebatur – third person singular imperfect passive of custodio, custodire, to guard, meaning therefore ‘it was guarded’.
nigro vestitu indutus – nigro is ablative singular of the adjective niger, nigra, nigrum, black together with the ablative of vestíius, -us it means ‘in black clothing’ indutus dressed, altogether best rendered by ‘dressed in black clothing’, or ‘wearing black clothing’.
in solio – I expect you guessed that this means ‘on a throne’, from the second declension neuter noun solium, -í , seat, throne.
ab eo loco – a, (ab before the vowel) takes ablative case, ‘from this place’.
in quibus – in which (referring to the three other thrones).
Hi – nominative plural of hic, haec, hoc meaning ‘these’ referring to the three judges, Minos, Rhadamanthus and Aeacusque.
mortuis – this is dative of indirect object with dicebant , ‘the told or used to tell to the dead’ etc.
praemia poenasque – -que which here connects praemia and poenás denotes a close connection between the two words connectd.
ac multis et variis – here we have the other common words for ‘and’ or connecting words. Multi is often joined by et to another adjective modifying the same noun.
excruciabantur – third person plural imperfect passive of excrucio, excruciare, excruciavi, cruciatus, torture, ‘they were tortured’.
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.
Ut autem manes Stygem hoc modo transierant,
when however the shades had crossed the Styx in this manner
ad alterum veniebant flumen,
they came to another river,
quod Lethe appellabatur.
which was called Lethe.
Ex hoc flumine aquam bibere cogebantur;
They were forced to drink water from this river;
quod cum fecissent,
and when they had done so,
res omnis in vita gestas e memoria deponebant.
everything done in their life was erased from memory.
Denique ad sedem ipsius Plutonis veniebant,
and then to the dwelling of Pluto himself they came,
cuius introitus a cane Cerbero custodiebatur.
whose entrance was guarded by the dog Cerberus.
Ibi Pluto nigro vestitu indutus
there Pluto dressed in black
cum uxore Proserpina in solio sedebat.
with his wife Prosperine sat on a throne.
Stabant etiam non procul ab eo loco tria alia solia,
Three other thrones stood not far off from this place,
in quibus sedebant Minos, Rhadamanthus, Aeacusque,
on which were seated Monos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus,
iudices apud inferos.
judges in the Underworld.
Hi mortuis ius dicebant
These used to pronounced the judgement of the dead
et praemia poenasque constituebant.
and decided on rewards and punishments.
Boni enim in Campos Elysios,
For the good into the Elysian fields,
sedem beatorum, veniebant;
the abode of the blessed were coming;
improbi autem in Tartarum mittebantur
the wicked however weer sent to Tartarus
ac multis et variis suppliciis ibi excruciabantur.
and many and various torments they were suffering there.
Ut autem manes Stygem hoc modo transierant,
ad alterum veniebant flumen,
quod Lethe appellabatur.
Ex hoc flumine aquam bibere cogebantur;
quod cum fecissent,
res omnis in vita gestas e memoria deponebant.
Denique ad sedem ipsius Plutonis veniebant,
cuius introitus a cane Cerbero custodiebatur.
Ibi Pluto nigro vestitu indutus
cum uxore Proserpina in solio sedebat.
Stabant etiam non procul ab eo loco tria alia solia,
in quibus sedebant Minos, Rhadamanthus, Aeacusque,
iudices apud inferos.
Hi mortuis ius dicebant
et praemia poenasque constituebant.
Boni enim in Campos Elysios,
sedem beatorum, veniebant;
improbi autem in Tartarum mittebantur
ac multis et variis suppliciis ibi excruciabantur.
